The story as it was
My son has cancer
Benjamin Alexander Rosales, born to my wife and I on November 21st 2007, was found to have tumor in his abdomen Thursday January 31, 2008. This devastating news lead us on a rollercoaster of medical test through out this past weekend. We are waiting on results, and a full pathology on a biopsy taken this past Friday.
Benjamin is only 10 weeks old. He's our miracle child, a gift from God after eight years of marriage. He is the answer to our prayers for a child and now he's in the challenge of his young life. An abdominal tumor that has metastasized and moved into his liver. There was no way for any of us to expect this drastic turn of events.
We thank all of you who've been praying since the news broke and are very grateful. Keep my son and my family in your prayers as we move forward in our journey. We know God is good and believe in the power of prayer. Thank you.
Benjamin's Story
In The Beginning
God knew what was coming way before we had any idea, and He tried to prepare us for it the best He could. On Wednesday, January 24th my family attended Bible study at my pastor's house. The scripture we studied was from the book of James:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
And because we never get anything the first time God tells us... on Sunday, January 27th, we went to church (Crossroads Community Church on Boulevard 26 in NRH, service starts at 10:00 am if you wish to attend) to find that our pastor was home sick and another member was going to be preaching that Sunday. The scripture he taught from was the exact same verses from James that God had us go over in Bible study the Wednesday prior, unbeknownst to the man delivering the message. We left church that Sunday thinking about the trials we had faced in the past and that more would be coming, however we never imagined this trial. Without God in our lives, this would be impossible to face. It would be devastating and hopeless. Since we have a relationship with Jesus Christ though, we know that all things are possible. God is our Father, our friend, our healer, our provider and our comforter. I know His heart was broken way before ours were, being that He knew about the cancer before us. I know He cries with us and He also comforts us. He never intends for us to go through trials alone. So many people have come to us with stories of struggles they went through with their babies. These people have been a blessing to us. They have comforted us with their stories and have been a witness to us of God's miracles and of His grace. Even when the stories don't have a happy ending, it is good to see how God helps people through even the darkest of times. This is a great thing to be reminded of. Our God is all powerful. We believe in the power of intersession. Please continue to pray for Benjamin. God has already answered so many prayers already. Continue reading and you will see how wonderful He is.
On Wednesday, January 30th, we took Benjamin to the doctor for his 2 month check up. We inquired about his stomach being hard and big. Originally the doctor was not concerned (at his first check up), but since nothing had changed she advised us to have a sonogram done. She thought his liver might be enlarged. Benjamin did not have any other symptoms to be concerned about. The doctor wanted us to go to Cooks Children's Hospital on Precinct Line Road, but they did not take our insurance carrier. This is where the first intervention of God comes in. We left there not knowing where we were going to take him to have the sonogram completed. The doctor's office continued calling around to different locations and the next day we received a phone call from them stating that Cooks Children's Hospital in downtown Fort Worth did accept our insurance.
This is the first of many blessings.
We took Benjamin in for his sonogram on Thursday, January 31st. This is when the tumor in his abdomen was found. The hospital admitted him that day and begin several test. The Oncologist believes it is probably Neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer of the sympathetic nervous system (network of nerves that carry messages from the brain throughout the body) that mainly affects children. They believe he has what is called 4S Neuroblastoma. It's a special form of disseminated neuroblastoma that only occurs during the first few months of life. It is very treatable and almost all children can be cured with minimal treatment. Sometimes it can go away without any treatment at all. Currently we know that it is in his abdomen, liver and some glands.
The plan was for Benjamin to undergo a CAT scan, x rays and bone scan on Friday and then a biopsy of the tumor in his abdomen on the following Monday. He would have to be put under anesthesia for the scans and the biopsy, so the doctor did not want them done in the same day. Here is where the next miracle of God comes in. In the middle of the night on Thursday, the nurses noticed a dark bump under his left armpit when they were taking his temperature. This was not there before. The doctor informed us on Friday morning that this was a Neuroblastoma Nodule. Since this had appeared on the skin, they would be able to take it off to perform the necessary test on it, instead of performing a biopsy of the tumor in his abdomen. This is a blessing since it would be less invasive. The doctor's also decided to see if they could perform the scans without him being sedated. This is another blessing from God. Benjamin, only 2 months old, stayed calm and still enough for the doctor's to get a good CAT and bone scan without putting him under anesthesia. Also, typically they can not get a good picture of the pelvic bones because their bladders are full of the fluid injected to perform the bone scan and they have be drained before the scan. Fortunately for us, Benjamin peed right as they were about to start the bone scan and was able to avoid them draining his bladder for him.
Since he did not have to be put under for the scans, the Oncologist decided to go ahead and put him under to have the nodule removed from his armpit Friday night. They also completed a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy while he was under anesthesia. Benjamin came through the surgery very well. He slept for a long time and woke up extremely hungry.
Saturday morning came and Benjamin was smiling, cooing and very attentive to his mobile above his crib. He was released from the hospital that afternoon. This is another blessing... we went from expecting to be in the hospital for at least a week, to being in there only 2 and a half days. He was very glad to be home with his own crib and swing.
The Next Step
We have a consultation visit with the doctor on Wednesday the 6th to go over the preliminary results of the biopsy. They won't have the complete pathology back for a couple of weeks, however this will be a good starting point. He will also have an injection done of radioactive meta-iodenbenzylguanidine (MIBG). This attaches to the Neuroblastoma cells after it has been injected into the bloodstream, allowing the doctor to see if it has spread to any other parts of the body. Benjamin goes back in for this MIBG scan on Thursday, January 7th.
Benjamin is under social isolation, meaning we won?t be taking him anywhere where there are a lot of people. He also won't be around any sick people. He is at this time unable to continue with his immunization shots.
Prayer
We're asking for everyone to pray primarily for Benjamin. For him to be healed completely of this. Inform everyone you know and get them praying as well. Anytime you think or see us, please take a minute to pray. We want to be in your prayers, not just in your thoughts. Daniel will need prayer especially during the daytime when he is taking care of Benjamin alone and I will need prayer especially during the night time. Night time feedings can be sad at times. We are trying to stay as positive as we can, but of course we have spells of crying. If God puts it on your heart to call or visit us, please do so. Friends are good to have around.
John 17:16-24
"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."
Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying.
Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
Diagnosis Confirmed
Well it is official, our son has Neuroblastoma, according to preliminary tests, and it is very treatable. That is good news, also, there is no cancer in the bone marrow. The full pathology will tell us if there any surprises left. If there are not, then we will proceed with monthly visits and CAT scans to monitor the situation for a full year.
It may shrink, it may stay the same or it may simply go away. If we are handed a curve ball by the final results then we may go forward with chemotherapy. The results are still about a week and half away.
Today he had his injection and the radioactive isotopes are currently coursing through his blood, attaching themselves to all the cancer cells in his body. It was a long day and he is tired. Tomorrow we will go back for the MIBG scan which will tell us if the cancer is anywhere we don't know about.
Keep praying for Benjamin as it is working! It is a miracle to see the body of Christ mobilize world wide for the sake of one child. Across the U.S., Great Britain and Australia, Gods children are praying for Benjamin.
May God bless you, keep you, smile upon you, and look on you with favor, and give you peace.
Benjamin's poem.
This is a poem we wrote when we were expecting Benjamin. It meant a lot to us then, but has come to mean so much more now that we know what we know. We'd like to share it with you, as it helps to remind us what is important in life.
Our Promise
On the day we learned of you, we were elated with joy.
Benjamin Alexander, our beautiful baby boy.
For your arrival, we have waited for so long.
We think of you each day and how you're growing strong.
God has blessed us in such a special way.
He's given us a precious child to nurture every day.
Son of my right hand and defender of men,
An adventure of life you are about to begin.
Our main goal is to lavish you with love,
The unconditional kind from our God above.
We want to show you how to walk in His will,
Listen to His voice, to sometimes sit and be still.
We want to demonstrate the path that is straight,
That there is a time to act, and a time to wait.
Teach you the freedom of His amazing grace,
And that with perseverance, you can run the race.
We want you to soar as an eagle in the cycle of life,
Rise above the swamp of folly and learn from all strife.
We want others to say upon your good-byes,
"This place was better because he passed by".
We make this commitment each day anew,
To come up along beside this life with you,
We will be the support that you need each hour,
As we lean on our Father and His almighty power.
Good Boy
Benjamin was a good boy today. He went in for the MIBG scan. We were very fortunate that he slept through the scan and did not have to be sedated. The Dr. called us this evening and all is good. The scans show the cancer where we expected to see it and no place else. So the tumors are as follows; the adrenal glands, the abdomen and the liver.
We can add Hawaii and Alaska to the list of states praying for Benjamin.
We met another lady who's baby has the same type of cancer. She informed us that there were 2 other babies she met today with neuroblastoma. We found it odd that out of the 600 cases of neuroblastoma that occur per year, 4 of them were in Fort Worth.
An unscheduled visit
As some of you know, we were scheduled to see the Oncologist on Wednesday, but after a troubling weekend we decided to go in early. The doctor agreed. After drawing blood and consulting with the surgeons, our Dr. has determined that we'll go forward with a small treatment of chemotherapy.
Benjamin's stomach has grown a bit more and his coagulation count is slightly down, paired with some vomiting calls for something to be done. It seems that chemotherapy is inevitable. This will be a lesser treatment than usual and hopefully this will do the trick.
We'll first need to put a surgical implant into his chest that will keep the Dr.'s from continually searching for viable veins. The doctor will call us to schedule this, until then prayers are always welcome. We also have another check-up and blood work scheduled for next Monday.
We want to thank you for the cards, letters, and emails from family and friends. Your thoughts, prayers and scriptures are a welcome comfort to our family. For those of you who've made donations to help defray the cost of our co-payments, we say thank you and God bless.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Chemotherapy
We checked into Cook's Hospital Wednesday night and Benjamin was given fresh frozen plasma. On Thursday he was given more fresh frozen plasma and that afternoon he was prepped for surgery. That night he had a central line placed in him. It's basically a catheter placed in his jugular vein at his neck that comes out his chest. It can remain in him from eight to twelve months if needed, eliminating the need for him to be poked several times to have blood drawn and IV's placed. This is a blessing, since the poking has been a very bad experience for him. Tonight he will begin chemotherapy treatment, which will last through Sunday.
Thanks again for all of the e-mails and cards of encouragement. A special thanks to the Median Adult C class at Trinity Baptist Church in Amarillo for your prayers and your letter of encouragement. Thanks also to Pastor Bruce Engelman of Baptist Temple who Daniel met up here at the hospital. It was good for Daniel to share with him and we thank his church for praying for us as well. We are also very thankful for the great care we are receiving here at the hospital and at the oncology clinic. Everyone on the medical staff has treated us very well. We thank all of the nurses, student nurses, doctors, technicians, nuclear medicine technicians and transports. We have had great care. All of the ladies up here think Benjamin is a handsome baby. Daniel thought of several practical jokes and magic tricks to play on the staff, however I have been able to prevent him from torturing them... so far.
Today at the Clinic
We went to the clinic today and had blood drawn. His ANC level was 460; this is a low count. They would like it to be above 500, however they expected this number to drop because of the chemotherapy. The ANC number is the count of the white blood cells that fight off bacteria. Apparently white blood cells are made up of 5 different parts. Who knew? All his other blood count numbers look good. We have to watch closely after him for any signs of illness or fever. A fever would mean another trip to the hospital.
We will be going into the clinic every Monday to have lab work done. If need be, they will have us go in on Thursdays as well. This means at least 4 trips to the clinic each month and that is a lot of specialty co-pays, so thanks again to those who have helped us with this! Once his ANC count starts to climb again, they will schedule us for his next chemo session. The doctor expects the chemo sessions to be about 3 weeks apart. The chemo will either shrink the tumor enough to bring comfort and then we will just watch and see if it goes away on it’s own, or it could cause the tumor to go away altogether. It’s a very low dosage of chemo he is receiving.
We also had a home health care nurse come and visit us a couple of times this week to teach us how to flush and bandage his central line. Later on we will learn how to draw blood ourselves to take to the clinic. There will be a social worker coming over as well to go over some things.
- Our insurance company didn’t have his primary care physician on file, so they have been denying almost all claims. We got it straightened out, but now we have to get them to reprocess the claims that were denied and see if they will pay them. Pray that this goes smoothly.
- Pray that Benjamin does not get sick or come in contact with anyone that is sick. He is being a hermit now, no contact with the outside world. Pray that mommy and daddy deal well with not being able to go anywhere together for a while. We aren’t comfortable with leaving him with a sitter yet.
- Pray that his internal line does not become infected or clotted.
- Continue to pray of for the cancer to go away.
- Pray that he has minimum side effects from the treatment.
- Pray that mommy and daddy stay healthy as well, since we are having contact with the outside world.
- We are trying to find a home for 1 really cute indoor cat named Meisha. Pray that this happens soon. We could keep her, but it will just be easier to maintain a sanitary house without pet dander. She would not survive in the great outdoors.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated. I thank everyone at my work, HealthMarkets, for being supportive and caring about my son. This would be very hard if it weren’t for such great people at a great company.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations to those who love him and keep his commands.
A first for Benjamin
What a way to start the week. We took Benjamin in to the clinic to follow up on the low white blood count, from Friday. We discovered that his hemoglobin count was low. The hemoglobin gets oxygen to the body, and the white blood cells were even lower. The Dr. decided that Benjamin needed a blood transfusion and checked us in to the hospital for a few hours. These supplemental blood cells will keep Benjamin from becoming too week, and vulnerable to infection, although caution still needs to be taken. This is Benjamin's first blood transfusion. We'll go back in on Thursday for another check of the blood counts.
We are going to be on a two clinic visit a week schedule until Benjamin's blood count goes up. This is, from what I hear, routine in chemotherapy cases. When he gets strong enough, we will under go another treatment of chemotherapy. On average, the therapies are about three weeks apart.
We received a settlement check in the mail from some auto insurance company for just over $500.00. It's nothing we sought or even knew about. It's the sort of thing that the Texas Attorney General looks into. I hope some of you receive a check too. Just another way the Lord provides.
Today we had a visit from a social worker, who informed us of several programs that can just about eliminate the medical bills, if we qualify. Pray that we complete the massive amounts of paperwork coming our way in the near future, and that we qualify for these programs. The donation button could soon be a thing of the past.
A special thank you for those of you who give blood. One very special person out there is helping my son stay alive, by donating the blood he received, and for this I thank you.
Feb. 28th
Benjamin's hemoglobin count is up, however his ANC level is down more. We go back to the clinic on Monday to check his blood count again. We give praise to God for the tumor being visibly smaller. Please continue to pray for Benjamin. Have a great weekend.
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
Though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord Almighty is with us; The God of Jacob is our fortress.
Round Two
On Friday, March 7th, Benjamin's blood counts were high enough to go forward with a second round of Chemotherapy. Benjamin came through with no allergic reactions. These chemicals are sure to suppress his immune system like the first treatment, but as an added bonus, this round should interfere with his hair growth.
As of the 14th, his blood counts were great. He has however picked up the sniffles. Benjamin has never had the sniffles and is having a hard time trying to figure out how to eat and breathe at the same time, with a stuffy nose.
If things continue as planned, he'll under go his third round of chemo starting on Thursday the 27th. Pray that Benjamin continues to be complication free.
We receive lots of emails telling us of your prayers for Benjamin and how the word is spreading to Gods children around the world. There is no way to adequately express how grateful we are for your support, or to express how much help it's been to us. All I can say is thank you. I hope that our story can help someone out there in some way.
Please continue to pray for Benjamin and our family.
Tough Little Boy, Tough Little Cancer
On March 20th, Benjamin went into the clinic and his red blood cells were down. He was given another blood transfusion for this. It's easy to donate blood or platelets and it only takes a little bit of your time. Go to www.carterbloodcare.org to schedule an appointment today! I did it and the needle wasn't that scary after all. We were scheduled to have his 3rd session of chemo this past Thursday, the 27th. However, his white blood cell count was not high enough to receive the treatment.
On Monday the 31st we went back to the clinic to check his white blood count. They were high enough for him to undergo his 3rd session of chemo. We spent three days in the hospital receiving this therapy treatment. We "checked in" in March, and "checked out" in April.
Also, Benjamin has developed Thrush (white lesions in the mouth caused by bacteria). This is common in infants, but especially in those with suppressed immune systems. We give him medicine for this 4 times a day. Please pray that it does not spread to his esophagus. Sometimes this can cause pain to swallow, causing loss of appetite.
His liver is continuing to shrink. It's exciting to see his clothes fitting him loose! The doctor would like to see it shrink more though. His next session of chemo (probably in about 3 or 4 weeks) will be his 4th session.
After this, he will have a CAT scan done to see how much the tumor has shrunk. If it doesn't shrink by at least 50% its original size, Benjamin will have to undergo 4 additional rounds of chemo.
If you sent us a card, you'll be glad to hear I've created a scrapbook with all his cards, these updates and pictures of him. When he's older and we talk to him about his story, he will be able to see how everyone was praying for him.
Thanks again for all of your prayers!
A Walk for the Cure
Yesterday was the big day, the Neuroblastoma walk for the cure, and my wife reports a great success. We raised over $11,000 as of Friday, not including those who registered Saturday. You'll find pictures in the photo gallery of the walk and more of our little Benjamin. A special thanks to all who went out in support of this cause.
The money raised will go towards creating a Neuroblastoma research center at Cook's Children's Hospital.
Believe it or not, this walk came about because of a caring group of girl scouts. A girl scout wanted to have a fun run as a way of earning a badge, and she told her mom about the idea. After some discussion about some other, less ambitious ideas, they decided to go for it. This lead to the organized walk that took place Saturday, all due to some little girls with big hearts. I hope they got their badges.
Another big thank you goes out to all of you who are donating blood for Benjamin; those credits are there when he needs your help the most. You are Gods healing touch, not just to our son but to all who get a second chance by the blood, platelets and plasma you donate. Your gift helps others heal.
Benjamin's fourth treatment will begin Friday, April 25th. He's done so well since we started this journey, and your continued prayers and support help him along in this fight. I can't thank all of you enough for simply being there for us. Pray that this treatment kills the cancer cells and that Benjamin makes a full recovery.
Benjamin is doing very well.
We have a lot to praise God for:
- He completed his 4th cycle of chemo on the weekend of March 25th.
- He was approved for Medicaid.
- His ANC level was very high at this last check up, so we can take him out to be social this weekend.
Some prayer request:
- His central line was blocked at this last check up on Thursday. They were able to flush it with saline, however they could not draw any blood. The doctor said it's probably a build up of protein as the body reacts to the plastic. They gave him some medicine that is being studied to unclog lines, but it did not work. If it doesn't allow them to draw blood next Thursday (May 8th), then they may have to replace his central line.
- On May 19th he goes in for an MIBG scan. He will have to be put under for this.
- On May 21st he goes in for an injection for a bone scan.
- On May 22nd he goes in for an EKG, Audiogram, Bone Scan and Bone Marrow Aspiration. He will be put under for this as well.
- Once we get the results back of these scans and test, the doctor will let us know if he has to undergo more chemo or not.
May the God of peace be with you, always.
More Chemo
What a rough couple of weeks it has been. Last week, Benjamin had to endure four days at the clinic and hospital, undergoing a battery of tests to determine the next course of action. It seems there is still MIBG activity going on in our son, which means the cancer still lives. The tumor has shrunk significantly and his liver is just about normal in size. Best of all, the bone marrow scan came up negative. His ANC and hemoglobin levels are back to normal.
The big concern is newly noticed activity in his calf region. Comparing the scans from February and last weeks, shows that there has been slight traces of activity in his legs the whole time. This would not have changed our course of action at that time; it does however eliminate two possibilities we may have chosen now. We might have taken a wait and see attitude or tried surgery to remove the tumors, but since there is still live cancer in him, it looks like we are just going to have to endure four more cycles of Chemotherapy.
His central line is coming out today and will be replaced by a port under the skin. This will improve our home life with no medical attention needed to maintain it, and nothing for Benjamin to grab onto with his nimble little hands.
Please pray for a miracle, that the cancer is completely removed from Benjamin's body. Pray God's mercy on my son.
GCSF
On June 27th, Benjamin went thru his 6th cycle of Chemotherapy, and this past Sunday he started on daily injections of GCSF, a growth hormone that will help him recover faster from the Chemo. His ANC numbers are coming back up slower these days, but there is no concern. Most children undergoing Chemo have these injections, but it's been a blessing that Benjamin has not needed them.
Our hope is that next week we will schedule scans to see how Benjamin is progressing with this session of treatment.
Thank you for your prayers, they are working. Please continue to pray that God removes the cancer fully from our son.
Have a safe and blessed holiday.
July
July saw some very interesting things for Benjamin. He saw his first fireworks show, had two out of town visitors and a second port surgery.
A relative from New York and a close friend from England both spent quality time visiting Benjamin, getting a close up and personal look at our pride and joy. We thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to visit our family, and hope to see you again soon.
The Fourth of July saw Benjamin near Burleson where our family tradition with the Gable family was unaffected by the cancer treatment. Benjamin was well enough to travel and have limited contact with others, so he was treated with his first fireworks show. Un affected by the bright lights and loud booms, the show kept his curiosity well into the night.
Benjamin underwent his 4th surgical procedure in 6 months, this time to replace an internal port that failed. This port is in place to provide a safe and easy access to deliver his chemo and take blood samples. But within a few weeks problems arose. An x-ray discovered that an internal hose had broken.
On July 26th, Benjamin went under the knife; the faulty port was removed and another was placed in the opposite shoulder. His recovery was swift and the same day started his seventh session of chemotherapy of eight. Benjamin is home now and resting.
After his eighth session of chemotherapy, Benjamin will be subject to a third battery of tests and scans. Only then will we know for sure if the cancer has been eliminated from our son.
Benjamin is now 20 lbs and has two bottom teeth coming in.
Please continue to pray for a complete healing in Benjamin.
May the Lord bless and keep you.
More Tests
About 4 weeks ago, Benjamin had is 8th and possibly final cycle of chemotherapy. Friday, September 5th, he spent the day at the hospital undergoing a series of test: CT Scans, Bone Scan, Echocardiogram and an Audiogram. Next Thursday, September 11th, he goes back for an MIBG Scan.
On Monday, September 15th, we meet with his doctor to see what, if anything, needs to be done next. He is feeling great and getting bigger every day. He has 3 teeth coming in on the top now and is sitting up better on his own.
Please continue to pray for him and our family.
God is good and life is joyful.
Surgery for my Son
We met with the doctor last week and all Benjamin's scans look great! No cancer anywhere except the tumor itself. The tumor is now 2 centimeters by 1.5 centimeters. On Monday the 22nd, we meet with a surgeon to discuss the removal of the tumor. After it is removed, they will be able to tell if it?s dead or alive. We are real excited and thankful about this news!
We will only have to go to the clinic once a month now for check-ups and he will have to undergo scans once every 3 months for the next year, then they will space the scans out further. In about 6 months, he will be able to pick back up on his immunization shots.
Pray that the surgery goes well, and the doctors have no trouble.
Adrenalectomy
We met with a surgeon last Monday regarding the removal of the tumor. They are going to remove his left adrenal gland, which is where the tumor originated. The earliest date the surgeon could schedule the operation is October 16th. Benjamin should be in the hospital 3 to 4 days recovering from the surgery. The surgery itself will take about an hour and a half to perform. They will give him a numbing shot after they put him under anesthesia. This should keep him from feeling any pain for about 18 hours. By then, he should be able to take morphine for the pain. The surgeon said he will be perfectly fine with just one adrenal gland.
Please keep this date in your prayers. We would like a speedy recovery and no complications.
Time Off
I never realized how used to going to the hospital I’d get, but it’s become part of our everyday lives. Yet I am glad to miss it, because Benjamin has been experiencing many new things now that he’s stronger, and healthier.
We took him to the museum for the first time and he was delighted to see all the wonderful paintings and sculptures. He’d turn his head as we passed the impressionistic work of the masters. I can’t tell you exactly what he was thinking but the paintings surely captured his imagination.
He saw his first pumpkin at his first pumpkin patch. He immediately gravitated to one just his size, then tried to eat it. This weekend, he’ll join his cousin and other children at a birthday party. Being isolated as he’s been, he’s going to love watching and being around other kids as they play.
These are the things that Amanda and I have been praying for, a normal life for Benjamin; full of rich experiences and memories to remember outside of a clinical setting. I offer my thanks to God for all of your prayers and support that has made this possible. My family draws our strength from all of you, our friends and family.
Next week it’s back to Cook’s Children’s to have the adrenalectomy, and a week long recovery. In the weeks to follow, we’ll find out of the tumor is in fact dead. Pray with us that our son has a full and speedy recovery and that he will be, and remain cancer free.
May the God of peace protect and keep you.
Surgery complete
Benjamin's surgery to remove the adrenal gland was a success and he is currently feeling normal. The pathology of the tumor indicated that it was indeed still active. so we are very pleased with the decision to remove the adrenal gland. We now look forward to check ups and periodic scans to monitor him and one day in the future he will have the port removed.
Benjamin had a visitor from England to check on him after his surgery. Our family is very blessed to have friends around the world, praying for our son.
Benjamin will be dressed for his first Halloween party, I’ll post a picture soon.
For now though, we are very happy to celebrate his first birthday next month and the fact that he is currently cancer free! We appreciate the encouragement and prayers we have received from everyone. We will never be able to express our grattitude enough to God and all of you.
New Year
Benjamin is doing great. He had his first birthday and a fantastic Christmas! His favorite toy is a rocking horse, that he frequently falls to sleep on. He’s getting really big.
He saw the dentist for the first time and thought it was an okay experience. About a month ago he had a CT Scan completed. All went well, however the doctor is concerned about some spots on his liver, which may be scar tissue, but just to be safe he is going to have an MIBG Scan and Ultrasound completed later this week.
Please take a minute to look at his photo page, we have added some recent… um…. photos. Thank you for all your prayers and concerns. May the Lord continue to bless your life always.
Adios.
Happy Holidays
The Rosales family would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
February
Benjamin had his MIBG and Ultrasound and everything came up good. Apart from a scarred looking liver, nothing new has come up. He’s doing fine and will be involved in ECI therapy. This will help his physical and verbal development. Some of the things we are looking forward to in the up coming months are resuming his vaccinations and removing his port.
Continue to pray that Benjamin continues on the path to complete recovery, and pray for those parents and children who will be undergoing the life changing reality that is Neuroblastoma. Remember to visit the links on the left to donate to “Lunch for life” and “Carter Blood Center”.
May the Lord Bless you and your Family this year.
April 2009
Benjamin continues to do great. He has had 2 more sets of scans and he is well. He is receiving ECI visits (physical therapy) and is doing things he’s never done before. He is starting to pull up and stand on his own. Benjamin can say approximately 40 words. He has a swing now in the backyard and anytime he wants to go swing he says “wee”. Once out there, he doesn’t want to come back inside. He had a great Easter. He ‘found’ a prize egg which was a giant stuffed bunny. We look forward to a great Spring and Summer full of fun! His next scans are scheduled for August.
May 2009
Last week was a milestone for Benjamin, his first hair cut. We decided to save a little money and do it ourselves, unfortunately, we aren’t as skilled as those who get paid. We finally clipped his hair very short. It brought back memories from last year, when Benjamin was still under treatment.
It was a reminder just how precious a gift our son is, and a reminder to be thankful to the one who gave us that gift. Benjamin is a testament to the power and grace of God, his life stands as testimony to his love and mercy. And we thank all of you for your part in this also. Thank you for the prayers, individual and in group, for God heard the call of his children and saved our son.
As of this date, Benjamin still has no signs of cancer. His next scan is in August, and we are as hopeful as we have ever been. He’s crawling around, trying to stand and even takes a few steps assisted. He is the joy of our lives and a dream come true for us. He has also taken to his toddler bed very nicely, but only at night. He still needs his “Daddy” for his afternoon nap, and I don’t mind at all.
Benjamin can say at least one hundred and fifty words at last count and is learning more all the time. He has a speech therapist who comes out now once a month, so he’s catching up nicely. I hope to have up some pictures soon so that you can all see how much he’s grown.
May the Lord bless you and your family, and bring you peace.
June 2009
This month we took Benjamin to the zoo. It was his first visit, and his first time seeing so many different animals. He was very excided for days, naming off the different animals that he‘d seen. By the time this post is up, there should be pictures of his adventure posted as well.
This is the first summer he’s been able to fully enjoy, and at just under nineteen months of age, he’s a hand full. He’s become quite the expert furniture climber, and faller. He can traverse a room in five seconds or less, though still crawling. All in all, he’s developing into a rambunctious boy.
His therapists are scaling back his visits due to the tremendous advances he’s made in the past three months. Although he enjoys their company, I think he’ll soon forget that they ever came at all. His first months of life and cancer treatment are fast becoming faded memories. The nurses who see him now hardly recognize the baby who’s now becoming a little boy.
As he sleeps in the heat of the afternoon, I see not only reflections of his mother and I, but a whole person with ideas and ambitions and thoughts all his own. Benjamin is indeed himself, with a personality and wit distinctively singular in a universe of billions. I count it a blessing to be granted the gift of raising him, and being his father.
Coming up in August is his one year scan for Neuroblastoma. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been almost a year since his last Chemotherapy. We pray that this scan is like the previous, and will show no sign of cancer.
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