Prayer Requests

Dear Family and Friends,

It has taken us a week to remember how to post on the blog, so we apologize for not getting this information posted sooner. We know it has been a long time since our mother posted, but she enjoyed being able to reach out to each one of you personally and this was such a great way for her to do that.

I will give a VERY quick rundown of the past several months: Mom reacted very well to the Avastin treatments through the month of October - 9 total treatments in 6 months. In November the tumor began to react differently to this treatment, so she could no longer receive the Avastin. After consulting the doctors at NIH in Maryland, her local doctor wanted to try 2 rounds of Temodar - which was the very first chemo she received in Charlottesville in summer 2007. She completed the first round just prior to Christmas and began the second round December 26. The second round was very difficult, and as her family we noticed significant change in the communication abilities. There was massive fatigue, nausea, and decreased appetite.

On Monday, January 19 we had some challenges in getting her to her scheduled MRI. While we had her out we were able to get a doctors appointment immediately following the MRI. The tumor has grown significantly, creating more and more pressure on her brain. He admitted her into the hospital, which is where she is now. It has been a long week for our family, but also one of love, praise, and joy. We are consulting with the pallitive care doctors and are confident that the Lord is holding her in His hands. She is comfortable and peaceful, which is all that we want.

Please keep our family in your prayers. I will keep the blog better updated as I can. If you think of us today, sing a quick song, because if you knew Marlene, you knew she loved to sing! Patti and I have been singing quite a bit to her - I think she prefers Patti's beautiful voice to mine, but I sing anyway! We have also learned some amazing things about our mother - her strength continues as she fights this battle. We have had so many people ask us what we need, and prayer is our best answer. We have such a strong group of family and friends - we know they are angels - keeping us fed and watching over us. To our extended family, please pray and know that we still know that God is Good...All the Time....

Love in Christ,

Laura