The lumbar puncture and IV conscious method worked very well today. God remains faithful even to the very details.

We spoke to Justin as he lay on his side during the procedure. He was loopy and actually giggling from the sedative. Justin’s new friend, Miss Lindsay, (child life specialist) asked him about his favorite superheroes. She also asked what “super power” Justin would like to have if he could. Justin responded, “I would want to heal people.”

Well, we will leave the healing up to Jesus but, perhaps, we have a physician in the making. Maybe someday, God will use Justin as an instrument in His hand to provide quality medical care or help to develop more advanced treatments for cancer patients.

That would be pretty cool.

God’s good purposes in this trial are personally reaching each member of our family. Michael was an excellent support person today, and Justin was very glad to have his brother with him. Justin kept asking Michael to sit closer. Michael jumped right up on the bed and protectively put his arm around Justin.

As a mom, it was a huge blessing to see my boys genuinely caring for each other. It was a nice change from the world wrestling federation that typically ensues in our living room.

I, again, must thank you for your  unceasing prayers and faithful support. The texts, blog comments, calls and cards are all being received, read and oh so appreciated. Yours is, truly, an essential role in our journey as God continuously works through you to sustain us.

Grace be with you, my friends.

In just a few minutes, Justin will have a lumbar puncture with spinal chemotherapy. Michael came along today for support and to make Justin laugh.

Today we begin the “consolidation phase” of chemotherapy. The purpose of this is to “mop up” leukemia cells still in Justin’s body that are not detected upon analysis of the blood and bone marrow by the oncology team.

This is the first of three lumbar punctures Justin will have this month. Until this point, Justin has had general anesthesia for this procedure, but today we are attempting “IV conscious” which means that he will be numb and sedated but awake.

We are praying that Justin can stay relaxed and still so that we can continue future lumbar punctures this way. The benefits being less occasion under general anesthesia and not needing to fast, which is always very difficult for my hungry little monster.

Well I will be in the room when the procedure is done, so this mom is gearing up in prayer for extra strength in the Lord. Please join me in that prayer. Grace be with you, my friends.

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We are celebrating at Justin’s favorite restaurant, Friendly’s!

Nothing like some laughs and an ice cream sundae after a very long 37 days. Tomorrow we resume chemotherapy. But today we are just having fun and rejoicing in the first battle won! Justin (in the name of Jesus) 1, cancer 0.

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Day 37. Justin is in remission. There are no leukemia cells found in his blood and bone marrow. Grace overcomes.

We have a long road of “consolidation chemotherapy” and “maintenance chemotherapy” ahead of us. In fact, Justin has to go in early tomorrow for a lumbar puncture and spinal chemotherapy. But I will relay those details later.

For now, please rejoice with us! By grace, we are saved through a faith that overcomes the ugliest of evil in this world.

My friends, your faithful prayers have been heard and answered according to the will of our loving Father. Nothing could be sweeter and I thank you for sharing this moment with me.

We are driving home from a long tedious meeting. The view outside of our car is all grey and blinding rain, but inside it’s just the pure light of Justin’s future coming back into focus. Grace be with you, my friends.

 

Every three minutes, a parent somewhere in the world is told their child has cancer. Every three minutes. Imagine that. Imagine it is you.

Last year or several months ago, I would respond something like, “that sounds like a nightmare.” Well I’ve lived the nightmare. Jeff and I are living the nightmare.

We have hope in our faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that our God is a Healer. But we also believe in the importance of medical research, advances in treatment, quality care and expert doctors. We believe God is sovereign over everything and, therefore, works through medical research and physicians to accomplish His will.

Justin is undergoing treatments that did not exist forty-fifty years ago. Before research was performed and treatment became available, children lost their lives to cancers such as ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia).

We would like to do our part to contribute to further research and improve treatments concerning childhood cancer. Jeff has volunteered to have his head shaved and is raising support for this event. We feel that this is just a small way we can assist other families who will, unfortunately, take a similar journey to ours.

Please take a moment to check out the following link for details on “Team Justin.” There is a short video on our page which very accurately depicts the experiences of a family facing childhood cancer.

https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/835863/2016

You can also support Justin by wearing orange, which is the color of leukemia awareness. Justin is very happy that our family is wearing orange bracelets and I know he’d love to see our friends participate as well. You can send a fun pic of you or a group wearing orange-shirt, hat, accessory-in support of Justin to katiepierantozzi@gmail.com

Thank you for faithful prayer and support. Grace be with you, my friends.

 

 

Our appointment has been set to discuss the results of Justin’s bone marrow biopsy. We will sit down with our oncologist at 1:30pm on Tuesday afternoon. We are praying toward celebrating remission Tuesday night.

However, we understand that God may have a different timeline planned. We understand that His ways are not our ways. And we believe in the goodness of His purpose. Even if that means we have to wait.

I am reminded of one of my favorite Bible stories. It is one that is often taught in Sunday School, but it’s meaning and application reach far beyond the elementary.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (my spell check has no idea what to do right now) were told they’d be thrown into a roaring, flaming furnace if they did not worship the king’s idol. Their response is incredibly courageous and faithfully unyielding.

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. (Daniel 3:16-18)

The key which reveals their absolute faith in God’s sovereignty is in verse 18. They believed that God was able to deliver them, but they also acknowledged that He may choose NOT to do so. Yet, they still trusted God instead of turning away to the false security of an image made of human hands. They did not bend or waiver.

Wow, that is some gutsy faith and their story is certainly not only for children! This is what true trust in God’s sovereignty looks like. I am asking God to grant me this kind of unbending faith. Pray with me that I will continue to completely trust God, knowing that He could put Justin’s leukemia into remission but may choose not to at this time. May I go boldly into the furnace, trusting God’s plan and knowing that Jesus is near, instead of turning to fear, doubt and idols made of the human heart.

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. (Daniel 3:19-27)

I love the character of God. He wants us to know that He not only saved Shad and his friends from the flames, they didn’t even smell like smoke. How awesome! To Him be the glory.

Thank you for laughing with me, crying with me, praying with me and continuing on this journey with us. Grace be with you, my friends.

 

 

 

 

I am willing to show you these rather unflattering pictures because it’s important to me to keep my faithful, praying friends updated. But I also want to let you all the way into our journey – our struggles, victories, laughter and tears – so we are able to give God the glory that much more when healing and restoration comes from the Lord.

These are the faces of a child with cancer and a mother fighting to stand by his side. And attempting, despite my own physical challenges, to stand well.

Justin’s face is puffy and bloated due to a side effect of chemotherapy. My face is inflamed with some kind of stress related skin thing which can only be due to the side effects of walking through the fire with my son.

Our faces may be temporarily changed, yet our spirits continue to fight. But I don’t believe in my own ability to fight well. I believe in the reality that Jesus is fighting for us.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:34-39

My friends, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Our light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory! (My Paraphrase 2 Cor. 4:16-17)

We WILL NOT lose heart. Grace be with you, my friends.

Justin responded well to the spinal chemo and is not vomiting as he was after the last two lumbar punctures. We are very grateful for that!

Justin is experiencing bone pain in his legs and still having difficulty walking. Our doctor said it is a side affect of steroids and not necessarily a sign that the chemotherapy is not being effective.

Justin’s last dose of heavy steroids was Monday, so it is expected that his mood will improve. We have already noticed that he is laughing and smiling more easily. It is pure elation to laugh with him.

The results of the bone marrow analysis should be available by early next week, and we will meet with our doctor to discuss. We are still praying toward remission, but were also trusting God’s sovereign will. Whatever comes, God will give me grace to say, “It is well with my soul.”

 

 

Jeff snapped a picture of me dutifully listening to the anesthesiologist’s instructions. That look is concentration, not disgust. I’m thinking maybe I need to work on my facial expressions. Justin is out of surgery and everything went well. He is currently stuffing his face with munchkins, macaroni and a hot dog. Thank you for your faithful prayers.

We are waiting for Justin’s surgery to begin. I showed him these recent pictures of himself. I reminded him that God made him funny, strong, handsome, smart and fearless. God made him all of those things and now He is giving Justin an amazing story. A miraculous story of grace and healing is in the making, with the best part yet to come. To God be the Glory.