Keep Fighting the Good Fight!

“McAllister Girls” are still kicking cancers ass!

Sorry for the time gap on the blog postings…..it has been about a month or so since my last post!  I took some time off from blogging!  But I felt it was time to get back at it and let everyone know how Isabelle and Sarah are doing.  Isabelle is doing great and managing her chemo with flying colors!  That little brave girl of mine very rarely ever complains…..she’s such a trooper!  The worst part of her chemo sessions is that she is scared of the needle and accessing her “power port”….which I totally understand…who wants needle stuck in their chest every week???  Ummm no one! Yet she musters all her strength and courage and still goes in there almost every Friday with a good attitude and smile on her face!  I can tell you that she is as normal as any other 7 year old which a true blessing and praise the Lord!  She only has a small residual issue from the surgery….mostly balance issues when she is trying to stand on one foot or walk on a line toe-to-heal.  They said that can take a long time to resolve and may never completely come back to normal but she’s perfect in my eyes!  Her next MRI is June 24^th and I’m very optimistic for the results.  I truly believe that the CBD/THC oil along with the chemo is doing their job to kill the cancer.  She is acclimating to the regiment of taking the oils morning, afternoon, and night!  We are pushing them to the most that she can tolerate and not seeing any side-effects….everything is very encouraging! 

Life is starting to feel somewhat normal….I guess as normal as things can be given our last year!  I think Sarah and I consistently have cancer on the brain but it seems to be getting more manageable and we just learn to acclimate!  It’s a little difficult to explain the emotional and mental strain that cancer brings into your life and trying to find some sense of normalcy afterwards.  I don’t think life will ever be the same again as It was before Sarah was diagnosed with her breast cancer and then learning of Isabelle’s diagnosis.  I wouldn’t wish it on anyone!  I think we just do our best to take one day at a time and be grateful for each day that we are healthy and well!  We smile more and more each day……and cry when life gets pushes us to our limits!  Life certainly has its up’s and downs!

Update on Sarah: we went to the University of Utah recently for Sarah to get her full body MRI.  Good news is that everything came back clear and she is cancer free…now this full body MRI technology is not 100% as its can’t see everything to smallest cell but it’s the best we have and they gave us good news so we will take what we can get.  We had the chance to meet a great doctor by the name of Dr. Joshua Schiffman and he was truly amazing doctor.  I can’t say enough about his compassion and drive to eliminate cancer.  He is pretty freaking awesome!!  Here some tidbits from our 2 hour conversation with Dr. Schiffman.  He is currently doing research on elephants and their TP53 genes…..what is a TP53 gene some of you may ask?  The TP53 is the cancer suppressor gene that helps correct mutated cell growth….essentially it helps ensure that we don’t get cancer!  So 99.9% of humans have 2 fully functioning TP53 genes but sometimes the genes still get the coding incorrect and then the cancer begins to grow….so here is the interesting part and how he thinks elephants are the answer to all of our cancers problems!!  Elephants are very large and live to be in there 70’s or 80’s yet they very rarely if ever ever ever get cancer….which doesn’t follow logic given how large they are and how long they live that given the number of times cells are replicated that at some point there should be a mutation and cancer SHOULD develop but it doesn’t…..the answer you ask!?!?  Elephants have 40 TP53 cancer suppressor genes….how cool is that!!  His plan which is in full effect…….he is working with a geneticist in Israel to utilize the elephant TP53 gene along with nanotechnology to eliminate cancer! BOOM……Honestly it just give me goosebumps to think about this stuff and that people are working so hard to ride the human race of cancer concerns!  I’m so encouraged by this effort with the elephant research, the Sean Parker Institute, Biden’s” Moonshot” initiative to eliminate cancer…..its all good stuff!  I’m banking on the elephants…..go to the basis of the problem and correct the TP53 issue!  Either way meeting with Dr. Schiffman was great and he gives me a lot of hope as he believes that the first human trials will be in 2-3 years! 

If you want to learn more about Dr. Schiffman and his research and to possible donate to his efforts please check out these articles (spread the word as I’m sure we all know someone dealing with cancer in one way or another):

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/elephants-rarely-develop-cancer-could-hint-at-future-breakthroughs/

http://healthcare.utah.edu/huntsmancancerinstitute/research/labs/schiffman/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/science/why-elephants-get-less-cancer.html?_r=0

Other than that we are just forging ahead and staying the course!  Life is good and we are looking forward to the day that all of the McAllister’s are cancer-free!  We will keep fighting the good fight and kicking cancer’s ass!  Until next time folks….keep praying for us and keep Belle in your thoughts and prayers!

God Bless,

Mac

Drumroll....MRI results are in!

Start of cycle #3

  

This has been a very good week for the McAllister Family and we couldn't be more happy with things!  Belle started her 3rd cycle of chemo today and she seems to be getting accustom to the routine.  She has been dealing with a stubborn cough over the last three weeks that she can't seem to kick but I think almost every kid in Colorado has been sick over the past month.  Hopefully she is able to get over this cold soon!  Chemo went well today and we will just hang out for the weekend and hope that there are no fevers that will have us back at Children's Hospital.  Fingers crossed!

She also had her first MRI yesterday since her diagnosis in December so this week has been filled with both anticipation and nervous concerns if the treatment is working.....well we have found out that the tumor is stabilized and it appears to have shrunken a little bit.  Most importantly the contrast effects on the image is less prominent then the original so her oncologist Dr. Foreman is very excited about these results and is exactly what he would like to see.  Everything is moving in the correct path and the tumor is responding like a low grade tumor.  He also indicated that her ventricles have returned to their normal size!  She has been on chemo for about 2 months and only her full strength of CBDs/THC regiment for about 3-4 weeks so this news is promising!  Here are the pictures from December and also from yesterday.

(December image of enlarged ventricles)

(March ventricles at normal size)

(December image contrast of tumor)

(March image of tumor...smaller and significantly less contrast showing in the tumor)

So we have a lot to celebrate and Belle is doing well....I told her she is just crushing cancer!

We also had a wonderful time at the fundraiser on Saturday at Backcountry CrossFit.  It was so amazing to see so many people come out and support our family!  It was a very emotional day filled with laughter, smiles, tears, celebration and of course sweat.....lots and lots of people working their butts off in the name of fighting cancer!  Steve called the WOD "Fight Gone Mac".....so very cool!  I couldn't have asked for a better day and turnout.....I'm still in shock how many people came to the event on Saturday....by my estimate at least 300 people came throughout the day!  I showed up at about 6:45 ready to start the day.  The WOD consisted of teams of four....20 minute WOD of rowing, box step ups, burpees, and ab mat situps!  I was dead set on participating in all 4 WODs....I couldn't let everyone have all the fun all day long!  The last WOD at 10am was the most packed with people....I think there was at least 90 people working out all at the same time.....I was taken back by how cool this was and how many people are supporting us and love us!  I stopped half way through the WOD and just took a moment to take it all in...I stopped my best bud Nick and said to him "Look at this man...look how amazing this is....all these people out here for Belle!" I get goose bumps thinking about it!  The pot luck was great and the food/beer was so good!  It was great see everyone.....family, old and new friends, people from high school that I have not seen in 20 years, met people from other CF boxes that heard about the fundraiser and came out to give support....I can't say thank you enough to everyone that came out!  I also want to say thank you so much to Steve and Ashley Hartle of BCCF for hosting the fundraiser and bringing together so many people to help with cost of her medical bills and medicine.  It was such a special day and I will never forget it....again thank you to everyone that came to support the event, donated and made it such an amazing day!

We will be starting to document her CBD/THC regiment this month for the study she is in through Children's Hospital.  Hopefully our efforts can someday help other families in the future and give them the promise of what CBD/THC oils can do to fight cancer!  It's a lot of documentation but whatever it takes to do our part!  She is tolerating the oils very well so they say at Realm of Caring we can increase the dose as it will continue to aid in the process so we will see how that goes.  We are going to just keep fighting here!

That's about all for now and we are grateful for everyone helping us in so many different ways!  Thank you for all the love and support!

GoFundMe Link: https://www.gofundme.com/mcallister-family-medical-fund

God bless,

Mac





CrossFit Fundraiser Time!

CrossFit Fundraiser at BCCF

No new big new news about Belle, things are going well with Chemo and the cannabis oils!  She has been fighting a small virus since the beginning of this cycle, she now just has a small cough but hopefully she will be over that soon!  All is well in our world otherwise!  I have her Daddy Daugther Dance on Friday which is Cowboy/Cowgirl themed so we will be "Boot Scootin Boogin" all night long...yee haw...I'm way out of my realm here with the cowboy theme!  HAHA....its for the girl so whatever she want0s dad is happy to oblige!

She is in good spirits and looking forward to this weekends Fundraiser at Backcountry CrossFit.  There will be awesome of raffle items available from just to mention a few Progenex, CorePower Yoga, Wine Basket, car detail and lots lots lots more!  All donations made at the event will get a raffle ticket to be entered in the drawings!  After the WOD there will be a pot luck so please bring an appetizer, side dish or beverages to share.  Breckenridge Brewery has kindly donated a keg for the event!  DJ Frank Peluso will also be deejaying the event and providing some awesome beats during the workout and the pot luck so please be prepared to shake your booties and get in a good workout!

I just want to thank so many people for making this event happen!  We are so blessed and fortunate to have the love and support of so many people!  We are looking forward to seeing everyone come out on Saturday and support Belle!  Please be aware that you do not need a full team of 4 to participate, they will put people together to make things work out so please do not fret if you do not have a team of four!  I don't have a team so I will need to join someone for the WODs, I plan on participating in all 4 WODs....if Belle and Sarah can kick cancer's ass the least I can do is do all 4 WODs...

A Special Thank You!
 

Ashley and Steve Hartle (BCCF owners)

Nick and Brooke Kelsey
All the coaches at BCCF for making this a successful showing by continuing to remind everyone of the event at each WOD over the past month (Dalton, Jim, Josh, Luke, Sara, and Randy)
Jennifer Baker
Ben & Shannon Hall
DJ Frank Peluso
Breckenridge Brewery (Megan Christensen)
CorePower Yoga (Whitney Gustafson)
Rome's Sausage (Chris Johnson)
DoTerra (Audra Robinson

Progenex (Justin Ratliff/Matt)

Nate and Christin Bogg

Brad and Jianna Wright

Craig and Amy Bowman

Debra Bowman

McDonald Automotive

Chic Couture (Jen Burgess)

Kevin Montoya

R/x Sports Recovery

Silpada (Jennifer McPherson)

Young Living (Jianna Wright)

Green Spa Massage (Lynsey Baker)

Origami Owl (Suzanne Petronovich)

Red Bird

Eating Primal (Matt)

Robbie Wright Photography

 

I may have forgotten some people or companies here as the list continues to grow and I did want to push this blog update out prior to the event so if I did forget someone please do forgive me!  We are sooooooo excited for this event and it's going to be amazing!  Well signing off for now and look forward to see everyone on Saturday!

 

I did want to share some very inspirational quotes with everyone real quick that touched home with me....

 

"Do not pray for an easy life....but rather pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." Bruce Lee (reads oddly true for our current situation)

 

"We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that death will tremble to take us." Charles Bukowski (I like that a lot!)

 

God Bless,

 

Mac

 

 

 

Keep on Moving

 

Things have been moving right along since Belle’s last chemo treatment.  We were able to get back up to the mountains for some skiing during the recent blizzard, last time we went was the weekend before we found out about her brain tumor.  Belle was concerned that she would get headaches but I reassured her that would not be the case…Michael, Isabelle and I had a great day of skiing up in Breck.  The drive home was as enjoyable as it took us 5 hours to get home!  So needless to say the kids hated the drive part of the two day trip but they both loved the skiing.  Can’t wait to get back to there soon! 

Sarah did not join us that weekend since she completed her last reconstructive surgery and also corrected a small hernia that she had on Jan. 29th.  So mom got to stay home and rest that weekend.  It’s good to know that Sarah is done with her process and it’s amazing that it’s been about 1 year since her diagnosis.  Time certainly does fly!  She did great with her surgery and is already back in OTF ready to get back into shape! 

Belle has been managing really well with the smaller chemo days (2^nd and 3^rd Fridays of the regiment).  It’s the 1^st Friday of the cycle when she is getting the double dose that seems to knock her down and make her very tired and feeling icky.  This past Friday was a big chemo day (1^st of this next cycle) so we were cautiously optimistic about what he weekend would be like plus we had the Broncos playing in the Super Bowl so we wanted everyone to be able to enjoy that game with us!  Fortunately we were able to have a SB party at our house just in case she was tired and wanted to rest!  May I just break for a moment and say how freaking awesome that game was and how great it is to have the Broncos be Super Bowl Champions again!  Anyways back to Belle….she did well Friday night but by mid-day on Saturday she was presenting with a slight fever about 100.6 which when on chemo is something to be concerned about.  Essentially a temp of 100 to 100.9 two times in hour requires blood draws to make sure the counts are ok.  By about 3:30 on Saturday the temp was up around 101.3 sooooo yeah time to go to the hospital!  Belle and I ventured over to Children’s south and they took great care of her and did a great job accessing her port…that’s always a concern!  Long story short we spent about 2 hours there and the CBC came back with her counts “normal”…..well normal for someone taking chemo.  So they said she probably just has a small virus and just to watch her to make sure she doesn’t take a turn for the worse.  So that was our first post chemo hospital visit…and hopefully our last! 

She started to feel a little better by the time Sunday rolled around and was ecstatic to see her friends.  She was able to get back to school on Tuesday.  She also had her last PT session and they said he is doing great…only a couple small things to work on otherwise they want to see her in a month to check on her progress.  One more thing checked off our list of things to overcome…..Way to go Belle! 

The CBD oils and THC tinctures are going well and she is at the recommended daily dose!  It took some time to get there and to figure out how to manage the THC dosage throughout the day such that she does not experience any psychotropic effects.  Funny story….after giving her night dose a little earlier than we normally do before bed…she ate her entire bowl of butter noodles from Noodles & Company, a granola bar, fruit chews, some cheese blocks and more than likely a couple other things…..point being her appetite certainly isn’t gone!  HAHA….I can say that the only time that she really isn’t in the mood to eat is about the 3 days following the 1^st chemo cycle.  Otherwise she’s always hungry!  Many people ask if we think the oils are working……truth being it’s hard to say in regards to the tumor….is she doing well…YES! So in that regard I think it’s helping with the side effects of the chemo and making her feel better.  We will know after her next MRI beginning of March if it’s doing its job……I’m very optimistic and encouraged that we will get good news!  Too many people in the field of study and articles out there point to how successful this oil treatment can be for gliomas…..so yeah I think it’s working and doing what it needs to!  If you saw her and didn’t know anything about her condition you would never guess she has a brain tumor!  I can tell you that we have been flying through the oils so the generous donations from so many people out there are helping us tremendously with those current costs and the costs that will forever be with us!  Realm of Caring that helps with treatment doses and guidance for patients will be advising a maintenance dose of CBD’s most likely for the duration of her life.  So this will be a lifelong comment to giving Belle CBD oils…most likely we will be able to stop the THC once the tumor is completely gone!  That’s my thinking at least.  We are currently using Charlotte’s Web (The Stanley Bros out of Boulder) and The Remedy (out of Fort Collins)….best to go with local grown and high quality!  Way to go Colorado…. 

Things are good and we are just continuing to take one day at a time….we understand that we have a long road ahead of us but we know that we are taking all the necessary steps and precautions to get Belle healthy again!  She will just like her mother will kick cancer’s ass!  We are looking forward to the fundraising event at BCCF which should be a great time so I still want to encourage all of you reading this to please come out and support belle and give her a high-five and give some words of encouragement!  I don’t think I will be able to get her there by the 7 am WOD time but we will get her there as early in the morning as possible!  Her is the flyer again just as a reminder. 

 

The meal training is going well and we greatly look forward to that on those “chemo Fridays”….so thank you to Brooke Kelsey, Sarah Gates, and Jen Baker for providing us with such great meals so far!  The support continues to flow in from so many different areas which is so amazing and helpful!  We would not have the strength we do without each and every one of you out there helping us along the way.  I do want to take a minute and personally thank my cousin Tracie for helping us around the house and allowing us to just focus on Belle on those Fridays.  I also want to thank everyone that has taken time to bring by a special gift for Belle….those great gift baskets, blankets, stuffed animals, toys, coloring books, dolls, etc…..there are too many to name but I wanted to at least recognize all of you and how much that means to us and Belle!  The kid has definitely been spoiled lately!!!  I have trying to stay on top of all my GoFundMe “thank you” but I have fallen a little behind recently….I know I will get to all of them in time!  But those donation dollars go along way with her medical care in the cost of copays, medications (oils not covered by insurance or the use of a HSA card), imaging costs, etc!  We know that this year will be full of expenses and there will be more to coming as the years go on!  Just know that those donations are going to help us in a tremendous way!  So thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and generosity!  Belle is a fighter and she will continue fight every day!  Amen…. 

Thank you, 

Mac 

God Bless!

2nd chemo session done!

Belle’s Chemo Treatment

Since my last post…..Belle received her single dose of Vinblastine last Friday.  The process went very well and she seemed to be in a better mood for the most part that day.  I can certainly tell she does not enjoy Fridays…which I totally get!  We decided not to give her any of her anti-nausea medication this time to see how she managed after the chemo.  Overall I would say she did great!  No nausea, sickness, or apparent side-effects.  So far no significant side effects or apparent hair loss from the chemo…they did indicate some thinning is likely but nothing as of yet!

We have started on the cannabis oils…..administering them daily and increasing incrementally each day to get the recommended dosage.  She seems to be taking to the concept of taking daily drops of this mediation very well.  I told her that she has to keep in her mouth without washing it down with water for 10 seconds.  So she sits there and counts to 10 every time I give her the drops and then take a drink of the water.  It’s actually very cute to watch!

(Belle with her "Bag of Fun" donation from Children's Hospital)

We went to Cohen Medical Center on Tuesday to get her an official red card…..just trying to follow the law and make sure we are doing everything correctly.  That was quite an experience and there was a wide array of people there for what I could tell was for many different reasons.  I can tell you that Belle was the youngest patient in there by 25 years!  We met with two doctors per state law (minors are required to be cleared by 2 MD’s), first was a cosmetic surgeon and the other was a well-versed clinician (Dr. Cohen himself), I would say he was in his mid-80s.  It was a very pleasant experience as Dr. Cohen said that he has seen this regiment of THC and BCD oils work and work well for brain gliomas.  He even commented on a various clinical papers that he read from University of Colorado Hospital from the 80’s that substantiated the validity of THC and CBD oils killing cancer!  Works for me….one more testament to this regiment working!  We immediately left there to get the tinctures (THC extract) so that we could begin that process ASAP!  This aspect of her medication regiment obviously gives us a little concern since we are giving our child THC but rest assured the first drop she took went well and there were no visual signs of the THC being in her system so just like the CBD oil we will slowly begin to administer more over the next week or so to get her to the advised dosage!  If you had told me a year ago today that we would be in the situation with Sarah being diagnosed with breast cancer, my sweet Belle being diagnosed with a brain tumor and us beginning to administer medicinal marijuana to my 7 year old for treatment…..I would laughed and said no freaking way!

Isabelle has also be selected to participate in an official clinical trial/study sponsored by Children’s Hospital to monitor and follow children using cannabis oils to treat cancer.  She is 1 of 150 kids in the nation currently participating in this study.  Tells me there is something there and some founding information that shows that this actually WORKS!  Apparently the grant is fairly big so bravo to Children’s for starting this process to potentially give other families in the future hope that they rightfully deserve.  I wish the study included administering or providing the actual cannabis oil and THC extract but due to state regulations they cannot use grant/state funds for that purpose so buying this is all on us!  So the donations that are coming are so helpful because this will not be cheap but it’s obviously well worth it!

I can tell you at no point did any doctor or oncologist recommend this as a treatment option….sad but true!  Given no official stamp of approval by the FDA or government will prevent a licensed clinician from saying so!  That’s my opinion…So in that regard I want to thank Jianna Wright from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to share a simple article about a 18 month child whose brain tumor was completed cured by utilizing cannabis oil and THC to eliminate a stage IV glioblastoma!  Without that article I would have never even thought of this for Belle….obviously time will tell if this is effective but I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate Jianna for sharing that with us so we can begin this journey with Belle.  As you can probably tell we are so optimistic and have so much hope that this will aid in the process and kill that tumor and heal my Belle. 

Other than that PT is coming along so well that Belle is even starting to run a little and things are almost back to normal, she still struggles with going down stairs a little bit as you can see she has to check herself sometimes and you can see on rare occasions she may stumble a little bit….but I can tell you that the physical therapist are amazed by her progress from where she shortly after she had surgery.  She a trooper and just continues to improve every day. 

I did want to share a special moment I had with Belle last night that made me see how truly strong my daughter is!  So Belle very rarely cries about this and is quick to just say I don’t want to talk about it!  That’s her way of dealing with cancer…fine by me baby girl…you don’t want to talk about it now…no big deal, I’m right here if and when you do!  So I was just sitting at the dinner table with Belle before bedtime eating a bowl of cereal and helping her with her math homework.  I was thinking about how normal it felt!  I started to think how appreciative I am for so many of you out there helping out in so many different ways and putting my family first in your lives and looking out for our best interests and I was just overcome by that love & support that everyone is providing….I started to cry and Belle always gets a little concerned when Sarah or I cry….she seems to know that we are crying because of her struggle and that she’s fighting cancer.  She stood up and said “Are you crying daddy?  What’s wrong?”  I said “nothing is wrong baby, I’m just so happy that there are so many people out there that love YOU and are supporting YOU!”……..her respond was so priceless…she put both her little hands on my cheeks and looked me straight in the eye and said “Don’t worry daddy….I’m going to beat cancer!”……that kiddo melts my heart!   She is so amazing! I can’t say enough about the fight and will in that little girl….something to truly admire!  Fight Belle Fight…Stay Strong!  She definitely keeps us going….

Things are moving along and just taking one day at a time.  We try and not look to far ahead.  We do have Sarah’s final reconstructive surgery on the January 29^th so that will be good for her to close that chapter of her life and forge ahead!  I like to think that the McAllister’s are badasses at kicking cancers ass!  It’s not something that we asked for but we will go through this journey with God carrying us along the way!

My cousin Carrie sent us a nice card along with some biblical verses that she said has helped her through difficult times.  I wanted to share two with you that seemed to touch home:

Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”

Psalms 103:2-4 – Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

Life isn’t always a walk in the park…..there will be times of tragedy and heartache but there will also be joyous moments and times of celebration!  Enjoy life my friends and be thankful for the all you have…I know I am and I appreciate so much of what life offers!

Until next time….thank you as always for all the support and love…continue to say those prayers fgor Belle and her healing so God hears us! Without all of you out there helping us this journey would be much more difficult to navigate!

Remember to mark your calendars for the fundraiser at BBCF on February 27^th and help support Belle!  I will post the flier again as we near the fundraiser date!

Thank you,

Mac

Chemo Begins!

Chemo Begins

So everything went well this last week and Isabelle started to acclimate to her power port.  She was still walking around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame through Friday as she was so hesitant to move that area of her upper body….bless her little heart!  She was still very concerned about the “numbing cream” that would have to be placed at the port site but she finally mustered the courage to let mom put on the numbing crème prior to going for chemo.  She is so brave and so amazing!  So we got to Children’s Hospital South Campus at about 9am ready to start this process and put this chemo session in the books!  One less chemo session that she has to go through and one closer to being done!  When we got there all of the infusion rooms were occupied except for one….that’s crazy that many kiddos are fighting cancer and the will to survive!  It’s sad and it makes your heart ache that these kids have to go through this at such a young age!  Well we settled in for a long day and figured it would take about 4-5 hours to complete blood/lab work, flushing the lines, giving fluids, and administering both of the chemo agents.  Belle kept herself busy with her math books, Princess Diaries 2, and going to the bathroom 5 or 6 times.  She was a little moody but I completely get it….I can imagine a million other places to be that that point in time!  Overall she handled it very well and she didn’t feel the poke for the port at all!  We ended up finishing up and heading home around 2pm.  We got her home and prepared for a lax weekend.  Nick and Brooke Kelsey brought us dinner which was wonderful and the kids hung out and watched Minions.  You could tell that Isabelle wasn’t 100% but she was hanging tough.  I think that things really started to hit her on Saturday afternoon into Sunday night.  She was really tired yesterday and she fell asleep at 6pm.  We hoped that she would be inclined to go to school today but the lack of eating and a mild headaches really didn’t position well for her to go to school all day long.  We will try again tomorrow!  We figured that these two chemo day Fridays would be like this following treatment…..a little harder to bounce back!  We hope that next weekend is much better for her only having to get the Vinblastine. 

She also went back to school on Thursday of last week for a the day so she as super pumped about that and being able to se her friends...enough said there!

I did want to let everyone know that the GoFundMe account is going great and we are strongly considering cannabis oil to aid Belle in her battle against her brain cancer.  A dear friend shared an amazing story (http://www.naturalnews.com/046994_cannabis_cancerous_tumors_miracle_baby.html) in which a child's brain tumor was completely healed and eliminated by utilizing cannabis oil with concentrated CBD and low THC ingredients.  We live in a state that has these alternative treatments available so we will explore this option to compliment her chemotherapy treatment.  The cost from what we have been told can range from $800-$1000 per month so we feel that is well worth the try.  There are a lot of articles out there that share the same claims that these properties in the cannabis oil “Charlotte’s Web” has the capacity to significantly reduce most side effects from chemo and kill cancer cells more specifically those in gliomas (brain tumors).  So needless to say the generous donations by so many will help us cover our $3500 fiscal year deductible (July-June) which we will have to cover again starting gain in July since her treatment will carry through December and a 12-month supply of the cannabis oil treatment.  We are very optimistic about Belle beating this cancer and never looking back.  If we get great results heck we may just have to add Sarah to the treatment….can’t hurt!  I guess we will just have a bunch of cannabis oil peeps in the McAllister household! LOL….I guess we have to consider all options rather than just focusing on synthetic toxins which can have long-lasting side effects.


Other than that Belle is doing pretty good overall and we are hoping that she starts feeling a lot better soon!  We understand this is par for the course when getting chemo and we will do everything we can to make her feel as good as she can!

I was also able to get her to go out of the house to go to Red Robin....yum!  She so funny and you can see her grandma "TuTu" photo bombing in the back!  She finally said on Thursday that it was time to get out of the house for a little bit!

I did want to share the information about the fundraiser that is taking place for Isabelle and the whole McAllister’s on Saturday, February 27^th at Backcountry CrossFit!  Now I know not everyone out there reading this blog is a CrossFitter or some crazy fit muscle head but that’s ok….we would love to see everyone out there and come join in supporting Isabelle as there will also be a Pot Luck following the WOD’s.  It’s going to be a great day and great opportunity to show your love and support for Belle and that she has a ton of people cheering her on to beat this cancer!  I do want to personally thank a couple of special people for making this happen…..First a huge and special thank you to Ashley & Steve Hartle (owners of BCCF) for allowing this event to take place at their wonderful CF box and just being so thoughtful and caring during our time of need….I also want to thank Nick & Brooke Kelsey for their help in organizing this event, I have had the privilege of Nick being one a my oldest and dear friend since I was 16 years old….his friendship and support means so much to me…..he is a lifelong friend and his friendship means the world to me…(that’s enough of the mushy gooey stuff for my “bromance” as my wife refers to it J)…..and of course Brooke, she’s amazing and Sarah and I are so grateful for her kindness and support.  I also want to thank Jenn Baker for helping create the fundraiser flier…she did an awesome job and she’s also a great cook (the Baker's rock)!  Not sure what her being a great cook has anything to do with it but I did want to compliment her on her cooking skills!  But seriously I want to thank these people for taking time out of their busy days to make the McAllister a priority….its means a lot!

All the support we are receiving from all over the place means a lot and it helps us get through the day!  I recently found out from a former dental resident of mine that is volunteering her time in Madagascar to help those in need and she informed me that there are prayer circles from Madagascar for Isabelle…I’m truly amazed about all of this and how much my little is loved and supported from all over the place.  I have had many friends tell me that there are prayer groups all parts of the country that are praying for Belle….God’s presence is real and whatever his plan is…we are trusting in him!

Thank you as always for all the love, support, and prayers….God bless all of you!  We will continue to fight this battle and support Belle and just take one day at a time!  We will keep you posted about updates, further chemo, treatments, the cannabis oil and the BCCF fundraiser.  Of course as always if anyone out there has additional information about the benefits of cannabis oil relative to killing cancer please do share…knowledge is power!

Thank you so very,

Mac

Port placed and ready to start kicking cancer's ass yet again...lets rock it Belle!

Port Surgery Complete

 

(Belle in her 50's outfit for school a couple of months ago)

 



Today was a big day in beginning the battle against Belle's brain tumor....placement of this port is very important!  This amazing piece of technology that seems so simple helps so very much in the process of delivering chemo by accessing the bloodstream via the largest artery that goes into your heart.  Learning from Sarah's experience and having to deliver the chemo agents via an IV each time is difficult and painful.  The chemo and having to get intravenous sticks every time for chemo causes bruising and on some of the occasions seemed to burn her veins.  I do not want by baby girl to have to experience the same situation.  So this port will allow the doctors to take blood (when necessary), administer contrast for her MRIs, and obviously deliver the chemo agents.  So even though its another surgery to go through, its well worth it in the long run!  Belle was very anxious and scared after we told her that she would have to go through surgery again to get this device placed in her chest.  I can only imagine what was going through this 7 year olds mind regarding this "thing" that is about to be placed in her for the duration of her treatment.  She had a ton of questions and you could tell she was nervous and scared about the surgery. 

 

We thought it would be best to meet someone who had a port and to see that everything is ok when you have a port placed in your body.  We have a wonderful neighbor whose sister is going through her own breast cancer journey herself (by the way she's rocking her battle against cancer as well and is a strong woman) and thought that she would come over to talk to Belle so we reached out to her and she was more than happy to come talk to Belle and show her the bump where her port is located.  She came over and talked to Belle.....Isabelle had plenty of questions and ultimately did feel her port in her chest even though she was apprehensive to do so at first.  I think that did help alleviate some of Isabelle's concerns over this device that will be placed in her body.  Her biggest concern throughout the process seemed to be the fact that she would have to put numbing cream on her skin where the port is located about an hour before going in for chemo...bless her little heart she was scared that would hurt!  I can see how some of this would be so very foreign and misunderstood when you're seven years old.....I just want to help her not worry about such difficult things and protect her....I try and remind her to just to be a kid and let mommy and daddy worry about this stuff!  But I tell you what she's so smart and she does get most of this stuff!  I have to remind myself this is hard and scary on her as well....I'm sure she often worries about her future and her life!  I know that last night she was scared about surgery.  To be honest I was scared too and worried for my daughter...I can tell you that the last couple days have been difficult for me and I have struggled to stay positive.  Depression and sadness can sneak up on you when your at your lowest....well let me reassure you that Sarah didn't let that happen for long...I wish I could say that I was strong enough to pull myself out of my slumber on my own but that was not the case!  Yet again my wife provides the strength our family needs and says "Mac take a happy pill and get your s*^t together" (as kindly put as she can)...God bless that woman and her unfailing and never ending strength!  See I present like the strong one but to be all to honest this family's strength and ability to forge ahead starts with her...I'm sure most of you aren't surprised by this at all...so moving on lets just keep pretending that I'm really the strong one (wink wink)!!

 

So onto surgery...we got to Children's Hospital South Campus (thank goodness we didn't have to go to the main location) at 7:45am which was good since she didn't have to go all day without eating....we got to meet all the nurses, surgeon and anesthesiologist prior to surgery (everyone there is wonderful and so good with kiddos by the way.....that helps alleviate some of the stress).  Belle got to pick the smelly stuff for her N2O mask...she went with bumble gum although I though she should have went with watermelon.  This time we were able to join her in the surgical operatory as she went to sleep which very much helped calm her concerns.  We did have to get fully dressed up for the occasion in a full hazmat suit and blue mesh cap.....all I needed was a weapon and I was ready for a zombie apocalypse!  Imagine Baymax from Big Hero 6...I should have taken a picture of Sarah and I...Isabelle thought we looked funny!  She did great going to sleep and was calm....they said the procedure would take about 45 minutes...maybe an hour if everything goes well.  We went the family waiting room after leaving the surgical operatory at about 9:40am (thank you Julie for bringing food from Kneaders Bakery)and I didn't anticipate hearing for the surgeon for at least an hour to 90 minutes.....well the door opens at 10:07am and the surgeon entered and said "everything went perfectly"....freaking music to my ears!  Praise the Lord....Belle did great.....enough said!  Minimal general anesthesia and just a small incision...recovery only took about 30 minutes and we were on our way home...amazing!  We had to stop and get something to eat on the way....thank you McDonald's for your all day breakfast menu! :)

 

We spend the rest of today relaxing and watching television.  She is in very good spirits and seeming to want to eat every hour...that's a good thing other than eating us out of house and home!  She was adamant about changing into a dress once she was comfortable and confident about moving her arm just enough to get that dress over her arm (she loves her dresses and constantly changing throughout the day).  I can tell you that she still is very hesitant to move it all when she is laying on the couch or up and walking.  Our hope is that she is well rested and ready to go back to school by Wednesday...one more day of having to hang out with dad all day! 

 

So moving forward....Belle has progressed very well in her motors skills and walking on her own!  She still has some moments of balance control issues (vary rarely) but she is truly walking on her very own!  I can't tell you how proud I am and happy that she is able to just walk without assistance.  I too am guilty of taking the ability to walk on your own for granted....I'm so happy that she can walk  on her own...hopefully some day soon she will be able to run again!  Things are improving for Belle...God's healing is present and heavy handed each and every day.  We did have the conversation with her that she has cancer which I have been dreading and avoiding but she actually asked Sarah if she has cancer so figured its best to be honest rather than lying to her and waiting to tell her until we were ready....that would not be fair to her.  There was something calming about the conversation and the way she handled the news....we just reassured her that everything the doctors were doing were to help eliminate the cancer and get rid of "ball thingy" in her head as she put it.  She knows the medicine she will be taking is similar to mommies and is there to help stop the cancer from growing and keep it from  getting bigger.  We could tell that she was over talking about it when said "ok let's not talk about it anymore!".....I loved how she handled it and how strong she is!  She's a rockstar...there is no wonder or question where she get it from....I'm a very blessed and thankful man! 

 

Chemo starts on Friday (1st session of what I figure will be about 36 to 40 sessions till haven't done a complete count)...one session closer to the end but we will just take one day at a time!  We learned that all to well from Sarah's treatment.....we cant look to far ahead and just need to focus on today and allow tomorrow to worry about itself!  She will start with Carboplatin and Vinblastine chemo combination on the first Friday of the cycle and then the following two Fridays she will only get Vinblastine...then get one week (Friday) off and then start the cycle over again.  We need to see some reduction of the tumor in the first couple of months (MRI March 3rd) to ensure the chemo is working so prayer warriors out there continue to pray hard...I beg you!  Let God hear all the prayers for Belle's healing, that the chemo is working to reduce the size of the tumor, that it's killing the cancer cells and that she her body is managing the chemo. So this week is week #1 of 2016 and we start this journey in good spirits and great optimism.  With God at our side and watching over our daughter all is possible.

 

I want to end this post with a sincere thank you to everyone out there providing support and love in so many different ways!  We are so very fortunate and lucky to have the support, love, and prayers coming in from everywhere and from so many...words can't express our extreme gratitude and appreciation!!!   I appreciate each and every one of you out there....truly!  I wish I could thank each of you individually here for your words of strength, kindness, dinners, support, donations, and prayers but there are far to many of you out there to thank without consuming this entire post with those thank you's and words of appreciation...perhaps a future post will just solely be that! 

 

I did want to let everyone know of a fundraiser that will be taking place for Belle on Saturday, February 27th so please mark your calendar to come and share in this journey and support Belle, we would love to see everyone....details to follow in the coming weeks so please keep an eye out for that!  We will keep everyone posted in the coming weeks on her progress with chemo and to keep everyone informed of how things are coming along!

 

Thank you,

 

Mac, Sarah, Michael and Isabelle

 

 

Philippians 4:6, 7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus"

 

Roams 15:13 - "May God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

 

Believe in the power of prayer! Amen.......