Monday, April 16, 2012
Karagen received her first batch of packages and letters. They helped her feel better and she enjoyed them so much!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Hospital Pictures
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
She just adores her baby sister!
4/17 casts to correct her feet. She has to wear these 4 hours on and 4 off.
Great Grandma Braisted, GraceyAnna and Karagen
Tuesday 4/17 New packages were delivered.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 all tired out from the chemo
Friday, April 13, 2012
More Pictures
Barbies to play with. Aunt Gloria and Karagen Monday 4/9
Monday after we found out her cancer was Medulloblastoma.
We love you so much Sweetie!
Waiting for the shower cap to clean her hair.
Monday 4/9
Karagen and Dr. Robert Keating, Chief of Neuor Surgery
April 12, 2012
Putting a puzzle together after her first "shower" in days.
Wens. April 11
The Art Room at last!
4/11
So itchy!
Karagen enjoyed getting bathed so much, in bed resting after her bath.
Balloons! Tuesday 4/10
Karagen loves her baby sister GraceyAnna!
My Aunt Gloria and Aunt Debbie.
Kisses!
Tuesday 4/10 Karagen gave GraceyAnna a ride in her wheel chair
Playing memory with Uncle Mahlon and Dave (my mom's boyfriend)
Little Update
For those of you who are interested, there is a group pg on FB, this is for updates and prayer requests about Karagen. It is called Praying for Karagen Roberts, here is the link.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/203106149792216/
Thursday, April 12:
It is official, Karagen starts chemo thereapy tomorrow. Her Aunt Shell and Uncle Frank are staying the night with her. Jonathan and I are home together for the first time since everything started.
Jonathan and I also had a meeting with the NIH,(National Institute of Health) a huge campus and hospital in Bethesda MD. We went there to discuss Karagen's case and the future need of radiation. Once she is there she will need at least 6 weeks of radiation. Her risk of side effects is higher because of the extensivie area that needs treated.
We also found out from the oncology and radiation doctors how rare medulloblastoma is, only 400 cases a year, brain tumors in kids are very rare only about 2,500 a year in the US. One of the doctors told us "it's just really bad luck" of course we don't believe in bad luck, we believe that God has known all along Karagen would end up with cancer. We also believe that somehow and someway He will get our family through this. We desire a complete healing-of course. But.... we desire God's will and best for Karagen first and foremost.
Karagen has shown great determination through everything and is working very hard to walk again. She was able to scoot herself into bed, without anyone lifting her or her legs into bed.
Thank you everyone who committed to pray for her around the clock, and those who are praying other/all the time!
Some have asked for our address as well:
Po. Box 15
Henderson MD 21640
Thank you all for your prayers, we really need them!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/203106149792216/
Thursday, April 12:
It is official, Karagen starts chemo thereapy tomorrow. Her Aunt Shell and Uncle Frank are staying the night with her. Jonathan and I are home together for the first time since everything started.
Jonathan and I also had a meeting with the NIH,(National Institute of Health) a huge campus and hospital in Bethesda MD. We went there to discuss Karagen's case and the future need of radiation. Once she is there she will need at least 6 weeks of radiation. Her risk of side effects is higher because of the extensivie area that needs treated.
We also found out from the oncology and radiation doctors how rare medulloblastoma is, only 400 cases a year, brain tumors in kids are very rare only about 2,500 a year in the US. One of the doctors told us "it's just really bad luck" of course we don't believe in bad luck, we believe that God has known all along Karagen would end up with cancer. We also believe that somehow and someway He will get our family through this. We desire a complete healing-of course. But.... we desire God's will and best for Karagen first and foremost.
Karagen has shown great determination through everything and is working very hard to walk again. She was able to scoot herself into bed, without anyone lifting her or her legs into bed.
Thank you everyone who committed to pray for her around the clock, and those who are praying other/all the time!
Some have asked for our address as well:
Po. Box 15
Henderson MD 21640
Thank you all for your prayers, we really need them!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Waiting
Wednesday, April 4, 2012, the day my life changed forever. The day the doctor said: "You'd better sit down.....there's no easy way to tell you this".....the day the future, my hopes and dreams changed forever. "Your daughter Karagen has a tumor along her spine, it is compressing her spine and that is what is effecting her legs. She also has a tumor in her brain." Words.....just words.... but the truth....a reality I did not...... DO NOT want to face.
My daughter has medulloblastoma, a rare brain cancer. The difference with Karagen's case (hers is very rare) the tumors in her spine are massive, she has them the entire length of her spine. She has the golf ball sized tumor in her brain, and then smaller lesions throughout the brain. How can it be that my beautiful daughter is being killed from the inside out by the monster cancer? How can it be true that we could be losing her? How can I lose her, how am I supposed to let her go? How can we choose treatments that will put her through further suffering, burn her with radiation, cut her with surgery, drown the cells with chemo? She has already had emergency surgery on the area of her spine, her incision goes from the back of her head to between her shoulder blades, this surgery was to save the function of her legs. Little did I know that this surgery was only the beginning of the waiting, the agony, the unknown, the known.
This is a moment by moment process of trying to trust God I say trying because I am--just--trying. My emotions meet hope and look up, only to speak with the doctors the next moment to be reminded that our chances are slim, they come crashing down to despair. I am praying, committing, believing, crying, trying......grieving.....crying.
And yet I focus on one true thing, Cancer is not the big "C" Christ is!
My daughter has medulloblastoma, a rare brain cancer. The difference with Karagen's case (hers is very rare) the tumors in her spine are massive, she has them the entire length of her spine. She has the golf ball sized tumor in her brain, and then smaller lesions throughout the brain. How can it be that my beautiful daughter is being killed from the inside out by the monster cancer? How can it be true that we could be losing her? How can I lose her, how am I supposed to let her go? How can we choose treatments that will put her through further suffering, burn her with radiation, cut her with surgery, drown the cells with chemo? She has already had emergency surgery on the area of her spine, her incision goes from the back of her head to between her shoulder blades, this surgery was to save the function of her legs. Little did I know that this surgery was only the beginning of the waiting, the agony, the unknown, the known.
This is a moment by moment process of trying to trust God I say trying because I am--just--trying. My emotions meet hope and look up, only to speak with the doctors the next moment to be reminded that our chances are slim, they come crashing down to despair. I am praying, committing, believing, crying, trying......grieving.....crying.
And yet I focus on one true thing, Cancer is not the big "C" Christ is!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Devastated
Our daughter Karagen has cancer. Her symptoms started 3 weeks ago as not being able to sleep at night. She would awake 5 to 10 times a night in pain and restlessness. To make a long story short, we brought her to the Children's National Hospital Emergency Room in Washington DC on Tuesday night, after many tests and an MRI, we were informed Wednesday that Karagen had a massive tumor along her spine, about 12 inches in length and a tumor in her brain. She had emergency surgery on Friday to relieve the pressure on her spine and to try and save her leg function (by the time we arrived at the ER she was unable to walk). The surgeon was able to remove only 40 % of her tumor and said it is cancer. She is resting as comfortably as possible but continues to need much prayer. We will find out on Monday or Tuesday what type of cancer it is.
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