Thursday, August 20th
I thought we had lived through the worst day of our lives....until today happened. We didn't get the news we had hoped and prayed for. Avery's cancer has come back, and it's in her brain and spine with spread to areas of the brain that weren't previously affected. We are broken. We are devastated. We are not giving up. I have already called out to God asking "Why", but now we will call out to him asking "How". How do we help our baby beat this again?
We have a wonderful team of doctors already working tirelessly to discuss and create possible treatment plans. Radiation and chemotherapy will both likely be involved. Neurosurgery will hopefully not be part of the plan. While there are some tumors that can be removed in surgery, they can't all be removed. They believe the best course of action is to hit them hard with other treatments. This could potentially change though based on an eye exam that will be scheduled very soon. Avery is showing some widening in her ventricles which could indicate some pressure build up. If the eye exam shows an unacceptable increase in pressure, they will discuss placing a shunt.
Nutrition is also another critical item that has to be addressed quickly. Avery was in the 5th percentile for weight at yesterday's clinic visit and was temporarily hypoglycemic(glucose level of 49) due to her not eating. With additional therapy ahead for her, we will consider placing a g-tube to allow her body to get the proper nourishment. This will need to be done as soon as possible to allow time for healing before her immune system is lowered with treatment.
For now we have more questions than answers, but we will hopefully have a better feel for things early next week when we consult with the team. We will do whatever it takes to help Avery beat this thing again!
I hope she always knows how much she is loved, cherished, and prayed for!
Please pray specifically for:
- No pressure build up in Avery's brain
- Nutrition to help her gain strength
- Guidance for our team and us as we make difficult decisions regarding treatment
- Complete healing for Avery
God bless you and your family. Prayers for your sweet little warrior and believing God has special plans!!
Praying for strength for all of you . 🙏🙏
LB- My heart hurts for all of you and the prayers are rolling all day everyday. God has got this! No matter what remember Avery is loved and so are all of you more than you know! God bless and keep you and our sweet little girl!!
LB- I have no words but will continue to cover Avery and all of you in prayer. Please post if there anything you guys need ❤️ I’m so sorry.
Broken-hearted for sure, but you know Jesus can heal our broken hearts, and He can heal sweet Avery! Sending daily prayers and love!!!!