Hey everyone! Lindsey has asked me to post some updates about Jonathan from her Facebook page:
From Friday:
"We got the results of Jonathan's new tumor marker number, and it's 44!! It went down 20 points in 1 week! We're so excited and grateful right now! He is having a brain MRI right now in preparation for the gamma knife procedure Monday. If no tumors are present, the radiation will not be necessary. We're believing for great results from this scan! Nothing is too big or too small!! — with Ila Mae Avitia and 3 others at Mays Clinic @ M. D. Anderson."
From today:
"Jonathan is having his head frame placed for the gamma knife surgery. We're not sure exactly what time he will being having it done, but it will be a long day for us. There is another guy having this procedure today as well, and we're praying and believing with him and his wife. Please keep both of them in your prayers today! — at MD Anderson Cancer Center."
In case you're interested, here is a very detailed video about what is happening today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8SIOaJ7lWQ.
~Winston
Monday, March 19, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Happy 30th Birthday Jonathan!!
30 years ago today Jonathan was born! I know for each of us on this blog we have known Jonathan for different lengths of time during those 30 years. Some have known him for the whole 30 years and some only met Jonathan in the last year or two. For me personally, I met Jonathan five years ago and he has been a part of my heart since the minute I met him. I know that all of us have let him become a part of our hearts since Jonathan is so easy to love!
Jonathan, I know that these last several months have tried your faith and your physical stamina but you keep getting up every day and doing what you have to do to get better and you keep fighting with the love and prayers behind you of every person who has ever had the pleasure of knowing you. I hope and pray that on your 30th birthday you will reflect on that and look forward to the future where I know in my heart there is complete healing in store for you. May your 30th birthday be filled with love, happiness and peace. You are in our thoughts, our prayers and most of all in our hearts. Happy Birthday Jonathan!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Latest news
I was hoping I wouldn't have to go into a complicated explanation of today's tumor marker number, but I do so here it goes. Before the 8th round of treatment, the number went up a little to 38. During treatment it spiked at 86, which is normal, and when they checked it 3 days later, it was starting to go down at 83. We expected the number would spike, but the important part is that it goes back down. While we always want the number to be zero or at least below 10, we REALLY need to keep going in the right direction...down! So today, a week out of treatment, the number is at 63! We will recheck the number next Thursday for the 'real' tumor marker for this round. It is very important for Dr. Tu to understand what the tm number is doing over the next 2 weeks. If the number continues to go down...sorry, WHEN the number continues to go down on its own outside of treatment, then we may be seeing light at the end of the tunnel for chemo. His blood counts today were the lowest they have ever been, which is very dangerous and scary. We were sent to the hospital after our meeting with Dr. Tu for a blood transfusion. He is about 2 hours into the 4hr infusion. It's never ideal for this to happen, but he should be feeling better tomorrow..thanks donor! He will take about 2 weeks to fully recover, and we will have to be very careful with his exposure to people and places. He has been suffering with severe mouth sores again, so we are hoping the new blood will help to heal them quickly!
We met with a brain radiation oncologist and neurosurgeon last week, and they collectively decided that surgery is not an option for the remaining lesion in the brain. They will be doing Gamma Knife Surgery, which does not involve any knives or surgery! It's an out patient treatment that will send 192 radiation beams straight to the tiny tumor. The individual beams are not strong enough to cause any damage, but when they all meet at the tumor, they cause extensive damage - only to the tumor. The success rate for this treatment is extremely high and within a few days he should be feeling completely normal. They will redo the brain MRI next week to see if any tumor still exists or if it's had any growth or shrinkage. If something still remains, the 'surgery' is scheduled for the 19th. Once the brain lesion is taken care of, it will allow us to eliminate a marker releaser and focus on the remaining tumors in the chest, liver, and lungs.
We also met with the stem cell transplant team today. In our minds, that is really a last resort. It's a very intense treatment with no guarantees, and the whole process could take up to 4-5 months with 2 months being in the hospital. This treatment would only be necessary if the tumor markers do not normalize with low dose chemo. We have to get the ball rolling with them early because it takes a while for the acceptance process to go through (3-6 months). It was educational, but we hope that is all we have to know about it.
In other news, we are sadly moving from our gorgeous farm house tomorrow. (we'll be at the hospital til 1 am, no big deal!) Since our length of time here is uncertain, we simply could not afford to keep the house for an unlimited amount of time. We will miss our house, the horses, the dogs, and our landlords very much, but we are looking forward to starting a new chapter in the new apartment! We were offered an amazing deal for a place literally across the street from the medical center. Being that close to the hospital will be very nice especially if/when he has surgery and treatment. Sometimes our 15 min ride to the house feels like an hour when he is not feeling well. We are also hoping that our constant time here in Houston will be able to taper off here soon, and we will be able to spend more time in New Orleans and Gatesville! We can dream and believe, right?! There will be a waiting period (<6months) between the end of all treatment and surgery, so that is the time I'm referring to. For now, we're looking forward to a fun weekend with Pepe and Ila Mae coming to visit and help move of course! ;)
Overall, we are still encouraged and believing and expecting for a complete healing, but we're on God's timing and not our own! Please continue praying and believing!! We appreciate and love you all very much!!
With love,
Lindsey
We met with a brain radiation oncologist and neurosurgeon last week, and they collectively decided that surgery is not an option for the remaining lesion in the brain. They will be doing Gamma Knife Surgery, which does not involve any knives or surgery! It's an out patient treatment that will send 192 radiation beams straight to the tiny tumor. The individual beams are not strong enough to cause any damage, but when they all meet at the tumor, they cause extensive damage - only to the tumor. The success rate for this treatment is extremely high and within a few days he should be feeling completely normal. They will redo the brain MRI next week to see if any tumor still exists or if it's had any growth or shrinkage. If something still remains, the 'surgery' is scheduled for the 19th. Once the brain lesion is taken care of, it will allow us to eliminate a marker releaser and focus on the remaining tumors in the chest, liver, and lungs.
We also met with the stem cell transplant team today. In our minds, that is really a last resort. It's a very intense treatment with no guarantees, and the whole process could take up to 4-5 months with 2 months being in the hospital. This treatment would only be necessary if the tumor markers do not normalize with low dose chemo. We have to get the ball rolling with them early because it takes a while for the acceptance process to go through (3-6 months). It was educational, but we hope that is all we have to know about it.
In other news, we are sadly moving from our gorgeous farm house tomorrow. (we'll be at the hospital til 1 am, no big deal!) Since our length of time here is uncertain, we simply could not afford to keep the house for an unlimited amount of time. We will miss our house, the horses, the dogs, and our landlords very much, but we are looking forward to starting a new chapter in the new apartment! We were offered an amazing deal for a place literally across the street from the medical center. Being that close to the hospital will be very nice especially if/when he has surgery and treatment. Sometimes our 15 min ride to the house feels like an hour when he is not feeling well. We are also hoping that our constant time here in Houston will be able to taper off here soon, and we will be able to spend more time in New Orleans and Gatesville! We can dream and believe, right?! There will be a waiting period (<6months) between the end of all treatment and surgery, so that is the time I'm referring to. For now, we're looking forward to a fun weekend with Pepe and Ila Mae coming to visit and help move of course! ;)
Overall, we are still encouraged and believing and expecting for a complete healing, but we're on God's timing and not our own! Please continue praying and believing!! We appreciate and love you all very much!!
With love,
Lindsey
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Post from Lindsey's Facebook
Jonathan will have his last day of treatment for round 8 tomorrow, Wednesday. We will not find out his new tumor marker number for about 2 weeks. Please continue to pray for the best result of "zero."
Love and appreciate all of you,
Lindsey
Thursday, February 9, 2012
It's a Journey...
Cancer is a funny thing because no matter how many people have had it before you, each person's journey is unique to them. There are no books, no answers, and sometimes no explanations. It's quite possibly the most frustrating thing to deal with! Now that that's out of the way...Jonathan's new tumor marker number is 38, which means it went up a little bit from 23. The frustrating part is the doctor doesn't know why. There could be a number of different reasons why, but we do not know for sure. It could be the cancer is being very stubborn, a false reading from the chemo (which has happened before but we did not share), a dead tumor leaking the traceable hormone, or an active tumor. There are still tumors in all the original locations (smaller but still there), so it's impossible to know who the culprit could be, but it seems like Dr. Tu suspects the liver. He is talking about a few different options for moving forward, but for the immediate time, Jonathan is going in tomorrow for another round of ATP which he has had before. Its a 1 day treatment each week for 3 weeks. He opted to have it in-patient this time (I think he likes the attention from the nurses..he's definitely a favorite!). We can handle 1 night in the hospital..we're pros!
We did not receive 'terrible' news today, but I would be lying if I said we aren't disappointed, frustrated, sad, etc. This is a journey, there will be bumps in the road, but we will overcome them!! Please continue praying for Jonathan's complete healing and for 'zero'! We appreciate all your love and support!
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 Thank you God for your promises! Tomorrow is a new day!
With love,
Lindsey
We did not receive 'terrible' news today, but I would be lying if I said we aren't disappointed, frustrated, sad, etc. This is a journey, there will be bumps in the road, but we will overcome them!! Please continue praying for Jonathan's complete healing and for 'zero'! We appreciate all your love and support!
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 Thank you God for your promises! Tomorrow is a new day!
With love,
Lindsey
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Update from Houtson
Well our two week break will be over tomorrow. We meet with Dr. Tu tomorrow afternoon to find out the new tumor marker number and what the next step will be. This last round of chemo was very hard on Jonathan. He struggled a lot with nausea, fatigue, and a new one for him..mouth sores. Thank God for 'magic mouthwash' because it was affecting his eating, drinking, and even his speech! We finally got everything under control, and we were able to enjoy the last week with friends and family who came to visit. I've been trying to take more pictures of our lives these days and I've included a few below from some recent visits.
Yesterday Jonathan spoke with the Radiation Oncologist, who ordered his brain MRI a few weeks ago, and he confirmed that only 1 spot (5mm) remains in his brain. There were two, possibly 3! They're not sure if the spot they see is a tiny tumor still or if it's just leftover tissue, but if it shows up on the next MRI, they will have to determine the best way to treat/remove it. We are believing this spot will disappear and that no surgery will be required in his brain!
It's amazing that Jonathan has been through 7 rounds of chemo. Prayers are truly being answered! He is not feeling 100% by any means, but his strength the last few days has been remarkable! He has been working on a few plans, getting out of the house, and even helping me around the house! I'm particularly grateful for the last one :) I just can't believe how strong he is through all of this! Please continue to keep him in your prayers! We are believing for great results tomorrow, and we just know God's hand in all of this!
Please Pray specifically for 'zero', wisdom for Dr. Tu, and mental, emotional, and physical strength!! We love and appreciate all of you more than we could ever express!
With love,
Lindsey
P.s. Winston, I'm sorry I forgot to take a picture of you two when you were here!!
Hibachi with my family and Kevin
Jonathan and Kevin celebrating Kevin's new job with Vietnamese coffee!
Ila surprised us last weekend!
Auntie Connie, Pepe's sister, came in from San Francisco!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Prayers
Friends, we need lots of prayers tomorrow!! We will find out Jonathan's tumor marker number after his 6th round of treatment, and he will be having a brain MRI to see if the two spots have disappeared. We are believing for great news!! We have had such an amazing week with no treatment and no major side effects! God has really blessed us and we know the blessings will continue tomorrow! Thank you for your love and prayers!!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Jonathan's Soldiers on Vacation at Sea World in San Antonio!
Jonathan's Soldiers at Sea World in San Antonio!
Happy New Year Jonathan!
Love, The Moffett Family,
The Best Family and
The Warren Family
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Almost There
We hope everyone is getting excited for Christmas! We cannot thank Chris Erwin and the people of Gatesville enough for the wonderful benefit they had for Jonathan yesterday!! We wish that we could have been there more than anything. The outpouring of love and support is just overwhelming!! We pray that God truly blesses each and every one of you!
We went to see Dr. Tu today for the new tumor marker number and the results of a chest CT Scan from yesterday. The new number is 54! Dr. Tu was hoping the number would be at zero (as were we), but we are still extremely grateful that everything is continuing to move in the right direction, even if it is slower than we hoped for. It is crucial that the number gets to zero with this next treatment!! We need to specifically focus our prayers to this number and that it stabilizes once it gets to zero. Dr. Tu is changing the chemo again to ATP, which is a 1 day treatment, once a week for 3 weeks. He will be going in tomorrow morning at 9 for this outpatient treatment. It is a combination of 3 drugs, 2 of which he has seen previously. This treatment should be less invasive to Jonathan's body, but hopefully it is the right "chemo cocktail" for the tumors! This 1 day treatment also means that Jonathan will not have to be in the hospital for Christmas, and I cannot tell you what a blessing that is!
Since the tumor marker number did not normalize, the chest scan was done prematurely; however, it was encouraging to know where he stands at this point. The lung nodules have significantly decreased in number and size! The first report said there were innumerable nodules in each lung, and it now says that innumerable nodules have disappeared! The mass behind his sternum has decreased in size as well. More than likely, this mass will have to be surgically removed, but we will have to wait to see what this next chemo and God will do! Again the most important thing right now is for the tumor marker number to get to zero! Everything else will be handled once that happens.
Many have also asked how you can donate to Jonathan. A dear friend set up a PayPal account through our company website, http://www.javitia.com/, where you can donate. We are humbled by any outpouring of love whether monetary, prayers, cards, emails, etc. God has truly put the most amazing people in our lives!
Please keep standing in faith with us through this journey! We appreciate all the prayers and support, and we certainly could not get through this without them. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
With Love,
Lindsey
We went to see Dr. Tu today for the new tumor marker number and the results of a chest CT Scan from yesterday. The new number is 54! Dr. Tu was hoping the number would be at zero (as were we), but we are still extremely grateful that everything is continuing to move in the right direction, even if it is slower than we hoped for. It is crucial that the number gets to zero with this next treatment!! We need to specifically focus our prayers to this number and that it stabilizes once it gets to zero. Dr. Tu is changing the chemo again to ATP, which is a 1 day treatment, once a week for 3 weeks. He will be going in tomorrow morning at 9 for this outpatient treatment. It is a combination of 3 drugs, 2 of which he has seen previously. This treatment should be less invasive to Jonathan's body, but hopefully it is the right "chemo cocktail" for the tumors! This 1 day treatment also means that Jonathan will not have to be in the hospital for Christmas, and I cannot tell you what a blessing that is!
Since the tumor marker number did not normalize, the chest scan was done prematurely; however, it was encouraging to know where he stands at this point. The lung nodules have significantly decreased in number and size! The first report said there were innumerable nodules in each lung, and it now says that innumerable nodules have disappeared! The mass behind his sternum has decreased in size as well. More than likely, this mass will have to be surgically removed, but we will have to wait to see what this next chemo and God will do! Again the most important thing right now is for the tumor marker number to get to zero! Everything else will be handled once that happens.
Many have also asked how you can donate to Jonathan. A dear friend set up a PayPal account through our company website, http://www.javitia.com/, where you can donate. We are humbled by any outpouring of love whether monetary, prayers, cards, emails, etc. God has truly put the most amazing people in our lives!
Please keep standing in faith with us through this journey! We appreciate all the prayers and support, and we certainly could not get through this without them. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
With Love,
Lindsey
Monday, December 19, 2011
Jonathan's Army! Photo from Round Rock!
Here are two of Jonathan's Soldiers in Round Rock, TX!!! Thank you Sue and Fred for your prayers!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Relay for Life in Gatesville!
Here are some awesome pictures sent by Amber Tippit from this year's Relay for Life in Gatesville. They did a balloon send off for Jonathan! If you look closely you can see a whole lot of Jonathan's black bracelets! Thanks, Amber!!
Update from Ila Mae
This is reposted from Ila Mae's Facebook page:
Family & Friends:
My Bubba has been admitted for another 5 day treatment of chemotherapy. This time, the routine will be different in a couple of ways. Two new chemo drugs will be introduced: Paclitaxel and Ifosfamide. Cisplatin will be a part of this round as well--he's had it before. With past treatments, the longest interval for a chemo drip was 2 hours. Tonight, the first chemo administered will be Paclitaxel...and it will drip for 24 hours.
For the next 5 days, I ask that you please pray for my brother's peace of mind, that he focuses on positive thoughts. Pray for his body's endurance, that the side effects be small and he maintains his ability to nourish his body with food. Overall, please pray for my brother's strength, that he may never be weak in body or mind!
Thank you so much- Love, Ila Mae
Family & Friends:
My Bubba has been admitted for another 5 day treatment of chemotherapy. This time, the routine will be different in a couple of ways. Two new chemo drugs will be introduced: Paclitaxel and Ifosfamide. Cisplatin will be a part of this round as well--he's had it before. With past treatments, the longest interval for a chemo drip was 2 hours. Tonight, the first chemo administered will be Paclitaxel...and it will drip for 24 hours.
For the next 5 days, I ask that you please pray for my brother's peace of mind, that he focuses on positive thoughts. Pray for his body's endurance, that the side effects be small and he maintains his ability to nourish his body with food. Overall, please pray for my brother's strength, that he may never be weak in body or mind!
Thank you so much- Love, Ila Mae
Think ZERO!
I received word last night from Lindsey Dotson that Jonathan's tumor markers are down again! This time they have decreased to 128. When it comes to tumor markers, obviously the goal is to get to ZERO. I jokingly told Jonathan last night that he spent his whole life trying to be somebody and now his only goal is to be a "zero" - it's a funny thought about a very serious goal! Mention the number ZERO in your prayers and thoughts as that is Jonathan's magic number. Think ZERO!
He was admitted last night about 7:30 pm for another round of treatment. Please read Ila Mae's very detailed post directly above this one for all the specifics!
Thanks for all your prayers, thoughts, and concerns!
Let's help Jonathan be a ZERO!
He was admitted last night about 7:30 pm for another round of treatment. Please read Ila Mae's very detailed post directly above this one for all the specifics!
Thanks for all your prayers, thoughts, and concerns!
Let's help Jonathan be a ZERO!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
More soldiers for Jonathan's Army!!!
these pics in from Austin!!!
More good news!
Word out of Houston this morning is that Jonathan's tumors markers are down AGAIN to 242!! (When Jonathan was first admitted to M.D. Anderson his reading was 104,000) This is very positive and very good news! Stay tuned for more information!
~Winston
~Winston
Monday, November 14, 2011
Update on Jonathan
I apologize for not updating everyone for so long! We’ve been somewhat busy here in Houston with moving, doctor visits, and a little fun when we can. We have a little story to share to show everyone how God hears all of our prayers no matter how small or silly we might think they are. After Jonathan’s first round of treatment, we rented an apartment nearby the hospital that was convenient but expensive. As the lease on the 1 month rental was coming to a close, Jonathan kept saying he really wanted to rent a house on a horse farm or with a lot of land. Given our need to be close to the hospital (and the size of Houston), we did not even consider this as a possibility. As I was looking for a new place, I stumbled across this listing entitled “Rare and Unique Rental Opportunity.” When I clicked on the listing, I almost couldn’t believe what I was reading. It was a beautiful, brand new house that was 3 bedroom/2 bath, furnished, only 8 miles from the hospital, and….on a horse farm!!! The landlords, who wanted a year lease, let us sign a short term lease and have been such a blessing to us. They also live on the 10 acres in their own gorgeous home, and our only other neighbors are 5 dogs and 40 beautiful horses! We’ve only been here since Wednesday, but I can’t tell you the difference this environment has made in our lives. I’m attaching a few pictures to show everyone our new paradise!
As for Jonathan, he is doing fairly well. His white blood cells have been hit very hard in the last week, and he is being monitored daily for fever and any signs of infection. Because he is at such a high risk for infection, much of our time is being spent at the house or outdoors. This is when the horse farm really comes in handy! The low blood counts leave him feeling tired and weak, but his overall demeanor and attitude is very good. We have really tried to enjoy the last two weeks and take advantage of his free time from the hospital. He has a full day of appointments tomorrow, and depending on his blood counts, he could be admitted for the 2nd 21-day cycle of treatment. We will also find out his new tumor marker numbers. We are praying and believing the numbers are at zero, his blood counts are up, and all tumors are gone! Keep Jonathan in your prayers tomorrow, and we will try to update everyone after the appointments. Thanks again for all of the love and support! We cannot tell you how much of a blessing you all are!
With love,
Lindsey
 |
| You can see the red brick house in the back! |
God is so good to us!!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Jonathan's Soldiers at Gatesville High School!
Jonathan's army of cafeteria workers at Gatesville High School!
Thank you for sending in the photo!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Jonathan's Army....1033 strong!!!!!
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to give you an update on Jonathan's army! We have received requests for wristbands from 1033 people in 10 states, 35 cities and 3 countries!!!! That is a lot of prayers! And God is definitely listening. Please keep praying each time you see the wristband on your arm and send positive thoughts and prayers to Jonathan and his family. As of tomorrow morning, all of the orders that I currently have for wristbands will have been mailed out. The new order came in this morning and I am almost out of those!! Don't forget when you get the wristbands to send in photos so that Jonathan can see photos of his army! Below I am including some photos that I got today of some of Jonathan's army from Colorado and from Gatesville. He even has four-legged army members! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your love, support and prayers for Jonathan!
Love, Donna
Soldiers from Gatesville Primary School!
I just wanted to give you an update on Jonathan's army! We have received requests for wristbands from 1033 people in 10 states, 35 cities and 3 countries!!!! That is a lot of prayers! And God is definitely listening. Please keep praying each time you see the wristband on your arm and send positive thoughts and prayers to Jonathan and his family. As of tomorrow morning, all of the orders that I currently have for wristbands will have been mailed out. The new order came in this morning and I am almost out of those!! Don't forget when you get the wristbands to send in photos so that Jonathan can see photos of his army! Below I am including some photos that I got today of some of Jonathan's army from Colorado and from Gatesville. He even has four-legged army members! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your love, support and prayers for Jonathan!
Love, Donna
Lynn, Lee, Kobi and Dallas....Jonathan's soldiers in Estes Park, Colorado!
I love that we have four legged soldiers too in Jonathan's army!!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Blessings of a Hometown
When I was growing up in Gatesville, one of the things I disliked the most about it was that everyone knew everything about you and everyone knew your business. Now that I've grown up and moved away, one of my FAVORITE things about Gatesville is that everyones knows everything about you and everyone knows your business!! Why the change? Because I've come to realize that for those of us that grew up in small towns, you realize how firm a foundation it can be in your life when troubles come along (which they will). A hometown is like a tree, firmly rooted and deeply planted, and when the winds of life blow violently, the roots simply hold firmly to the ground and remind you that no matter where you live or go in the world, you will never weather a storm alone. And you will NEVER be alone in a battle.
What prompted this thought were these photos sent by Luke Jageler of him and Jonathan. Truly the roots of friendship run deep! Thanks for these great pics Luke!
~Winston
~Winston
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Good news from Houston!
We finally have a plan to share with everyone! Jonathan's doctor visit Monday was very informative for us, and it was much needed. Last night he started his first full dose treatment. He will be on a 21 day cycle now with a 5 day treatment beginning each round. He will receive 2 outpatient chemo treatments during this time as well. They are anitcipating 3-4 of these cylcles, but it all depends on how the cancer reacts to the treatment. The doctor explained to us when his 'bad' days should be expected, but also when his good days will start again. Of course when his good days start again, the cycle starts over, but at least he knows they will come. He told us to expect to be here for 3-4 months, but we are believing for a shorter stay! They still remain very positive about his response to treatment and getting this thing cured!
The first two rounds of chemo were very effective, and the tumor marker numbers continue to decrease! The tumor markers are present in your blood only if you have a tumor; therefore, the marker number should be zero. When we arrived at MD Anderson, Jonathan's tm was over 104k. After the first treatment, they went down significantly to 19k, and after the second treatment, they are at 4,950!! Dr. Tu said that the presence of the tumors is directly correlated to the tumor marker number - meaning as the tm go down, so do the amount/size of tumors! Once the tm number stabilizes to zero, chemo will no longer be needed or affective because a) the tumors are completely gone or b) what tumor remains will have to be surgically removed. We are praying and believing that the chemo will remove all tumors and no surgery will be needed!
There will be some hard days ahead as the stronger chemo treatments work through his body, but we know God is working a miracle in his life and this too shall pass. We appreciate all of your sweet messages and words of encouragement. Donna said she has given out 775 wristbands supporting Jonathan! He was absolutely amazed by the number of people praying and believing for him. Keep praying..we know God is listening!!
Sincerely,
Lindsey
The first two rounds of chemo were very effective, and the tumor marker numbers continue to decrease! The tumor markers are present in your blood only if you have a tumor; therefore, the marker number should be zero. When we arrived at MD Anderson, Jonathan's tm was over 104k. After the first treatment, they went down significantly to 19k, and after the second treatment, they are at 4,950!! Dr. Tu said that the presence of the tumors is directly correlated to the tumor marker number - meaning as the tm go down, so do the amount/size of tumors! Once the tm number stabilizes to zero, chemo will no longer be needed or affective because a) the tumors are completely gone or b) what tumor remains will have to be surgically removed. We are praying and believing that the chemo will remove all tumors and no surgery will be needed!
There will be some hard days ahead as the stronger chemo treatments work through his body, but we know God is working a miracle in his life and this too shall pass. We appreciate all of your sweet messages and words of encouragement. Donna said she has given out 775 wristbands supporting Jonathan! He was absolutely amazed by the number of people praying and believing for him. Keep praying..we know God is listening!!
Sincerely,
Lindsey
Monday, October 24, 2011
Kelly Tippit stands up for Jonathan!
An Update From Lindsey
We want to thank everyone for all of their love, prayers, and support! If there is one thing we have learned, its that prayers really do work! Jonathan reads all your sweet notes, and they really brighten his day. The second round of chemo was only a one day treatment, but the medicines were a little more intense. These new medicines have taken a greater toll on Jonathan's body with fatigue, nausea, and weakness. He is getting stronger every day, but we are reminded daily that these treatments are toxic and they do not leave a good impression on the body...except for killing the bad stuff! Overall though, he has handled the treatments better than we could have hoped for, and we make sure to thank God everyday for this huge blessing. We will be going back to see Dr. Tu tomorrow at 11:30. They will do more blood work to see how well the cancer has responded to this last round. We believe that there will be more good news, and we will be sure to update everyone with those results! There is a chance he could start the 3rd round of chemo tomorrow night, and it would be the longest and most intense treatment yet. Please pray that God gives Dr. Tu wisdom and guidance with how to proceed with this next treatments. Please keep praying and believing for a complete healing!! We can't thank you all enough for the tremendous support we feel everyday!
Sincerely, Lindsey
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Jonathan's Army already 442 strong!!!!
Since we posted the blog about the wristbands for "Jonathan's Army" about a week ago, we have had requests so far for 442 wristbands!!!!! That is a testament to Jonathan and the love that all of you have for him. I know he has been touched by this overwhelming response! I have attached a photo of a group of his soldiers from Gatesville, TX. The class of 2001 who had their reunion on Saturday asked me to send wristbands to them to show their support and love of Jonathan! Sky Gerdel distributed almost 115 wristbands there!!! All of you are awesome! But, we have also had lots of requests of 1 or 2 all over the country! Jonathan, you now have soldiers in 8 states, 27 cities and 2 countries!!!
The response has been so overwhelming that I am almost out of wristbands! I will order more today. Most of you have asked about contributing to the wristbands or to postage. I have refused any monetary contributions because I wanted to do this for Jonathan so he would know how widespread his army is. I jokingly told Barrett that if the army got to over 500 then I might have to seek help or take out a loan from the bank!!! He told me that he thought that it was a distinct possibility that it would grow to over 500! He was right! I didn't anticipate going through these first 500 so quickly! You certainly don't have to, but if you would like to contribute to the Reorder of more wristbands you can send it to me and any money that is left over I will donate to Jonathan's account in Gatesville under donations from Jonathan's Army. Anyone that has placed an order up to now though, I have mailed all of those out. There was a problem with the post office misquoting the price to mail the envelopes because of the thickness of the envelope so I am hoping that all of them get to you. If for some reason you don't get yours this week, write to me and I will resend them. I apologize in advance if it gets to you and says additional postage due.
Don't forget to send photos of you in your wristbands when you get them so we can post them for Jonathan to see! Winston and I have been so touched by the outpouring of love and prayers for Jonathan and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I can only imagine it must be some comfort to Jonathan to know he has so many people joining him in prayer in his battle. Together We Will Win!!!!
All my love,
Donna
Soldier in Jonathan's "Army"
Jonathan: The Class of 2001 is fighting with you!!!!
The response has been so overwhelming that I am almost out of wristbands! I will order more today. Most of you have asked about contributing to the wristbands or to postage. I have refused any monetary contributions because I wanted to do this for Jonathan so he would know how widespread his army is. I jokingly told Barrett that if the army got to over 500 then I might have to seek help or take out a loan from the bank!!! He told me that he thought that it was a distinct possibility that it would grow to over 500! He was right! I didn't anticipate going through these first 500 so quickly! You certainly don't have to, but if you would like to contribute to the Reorder of more wristbands you can send it to me and any money that is left over I will donate to Jonathan's account in Gatesville under donations from Jonathan's Army. Anyone that has placed an order up to now though, I have mailed all of those out. There was a problem with the post office misquoting the price to mail the envelopes because of the thickness of the envelope so I am hoping that all of them get to you. If for some reason you don't get yours this week, write to me and I will resend them. I apologize in advance if it gets to you and says additional postage due.
Don't forget to send photos of you in your wristbands when you get them so we can post them for Jonathan to see! Winston and I have been so touched by the outpouring of love and prayers for Jonathan and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I can only imagine it must be some comfort to Jonathan to know he has so many people joining him in prayer in his battle. Together We Will Win!!!!
All my love,
Donna
Soldier in Jonathan's "Army"
Jonathan: The Class of 2001 is fighting with you!!!!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Jonathan's Army!!!!!
Hey everyone!
The wristbands have arrived for Jonathan's "Army"!! I have attached photos of them. I started wearing mine today and it is amazing how many times during the day that you see it on your wrist. Every time that I noticed it, I sent positive thoughts and prayers to Jonathan. I hope that as many people as possible will start wearing them all over the country and Jonathan's "Army" will surround him with love and prayers.
There are two sizes: small which is for Kids and Women with wrists 6" or smaller and then regular which is for everyone else. Just let me know how many you need of each size for you or your family (kids can wear them too) and email me your address at chanceDLC@aol.com and I will mail them right out to you! I hope that people all over the country will be wearing them and uniting with Jonathan in this battle. I want us all to wear them until Jonathan wins this battle!!!
If you can take a picture of your family or send in one of yourself showing you wearing your wristband and say where you live, we will start posting them on the blog. I was thinking I would get a map and start marking all of the cities where Jonathan's army is praying from and give it to him so that he knows how widespread his "army" is. Any obstacle is easier to cross over if you have the power of many behind you. And Jonathan does indeed have MANY behind him!! I hope you will all be willing to show your love and support of Jonathan by wearing the wristband. If you know of someone not on facebook or the blog but would like to wear one, send me their email and I will write to them. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love and continued prayers for Jonathan and his loved ones. They feel your love and prayers and it definitely lifts them up.
All my love,
Donna
Jonathan's Army is on the front
Together We Will Win is on the back
Jonathan's Soldier in New Orleans, Louisiana!
The wristbands have arrived for Jonathan's "Army"!! I have attached photos of them. I started wearing mine today and it is amazing how many times during the day that you see it on your wrist. Every time that I noticed it, I sent positive thoughts and prayers to Jonathan. I hope that as many people as possible will start wearing them all over the country and Jonathan's "Army" will surround him with love and prayers.
There are two sizes: small which is for Kids and Women with wrists 6" or smaller and then regular which is for everyone else. Just let me know how many you need of each size for you or your family (kids can wear them too) and email me your address at chanceDLC@aol.com and I will mail them right out to you! I hope that people all over the country will be wearing them and uniting with Jonathan in this battle. I want us all to wear them until Jonathan wins this battle!!!
All my love,
Donna
Jonathan's Army is on the front
Together We Will Win is on the back
Jonathan's Soldier in New Orleans, Louisiana!
Update on Jonathan's 2nd Treatment on Monday evening
Hi everyone! Thank you all for your continued prayers for Jonathan. Here is an update from Lindsey and Ila Mae on Jonathan's latest round of chemo which was done at MD Anderson on Monday.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Prayer works!!!!!
Thank you to everyone who has been praying so hard for Jonathan! Winston just shared this news with me from Ila Mae and we wanted to share it with all of you! It is indeed proof positive that prayer and positive thoughts work. Keep praying and sending them Jonathan's way. We are holding out for a miracle!
Love, Donna
Love, Donna
Family and Friends:
GREAT NEWS :)
1. No metastasis to his spine!!! Yippeeee! Thank you Lord.
2. Bloodwork shows the tumor markers have DECREASED! Tumor markers determine the presence and strength of the cancer and or cells.
3. Dr.Tu is happy with Bubba's tolerance of his first round of chemo. In fact, the Dr is going to give Bubba another important chemo treatment TODAY... to get in there and ...attack the tumor since it has shown to be responsive to treatment (more good news) and while Bubba can handle it. The treatment today will deny the tumor time for recovery. As far as future treatments, Bubba will receive 5 days of chemo with each visit. Dr. Tu mentioned possibly 4 more chemo treatments, then, analysis of the progress. At this time, nothing is set in stone related to the number of treatments my brother will need.
Bubba is young, healthy,strong and Dr.Tu has complete faith in my brother's ability to battle this disease! --Dr.Tu's words to my brother: "The chemo hurt the tumor, not you" ...
Yes! Thank you Lord.
Thank you all for praying so hard.
Love, Ila Mae
GREAT NEWS :)
1. No metastasis to his spine!!! Yippeeee! Thank you Lord.
2. Bloodwork shows the tumor markers have DECREASED! Tumor markers determine the presence and strength of the cancer and or cells.
3. Dr.Tu is happy with Bubba's tolerance of his first round of chemo. In fact, the Dr is going to give Bubba another important chemo treatment TODAY... to get in there and ...attack the tumor since it has shown to be responsive to treatment (more good news) and while Bubba can handle it. The treatment today will deny the tumor time for recovery. As far as future treatments, Bubba will receive 5 days of chemo with each visit. Dr. Tu mentioned possibly 4 more chemo treatments, then, analysis of the progress. At this time, nothing is set in stone related to the number of treatments my brother will need.
Bubba is young, healthy,strong and Dr.Tu has complete faith in my brother's ability to battle this disease! --Dr.Tu's words to my brother: "The chemo hurt the tumor, not you" ...
Yes! Thank you Lord.
Thank you all for praying so hard.
Love, Ila Mae
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Monday Morning Prayers and Positive Thoughts
Jonathan is going into the doctor Monday morning at 10am to receive some test results, hear an assessment of his progress and line out a treatment plan accordingly. Many of us are blessed tonight and can go to bed with concerns that aren't really worth worrying about. However for Jonathan and THOUSANDS of others just like him in our country, tomorrow is a BIG day with much greater concerns. So at 10 am wherever you are and whatever you're doing, pause and send a prayer or a positive thought in Jonathan's direction! (Which is probably somewhere toward the south since he's in Houston!) Consider this a very unscientific study in the power of specified collective prayer!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Update from Winston
Good morning everyone! Right now it's Thursday morning and Jonathan has settled down in a comfortable apartment near the Medical Center. The goal this week is to simply rest, let the medicine do its work, and take it easy. Unfortunately, doctors instructed him to be hyper-vigilant about coming into contact with a lot of people because he is very susceptible to infection right now. They won't even let him shave with a razor AND even Cointa had to limit interaction with him because she had a cold! So, before you drive all the way to Houston to visit, remember he probably can't see visitors!
It's amazing to watch the notes and messages come in from all over the world, literally. From Sweden to Afghanistan and everywhere in between, people are sending encouragement to Jonathan! Sometimes you don't realize the extent of your own influence in the world until word spreads that help is needed to rally behind you! I know many of these messages can't be personally responded to but please know I am reading them/posting them/forwarding them to the best of my ability! Keep em coming!!! And as always I will have more information as it becomes available.
It's amazing to watch the notes and messages come in from all over the world, literally. From Sweden to Afghanistan and everywhere in between, people are sending encouragement to Jonathan! Sometimes you don't realize the extent of your own influence in the world until word spreads that help is needed to rally behind you! I know many of these messages can't be personally responded to but please know I am reading them/posting them/forwarding them to the best of my ability! Keep em coming!!! And as always I will have more information as it becomes available.
Another note from Ila Mae
"For those of you who were asking about cards and flowers, there has been an account set up at the National Bank in Gatesville under the names Jonathan and Cointa Avitia. Thank you everyone, we appreciate all of you. Today, Im gonna see if I can find some time to let Bubba read some of the sweet, amazing words posted on my Facebook wall!
I'll keep you updated. Love, Ila Mae"
I'll keep you updated. Love, Ila Mae"
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