Test Results

Elena's wonderful doctor shared her test results with us yesterday.
Here's what he said:
"The results of Elena's viral tests are back. They are suspicious for a viral infection, however, they are not 100% confirmatory....I’m cautiously optimistic this is indeed just an infection."

"Bottom line to me is that the results make it even MORE likely this is viral, but not quite enough to exclude leukemia as a possibility—so assuming her counts are similar next month, then we should get the bone marrow out of the way & make sure it’s not relapse. If her counts rebound significantly, we’ll cancel (the bone marrow test) that day."

Please continue to pray for Elena and our family.
It is hard to continue to wait and wonder.

In HIm,
The Tates

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Update on Elena's Appt

Big praises this afternoon at the Tate House!!

Elena's visit to the clinic today went very well. She was a real trooper when they stuck her arm to draw blood. She didn"t even wince! Her counts remain borderline low, but are stable. There were no visible leukemia cells in her blood under the microscope! Praise God!! Dr. Lew felt better that her counts had not dropped any further, which in turn made us feel better as well. : ) He sent several vials of blood out to be tested for certain viruses like parvo, mono - Epstein Bar, lupus, CMV, and 5th disease. Dr. Lew said we may know some of the test results by the end of the week.

Our next steps include: finding out the results of all of the virus tests and returning to the clinic for another counts check on February 20th.

Dr. Lew is thinking one of the virus tests will come back "hot", however if all come back negative, he will schedule a sedation appt on the 20th to perform a bone marrow test. This test would allow him to clearly determine if we are dealing with a relapse or not.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!
We are feeling great joy tonight and are enjoying this moment!

Please pray for clear lab results, for Elena's counts to rise, and for her body to be able to fight whatever is going on.
Please continue to pray for peace and patience in the waiting.

In Him,
The Tates

"Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24

Prayers for Elena

Elena has an appointment at the clinic at 2pm today.

If you remember, during her last clinic visit in December, her counts were low. Her doctor wanted her to come back to see him in one month instead of two. He wants to check her counts again and has ordered some bloodwork. Elena will have to have blood drawn from her arm instead of her regular finger poke. She hasn't had blood drawn that way since April 2009.

Please pray for her to not be anxious about that. This morning, she was.
Please pray that Elena's counts will have risen and that there will be no signs of anything abnormal.
Please pray for a clear diagnosis today.

Thank you for your prayers!
As soon as we hear any news from Dr. Lew, we will let you know.

In Him,
The Tates

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1

Happy Birthday to Liv!

Traditional birthday breakfast in bed!
Yes our tradition includes powered sugar donuts and a smoothie : )

It's hard to believe but Liv turned TEN on Sunday. We can't believe she is 10! She has brought us so much joy and laughter over the past 10 years! She has always been very thoughtful and considerate. She pays close attention to what others like and want. She knows all of her friends favorite colors and picks out gifts accordingly. She began life as a quiet, observant little one. She's still pretty quiet and very observant, but you never know what she might say. She has blossomed into a silly, fun-loving, just-might-crack-you-up young lady!

Today, she loves to sing and dance.
She still LOVES gum and flip flops.
We have definitely been blessed with a very special gift!
One that continues to bless our lives each and every day.
Her smile can light up any room and brighten even the darkest of days.
We not only celebrate her today, but every day,
and thank God for sharing her with us and for allowing us to help raise her for Him.

In Him,
The Tates

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Happy New Year!

We hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Day and
we wish you a Happy 2012!

It was a strange ringing in the New Year without Mark, but we know he is a part of many wonderful things happening during his time in Russia. Still, we are counting down the days until he returns!!

Thinking back over our 2011 - it is easy to count our many blessings. I think one thing cancer did to our family is it made us slow down and see the magic and beauty in our everyday lives.
It really is there among the never ending lists of things to do. Sometimes you just have to take the time to stop and breathe in order to see it and more importantly, to appreciate it. God is good!

The girls and I headed to our favorite hiking trails on New Year's Day. Being able to soak in every minute of the crisp, fresh air, crunching leaves, giggles, hands in mine, and a setting sun was priceless!

Enjoy the pics!

Our unsuccessful, yet fun, attempt at getting
a picture of the three of us!!

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