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Scratch that. It's NOT pneumonia. Jillian has some sort of "mass" in her chest cavity. It has squished her little lung and pushed her heart and esophegus way to the right. It fills her entire left chest cavity and extends into her abdomen. The doctor says this did not happen over the last week.

The plan is to have a bunch of specialists look at everything tomorrow and perform another CT scan and an MRI. The doctor says they don't want to do anything tonight unless it is an emergency. The doctor says "This is serious."

Please continue to pray.

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It is a tumor. It is likely only 4-6 weeks old. It is too large to remove and we are facing chemotherapy to shrink it. They are saying that if left alone it would likely kill her in 3 days.

I have family coming to keep the kids and I am leaving for the hospital shortly.

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Ok, I am bringing my computer but am not sure if I will have a connection. I willleave this window open so Kristina can update as needed.

The good news is it is NOT lymphoma. They are doing an ultrasound right now and will do a biopsy shortly. They said it does not appear to be as vascular as they first thought. That gives me hope that they may be able to remove it.

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this is katie's friend, kristina. i am at the house with the kids. katie just called. they did an ultrasound to see if jilly's heart could stand surgery (cuz it's been smooshed to the side) and depending on the outcome they will take her in for a surgical biopsy. details to follow....

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I HAD A BIG LONG UPDATE TYPED AND MY COMPUTER ATE IT MY COMPUTER IS NOW ACTING WONKY I AM GLAD THAT KRISTINA ALREADY POSTED AN UPDATE WE WON"T KNOW ANYTHING UNTIL TOMORROW AFTER THE BIOPSY

I AM SPENDING THE NIGHT HERE I AM BLESSED BY ALL THE PRAYERS HERE AT THE WS AND HELP HERE IRL

I THINK I MAY BAN KRISTINA FROM UPDATING BECAUSE SHE MADE ME CRY

I AM PRAYING SPECIFICALLY THAT THE TUMOR WILL BE SHRUNK TOMORROW MORNING WHEN THEY GO TO DO THE BIOPSY EITHER **GONE** OR SMALL ENOUGH TO OPERATE **NOW** AND THAT THEY WILL FIND IT TO BE BENIGN

JILLIAN HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY RUNNING A TEMP OF ONE OH ONE (CANT USE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW) AND JUST FIVE MINUTES AGO THE NURSE WAS SURPRISED TO FIND IT HAD DROPPED TO ONE HUNDRED HAS GOD BEGUN HIS HEALING ALREADY????

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JILLIANS BLOOD TRANSFUSION IS DONE AND SHE WAS FEELING DOWNRIGHT PERKY THERE FOR A SECOND

TWO HOURS AND COUNTING JEFF SHOULD BE RETURNING TO THE HOSPITAL SOON

JERRY AND SANDY ARE STAYING WITH THE KIDS

I"LL UPDATE WHEN WE GET BIOPSY RESULTS AND I PLAN TO HAVE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE TUMOR

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jillie is in surgery now. surgeon says is one of 3 things, rhabdomyosarcoma, pleuropulmonary blastoma or germ cell tumor. surgeon said last night that she doubts if it would be benign, but we are praying for that. katie slept off and on for a couple of hours and is running on adrenaline. it is 6:30ish here now (mountain time). i'll keep you posted.

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biopsy done, placing PICC line (long-term IV line) in ankle, doing head/body CT to check for metastasis (spread) of cancer. katie and jeff together in room waiting for her to come back in another hour or so. jillie's asleep and hopefully dreaming about meadows, horsies and fields of flowers.

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katie said anything you want to mail to her you can mail to me at 12718 W. saint moritz lane, el mirage, az 85335. still nothing new to report. jillie is at phoenix children's hospital's ICU.

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Kristina will write a detailed update this evening. She was here when the oncologist came in. It is cancer in the "small round blue cell tumor of early childhood" family. We will have a specific name on Monday.

Chemo likely to start Tuesday. We will be here at least a month. I am dedicating my brain power to logistics right now.

I'll be updating my blog with pictures as soon as Kristina writes my update for me.

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Things are bad guys. Options are dwindling. I sent the in laws to visit "just in case".

There is NOTHING I need. Please do nto send care packages as that is just one more thing Kristina to deal with. Alot is falling on her. Please hold off. If Jillian ends up receiving chemo and plan A happens I will definitely appreciate all of yoru cards and gifts but right now they would be a burden.

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i walked into the room and was stunned at how gravely ill she is. mrs. professional health care worker (me) was unprofessionally shaken. wow. i whispered to the nurse, "i am trying not to freak them out, but this is really bad" and she said, "i know, and i am trying not to freak them out either". she is laying there with extremely labored breathing with only one lung and on high levels of oxygen with another unit of blood hanging. sooo... moving on... oncology (cancer doc) says they will do nothing until monday when they will test the bone barrow (blood producing stuff inside the bones) and do a bone scan see if the cancer has spread. it doesn't appear to be anywhere else in the body (i.e. brain, liver). the plan is to reassess after all info. is gathered and then formulate a treatment plan which would start with using chemo to shrink the football size tumor over the course of a month or so and then resecting (removing) it. she will remain inpatient for the next month. then she will be on long term chemo for 9 months to 3 years on a sometimes inpatient, sometimes outpatient basis. after i left, her breathing became worse and she became combattant because she couldn't breathe and had to be sedated on a couple different occasions. as you can imagine, it is very scary to come out of anesthesia and realize you can't breathe well and to feel confused and MAD! her breath sounds in the remaining lung have worsened and she now has fluid over there as well. katie left to come home for a while to be with kids and regroup and she and i talked about how it seems to us that jillian may likely not make it until the tumor shrinks. she is preparing for the worst and we both hope we are wrong. if she doesn't improve, they will need to go in with a needle and drain out the fluid at the top of the tumor to ease her breathing. they don't want to do that unless they really have to because her heart is so compromised and they don't want to put her under anesthesia. but... they may have too. they may also need to put her on a ventilator, we will just need to wait and see. katie is crushed and heartbroken but Christ's Peace is evident to her and she is holding it together very well. jeff is a rock and is so loving and tender with his baby girl. i was so proud of both of them today.

Coconut Oil Uses

Managing head lice or nits

Hair Oil

Pure Coconut Oil Soap Recipe

Sunburn cure

Soap

Toothpaste

BioFuel

Managing head lice or nits

Head Lice can be eradicated from hair with coconut oil using the following method:

1st treatment

If lice are visible in the hair permeate the hair with approximately 5mls of melted coconut oil rubbing it into the roots before bedtime. Place a towel on the  pillow and the next morning shampoo the hair.  By this time all the live nits will have been suffocated and all the eggs will have absorbed oil and become soft and soggy.

Following treatments:

Part the hair down the middle then dip your finger in melted coconut oil and dab a few drops of oil down the part on the scalp and one or two drops in the roots above the ears. After 12 hours the drops of oil will have spread through the hair and any new nits that may have hatched will find it unbearable. This treatment only needs to be carried out once every two or three days.  The nit incubation cycle is about 17 days so treatment may be kept up for about 3 weeks to ensure any newly hatched nits will also die.  As coconut oil is a natural good smelling hair oil the oil conditions the hair as well as displacing the nits.

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Hair Oil

Coconut oil is a natural hair oil which is regularly used in tropics around the world for hair oil. Freshly grated coconut meal is also squeezed through hair and used as a conditioner after washing and it works very well. It stimulates hair growth  and can be used  as a dandruff treatment. Apply as a hair conditioner  an hour before shampooing.

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Sunburn cure

Thought you might be interested in my recent experience. I stupidly let myself get badly sunburned and in desperation applied your coconut oil to the reddened areas. To my relief the sun burn healed really quickly without blisters or peeling. I'm not planning to let myself get so burned again but if it does happen I know what I'll do!

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Dietary Supplement

Assists with weight control. Take a spoonful 30 minutes before a meal. It will reduce your appetite. Take before bedtime to assist with constipation

Boosts the immune system.

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Aroma Therapy

Excellent for a carrier for aroma therapy

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John, Northern Territory. Top 

Pure Coconut Oil Soap

This should make 9.4 kg of soap. It will almost fill half a 20 litre pail. Just over 8 kg will fit into the 4 rectangular moulds and can be cut into 64 bars of 125 gm each. These could be cut in half to make 128 bars of 60+ gm "guest" soap for resorts. Resorts will require the soap to have fragrance in it. Top Home

Equipment:

Ingredients:

2.4 Litres of rain water (2.4Kgl)
1 Kg Caustic Soda
6560ml oil (about 6Kg Oil)
50 ml Essential oil Fragrance (optional)

Safety precautions:

Method:

1. Make or acquire soap moulds. The total volume of the finished soap is 9510ml = 0.00951M³
2. Put the water in a 20 litre plastic pail or bucket. (Preferably use rain water)
3. Slowly mix the Caustic soda into the water (Never put water into the caustic always caustic into water) stirring it in with a wooden spoon.
4. The water will get hot, let it cool (about 1 hour) until it is about the same temperature as the oil you are going to use or until you can easily hold your hand on the outside of the bucket where the liquid is.
   
5. Measure the correct quantity of oil into a pail, then add the oil to the caustic and keep stirring (with the wooden spoon or with the drill stirrer at its slowest speed) while you do this.
6. The oil will get a little bit thick straight away. Keep stirring until it gets really thick. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. If it takes more than 15 minutes, stir again at least every 5 minutes.
7. The thickening stage is called “saponification”. The mixture will get thick on the mixing stick until it leaves grooves in the mixture where it is mixed.
8. If you are going to use fragrance, add it to the oil now ONLY USE PURE FRAGRANCE. The amount will depend on the quality and concentration of the fragrance. Typical 30ml
9. Now pour it into plastic or wooden soap moulds. And leave it set for two or three days then break it out of the moulds and cut it up into the sizes that you finally want.
10. Stack the soap on shelves and allow it to dry out and cure for 4-6 weeks
11. It is ready when you put some on your tongue and its not strong like acid.
12. Note you can use the soap immediately and it will wash off the dirt but it will sting if you have cuts or scratches.

Toothpaste:

Anyway, about 2-3 weeks ago I changed toothpaste. As Bruce suggested in his book, I stirred together some baking soda and some VCO. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't stimulate my appetite, which I had been concerned about. It also felt quite clean.  A few days ago I looked in the mirror and realized that the mottling on my front teeth had disappeared. They are very shining and white, and they look thicker and harder. Only the chipped portion in one corner is thinned out. I'm not sure if my eyes are deceiving me, or if the chipped portion is actually getting smaller by increments as well - i.e., if new enamel is growing. Is it conceivably possible for new tooth enamel to grow that quickly? I would be stunned if it were, but on the other hand, that is definitely what it looks like.

Make your Own

Mix approximately equal parts Virgin Coconut Oil, Bicarb-Soda and Water in a small jar. (A dessert spoon of each is a good start). The water makes it more like a paste in cooler climates. Vary the quantity of water to change the consistency. To hasten up the process cool it in the fridge and then stir it again. With the water added to it, it rinses of the toothbrush without leaving it oily at all. May leave a slightly oily film in the basin which can be cleaned off with hot water.

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© Kokonut Pacific Pty Ltd
 

I've been dreading this day for weeks now.  What would I do?  How would I keep my hurt inside?  I think the anticipation of the pain was more heartwrenching than the day itself. 

I woke up this morning feeling like I didn't have enough to do.  We had baked oatmeal for breakfast and carried on just like any normal day.  I kept thinking of how busy I should be.  I thought of the tasks I longed to be doing.  

After lunch I decided that I would not pretend that it was a normal day any longer.  The children and I  made a delicious chocolate fudge cake.  I set to prepare a nice dinner.   

First birthdays are so fun!    Though, this first birthday was a whispered one; only celebrated in my heart.  My Anna didn't even make it to half her term of pregnancy, let alone a real day of birth on her due date.  Who would ever imagine the lack of celebration would hurt still? 

For all first birthdays I make two cakes.  One for the well wishers and a tiny one just for the birthday child.  This birthday cake was no different.  I made a tiny heart saturated with whipping cream and embellished with red sprinkles to go atop the big cake.   The family enjoyed the dinner and especially the wonderful treat of cake for "no reason". 

I impressed myself when the tears stayed in check while I whispered a Happy Birthday to my Anna when cutting her cake.  After the children were in bed I slipped outside for a walk in the cool night.  I took her tiny heart cake with me.  I walked down the street singing happy birthday over and over through tears that did not want to stay checked any longer. 

I closed my eyes and pictured myself holding the cake for her to blow her candle out.  At one point I glanced at the chocolate smudges on my fingers and thought of how that chocolate would have looked smeared all over a tiny little face.  Oh, the desire to know what that face would have looked like!  With a giggle and a smile she would squish her yummy discovery between her pudgy fingers, lifting those fingers to taste.  Look at Momma squeal of delight would escape, a wriggle of excitement ...

The whispered birthday party was loud and joyful with my eyes closed.  Then it was time to open my eyes.  They opened to the stark reality that I was still holding a whole cake.  An uneaten, unplayed with, unsmeared cake.  What was I going to do with it?  I didn't want to eat it.  I didn't want anyone else to eat it.  It was the birthday girl's cake.  

It is now in my freezer.  How long it will stay there, I have no clue.  But that is where it is, and where it will stay for now.  

That is what Abigail asked us the other day while picking out avacodo's at the grocery store.  We were thoroughly confused.  So, I asked her to explain her question.  She said, "Is guacamole another name for God?"

We found her inquiry to be rather amusing, though couldn't quite grasp why she was asking.  We told her that it was not and asked why she wanted to know.

We finally figured it out!!  She heard someone say "Holy Moly" and repeated it.  Upon hearing her we told that "holy" is a word to describe God and that we don't say it lightly and we don't use that phrase.  We didn't comment on the "moly" part of the phrase.  Silly us.  I suppose she just assumed that if Holy described God that the "mole" in guacamole did as well!

I am so excited about this new venture I am apart of!  Some wonderfully talented Christian ladies and I are opening a new store!  Come on over and check us out!  We open at noon!

http://hyenacart.com/fruitfulhands

Christina asked how I made the digi scrap pages.  Adobe has a free 30 day trial of Photoshop Elements 4.  Download the trial.  Then google "digiscrap freebies" where you find a bunch of papers, embellishments and such you can use.  Now there are a lot for sale.  However there are soo soo soo many freebies that while I'm still learning I'm just using the freebies. 

If you decide to try it out let me know and I'll help you with the "how to"  ... as much as I know anyway.  Which isn't much.  LOL.

This one I did with just pictures, no downloads.

Uhoh.  I have been bit!  I have a new addiction.  Here it is:

that from here on out, Ian is to be known as Cowboy Ian. 

He made the announcement yesterday.  With a big grin on his face he said, "I'm a cowboy!  Cowboy Ian!"

So, there you have it.

We entered the world of addition yesterday.  While waiting for my Tommy to get off of work we were in the Jeep ... just waiting.  I don't know how it happened, before long we were using ketchup packets to add.  Our first lesson.  Miss Abigail now knows how to add from 1+1 to 1+4. 

She's so proud of herself!

Abigail:  What is breakfast?

Momma: Breakfast.

Abigail:  What is lunch?

Momma:  Lunch.

Abigail:  What is dinner?

Mmma:  Dinner.

After repeating the above five times-

Abigail: MOMMA!!  You are REALLY good at this game!

Yep, I failed big time.  We had lunch with friends today.  Guess what we had to drink?  Dr. Pepper.  I didn't even *think* about the blood::water challenge until I was drining a glass of water.  I didn't realize how hard it would really be!

Did you know that ONE DOLLAR could provide an African with healthy water for an entire year?  

I'm challenging everybody I know to not buy any drinks for two weeks.  No sodas, no chai tea, no Starbucks.  Then with the money you saved I challenge you to the 1000 Wells Project.  http://www.bloodwatermission.com/?em1204=43911

What will it be?  One coffee or water for four years?

The grey kitty seen here is no longer with us.  He died this morning.  He was nestled in my Abigailie's blanket on the floor and I think he was stepped on.  Just last night I told him that he was going to get hurt when I almost layed on him because he was nestled under my blanket. The kids are so sad. Princess is so sad. And the white kitty is just lost.

I sat down intending to blog about our home.  We moved one year ago today.  I remember sitting out front the night before our closing just looking at our new home.  Just one year later and I've lost much of the appreciation for it.  That ashames me and I plan to change that.

I've decided that it is not what I should blog about though.  While I've been thinking about how I've neglected this gift God has bestowed on us there are others out there hurting. 

In this blog there is a tribute to a beautiful baby named Lily that never had the chance to hear her Momma's voice outside of the womb. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Vanderclan/160499/#c299572 

I just read a prayer request for four young soldiers injured protecting my very lively hood.  They are too injured to even come home to receive proper medical care.

My sister in law and brother and law just got back from Africa.  There is so much pain and suffering.  For such a minimal inconvenience we could make such a lasting improvement in the lives of  these people created in God's image, but do we?  http://www.bloodwatermission.com

I can't even tell you how selfish I feel.  What has been on my mind all night?  What have I been thinking about?  I've been thinking about the past year and how much I would change if I had it to do all over again.  What are other people thinking about?  What are others hurting about?  I need to be thinking about them and praying for them.

What are you thinking about?

In the midst of this humid, 94 degree summer day I was given the gift of a nice fall breeze.  I opened my mailbox and found myself enjoying a sweet swaying swing with the beautiful vibrant fallen leaves that God showers us with every autumn.  It made me want to reach for a warm afghan and cup of cider.  I could even smell the pumpkin and spice in the oven.

All of this because a wonderfully kindhearted internet friend took time out of her day to mail me a picture of her winsome backyard, a lovely postcard, and a handmade crochetted key chain.  Thank you Mrs. Mo, you will never know how much it means to me!     

I was just reading over some of my blog.  WOWZERS!  How did all of those typos, misspellings, bad grammar, wrong wordamabobs get in there?  I'm half tempted to edit every post.  I'm even more tempted to just post this and apologize to everyone that actually read AND came back!

One of the things I love must about homeschooling is the lessons that pop up out of nowhere.  I did not set out my day to teach the children to ryhme.  It was errand day and I had no lessons in mind. 

Upon arriving to the store the kids sat in the back and jabbered back in forth while I fiddled with my makeup.  When I was satisified that I was as presentable as I was going to be I said, "Who's ready to go inside?"

I smiled when I heard "Me!"  in stereo. 

Then to my dismay I heard, "Just me!"

I said, "Oh, no!  WE are all going in.  We do everything as a family.  I don't want to hear you trying to leave each other out."

They nodded understanding.

I said, "So, who is ready to go inside?"

Again I smiled.  However instead of hearing "Me!"  I heard "We!" is stereo.

While unbuckling them and getting everyone out of the car Abigail said, "Me sounds like we." 

I agreed and told her that they ryhmed with each other.  All day while running errands we rhymed.  It was so great! 

My little Abigail is so sweet.  One day last week the sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and we were outside riding bikes and playing in the dirt.  She looks up to me with such an enthused smile and says, "It's such a nice day to ride bikes!"

Then just the other day when the rain was relentlessly being dumped around us we were baking cookies and she said, "Oh, Momma!  It's such a nice rainy day to stay inside and bake cookies!"

I think it's absolutely beautiful the way she finds the good in everything.  I sure hope I can do the same!

I made the best chicken pot pie I've ever made tonight.  The crust was so incredibly flakey.  The chicken tender, the carrots and potatoes were so flavorful.  Unfortunately I only got four bites of it.  That's all that was left after I served the family and the oven.  That's right the oven got to eat tonight.