Thursday, May 20, 2010

Update on Liv's Clinic Visit

Tuesday's clinic visit went really well. We saw all three specialists and they are all really happy with Liv's progress.
We do not have to go back until next June : ) Alleluia!!

It seems Liv's only issues right now are in reading and spelling. The neuropsychologist wants to make sure that accommodations are put into place for next year to support her in those two areas, as well as in writing (because of the spelling). He said that there was very little we could "do" to improve her fluency in reading because it was related to her brain injury/surgery. She spells phonetically, which he said is good and that hopefully she will be able to "see" how the word is spelled correctly in her head and get it on paper as time goes on. He wants to do formal testing again this time next year.

We are so thankful that Liv is our girl. She is an amazingly beautiful, compassionate, kind-hearted girl. Just this week at the clinic, I met two families I hadn't met before. Both of their daughters have the exact same kind of tumor Liv had. Notice the have and had......these two girls still have their tumors because their tumors are wrapped around the brain stem making that part of their tumors inoperable. Throughout these ups and downs, our lives have been blessed in so many ways, some I'm sure we will never fully realize until we are in heaven.

Before you go to bed tonight, remember to thank God for your blessings!
In Him,
The Tates

"The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
Psalm 121:8

Monday, May 17, 2010

Praise the Lord!

We just heard a preliminary report from Liv's MRI this morning.
The report said there is no change from her last scan in September and that there are no signs of residual or recurrent tumor! Praise the Lord!!
Thank you for your continued prayers!!
We'll let you know how the clinic visit goes tomorrow.

With much love and gratitude,
The Tates


"Great is the Lord and the most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." Psalm 145:3

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Good Evening!

It's been busy, but fun, around the Tate house the past few weekends...Lauren's Run for CURE, Relay for Life, the girls' dance recital, Elena's birthday on Mother's Day : ), a visit and conference at the middle school Elena will attend next year (YES,Elena will be in middle school!), a great Friday night pizza party with friends and Elena's putt-putt birthday party with friends yesterday. It has all been great fun!!

Tomorrow we have another big event...Liv's MRI. It's that time again. It's been eight months since her last scan. She is doing really well at home and in school. We are not seeing any major problems. Her scan is at 10 am. We have to be there at 9am for her IV to be put in. She is always anxious. She asks that you pray for her to not be scared. Please pray for a clear scan and no recurent tumor. We will go to the Aflac Cancer Center on Tuesday for the Brain Tumor Clinic. There we will see the results from the scan and Liv will be seen by a team of doctors. She likes this day because the doctors are fun and they have games and snacks.

Thank you for your prayers!
We will let you know any results as soon as we hear something.

In Him,
The Tates

" He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge." Psalm 144:2

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Moving Into Maintenance!

It's official...Elena began the maintenance phase of her treatment today!
Praise the Lord!

It's hard to believe it is finally here! We are thankful to have the long, difficult part of Elena's treatment behind us and look forward to each new day that gets us closer to her final day of treatment.

Thank you for your prayers, love, and encouragement.

We will be at Gwinnett County's Relay for Life event tomorrow night. Hope to see some of you there. It will be the end of a long, busy, but fun week at our house.

While we are rejoicing tonight, cancer is cruel. Another child needs your prayers. After two years cancer free, Hannah has recently been diagnosed with a relapse of ALL. After suffering a stroke last night, she is currently in ICU with a blood clot on the brain and a brain bleed. Please join us in prayer for Hannah and her family.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/hannahlayfield

In Him,
The Tates

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17