Vince

Scan Day

2011-06-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

So, can you tell that Vince was bored as he waited for the doctor today? He is such a relaxed guy and I am so proud of how he handles his follow up scans. He had a CT of his chest, abdomen and pelvis and also x-rays of his chest and arm. He saw his Surgeon today for his 4 mth follow up visit. Dr. Eckardt said that everything looks good in the preliminary reports, so of course we are so happy! Vince has been feeling so good and takes such great care of himself with his diet & supplements, which is key to feeling healthy. No more junk food for him! He is such a great example to me! I guess I taught him well! Haha!

Vince has been out of treatment for 18 mths already and it's amazing how fast life goes when you don't have to be in the hospital all the time when every day seems like a year! WE are so grateful!

Vince and Mikemo have a Sunglass Co. called "Glassy" and if you are interested in getting some cool shades for the summer here is the link! I have a pair and I love them! Oh...they also have t-shirts & bracelets!

Don't miss The Street League competition this weekend on Facebook! Mikemo is skating and hopefully will be in the finals on Sunday, which airs on ESPN!!

Thank you for checking in with us and for your continued prayers and support!

Blessings to you!
Ronda

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

**Prayers Please!

Vicki-Breast Cancer-just finished with her last chemo and will start radiation in 2 weeks

Tyler-Ewing's Relapse-18 yrs old

Debra-Lung Cancer-21 yrs old

Karen-Breast Cancer

George-got his port removed yesterday! Yay!

Sean D.

2011-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Sean D. please email me at rondacapaldi@msn.com. I got your comment and I would love to respond, but I don't have your email address. Please know that I am praying for your dad.

God bless,
Ronda

May the 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. Romans 15:13

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T19:59:00.001-08:00

Well, what a great year this has been for us! One year ago today was Vince's 13th and final chemo. He was scheduled to have 17, but he decided that he did not want to continue with the last four and it worked out for him. The decision was solely based on the mere fact that emotionally it was unbearable for him. The Oncologist wanted him to continue but couldn't tell us whether or not the statistics showed that there was a difference between 10 & 17 chemos and which one is "the magic number." They just don't know. For Vince it was enough, and the tests all showed great results which made the decision even easier. We, of course, completely trusted that God was giving all of us a peace about it and what a blessing it has been!

Vince and Mikemo have been living in the house that Mikemo bought for about 6 mths now, and Jim and I have been adjusting to the almost "empty nest" syndrome. It hasn't been easy, that's for sure, we just love them so much. Veronica still lives with us as does another wonderful young lady. Jim and I are still working in Real Estate and I took a part time job at Cornerstone Community Church as a Receptionist and I LOVE my job! It's amazing how God will bring blessings to our lives even though we don't really know which direction we are going. I am so glad that He guides us when we completely trust Him and knowing that He cares for us in every way is so remarkable.

A life threatening situation takes so much out of you, both physically and emotionally and the recovery time is very long. Your life is sort of put on hold until things settle down. Your complete attention and focus goes to surviving the situation and everything else becomes secondary. As I look back one year later, I had to read my own posts on this blog to remember what we were going through at the time, not that I forgot, I don't think you ever do, but just to reflect and ponder what has transpired these last few years. Life changes and not always for the better for some. I have been closely connected with the Cancer Community and I know there are many families that don't have the good news like we do to share.

Please keep your prayers going for those families to the right side of this blog. Many of them have lost their precious loved ones, mostly children, from this horrible disease. I am honored to be friends with many of them on Facebook and we are able to comfort one another through this life. Jesus knows their hurts and sorrows and He will not abandon them. I am so grateful. My heart hurts for them beyond measure.

I am so blessed to have another young woman (20 yrs old) that lives just a few miles from me, to walk alongside her as she is battling Lung Cancer. She is beautiful both inside and out and I know that God has big plans for her life. She has been in treatment for 3 mths now and has about 1 1/2 yrs left. It seems so daunting for her at this point, but I just encourage her to take one treatment at a time. God has it all planned out and it's no surprise to Him the outcome. Faith is the key. Vince has been a great comfort for her and I am so happy that he is in contact with her to help her get through this, too.

Veronica had foot surgery for the 4th time, this past Friday. She is doing great! Our Christmas Eve & Christmas Day will be spent with our kids, and we will celebrate without the big family party this year. We felt like it was time to soak up quality time playing games and eating homemade pizza! Haha! We just want to relax and have fun together. I want to laugh (hopefully my kids want to, too!.) Hahaha!

My friends, Tafi, Diane, Maria, & Erin have all finished treatments for Breast Cancer and are all doing great! Pray for Lizzie, she is 19 and just diagnosed with Lymphoma, just 1 week ago. Too many cancer patients to mention, but all are special and important and God knows each one.

Life goes on. Joy comes in the morning. God is still on the throne. I have peace. & joy and I am looking forward to one day being in the very presence of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior! Merry Christmas!

Where's The Line To See Jesus?

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel"(which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23

Happy 23rd Birthday, Vince!!!

2010-09-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Today is Vince's 23rd birthday!! Yay!!! Two years has come and gone since his diagnosis on Sept. 5, 2008!! We are so amazed at how the Lord has blessed our lives throughout this journey. At that time it truly seemed that each day was a year and sometimes it was so difficult to see the end in sight. Vince was such a strong young man through it all and at times would want to give up and he would tell us how tired he was of going through the treatments, but he kept going anyway. Talk about perseverance!! Cancer is such and ugly thing and so many have lost their lives to it, since his journey began.

I have formed so many incredible relationships throughout this journey and I cannot express how much they have meant to me, as we have emailed back and forth and supported one another from all over the globe. My heart & prayers are with those who have lost their loved ones to this disease, sadly too many to mention. Those who have survived are left with scars and trauma and I pray that the Lord would comfort each and every one, with the love that only He can give. May your eyes always be on Jesus!

I have a new appreciation for life and have realized that it's not about me, but it is about loving others and showing that you care about them. Thank you for sharing this time with our family and supporting us through it. You have been an incredible support system for us and we are so grateful to each and everyone of you who have ever read this blog. Words will never express our gratitude. I hope that you will continue to share Vince's journey with others, so that they will know that they can have hope to survive this disease. Now both my son and my husband are CANCER SURVIVORS!!!

September is CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, so please support your favorite charity, whether it is a donation or prayer. They can all use it! Please watch STAND UP TO CANCER tonight if you get a chance! It started 2 yrs ago and on Sept 5th, which is the same day that Vince was diagnosed and we weren't even aware of it until a month later. Funny thing, though...I saw the producer of the show at Vince's Oncology office and I recognized him from a show that I watched in the early 90's and looked him up on the internet when I got home and saw that STAND UP TO CANCER was the show that he just produced and that's why he was at the Oncology office, so that's how I found out about it.

Prayer Requests:
Tafi-had her last surgery for Breast Cancer and is on her way to recovery!!

Diane-Finishing up her radiation treatments for Breast Cancer

Debra-20 yrs old and diagnosed w/Lung Cancer since Dec. and is finally starting treatment on Tues.

Brooke-battling Leukemia, young wife and mother of 2

Frank-Ewing's relapse to the lungs

God bless,
Ronda

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Happy 17th Birthday, Veronica!!!

2010-09-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

August 20th was Veronica's 17th birthday and I forgot to post it until today!! Dad and I love you so much and we are so proud of you!!! Thanks for being such a great daughter!!! xoxo

Happy 30th Birthday Mindy!!!

2010-08-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

♥ Mindy!! I love you! ♥ You are such an amazing and loving daughter and I just can't believe 30 yrs ago today, I gave birth to you!! I love you so much and I am so proud of you! Thank your for being such a great mother to Gianni and the BEST sister EVER to Vince, Mikemo & Veronica!!! Bobby is one blessed man, too! ♥ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ♥

Overdue Update

2010-07-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

It's been quit awhile since I've updated about Vince. He has been out of treatment for 7 mths!!! I really haven't felt like sitting down and putting my thoughts into words lately, not because of any reason other than I got burned out. It's taken us these past 7 mths to feel like our life is sort of back to normal. Vince's health is extremely good! He had scans a few weeks ago and still remains NED (no evidence of disease) and we are so, so grateful! The Lord has blessed him beyond measure!!

Mikemo bought a house and he and Vince are living together and are having the time of their lives (I'm not so sure that's a good thing from a mom's point of view...haha) They only live a few miles from us, so we are able to see them whenever we want (yes, we do just drop by, like any good parent would do and sometimes with groceries in hand:) We helped them move in and paint and clean and it's really such a cool house and we are so happy for them. They have a huge backyard with a basketball court and recently had an overhang and BBQ put in. Here is a photo of Mikemo's skateboard wall. All of these boards have his name on them and new ones are coming out all the time and Vince has even designed some of his graphics! Here is an online catalog if you would like to see some of the new boards.

At the end of May, Mikemo fractured his ankle and tore 6 ligaments and hasn't skated until a few days ago. It's been 2 mths and he was starting to feel like he was making progress.... and was at Physical Therapy and he was using some stretchy bands that have a piece of metal that somehow goes under your foot and the metal piece slipped out and flew up and hit him in the mouth and broke his front tooth and split his lip and ended up having 5 stitches and having to get a root canal and a new front tooth! You aren't safe anywhere! Haha! And believe it or not, he said it didn't even hurt!! There's never a dull moment around the Capaldi Family, that's for sure!!

Check out this photo of them! They were going to a wedding last weekend and they had to dress up! I haven't seen them dressed up in 10 yrs! They looked so handsome! I love my boys!!

Please pray that the Lord would continue to protect our family! Thanks for all your prayers! I pray that your family will be protected as well! I know that everyone can use the prayers, so please know that I'll be praying for those of you who are following this blog, God knows who you are!

Prayer requests:
Brooke-a young wife & mother of 2 just diagnosed w/Leukemia
Tafi-Finished w/all her treatments for Breast Cancer and is having her final surgery on Sept 2nd
Diane-Currently undergoing radiation for Breast Cancer and has 5 weeks to go.
Erin-Just finished all her cancer treatments and surgery and is healing nicely.
Tyler-Ewing's patient
Daisy-6 yr old with a relapse of Wilm's Tumor (kidney cancer)
Gigi-5 yr old w/Leukemia-relapse
John-His wife just passed away on Monday, she was only 50 yrs old. She had surgery and died 5 days later.

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Joy in Suffering

2010-07-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

Please watch the following video link at the bottom of this post:)

This video is "googleplex" important. (googleplex is a Daisyism) This is Pastor Britt Merrick of Reality Carpenteria Church in California. His 6 year old daughter Daisy, was diagnosed with Wilm's Tumor (kidney cancer) in September 2009. She was declared cancer free just a few months ago and now it's back and even bigger. His message is very powerful and he is speaking the very words that all cancer families have felt. Pastor Britt said this, "I'm thankful that my God is not limited by statistics"....AMEN to that, I say, AMEN!!! We are not alone in our suffering. Let's keep praying for all our cancer patients and survivors!

CLICK HERE to watch it!

Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord. James 5:13

Please Vote!!!

2010-06-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

I made this video in order to bring cancer patients some joy in their lives! Please watch it and vote! You can vote as many times as you want and the contest ends on July 3rd! I have a long way to go! Thank you!!!

Click here!!!!

Happy Easter! He is Risen! Jesus Lives!

2010-04-04T10:47:00.001-07:00

Life is Good:)

2010-03-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Vince and I went to the Oncologist for his first 3 month check up since his chemo ended, but it only consisted of blood work and a chat with the doc and his nurse to see how he was doing. They were so thrilled at how well he feels and how great he looks with all his hair and full beard! Jim and I can't help staring at him each day, and when he realizes that we are staring at him, he says, "What are you looking at?" and of course we say, "We just love seeing you with all that hair!".

It's so nice not to have to go to the hospital and dr. visits and just go about life as normal. I know for many Sarcoma families that is not the case. In the past 10 days alone, 4 wonderful people have passed away and one being Brian, he turned 19 on March 11th and passed away on March 16th. He was such a wonderful young man and he even encouraged me through emails for Vince to persevere. He was truly amazing and touched so many lives through his journey. Please keep his family in prayer. My heart is broken for them. I can't even imagine...

Here is a photo of Dr. Tap and his nurse, Sandra. Vince signed two of the fundraiser skateboards that Girl Skateboard Co. so kindly made for him. They were so happy for him and so proud of him! You can purchase the board at various skate shops throughout the country, if you are interested. Click here for a list of shops. Also, our local skatepark, Skatelab, has them for sale on Ebay.

There is another Sarcoma patient (cancer free:) named Michael Irwin, he entered a contest to showcase a NASCAR that would represent Nick & Friends Sarcoma Foundation, which is helping to bring awareness to this rare disease that he and Vince were diagnosed with just one month apart. Only 100-200 people (mostly children) are diagnosed with this horrible cancer each year. If enough people vote for this design, it will be showcased at the 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. It will also be a dream of a lifetime for Michael Irwin, the creator of the car! Please vote every day for the next 7 days! It's so important to vote so that we can bring awareness and hopefully find a cure for this disease! Thank you!!! VOTE HERE!!

Please continue to pray for my sweet friend Tafi. She had a PET scan today in preparation for her upcoming double mastectomy in a few weeks! She is doing so great and she finished all 4 rounds of chemo without a hitch! She is amazing! God has protected her just like he did with Vince! Woo hoo!

Jarren-having surgery at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow 3/25/10 He is only 3 yrs. old. Please pray for him, too!

"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. " Isaiah 41:10.

Clean Scans!

2010-02-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Vince and I drove to UCLA Santa Monica and he had his CT Scans and thank you Jesus, they are clean! I seriously had no doubt that they wouldn't be and I am so thrilled for Vince! I know that there is also that "scanxiety" when anyone goes for tests, but especially after such a serious diagnosis. Jim had Kidney Cancer 10 yrs. ago, so he knows how it creeps into your mind and it really never leaves. It's just part of the journey.

Click here if you are interested in buying Vince's cancer fundraising skateboard! Our local indoor skate park is selling them & they ship all over the world Thank you SKATELAB!

I met with Jane today, she is a mom of a Ewing's Survivor and her son is 25 yrs. old and 2 yrs. out of treatment. He is cancer free but has residual side effects from 2 surgeries on his femur, otherwise he is living his life and doing very well. I am so grateful that we found each other and we only live about 30 mins. away from each other. I can't even tell you how many AMAZING women I have formed relationships with through this experience and not just locally but from all over the world! Of course, there are a few that I am closer to...and they know who they are...wink, wink;) We feel such a closeness even though we have never met in person, but I know that some day we will, God willing! I am so grateful for cancer...sounds weird I know, but without it in my life over the last 10 yrs. my life would not have as many blessings in it...I know that God knows what He is doing and I am just along for the ride, and it's beautiful:)

My dear friend Tafi had her 3rd chemo today and she is another woman that I adore. We met because of Jim's cancer, she over heard me talking to someone in the school library when we were volunteering at our children's school, so I know that we were meant to be friends. I can see her house from my kitchen window and I am reminded every day that she is traveling this cancer road and I have the privilege of being able to encourage her and pray for her. She is handling treatment extremely well and her hair loss has not fazed her one bit! I can tell you one thing, I would not be so accepting, but she truly doesn't care that she has no hair. She has a cute wig, but really doesn't wear it that often. How wonderful to feel so secure! She loves the Lord so much and wants to be a light for others and that's exactly what she is doing.

Thanks for reading all my thoughts over these last 17 mths, I know how hard they are to read with all the words that hit the pages, but I am so grateful that you care. Prayers do work and God does hear our prayers! Whatever trial you have in your life right now is NEVER EVER too big for God to handle! After all, He created you and loves you more than anyone here on this earth. How cool is that!

I read this today & it fits perfectly for my own life:

At times God takes the people He uses and places them in impossible situations--in that way, they discover that He is faithful.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5 & 6

2010-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

The Cancer skateboard is here! Click here to find a Skate Shop that carries them! All proceeds will go to Vince's medical bills. Thank you Girl Skateboards! We are so blessed to have you help Vince in his fight against cancer!

Mikemo came home with this 6 1/2 foot tall cut out of he and Rick Howard in honor of the release of Mikemo's Pro Model Lakai shoe! Click here to see it! Every time I see this giant thing it takes me by surprise and scares me, thinking someone is in my house! LOL! Mikemo and Vince made me move it because the same thing would happen to them!

Tomorrow Vince is having some CT Scans at 11:20 a.m. Please keep him in prayer! Extra prayers are always appreciated!
Mikemo is leaving for Australia tomorrow night, so please pray for a safe trip for him as well!

Prayer Requests:
Tafi-is having chemo #3 for Breast Cancer on Wednesday. Pray for her husband Michael, as he has been having some health issues for the last 3 weeks and is awaiting results from an ultrasound and blood work.
Erin-had chemo #3 for Breast Cancer today.
Brian-Ewing's Sarcoma, needs tons of prayers!
Ed-he is preparing to bury his precious son after he survived a helicopter crash in Iraq on July 17, 2009. He spent the last 6 mths in the hospital fighting for his life, but lost his battle on Feb. 8, 2010.
Jarren-3 12 yr. old precious little boy with Liver Cancer. He needs lots of prayer, too! Also, his Great Grandma just past away a few days ago and as you can imagine the family is devastated.
Mitchell-has an incurable disease and is celebrating his 21st birthday this week. Pray for his parents as they help to find a cure for their son.

Praises!
George-had a clean PET Scan! Whoo hoo!
Fight Sarcoma-for doing such a great job bringing awareness to this rare disease!

That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him.
Hebrews 4:14

Life Goes On

2010-02-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

It's been 1 month since I've updated the blog! Yay! I am so happy that I haven't had to beg and plead for prayers for Vince! God is truly blessing him! His hair is growing back and so are the eyelashes, eyebrows and beard! He actually had to shave! I am so happy for him! Everyday, Jim and I just stare at him and we can't help but rub his head and feel the stubble! It brings us so much JOY! He looks great and his color is coming back and the dark circles under his eyes are diminishing! Wow! 17 mths later we are finally breathing a little easier knowing that the poison that was saving his life is now no longer needed.

It was so tough to see him hooked up to the "ball and chain" knowing that the chemicals that cannot even touch our own skin, because it would eat us alive, were being pumped into a vein close to his heart and flowed through his entire system attacking both good and bad cells to bring healing to his body! How does that even work? I'm not sure either, but I know that it has! God has allowed Vince to be protected through this entire process and we are so, so grateful! Thank you Lord Jesus!

This past month has been pretty great. Vince and Mikemo are certainly not wasting any time getting out and having fun...shhh...don't tell anyone, but they like to dance...they have a "strobe light" which they have fondly named "Strobie Bryant" and a Mega speaker system for their iPhone "dance music"... a little "Lady Gaga"...ra ra ah ah ah roma roma ma gaga oh la la. Skating, basketball and dancing...what a combination! Who would've thought they would like dancing! LOL!

They are going to Arizona tomorrow and coming home this weekend and then Mikemo is going to Australia for a few weeks! Vince will really miss him while he is gone..lucky him, he gets to spend more time with Mom and Dad! Just what he doesn't want to do! He has been trapped for almost a year and a half with us and he wants to be free of us, I'm sure...but, oh well...LOL!

On February 1st, Girl Skateboard Company had their annual "Open House" and it was open to the public so they had tons of people there to hang with their favorite skaters and they had IN N OUT making hamburgers..yum! We know how much Vince loves IN N OUT! LOL!

They had a fundraiser for Vince and all the proceeds will help him to pay for his medical bills! What a blessing that is for him! They are also selling skateboards with the yellow cancer ribbon on it and I will post it as soon as I find out where you can get one. You can check out the catalog here. Thank you Girl Skateboards and especially Meg, who orchestrated the whole thing! You rock!

Mikemo arranged for a candid interview with Jim and I, which was a total surprise to us, but we complied and here is the clip of the interview. It was pretty cool to get to talk about our boys (men)..LOL! Click here.

Happy 51st Anniversary to my mom and dad! Last year at this time, my mom had just come out of a 6 day coma after suffering a heart attack! Wow! What a difference a year makes! I love you both so much! XOXO

Here comes the begging and pleading part...Vince is having his CT Scans on Tuesday, February 16th. Please keep him in your prayers for continued healing!

Other prayer requests:
Brian Ernst-Ewing's Sarcoma

Tafi-Breast Cancer

George-clean scans

Kate-aggressive brain tumor, she is only 6 yrs. old

Todd-had PET and CT Scans today, please pray for clean scans!

Pat-speedy recovery from back surgery

Erin-Breast Cancer

Ben-speedy recovery from appendicitis

Nono-pray for healing

Fightsarcoma.org-pray for doors to open & for direction

Praying for all cancer patients, praying for a CURE!

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:14 & 15

The Day Has Come! No More Chemo!

2010-01-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

What a glorious day! Vince, Jim and I saw Dr. Tap, (the Oncologist) yesterday and Vince was not looking forward to it because he knew that Dr. Tap would want him to move forward with his last chemo. Vince has been wanting to quit for quite awhile, but he sucks it up every time and moves forward, fighting every step of the way, of course! Who wouldn't after such a long, draining battle! We left the office and Vince was not happy because he agreed to do it, even though in his heart he didn't want to. Dr. Tap is just doing his job. He is a wonderful, caring and compassionate doctor and we owe him so much! Thank you Dr. Tap! Here is a picture of Vince and Dr. Tap, who by the way looks as young as Vince!

The ride home we talked about all the options. Vince has decided on his own, that he WILL NOT be doing the last treatment. His decision is based on all the information that we have come across over this journey, it's not an easy decision to make. Basically, it's a "crap shoot" so to speak. We always ask the same questions, hoping to get clear answers, but that never happens. They just don't know. They don't have any concrete data which shows how many chemos are too little or too much. They don't know where the "magic number" is, if there is one, between 10 & 17 chemos. Each person is different, so how can everyone be treated the same? No one knows. Vince said he has PEACE about his decision. I love that, because so do we.

All we can do is pray. All we can do is trust that Jesus has a plan. All we can do is live our life that HE gave to us and not waste it. All we can do is take the knowledge that we have and use it wisely. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow. Cancer is a deadly disease, but not knowing who Jesus is, is even more deadly.

From this day forward, (sounds like a marriage vow..haha) I would hope that Vince's story of VICTORY will go out into the world and be used to glorify Jesus and that they too, would know that there is HOPE. Without HOPE we have nothing.

My heart and prayers go out to all of those who are currently fighting the battle and especially to those who have lost their loved ones from cancer. The heart wrenching feeling from watching a child suffer, watching a parent, husband, wife, sister, brother, aunt or uncle or a friend suffer is a nightmare. Thank you to all those who have shared their VICTORY over cancer with us. You are such an inspiration for all of us!

The plan is to have scans once every 3 mths for one year, then once every 4 mths the second year and then once every 6 mths after that. Only time will tell. Thank you for following Vince's journey for the last 16 mths! We have been blessed beyond measure by all the emails, cards, phone calls and texts that we have gotten and I am really going to miss them! Your prayers had power in them and gave us strength that we could feel in our midst. I will update the blog periodically so we can share what is going on in Vince's life. I'm sure it will be an interesting ride! LOL!

Prayer Requests, please click on links for updates:
Brian Ernst-URGENT
Tafi Harn

Do you need a personal Pentecost?

January 8, 2010

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

--Acts 1:8

Are you afraid to share your faith? Many Christians are fearful of opposition or that someone might laugh at them or mock them for sharing. Maybe you're afraid someone might reject you for believing in Jesus. But you don't have to be fearful!

Do you remember the gift that Jesus sent the disciples and first believers on the Day of Pentecost? He filled them with the Holy Spirit. And as today's verse says, he gave them power to be his witnesses.

But today, many Christians who have been to Calvary for pardon have yet to go to Pentecost for power. And you need the supernatural power of God in your life! You see, even though we only get saved once, there are many fillings. And we each need to be filled every day with the Spirit of Jesus Christ!

Ask Jesus for a personal Pentecost. Let the Spirit of God fill you with his presence and his power. And let him come into your life to rule, because the more you let him rule, the more of his power you will experience!

Come to Jesus today and say, "Lord, let the fire fall on me! Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me! Holy Spirit, breathe on me."

ASK JESUS FOR A PERSONAL PENTECOST...
LET THE SPIRIT OF GOD FILL YOU WITH HIS PRESENCE.

2010-01-09T11:40:00.001-08:00

FlairButtons.com - Facebook Flair Buttons

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Chemo #13

Vince had his 13th chemo on Tuesday, Dec. 22. It was the one day outpatient treatment. He did extremely well, again! God is hearing all your prayers! He is so close to the end! We are praising God for His healing hand on Vince's body!

Our Christmas was so nice, we had a party at our house with Jim's family (30 relatives) last night and then today we had my parent's over for a few hours. It was nice to be able to spend some time with all our loved ones. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, too!

Prayer Requests:

George-should be having his 14th and final chemo any day now, he has Ewing's, too. Pray for
minimal side effects and a healing 2010! He and Vince have journeyed neck in neck and
they are victorious!

Danny-his dad passed away just a few weeks ago. He is a teenager and needs lots of prayers
headed his way!

Tafi-my friend who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 2 weeks ago. She is starting her first chemo
on Jan. 6th. Pray for strength and endurance as she begins her battle.

Tyler-pray for healing on his knee (Ewing's patient finished with treatment)

Brian-pray for healing in his back (Ewing's patient finished with treatment)

Friday, December 25, 2009-Pastor Greg Laurie

God Is with Us

"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people."

— Luke 1:68

Immanuel: God is with us—God came to us. What a staggering thought. It is really the essence of the Christian faith and the Christian life. All other religious ideologies essentially tell you that you must do something: Do this, and you will find inner peace. . . . Do this, and you will reach nirvana. . . . Do this, and maybe you will make it to heaven. But Christianity says it is done—done for you at the Cross, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Being a Christian is not merely following a creed; it is having Christ himself live in you and through you, giving you the strength to be the man or woman He has called you to be. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20) and "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

The message of Christmas is God with us. That is important to know, especially during those times when we are going through great difficulty. The psalmist said, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:9–10). It is great to know that God is with you wherever you go.

The Bible never teaches that we will have problem-free lives as followers of Christ. But the Bible does teach that we never will be alone. And because of that, we don't have to be afraid. As Ray Stedman said, "The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy."

That is the message that this sin-sick world needs to hear: Immanuel—God is with us.

Mikemo on Fuel TV tonight!!

2009-12-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

Check it out tonight!!! So cool!!

FUEL TV

Chemo #12 Update-2 Weeks Post Chemo

2009-12-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

Vince and I came home from the hospital on that Sunday afternoon (Nov. 29th). I kid you not, every time we leave the hospital it feels like Ground Hog day...the movie! Same thing over and over, only instead of McDonald's we went to In N Out. YUM! Vince always wants that familiar comfort food and I don't mind it either (smile:)

Thanksgiving was very quiet in the hospital. The chemo ward has 26 beds and only 7-9 were occupied the whole 6 days we were there. One of the nurses asked Vince if he chose to come over the holiday and he said he did, because we knew it would b

e less busy. On Thanksgiving Day, Mindy, Bobby, Gianni, Mikmeo, Veronica, & Jim all came to the hospital and we went to a local deli for our dinner, and we had hamburgers, pancakes and salad, since we had the turkey dinner the Sunday before he went in. It wasn't very good, but we did get to spend time together and for that we are thankful:)

Soon chemo will be no more! With only 2 treatments left, it's a bittersweet time. We are so grateful that he has gotten this far and has endured the treatments extremely well, and we are able to finally see an end it sight, it's incredible to say the least! To be able to see your son be slammed with such a rare cancer diagnosis, and then to watch him go through all that he has with such a strong will and determination is what makes us so proud of him. It brings tears to my eyes to type those statements because you never, ever, expect this to happen to someone so young, but unfortunately cancer has no boundaries, not even for little babies and children. All you can do is dig deep in your faith and know that God is in charge and you are just along for the ride.

I can't believe it's been 15 mths. since he started chemo! I sometimes think that this was all a bad dream. The moment you find out about the diagnosis it puts you into a whole new dimension, kind of like the "Twilight Zone" of the cancer world. Sometimes you just feel so alone and isolated from the outside world and you don't really even want to concentrate on anything other than getting your child healthy. It took me about 1 yr. before I even really cleaned my house. How's that for deciding what's important and what's not. LOL! It doesn't matter if my house is clean or dirty, but the energy it takes to clean it, was something I just couldn't muster up and I'm not even the patient!

I am finally feeling like I can move on with my life and endure the rest of the battle with my head held high! Our family has quite a story to tell of how cancer can be beat! Jim is celebrating 10 yrs. of being "CANCER FREE" as of Jan. 11th, so that date is quickly approaching and what a wonderful testimony he and Vince have! God has been so good and we are so grateful! I am so proud of my men! They are truly my HEROS!!

When Vince and I came home from the hospital I asked him if he thinks about dying and he told me that he doesn't think about it at all. He feels very positive that he is going to be cured. What an amazing attitude! He did say that he was scared of dying, just because it's the unknown. Such a common thing, don't you think?

Being a Christian is all about faith, and I especially cling to the verse in the Bible about what it says in Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Vince saw the doctor on Tuesday for his 1 week post chemo appointment and as we were driving in the car, he kept telling Jim and I that he is going to tell the dr. that he is NOT going to do anymore chemos. He said he is DONE! Well, we kept telling him not to get his hopes up and whatever he told us would be something that we would have to trust him with and that he knows what's best for him. The doctor has already lowered his original chemos from 17 to 14 and now Vince wanted to stop at 12, but we knew that would probably not happen. So, again they compromised. Since the hospital is the hardest treatment for him (emotionally it's like a dark cell in prison, but physically it's easier on the body) the doctor agreed to let Vince do 2 outpatient treatments (they are only about 6 hrs. long for one day) so that is the plan at this point. Vince was giving him the "evil eye" the whole time they were figuring it out....LOL! I don't blame him one bit! I don't know how he has endured this treatment for so long and kept such a great attitude, I think I would be a ..um...never mind! Hahaha! It's about time he is fighting back! LOL!

We have built relationships with quite a few nurses at the hospital and many of them are Christians and have been praying for Vince, and we, or at least I (LOL) will miss seeing them, they have been a huge part of his healing and tender care. We are so grateful for each one:)

His next chemo will be on Dec. 22nd. Please keep him in your prayers that it goes as smooth as possible and that there are no side effects! We love "status quo" since he has done so well in the past.

I have a special prayer request for my wonderful friend, Tafi. She was diagnosed with breast cancer just a few days ago. This is her http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tafiharn Please keep her in your prayers as she is having an MRI on Tuesday to find out about what her next step will be. Thank you:)

Happy Hanukkah & Merry Christmas!

These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 1:7

For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

James 1:3

Happy Thanksgiving from UCLA Hospital Chemo #12 Day 2

2009-11-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

This posting includes 2 posts. One from his last chemo, which is posted below. It's been almost 2 months since I posted an update, mostly because Vince said that I was "over-exposing" him, even though it was said in a somewhat joking manner, I took that as something that I needed to respect. I have always asked his permission to post photos and talk about what he is going through, but maybe sometimes everyone just needs a break. I actually really needed one myself. I can't tell you how exhausting it is to sit and write about something that is so personal, there is a fine line of what you can and cannot tell and it actually seems to take a lot out of you.

I have also refrained from reading other stories about Ewing's patients because it can be so heartbreaking to hear the stories of loss and most of them are children because this is considered a childhood cancer. There were about 8 deaths in the last few months from this awful disease, and that's just in my own circle of mom's and wives of Ewing's patients. It breaks my heart each and every time, knowing that they will never be able to hug and kiss their precious loved ones ever again. My brain just doesn't want to go there. I know some of them are reading this and I hope they know that there are so many people lifting up prayers to Jesus on their behalf, including myself. God bless each and every one of you. May God heal your hearts in ways that only

He can do.

Vince is on day 2 of his 12th chemo and he is doing great, as usual. This time I brought the prayer quilt that a wonderful group of Christian women made for him last year when he was diagnosed. I hung it up on the wall so that we could be reminded of how God works through prayer, plus it's a great conversation piece for the nursing staff. It's gotten some attention for sure, plus it adds some color to a drab room:)

Vince and I walked to Subway a little while ago for an early dinner. It is a beautiful day in Santa Monica, California! It's about 75 perfect degrees and beautiful! Where we live it is super windy, so this is a nice change.

I took this photo yesterday of the complimentary toothbrush, toothpaste and comb that they gave Vince here at the hospital, which he calls "a cruel joke for a cancer patient"...he only wishes it could use that darn comb! LOL! At least he still has teeth to brush! LOL!

We celebrated our Thanksgiving this past Sunday because we are spending Thanksgiving Day in the hospital. We will be here until Sunday. Tomorrow there is a deli that is open for Thanksgiving, so we will probably walk over there and have our dinner with strangers, but that will make it special no matter what because Vince is doing so great and for that we are VERY THANKFUL.

We could not get through this journey without the love, mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our hope and our refuge! He carried us this whole entire time and He isn't going to ever leave us nor forsake us! He is our comfort and we give Him ALL the GLORY!!

Speaking of blessings! Jim was diagnosed with kidney cancer 10 yrs ago, just a few days before Thanksgiving Day, so this time of the year is a time to reflect and give praises for him being CANCER FREE!!! It will be 10 yrs. in Jan. (that's when he had his cancer surgery) so there are happy stories about cancer and we are shooting for two CANCER FREE patients in our family. Like Father, like Son!!!

I am also thankful that my mom was able to pull through having had a heart attack in Jan. and wasn't expected to live through it, and again, Jesus answered our prayers. I love you mom and dad!

I am also thankful for knowledgeable doctors that have helped Vince, my mom and myself get through some tough times this year.

I am thankful to all my family & friends who have brought us cookies, food, prayed, sent cards and emails to us, and to Vicki for making me a birthday cake and coming over and eating it with me and making me laugh & cry!

I am grateful to my mother in law who came to my rescue when I had surgery and fed me! That's what Italian mom's do!!! LOL!

I am grateful to my beautiful kids, grandson, and son in law...they all make me so proud and I love them so much!!

I am grateful to my wonderful husband of 22 yrs and how much he loves our family and makes us laugh! I love you:)

My condolences go out to The Cross Family. They have been our friends for 40 yrs. and Joe passed away last week. He was such a wonderful, caring man and he will be greatly missed.

My condolences go out to Francine and her family. Her precious sister lost her battle with cancer just a few months ago, she was only 45. She was diagnosed just about a week after Vince.

My condolences go out to Maria. Her precious mom passed away recently. Her son has Ewing's and was diagnosed shortly after Vince. My heart and prayers go out to her and her family. Her son is doing great and has successfully finished all his treatments.

Love and blessings for a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all! We are truly blessed no matter what our circumstances are. We just have to look for them.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

Chemo #11

2009-11-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Vince had his 11th chemo. It was the one day outpatient infusion, which is so much easier than being in the hospital. It was only about 5 hrs. long and then we came home. He is doing really good, except for a little of nausea. He is tired today, but that is to be expected.

After Vince got out of the hospital from his last chemo, he and Mikemo have been on the go. He was feeling so good and just wanted to do some of the normal things that he used to do. They both went to Sacramento, which is in Northern California, to visit another pro skater, Brandon Biebel. They were gone for 10 days and oh how we love to see them together and skating and just enjoying the simple things in life. Vince did have a cold while he was gone, but his blood counts were really good and he is staying strong.

Halloween was a few days ago and Vince and Mikemo went to a party at Skatelab, a local indoor skate park. Vince dressed up as the WWF wrestler, Stone Cold Steve Austin, which was perfect because he is bald and didn't have to shave his head! He was going to go last year, but ended up getting sick and couldn't go, so he has had the costume for a year and finally got to use it. Next year maybe he will go as a hippie since his hair will be growing back, which would be awesome!! I don't know if he will want to cut his hair for a long, long time....LOL! Mikemo was Mario from the video game, he looked great, too!

Psalms 86:4

Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Hope Devotional

2009-10-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hope
October 27th, 2009
by Gail Rodgers

How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside? Let us walk this path together, we want to help.

Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectation in life’s tomorrow dwindles, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside? The God of Hope is your answer.

“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

• Hope for H elp
We are invited to come to Him and confidently ask for help. Hebrews 4:16 tells us “to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need”.

• Hope to O vercome
Things that leave one feeling powerless and hopeless come in many forms. With Christ’s strength you can overcome great obstacles. 1 John 5:4 says “and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith”. Faith in Jesus gives hope and help to overcome.

• Hope for P ower
Sometimes in life we find ourselves with a task that simply looks too big for us. We do not just need a cup of God’s strength added to our own; rather we need His strength in us to do what we need to do. He will give it! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness”. Seeing our weakness as the entry point of God’s strength gives access to His power!

• Hope for E ternity
When we put our faith and hope in Jesus, it not only gives us help, strength and power where we walk today but it also gives us hope for life after death. It is a confident expectation of the ultimate “tomorrow”.

The God of Hope sent His son to be our Savior. He is only one prayer away. If you want the confident expectation of His strength and wisdom in your today and His help and hope for your tomorrow, you need only ask. Just tell Him…

Dear God, I have gone my own way and have put my hope in so many things that have disappointed me. Thank you that You sent Jesus, that first Christmas long ago, to be my Savior. I believe He came for me. Forgive me and come into my life today. Show me how to live in the confident expectation of how You can impact my life, my character and my circumstances. I place my hope in You right now and ask You to make Yourself known to me in my life right where I walk. I thank you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Chemo #10-Day 5

2009-10-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

This last month has gone by pretty fast for us. Vince celebrated his 22nd birthday on Sept.10th and he and Mikemo spent the whole day together, which I was very happy about. Bobby (my son in law) celebrated his birthday on Sept. 11th , Bernadette (Vince's girlfriend) celebrated hers on Sept. 13th and I had mine on Sept. 17th, so September is always a busy month for us.

Since Vince was diagnosed, Mikemo has been traveling quite a bit, so they really haven't seen each other that much, considering they used to spend 95% of their time together, skateboarding. On Vince's birthday they got home around 8 pm and we went to Buca Di Beppo (Italian food, of course) for dinner and we came home and had cake and celebrated kind of late. Overall, it was quiet and nice, which is nothing like last year when just 5 days before his 21st birthday we found out about his cancer, and he ended up having

a bone biopsy on his birthday. What a difference a year makes.

Vince and Mikemo went to the east coast for a much needed break! They went for the Matix Clothing Co. Recession Tour. Vince was gone for 10 days and Mikemo is coming home in the next few days. Here is a photo when they were in New York. Vince is in the middle, wearing the black shirt and hat. Too bad Mikemo isn't in this photo.

My parents came down from Northern California and spent a week here, visiting with my brothers and I. My mom had to be here to see her heart doctor and she is doing great! In January of this year she had a near fatal heart attack and ended up in a coma for 6 days and she is doing so much better than she has in years! Apparently her defibrillator/pacemaker is doing it's job! Yay for electronics (and God's grace, of course:)

Veronica got her driver's license and is enjoying her freedom, but of course, not without all our texts to see where she is and what she is doing. No TEXTING while driving is our new motto, even for ourselves.

Vince is on his 5th day of chemo as I write this and we are guessing we will go home before noon tomorrow! This stay hasn't been as bad as it has in the past, because he hasn't been sick at all! Each time we come to the hospital, it seems as though they make different adjustments to his treatments. For instance, in the past they have given him blood thinners, but we found out as long as he is up and around that he doesn't have to have them. So, that is something he will not be getting anymore! Also, they put glucose in one of the I.V.'s which they decreased the amount in, so he doesn't have any need to get insulin shots, which they have given him a few times since we were here, and in the past, so now we have that one figured out, so no more insulin!! Yikes! It's always something! My advice....ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS! People will respond and try to do their best to figure it out with you!

Vince had an xray of his humerus, a CT Scan and a Bone Scan while he has been here and the doctor said that everything looks great! He still has to have PET Scan in the next few weeks. Thank you Jesus for clean scans! Whoo hoo!!!

The bracelets have been a big hit! If you would like to order one, you can click on the link on the top right hand side of the blog. Just so you know, those of you who ordered the bracelets and haven't gotten them yet, they will be shipped out hopefully at the end of next week. Thank you to everyone who has ordered! You have made Vince's burden a bit lighter! Bills are getting paid! Yay! And, yes, we do ship to foreign countries and have gotten quite a few orders! It's so great to know that people from all over the world are praying for Vince!

Strength in Weakness-Pastor Greg Laurie

2009-10-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Strength in Weakness

That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

— 2 Corinthians 12:10

We love the exciting aspects of the Christian life—except for the suffering. But Paul wrote, "Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12).

If you want to be used by God, then you will be attacked. If you want to mix in with the crowd and never stand up for your faith in Christ, then you probably will not have much opposition. But if you say, "I want my life to make a difference. I want to stand up for Jesus Christ wherever I am," then you will face opposition.

Paul faced a lot of it—from unexpected sources. He said,

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. . . . I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. (2 Corinthians 11:23–26)

In spite of this, Paul stated, "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death" (Philippians 3:10). Part of knowing God is not only in the power of His resurrection, but also in His suffering.

God can work through human weakness and suffering. But if you face calamity, if you have a physical infirmity or challenge and can still rejoice and praise God, then that is a powerful witness. And in some ways it can be more powerful than the person who has no infirmity at all.

Prayer Request!

2009-09-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

As I write this, Veronica (my 16 yr. old daughter) told me that her friend's mom has liver cancer. So, please say an extra prayer for her. I am so glad that Veronica is able to be a light for others who are going through similar things. Thank you!

My Struggles are About Him
September 28th, 2009
by Max Lucado

What about your struggles? Is there any chance, any possibility, that you have been selected to struggle for God’s glory? Have you “been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29)? Here is a clue. Do your prayers seem to be unanswered? What you request and what you receive aren’t matching up? Don’t think God is not listening. Indeed he is. He may have higher plans. Here is another. Are people strengthened by your struggles? A friend of mine can answer yes. His cancer was consuming more than his body; it was eating away at his faith. Unanswered petitions perplexed him. Well-meaning Christians confused him. “If you have faith,” they said, “you will be healed.” No healing came. Just more chemo, nausea, and questions. He assumed the fault was a small faith. I suggested another answer. “It’s not about you,” I told him. “Your hospital room is a showcase for your Maker. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God’s song.” Oh, that you could have seen the relief on his face. To know that he hadn’t failed God and God hadn’t failed him—this made all the difference. Seeing his sickness in the scope of God’s sovereign plan gave his condition a sense of dignity. He accepted his cancer as an assignment from heaven: a missionary to the cancer ward. A week later I saw him again. “I reflected God,” he said, smiling through a thin face, “to the nurse, the doctors, my friends. Who knows who needed to see God, but I did my best to make him seen.” Bingo. His cancer paraded the power of Jesus down the Main Street of his world. God will use whatever he wants to display his glory. Heavens and stars. History and nations. People and problems. Rather than begrudge your problem, explore it. Ponder it. And most of all, use it. Use it to the glory of God. Through your problems and mine, may God be seen.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world!” John 16:33

Happy 22nd Birthday to Vince!!!

2009-09-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Today Vince turns 22 yrs. old! We love you and we are so proud of you Vince! I will update later on what we are doing for his birthday! Thank you all for all you continued prayers and support! Don't forget to order your bracelets at the right side of this page! God bless!

A Year In The Life of Vince Capaldi

2009-09-09T19:56:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Year In Review

2009-09-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

Today is 1 yr. since Vince was diagnosed! I can't believe it! It seems like yesterday. I still remember waiting for the call from the doctor about the MRI and the feeling that I had until he called. I didn't want to even think he may have cancer, so I kept saying to myself, self...don't even go there...you don't know for sure what it is, but my mother's intuition told me otherwise.

I remember when he called and told me that Vince possibly had a disease called Ewing's Sarcoma. He said that we should see an Oncologist named Dr. Eckhardt at UCLA. Little did we know how serious it really was. We thought they would just go in and remove the tumor and everything would be fine. We were wrong.

Along the way, I have seen God's hand in this journey, from the doctors, nurses, family and friends of friends who in some way were associated with his cancer and provided help to us when we didn't know which way to turn. We have met so many amazing people at the hospitals, chemos, dr. appointments & the internet, too. They have made a difference in our lives, and have made us laugh and even cry. The reality of this disease is in our face every day and we don't like it. No one does. Here is a quick synopsis of his journey for the last year:

9 Chemotherapy treatments & hydration totaling 600 hrs. spent getting 6 different toxic chemicals pumped into his body

25 Radiation Treatments-totaling over 2 hrs. of targeted treatment to his humerus

116 days spent either in the hospital or at doctors appointments (a speeding ticket and a few parking tickets, too)

A few trips to the ER (of course at 3:00 a.m. every time)

CT Guided Biopsy

Surgical Biopsy

Bone Marrow Biopsy

Port Placement

Bone Scans

MRI's

Xrays

Platelets

CT Scans

Ultrasounds

Bloodwork galore

Limb Sparing surgery

Drugs for:

Pain

Nausea & Vomiting

Mononucleosis

Fevers

Headaches

White Blood Cell Booster

Constipation

Swelling

Allergies

Anxiety

Boredom

Stomach Pain

Vince has been so incredibly strong through this last year, but to be quite honest with you, it's getting tougher. He is sick and tired of the whole thing at this point and he really desires to have a normal life. One of his biggest desires is to have his hair, eyebrows and eyelashes back. Those feelings are not any different if you are a man or a woman.

The doctor told us that it is extremely tough for patients at this point because the urgency is not there, as far as surgery and radiation to get the tumor to shrink and get it out of the body. The battle at this point is to try and sterilize his body from any lurking cancer cells, fighting an invisible monster, the unknown. He is a little more than halfway done.

His next treatment will be September 25th, all necessary scans will be taken at that point and he will be re-evaluated. My heart is once again asking for your continued prayers and moral support for Vince. We need to help him keep his eye on the goal. Not an easy task. The journey continues.......

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. 1 Peter 1:21

Small But Mighty! Amazing Little Boy!

2009-09-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Great Sermon! Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, Ca

2009-09-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Pastor Francis

Click on August 30th sermon to watch or listen!

He is also the author of these two wonderful books! Christianbook.com has them if you are interested:)

What would you give?

2009-09-02T10:56:00.001-07:00

Chemo #9-Thursday, Aug. 27th

2009-08-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thursday will be Vince's 9th chemo! He is half way done! Thank you, Jesus!!! It's getting pretty hard for him at this point, not because he feels bad, but because he wants to be done with the treatments and get back to his normal life AND grow his hair back!! He is amazing and so brave, I don't know if I could get through all that he has endured. Talk about R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Everyone who knows him definitely has a new found respect for him, including Jim and I.

I have people ask me all the time about how many treatments he has left and when I tell them he has 9 more, which translates to about March 16th, they are stunned. WE are looking forward to that glorious day!!! It will be about an 18 mth. journey, but worth every minute. The doctor always tells Vince, "give me a year and a half of your life, and you can have the rest of your life to do what you want." How awesome is that!

Just a few more weeks will be one year since the day we found out about his diagnosis. In many ways it seems like yesterday, but when I start to think about all he has been through it seems like forever. My memory is quite vague at this point, until I look back and read this blog! LOL!

It makes me really appreciate what medicine can do for such horrible diseases. Vince recently asked me about the chemo and how the doctors and nurses dress in protective gear to administer the chemo, and if it gets on their skin it will pretty much eat it, BUT they can give it to him in his port and feed it to his body and that is supposed to be good? It boggles our minds, but I know that it has helped to save his life...it's so weird, huh? This is where my faith becomes even stronger, knowing that God is protecting my precious son and healing him each and every day.

Prayers are greatly appreciated, as always! You are all so special to us! Thanks for all your support!

And Jesus said to them, "Have faith in God."

Mark 11:22

Happy Sweet 16 Veronica!

2009-08-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our baby turned 16 yrs. old on August 20th! She had a great time celebrating with some of her friends at our house! We (Vince and Mikemo, too) got her a new iPhone and she was so happy, but I ruined the surprise when I left the receipt in a Verizon bag (Jim and I got our new phones, too) and miss nosy looked in it and saw that there was an iPhone receipt from the AT&T store! She didn't tell us she saw it until after she got it in her pretty little hands though! LOL!

She gets her drivers license on Sept. 14th! She is a really good driver, so she should pass the test with flying colors! Tomorrow is the first day of school for her and my grandson. Gianni will be in 6th grade Jr. High! It's so hard to believe! Wow!

Veronica and her Daddo, so sweet:)

Mindy and Veronica, sisterly love!

Happy Birthday To Veronica, we LOVE YOU!

No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in hope.

Acts 2:26

Down To Earth Talk About Heaven by Pastor Greg Laurie

2009-08-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Today my heart breaks for another life lost to Ewing's Sarcoma. Michael Ederer was 19 yrs. old. His Carepage is listed in the right hand column of this blog, if you would like to read it. His birthday would have been Sept. 11th, one day after Vince's. My prayers go out to his family for peace and a comfort, that only God can give. I would like to share this video from Pastor Greg Laurie, who lost his son, Christopher in a car accident. just 1 yr. ago. He has such a wonderful perspective and I believe it will change so many lives for eternity. Please pray for Michael's family and continue to pray for Vince as he battles this ugly monster. I will update in a few days.

Click here to see his video that could change your life.

Prayer Requests:

Lilly-11 yr. old Ewing's patient, just had surgery 2 days ago.

George-Ewing's patient, having his 5 day chemo as I write this.

Tyler-17 yr. old Ewing's patient currently undergoing radiation on his leg.

Jarren-young boy with liver cancer-recovering from surgery

Asa prayed to the Lord his God, "O Lord, you can help a weak army as easily as a powerful one. Help us now, O Lord our God, because we are relying on you, and in your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you.

2 Chronicles 14:11

Chemo #8, Day 3

2009-08-06T12:16:00.001-07:00

I don't know why, but I am having writer's block. I just haven't been in the mood to post on this blog. I sometimes feel so blah. I know that it's actually a good thing, it helps me rest:) Vince has had more nausea this round than he has in the past. The doctor thinks that he may have a little bug because he was feeling like he had a cold before he got here. They have controlled his nausea with 4 different drugs and they make him so sleepy, but he said he likes it that way! LOL! Actually, I like it that way too, he is pretty happy! It's already day 3 and it seems like it's gone by pretty fast, even for me. Here is a photo of him on the drugs, can you see the smile on his face? He got up to go to the bathroom and couldn't quit smiling and giggling! It was so cute to see his teeth when he smiled! As I write this, he is telling me he is bored, LOL! We will go outside later an walk around, but for now he has to hang out in the room. Dad is on his way to visit us, so that will make things more exciting around her for sure! He keeps us entertained!

On the first day, the Therapy Dog came to visit Vince. His name is Johnny and he is a Border Collie. He was very sweet and he kept licking Vince's hand and putting his paw on it. This is a new program here on the Oncology floor, it just started about 6 weeks ago. Johnny's owner told us that they even encourage family members to bring their own dogs for a visit. For those of you who know Deric, can you imagine him coming to the hospital to visit Vince? Oh my gosh! He would be jumping up on the bed, off the bed, in a circle, bouncing up and down, and it would be crazy! Actually, it would be very fun, but exhausting! But, it was nice to have Johnny visit him.

Grandma Charlotte came to visit us yesterday and brought Chinese food! We can always rely on her to feed us! LOL! It was nice to have some quality time with her while Vince slept. She is the best mother in law that anyone could ask for! Love her so much!

Vince's friend, Chris came to visit last night and we drove to Wahoo's for dinner and it was so yummy! Veronica was here as well. Check out this photo of her choking me...that's how much she loves me! Hahaha! We do have some fun times considering all that we are going through.

Only 2 or 3 nights left! Yay! Thanks for praying!

Prayer Requests:

Kate-little girl with brain tumor

Young boy-recently diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma

Lilly-11 yr. old with Ewing's

Caleb-young boy with mental issues

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

--1 Peter 5:10

Chemo #8 Starts Tomorrow

2009-08-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything for a few weeks! That is such great news, because that means things have been going pretty smooth around here. I have cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, Veronica went to Big Bear w/Lya, for some much needed vacation time, Mikemo came home from Florida, we celebrated my sister in laws (Gina) birthday at Cliffton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles, rode my new bike a few times with Vince and Veronica, had a great dinner at a Japanese restaurant with Vince, Mikemo, & Veronica, went to a "No Doubt/Paramore" Concert in Irvine with Mindy, Veronica, and her friend, Nicole. The tickets were Veronica's 16th birthday present, her birthday is coming up on Aug. 20th!

We ate at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank (can I hear an Amen!) on the way to the concert, and today we celebrated Mindy's 29th birthday with Red's BBQ and a Red Velvet cake from "Nothing Bundt Cakes"...whew! I feel like a new person! The last 10 mths. have been so intense and all this "normal stuff" has felt like a breath of fresh air! We even went to church on Sunday!

Vince goes into the hospital tomorrow at 10 a.m. for his 5 day chemo. He has been feeling really good, which is certainly a huge blessing! Mikemo is leaving tomorrow for Atlanta, Ga (Maria and Tyler, wish I could go with him, then I could come visit you!) Mikemo will be on a skate trip of the U.S. filming for Chocolate (a skate co.), for the next 2 weeks. He didn't get to skate in the X Games because he ended up getting sick. Hopefully, he will be invited back next year:)

Thank you again for all your prayers for Vince and our family! We are so very grateful for your never ending care and concern. We are looking forward to checking this chemo off the list!

Prayer Requests:

Lisa-pray that she feels the presence of Jesus and the hope that he has for her. She needs a special miracle right now for healing in her body!

Kate-a 6 yr. old with a brain tumor. Pray for healing.

Me-I am having a brain scan on Wed. to follow up on the tumor in my spine. Pray that they find a brain! LOL! No, seriously pray for a clean scan! Thank you:)

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Psalms 29:11

LIfe Seems More Normal, Again!

2009-07-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

After 10 months of being on this roller coaster of life (I know I've used that term a lot:) but it's so true, we are kind of back to a more "normal" life and it feels so good! Vince is doing great, even though he is going through treatment with some of the strongest chemo drugs available, he is absolutely AMAZING! He is taking very good care of himself with his diet and supplements and it's working great! We got his blood work results yesterday and they we so good and I'm not surprised one bit!

Vince just finished with a drug called Doxorubicin (Adriamyacin) which is damaging to the heart and also causes nausea and vomiting, so that one is no longer on the list! Yay! They will switch to another less harmful drug from now on, so that's good news! Next chemo is in 2 weeks.

I am now 7 weeks post op, and finally able to clean the house and boy have I been cleaning house! The closets are looking so much better, the toilets are clean, the landscaping is getting a face lift (Jim and I are doing that part together:) and Veronica and I got new bikes last week so that we can go on rides with Vince, but of course it's been 100 degrees here, so it's not exactly good timing.

The X Games are coming up starting next week, so pray for Mikemo as he competes with all the pros! He is coming home this weekend, he has been gone for over a week, he went to Camp Woodward and had a blast with all his fans!

Please pray for two special children this week:

Lilly-11 yrs. old with Ewing's

Unknown name-7 yr. old boy with a possible Ewing's diagnosis (hopefully it's not)

The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

Ephesians 6:17

Chemo #7 Update

2009-07-14T23:12:00.001-07:00

Vince had his chemo today and I still am in awe of how great he is doing! This is truly the best that he has done with any of his chemos. As soon as we got to the facility he was much more relaxed since we didn't have to drive in traffic for over an hour to get there and his blood pressure was excellent and the chemo began!

The nurse that we had today is so wonderful and we have built a greatrelationship with her since October of last year when my friend introduced us on the phone. She is an infusion nurse and worked at my friends office once a week and my friend was sharing Vince's story with her and she mentioned that they were opening up a new UCLA infusion facility inWestlake and the rest is history! We have been looking forward to having his infusions there since that time and it's finally a reality! Thank you, Jesus for paving the way and guiding us through this journey and bringing those people into our lives! I have so many stories of the most wonderful people that have come along side us and brought us strength during this time. We are so blessed! Thank you Aunt Diane for coming to visit with us today! We really enjoyed having you there:)

Jim and Veronica came to hang out with us today as well, and when we left, Vince was craving steak, so we stopped and ate at the Claim Jumper and it was awesome!

His infusion time was only 5 1/2 hrs. which was because the nurse gave us her undivided attention and gave him one of his chemos and another drug in an I.V. push vs. the drip, so that sped things up by about 2 hours! We are learning new things every time we go because each person has their own way of doing things. It's all quite fascinating. I am learning to take notes:) It's only taken me 10 mths. to figure this stuff out..LOL!

If you could say an extra prayer for a few of my family members and friends I would really appreciate it! I won't go into any details, as I know God knows their situations so I am just listing their names, I hope they don't mind:)

Vicki, Carlton, Stacey's family, Mary, Robin, Annie, Peggy, Mitchell, Jane, Todd, Jim H, Eric, Tom, Tyler, George, Erica and Kate.

Thank you so much and I know that God hears your prayers and so do the ones receiving them! God bless!

A friend loves at all times.

Proverbs 17:17

2009-07-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a devotion from a wonderful pastor, Greg Laurie. I thought is was quite appropriate to go along with my post today.

God’s Secret Agents

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? —Hebrews 1:14

Make no mistake about it: angels are actively involved in the lives of the people of God, and in the affairs of men in general.

One of the reasons we may not be personally aware of the presence of angels in our lives is that they are doing their job properly.

Angels generally operate undercover. Theirs is a vast world of intelligent, powerful spirit beings. Angels are invisible, and they remain that way most of the time, except on very rare occasions. As we see from Scripture, God will sometimes clothe angels with a human form.

Angels are God’s secret agents, not drawing attention to themselves, but instead doing the bidding of God. They have a specific work and ministry in the life of the Christian.

That certainly gives us hope in these troubled and dangerous times in which we are living. When we think of all the violence, chaos, and danger in the world today, it is comforting to know that God’s angels are watching out for us.

Angels may not help you find a parking place, but you can know this: they are God’s secret agents, powerfully and effectively doing the work He has called them to do.

Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

Chemo #7 Tomorrow

2009-07-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Vince will have his 7th chemo tomorrow starting at 8:30 a.m. It will be about 8 hrs. long. It will be in Westlake Village vs. Santa Monica and this will be his first time at this center. It's very new and really nice and also very close to home! We are all for that! Please pray that he has minimal side effects and that he is able to recover quickly from it. It seems kind of strange, but the one day treatment is stronger than the 5 day hospital stay, but they are also different drugs than the hospital treatment.

I haven't been updating much due to the mere fact that I have been lazy and I guess just recovering from own surgery (6 weeks ago) has made me a bit unmotivated and a bit blah. Can anyone out there relate? Sometimes I am just all talked out. Like now:)

Thanks for praying for Vince and I will update tomorrow or Wednesday. Have a great week!

"For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen . . . "

Corinthians 4:17–18

Love This Song!

2009-07-03T10:31:00.001-07:00

Technology IS Amazing!!!

2009-07-01T09:45:00.001-07:00

Takin' It Easy

2009-06-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe 10 days have gone by since my last post! Life is good! Vince & Mikemo have been out and about filming (skating footage) and doing whatever it is they do. LOL! Vince can't skate yet, but at least he is getting out and still able to be involved in the skate world. Vince had a fever a few nights ago and a slight headache, so me being a cautious mom, had him go to have some blood work taken yesterday and we got the results today and his counts look GREAT! Ok..now I have peace of mind! Boy, how I love great blood work results!

He and Mikemo went to Magic Mountain today and I'm sure he will be tired when they get home, but it makes Jim and I so happy that he is doing something fun AND with Mikemo, which makes us even happier!

Mikemo is going to skate in the X Games this year! July 30-August 2 and of course our family will be there! It will also be televised! It should be very exciting, so I hope you check it out!

There is another HUGE skate event that is coming up before the X Games and it's called the Maloof Money Cup and Mikemo will be skating in that as well! Click on the highlighted

areas to check out the websites. This event is July 10, 11, & 12th. We are so excited to see Mikemo skate in both of these amazing competitions!

Maybe we will see you there! If you see us, make sure to say "hi"!

Thank you for all prayers, cards and emails about my surgery. It's been 1 month, and I feel great! My friend Stacey said that I won't know how good I would feel until I actually look back and see how bad I felt! She is so right! Thank you, Stacey!

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

Psalm 71:15-17

Home At Last!

2009-06-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Grandma Charlotte came to the hospital yesterday to visit Vince. Jim got there shortly after she did, and the nurse came in an unhooked his I.V's and we were FREE to go and enjoy the fresh Santa Monica air! We walked a few blocks to a local Chinese food place and had a yummy rice and teriyaki chicken lunch and then walked to our favorite place to sit, just across the street from the hospital and had a nice chat for about 1 hr. and then we walked grandma to her car and then headed back upstairs to our suite...uh, I mean room:)

Mikemo and Veronica came to see Vince, too! It's always such a joy to hear Vince laugh when Mikemo comes to visit. They are the best of friends and with Mikemo being gone so much lately, and Vince being in the hospital so often, it really feels great to see them together. Of course, Veronica doesn't say much, but she is a darn good listener! LOL!

After everyone left, one of Vince's chemos started up at 11:00 pm and the other was to start at 1:00 a.m. BUT, his PH level was not where it was supposed to be, so his 2nd chemo didn't start until 4:00 a.m! He was NOT happy about that because that meant that it made it a later release time! He is always pushing them to speed things up, and who can blame him! Of course, neither one of us got any sleep because them pumps get air in them and ALL week long they would wake us up every 1/2 hr. beeping constantly! You have to call the nurse and then it takes them 20 mins. to get in the room to fix it SO needless to say, we are not very well rested.

The thing that we find frustrating is hearing different opinions from different nurses and doctors from every shift about the length of chemo time, or different medications he can have, or release times, blah, blah, blah. They change shifts every 12 hrs. starting at 7 a.m./7 p.m. so you get about 10 different doctors and nurses in that 24 hr. time period.

We are just now starting to figure things out, like how long the chemos run, where to go for the midnight Cranberry Juice and ice machine, where the linens are, the best bathroom to use in the hallway, how to order food that is not on the menu, and things like that. It's like Healthcare 101~LOL!

It makes me realize each time that you cannot let your guard down, you have to ask lots of questions and be aware of what they are doing to you and if it doesn't seem right to you, (you know that "red flag" kind of thing), don't let them do it until you are comfortable with the answers.

Every treatment on the last day, Vince always feels too full and then he throws up...poor guy, his body had it's limits and that's it. After he throws up he always feels so much better. We had about 3 hrs. to go and he was getting very agitated, fell asleep and then right around 11:40 the nurse came in, flushed his port and off we went! Of course we had to stop at McDonald's down the street from the hospital. Jim, Vince and I all got cheeseburgers to celebrate this VICTORY! It has become a ritual for Vince to crave McDonald's as we are leaving, which is a GREAT sign that he feels so much better just getting out of that place!

Doctor's appointment on Monday for the Nulasta shot to increase his white blood cells and then a follow up appointment on Friday for blood work, so until next week, prayers are always needed! I hope this post finds all those dads out there having a very HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! God bless!

Thank you to Chris O, Grandma Char and Cousin Jeanette for coming to visit during our long week:)

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Chemo #6--Day 4

2009-06-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

Vince has been doing so great! For him the hardest part is the boredom, plus feeling full from all the liquids. Thank goodness he is able to get unhooked from the "ball and chain" for those 2 hrs. per day because I really think it makes such a difference in his mental attitude. We walk about 8 blocks total per day, which is actually so nice because the hospital is close to the beach and the weather is super nice! Today we went to a computer store and Vince got to buy an external hard drive for his computer, which of course he was super happy to get.

Bernadette was here a few nights ago and spent the night with us so she and Vince got to spend some time together. Jim has come out every day. Veronica came to visit, too. Chris (Vince's friend) came to visit us, he lives pretty close to the hospital so it's really convenient for him to just pop on over.

Jim kept Vince and I entertained today with some pretty funny antics, which I can't really describe, but I would love to get a video of his silliness!

Please pray for these next 36 hrs. to go fast! We will get out of here on Sat. before noon and we can't wait!

Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

Psalm 6:4

Chemo Delays All Day!

2009-06-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

We got to the hospital right on schedule at 10 a.m. We had to sit and wait for 2 hours before they could get us into a room! There are way too many cancer patients in hospitals these days for sure! Every time we come we hear the "over-crowed" story.

It's now 9:50 pm and we've been in the room for over 9 1/2 hrs. and chemo still hasn't been given. Part of the reason is that Vince's PH level has to be at 8.0 before they will give it to him, so they give him Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) via I.V. to boost it so they can start, which it's been 8.0 for at least an hour and a half, but all day they have been lagging...they are a bit overwhelmed due to the over-crowding. We don't mind waiting though, as long as he feels good.

As I'm writing this they just came in to hook him up! YAY! Finally!

Jim picked Mikemo up from LAX around 5 pm and brought him back here to the hospital to see Vince and I before taking him home. He has been gone 2 weeks. Welcome home MIKEMO! Here is a photo of him with his silly new phone! He broke his iPhone on his tour and wants to get the new iPhone which doesn't come out until Friday, so he got the cheap phone, which is so not his style, but I think it's funny! LOL!

I have a comfy bed and I am resting, so no worries! Brought all my comfy pillows and blankets!

I will update again soon!

Thanks for continuing to pray for us!

Psalm 40:1-3 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, about of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord" (NIV).

Chemo #6 Starts Tomorrow, June 15th-20th---Please Pray!

2009-06-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Vince will be having chemo #6 starting tomorrow at UCLA in Santa Monica Orthopedic Hospital for 5 days. Bernadette and I will be spending the every day and night with him. Jim will be there every day with us and a visit or two from Mikemo, Veronica & a few other family members. It does seem quite amazing that 8 mths has come and gone since Vince was diagnosed and that he still has 8 mths. to go. I sure hope it goes fast and that he has the least amount of side effects possible. I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed US with His mercy and grace to get to this point thus far, and I'm sure He will sustain US throughout this journey.

Vince has kept himself quite busy and sometimes we don't even see him that much because he is having lunch with friends, working on his computer, riding his bike and watching the Laker's in The Finals, which of course they just won a few hours ago! Yay Lakers! Jim and I are so happy when he goes places because it shows us that he feels really good and that he is not letting this horrible disease get the best of him.

Mikemo comes home tomorrow! I can't wait to see his "WWF look-a-like belt" that he won in the Red Bull contest for winning 2nd place!

Thanks for praying for Vince! He will always be my hero and inspiration!

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.

3 John 1:2-3

How To Save A Life

2009-06-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Resting and Recovering

2009-06-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your prayers for my surgery! Everything went extremely well and I haven't had to take anything other than Ibuprofen for swelling, so again, God hears your prayers! I'm sure by the end of Vince's upcoming chemo on June 15th-20th that I will be feeling 100% better!

For those of you who are like me and like medical info, here is a video on one of the three procedures that I had. Click here.

I'm sure there are a few women out there who will be needing the same type of surgery, so I'm here if you have any questions. You can email me at rondacapaldi@msn.com. I won't go into detail, only because there are guys reading this and they will get grossed out! I even have pictures of the procedure and believe me it's a scary thing..LOL!

Thank you so much to Grandma Charlotte (Jim's mom) for coming over for a few days to cook and clean for us! She is amazing! Thank you to all my wonderful ladies in my Bible study for the most beautiful flowers! I feel so loved!

Please continue to lift Vince up in prayer for a smooth chemo and that he will not feel sick. Last time he did great! So, let's pray for the same!

Please pray for our friend George. He was the arm in the "Scar Wars" with the tattoo of his son on his arm. He didn't get the news he was hoping for from his pathology report on the results of his necrosis (deadness of his tumor, if you will). If you could just say extra prayers on his behalf, I know that is will feel God's amazing grace and love and I also know that his wife, Tina would REALLY appreciate it so much! His Carepage is listed on the right side of this blog under Ewing's Patients..just click on George's name if you would like to read about his journey.

For now I will leave you with a video of THE MOST AMAZING young man I have ever seen! He had Ewing's Sarcoma and has been cancer free for 2 1/2 yrs! He is such and inspiration to us and just plain fearless! Click here. You can also click on Kobey Pritchard under the Ewing's Patients to read about his journey as well.

Congratulations to Mikemo! He is in New York and took 2nd place today in a contest sponsored by Red Bull! Here is the website.

“It is not prayer, it is not faith, it is not our doings, it is not our feelings upon which we must rest, but upon Christ and ON CHRIST ALONE.”
C. H. Spurgeon

For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:5

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; Romans 5:3

"Scar Wars"

2009-06-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be inspiring to see what our loved ones have gone through. They are truly "hero's" in my book! They have endured extreme pain and suffering and they are all getting through this horrible disease we call "Cancer". Please continue to pray for them as they journey through life with the title of "Cancer Survivors" stamped on them.

I have always told Jim that his scar represents "life" to me and the fact that he is alive to tell his story is a testimony that people do survive this horrible disease! He has been cancer free for 9 1/2 yrs! Thank you, Jesus!

Vince, 21 yrs old, Ewing's Sarcoma, April 2009

Jim (Vince's Dad), 46 yrs. old, Kidney Cancer, Jan. 2000 (he was 36 yrs old at the time)

George, 42 yrs. old, Ewing's Sarcoma, May 2008

Erica, 21 yrs. old, Ewing's Sarcoma, 2 surgeries, Jan. 2005 /Dec. 2008

Tyler, 16 yrs. old, Ewing's Sarcoma, March 2009

Thank you to Tina (George's wife), Maria (Tyler's mom), Jane (Todd's mom & not pictured), Carol (Erica's mom). We are all going through the same thing with our loved ones and I am so grateful and blessed to have them in my life! They are such a wonderful support system!

Prayer Requests

A few weeks ago I posted that I had some upcoming trials that weren't "Vince related". I will be having surgery tomorrow (June 2nd) @ 7:30 a.m. I am having a Hysterectomy, which includes removal of one ovary and a bladder repair. Please pray that I will be able to have the least invasive surgery possible. Pray that I will recover quickly so that I can spend the 5 days with Vince in the hospital for chemo #6, two weeks from today, June 15th! I was also diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor on my spine, around my neck and shoulder area. I will be following up on that in about a month to see if that will need to be removed as well. Just a few more things to add to our list of trials. God is in the midst, so I will not fear!

Also, I have two brothers and one of them just had a similar surgery to Vince's from a motorcycle accident and my other brother was going to have neck surgery tomorrow and cancelled it. Please pray for them, because I know they are in a lot of pain. Thanks!

Vince is feeling really good, but does have some muscle pain in the shoulder, but he thinks it is from sitting at his computer and resting his arm on the desk, which pushes his shoulder up too high. Hopefully, it will go away soon! He had blood work today to check his counts and they are on the way up! Yay! He is looking forward to the next 2 weeks of freedom!

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Bike Ride-Fun Times!

2009-05-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hey! This was so fun! Can't you tell how excited everyone looks! LOL! Vince, Mindy, Bobby, Gianni, Veronica & I all went on a bike ride to our local Subway. I haven't ridden a bike in probably 20 yrs! It was about 5 or 6 miles round trip, which Veronica and I had to be picked up because everyone ditched us and wouldn't wait so we could rest, since it's all uphill on the way home!!! LOL! Next time WE WILL go the distance!!

The funny thing is, Jim followed us in his car just so he could see his family riding...or like he said, "like little ducks all in a row"!

Vince has been feeling really good and it was time to get his blood work today. Mikemo is coming home tonight (he has been gone for 3 weeks) and asked Vince if he wants to go to San Francisco with him and the Girl Skateboard team tomorrow and come home on Sunday. The nurse called a few hours ago and told us that this counts are way too low for him to go. He is at major risk for catching any darn viruses and weird germie things! It's such a bummer!!!!!!!!!! WE really wanted him to go and just have some fun for a few days, but it's too risky.

Just don't ask him about it...he's a bit grouchy and with good reason. It's weird how he can be feeling so good and looking so good and have such low blood counts...I guess it's quite deceiving.

His arm is still healing and he is getting stronger each day. He is now able to reach out a little to shake your hand, but that's about it. He is doing great overall and has such a great attitude! His next chemo will be on June 15th.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
James 5:15
I would like to wish Rachel a very special HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY today! I love you!
The following is for Vince, Jim and Mikemo!!!
Go Lakers!

Checking Off Chemo #5...YAY!

2009-05-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

Yes!! He did it! Chemo #5 is now officially checked off of the list! It was a long day, it took about 8 1/2 hrs! We had our own "chemo room" which was nice and private. It had a TV, but no cable, only DVD's and NO internet! That does make for an even longer day!

He did really well, until about 2:00 pm when he started to feel full and that's when he just wanted to throw up! AND he did, a few times!

BUT, on the way home he wanted pizza, which Jim ordered for us so when we got home he was able to eat! He feels really good now, so let's hope with the help of the new "patch" for nausea, which costs $300 (crazy) that he will feel even better! He goes back tomorrow for that shot (costs $6,600, even more crazy) that renews his white blood cells AND we only have to go the facility in Westlake! YAY! Which means no traffic!

Vince said he can't wait to ride his bike! So, I'm hoping in the next few days that he is able to get out and enjoy some of this beautiful California sunshine on a glorious Memorial Day weekend! For all our family, friends, and blog-a-holics, I hope you have a wonderful weekend remembering all those who have served our country and fought for our freedom!

Thank you for all your emails and prayers for Vince, we feel so blessed!

"For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:28

Chemo #5 on Thursday, May 21st

2009-05-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

It's official. Vince will have chemo #5 on Thursday @ 8:00 a.m. at a facility in Santa Monica. We couldn't get it at the Westlake facility because they needed a little more time to get the drugs and their schedule was a little too full, so we will do it there in 6 weeks from now for chemo #7, but for now he will be at the Santa Monica one. Vince is so easy and doesn't really care where he goes, he just wants to get it done. This will take about 7 hrs. of sitting in a chair hooked up to the machine and then we get to come home in traffic, but that's the way it goes.

Did I mention Vince bought a bike today? Well...yeah...he is making me crazy! He was riding it in the house, yep...in our house.... and out on the street! It's only been 5 weeks since his surgery, but he is a full grown man and he can do whatever he wants...BUT, I

will probably have a full head of gray hair in another few months! Thank you Loreal for making great hair dyes! LOL! Actually, it was pretty fun, I rode it, too! LOL!

Pray that this round of chemo will go smoothly and that he will feel great! Hey...why not ask for the best outcome! He has a wonderful attitude and this is just the beginning of a long journey and it would be so awesome for him to feel as good as he possible can when going through such a strong regimen of drugs. We are ALL for that!

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice
and be glad in it!
Psalm 118:24

Mikemo is in Tony Hawk's New Video Game-RIDE! Comes Out in the Fall!!! Congratulations, Mikemo!

2009-05-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

5th Chemo Next Week!

2009-05-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Vince saw the surgeon's assistant yesterday and he said he was doing better than he thought...duh! He was the one that we saw a few weeks ago and told Vince he would never lift his arm up again. But, even though we know he will, he is just saying that for Vince's protection, and we do appreciate that. He said anything more than what he is doing right now is "gravy!" It was funny to see the doctors eyes light up when Vince was able to move his arm around better than he thought, and he kind of said, "oh, um maybe not too much."

He will start his 5th round of chemo next week, still don't know which day, but we find out on Monday. Great news! He gets to have his one day (7 hrs.) treatment in Westlake Village, which is really close to our house! We are so excited! It's a brand new facility and so nice! That is such a blessing and I know that the Lord paved the way! I met the nurse that is in charge there, about 6 mths. ago (thank you Cathy) and even before they opened , and we knew that it could be a possibility that he could be treated there! Vince is super happy because that takes away the stress from having to travel about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. each day for those two days. The second day is for that expensive shot that rejuvenates his white blood cells.

I have to tell you how proud of Vince I am, because as we where driving in the car yesterday from the doctor, we were talking about the chemo and that he has 13 treatments to go, and he said to me, "it hasn't been that bad". I looked at him and said, "THAT BAD!" "Oh, my gosh! Do you know what you've gone through?" and I added, "I love how God gives us "amnesia" after we get through these things." How cool is that, that Vince is just so casual about all he has been through! I am just so proud of him and my heart leaps for joy knowing that he realizes that this is just part of his life and he will get through it! God is there in the midst and He protects our hearts and minds and keeps us focused, not on the past, but what lies ahead!

This last month has been such a wonderful resting period for me, and our family, and I am so grateful that I am able to renew and refresh so that I am able to endure the upcoming trials set before me! There are a few that I am not going to share yet, but I am asking for prayer for me and my family, which is not Vince related:) I will keep you posted when I find out more information.

For now, I pray that you find that God is working in your heart and that you are able to draw closer to Him than ever before, no matter what you are going through! God bless:)

I am putting a link right here if you want to see a graphic photo of a similar surgery that Vince had. Just be warned it's quite graphic, so if you have a weak stomach you may not want to look.

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

Phillippians 3:13

22 Minutes of True Inspiration

2009-05-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Vince's Dog Deric listening to the song O'Christmas Tree which is being sung by a barking dog! Silly Dogs!

2009-05-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

Short & Sweet Update:)

2009-05-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

I thought you would like to see Vince without his sling (or his head...hahaha) He is doing SO GREAT!!! I am so proud of him and how well he is doing! He only took pain medication for the first 11 days and only needs an occasional Tylenol! He is exercising him arm all throughout the day and is looking forward to starting physical therapy soon, which will be around the same time as the chemo, I think? It does get a little sore in the evening because of the exercises, but that's it! He is truly BLESSED! God is so good to him!

That's it for now! Short and sweet!! God bless!

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Psalm 28:7

Charging Ahead!

2009-05-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

Vince saw the surgeon's assistant on Thursday for the swelling in his arm and luckily it's completely normal. He said that it will have swelling for up to 6 mths. and it really looked great. I wish they would have told us that in the beginning, but hey...they can't overload you with too much info, I guess!

He also told us that Vince will never be able to lift up his elbow out to the side, only from his elbow down and up to his mouth! The surgeon NEVER told us that! His assistant said the reason for that was because they took out all the ligaments with the tumor! We NEVER heard that

either! So, needless to say we were quite surprised! WE are so grateful that Vince still has him arm and we do know that is not their goal to save the arm, but their goal is to SAVE his life, and we are all for that of course, but the surgeon told us different and we are looking forward to seeing him on May 14th so we can hear what he has to say. But, for now Vince is doing his exercises to gain more use of his arm and he is NOT allowed to move his shoulder AT ALL! The scar tissue needs to build up so that it will hold his bone in the socket so it won't dislocate. Thankfully he has zero pain! What a blessing!

Vince saw the Oncologist on Friday to see what the "Game Plan" is for the chemo treatments. He is still going to have 13 treatments as planned because this is the part that is considered to be the "Life Saving Part" and their is no letting up, especially at this point. It is very critical to treat this disease aggressively so that the cancer will hopefully be eradicated! We are praising God for all HE has done and we will continue to praise HIM! Vince is ready for the battle!

By the way, we told the Oncologist what the surgeon's assistant said, and he also understood that Vince would be able to do more than they thought, so that confirmed for us that Vince will be able to have more movement like we were told originally by the surgeon. He also said that he thinks that Vince will skate again in the future! So that is great news!

He will start chemo in 2 weeks and also start physical therapy around that time as well. We will find out for sure on May 14th. His treatment is expected to end in February or March, so please pray that Vince will endure the treatments with no harsh side effects! Dr. Tap said that he expects that Vince will do just as well as he has thus far! We are all looking forward to chalking off each treatment on the calendar and we can't wait to for Vince to be "CANCER FREE"! What a JOYOUS day that will be!

Here is a photo of Mindy, Bobby, Gianni and Vince a few days after his surgery. He is amazing!

Hey! Check out Mikemo's Top 5 reasons for living at home. It's on the right side of this page. Just click on the "Crailtap" link under the title! Makes me smile!

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7

Mini Update

2009-04-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Vince has been feeling great! He has been out of the house a few times and it's so nice to see him doing things that he would normally do, like go to lunch with his brother or friends. He has been driving, too! He is not on any more drugs, just Tylenol! Yay! Today he is taking his dog, Deric, to the groomer, especially since he found a baby bunny in the backyard and has been using it as a chew toy (sorry to all those animal lovers) and rolls all over it, because he is weird! LOL! Vince tried to scoop it up with the shovel and dropped it, since is has only one arm that he can use, and Deric ran over and picked it up and ran away with it! He thinks it's a game! Vince came in and got me, so I scooped it up while he distracted him...so, sadly for Deric, no more bunny toy! LOL! Off to the groomer he goes!

Vince will be going to the surgeon tomorrow because his arm has been swelling for the last two days and the doctor wants to check him out. Hopefully, nothing to worry about. We think it may be from the excess fluid that the drains were taking care of, and now that they are gone maybe that's why there is fluid? They also like to rule out blood clots, so that's the main reason he will be going. Other than that, we are just trying to catch up on resting and relaxing and just taking it easy! It feels so good!!! I am so happy that we aren't in "emergency mode"! I kind of feel normal again!

Blessings to ALL our faithful friends & family who read this blog!!! Thank you for always be here for us through our time of need! You are AWESOME!!!!

April 28, 2009

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

--Psalm 46:1

All Christians will face difficulties and struggles. But there is one element that separates those who live a defeated life from those who live a victorious life.

It all has to do with where you find your source of strength.

Perhaps you are facing problems with your health, family, finances, or career. Whatever you are facing, I want to remind you to look to the Lord for His strength.

It might seem like you will never come out from under the weight of despair. But as you call upon Him, and draw strength from His Word and His presence, He will give you the strength you need to persevere.

Be encouraged today by the words of Isaiah 40:29-31:

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

The Lord knows your situation, and He is with you to help you through this time.

WHEN YOU FEEL THAT ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH IS GONE,
INVITE THE LORD TO RENEW YOU WITH HIS STRENGTH.

Awesome News!

2009-04-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

Vince had his 10 day post-op appt. today at 9:30 a.m. The doctor came in and took out the 58 staples and also pulled out the 2 drains. The drains were a little bit painful on the way out since they are about 4 in. long inside his arm! He said it's such a relief to get those nasty things out! Yay!

I asked the doctor if he had any information from the pathology reports and he said he didn't have them back yet, because they were a little more complicated samples and he said he would call us when he got the results. Early this evening I got a call from him with the results and he told me that the tumor was 99% dead! I said, "it's not 100% dead?" and he told me that "no one gets a 100% dead, 99% is the highest you can get!" All the margins were clear, which means that they removed all the cancer and it wasn't in any other areas outside of where the tumor was! He also said that everything that Vince has gone through so far is worth it because we could not have had a better result.

Thank you, Jesus for the BEST news EVER!! We give YOU the glory! Dr. Eckhardt was just a tool to get those results and we are so grateful that he is such a gifted surgeon! Thank YOU!!

I said to Dr. Eckhardt, "now we just have to get him through the chemo" and he told me, "if Vince wasn't strong enough in the beginning of this fight, he will be even stronger when it's over", I said that's what we always tell him, too!

Vince will go back in two weeks for another check up to see if his incision is healed and then he can start chemo. In the meantime, we are breathing a huge sigh of relief and we are that much closer to getting his treatments behind us! It's already been almost 7 mths. since we found out about his cancer, so 1 more year really doesn't seem that long. I am so grateful that God gives us what I like to call "amnesia" because in the beginning of this journey everyday seemed like a year and now we look back and it's hard to believe it's been 7 mths. Strange how that happens.

I just ask that you would continue to keep Vince in your prayers because I know that all of you have been praying overtime for him and your prayers have been answered! So, I hope that your faith has increased as mine has because you have seen faith in action!!! God does hear our prayers and Vince, my wonderful son, is living proof!!!

I have made a few new friends with Ewing's Sarcoma and if you could add them to your prayers I know they would appreciate it so much! Here are their names:

Erica (21 yrs. old) in Colorado, she is about 3-4 yrs. out of treatment
Tyler (16 yrs. old) in Georgia, he is in the midst, like Vince
Todd (24 yrs. old) in Calif. is about 4 mths. out of treatment but just had a surgery 6 weeks ago to fix his prosthesis
Tina's husband (42 yrs. old) in Canada, in the midst as well

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
Acts 3:16

Post Surgery Update! Sorry, It's a Long One!

2009-04-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

I am just now getting some energy to write this post. It takes me a few days to recover from lack of sleep while we are in the hospital. I hate to leave Vince, so I spend every moment there with him. It's a mom thing:) Jim comes and stays most of the days as well, and the kids came to visit a few times, too. He has done extremely well and I know that the prayers are working because we can feel them. It's not something you can explain, it's just there. It's a peace and a comfort that hangs in the air and I know it's the Holy Spirit, and if I didn't have that, I'd be going crazy. This experience can really push you to places you don't really want to go.

Here is a photo of the incision, how cool is that!!! The doctor took out the original incision from the biopsy and made a whole new incision for the surgery, so at least it doesn't look like a road map:) He is not allowed to move his shoulder at all so it is basically velcro-d to a block that is strapped to his waist and a strap that goes around his shoulder and neck. He is only allowed to move his arm from the elbow down, not that he wants to, and is also able to move his hand in circles and up and down. He has two drains coming out and he will get those removed on Thursday when he goes back to the doctor for his 1 week check up.

The doctor told us that the "prosthesis" is made from cobalt chrome and put together kind of like Tinker Toys. Click here to see photos of the pieces they used. Dr. Eckhardt replaced the humerus from the shoulder down to just right above the elbow. Originally he thought he may have to replace the entire humerus, but the chemo and radiation helped to shrink the tumor so much that he had clean margins and didn't have to go that low. He was also able to save much more of his muscle than originally planned, and didn't cut any nerves either! Vince may have a much better range of motion than the doctor ever thought he would! I love when doctors are amazed! Hmm...I wonder why? LOL! Hopefully we will be able to get the xrays someday of his arm and I will post a photo of that for sure! Dr. Eckhardt had a twinkle in his eye as he told us the good news and he also thanked Vince for getting the treatments he recommended because he responded so well. I thought that was interesting he said that to him.

When Vince was in surgery we had such a peace about it. Even though we had to sit and wait about 5 hrs. those hours zoomed by and I just knew he would come out with flying colors! We had 9 of us in the waiting room which helped pass the time. Having our kids, grandson, Bernadette, Jim's mom, sister, and all the prayers that were being lifted up from all of you, helped so much! Vince is so loved!

When we got around the corner from Vince's room, we heard him throwing up, which really broke my heart, especially since I spoke with the anesthesiologist and I told him that he gets sick from anesthesia, but I guess sometimes that's what happens. Still, it made me mad. Thank goodness it was just that once. As we came in the room, my breath was taken away when I saw him because his head was so swollen and he was as white as a sheet! The doctor later told me that it was because of the position they had him in during the surgery, which went away within a few hours.

Vince was feeling very emotional as we approached his bed and as I started to tell him that his surgery went better than expected and that they didn't have to take as much muscle as Dr. Eckhardt thought and he was indeed able to save his elbow and that he will have a better range of motion because of it, he started to cry. Of course, we started to cry , too! I said, "I hope those are tears of joy?" and he shook his head "yes" and I asked him if he thought that he would wake up without an arm and he shook his head "yes" and he was crying even more. It broke my heart because even though I thought about the possibility, it really wasn't something I thought would even happen, so I had a peace about it, but obviously he didn't, which is totally understandable because it's happening to him! His tears flowed for quite some time. He later told me that he was so happy when he woke up from the surgery and saw his fingers and realized he still had his arm. Oh my gosh! What a relief he must have felt! Thank you Jesus for all your blessings for our son! We are so full of GRATITUDE and GRATEFULNESS! We give you the all the glory!

So, the journey continues...13 chemos to go and then he will be finished! It should take about 1 more year..so please, please, please, continue to pray for him! We are so looking forward to celebrating when it's over! Again, thank you in advance! I will keep you posted!

Thank you Chris for coming to visit Vince at the hospital those 2 nights! You are a great friend!

Thank you "blog followers" for always being here for us!

Thank you to all our family and friends for all the ongoing support and prayers that you endlessly give!

The bigger the challenge becomes, the bigger the platform for your God to do His amazing thing - maybe something bigger than you have ever seen Him do before!

~this was taken from a devotional that I read today

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Home Sweet Home!

2009-04-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

We are home! Vince was pushing to come home last night but they weren't too thrilled about that! So, the dr.'s know how much Vince hates being in the hospital and they changed his bandage and sent him on his way at 9:00 a.m.! We are so happy about the outcome and it is definitely better than expected even for the dr's. I will explain later today after I get a shower and some rest and of course I will give you all the wonderful details! Here is a sneak peak at the incision!

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’" declares the Lord. ’As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9

Quick Update:)

2009-04-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update since my computer isn't working in the room and I am down in the cafeteria. Vince is doing GREAT!!!! He is in a little bit of pain, but not like you would think. He would just like to sleep through the whole recovery time, but the nurses and doctors won't let him. They want him up and walking around (not a lot) but also moving his wrist and hand. He does have some numbness and tingling in his thumb and forefinger, but other than that he is more irritated at how much his face itches from the drugs or how hot he is, and the room in set at 60 degrees and the nurses keep asking him, "aren't you cold?" The time is going so slow for him and he keeps asking me "what time is it?" and I say "didn't you just ask me that?" LOL! So, I will update later...that's it for now! We are blessed and full of JOY!!! Thank you for your answered prayers!!!!!!

You must worship the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless
your bread and your water. I will take away sickness from you.
Exodus 23:25

Surgery Is Over!!!

2009-04-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

Dr. Eckhardt just came out at 12:30 pm, after 4 hrs. 45min. He was able to save Vince's elbow!!! He told us that he was able to save the elbow joint and put a stem in and also saved more of his muscle than he thought he would. He is afraid that Vince will have more range of motion than he would like him to have, since he is so active he is a bit worried that he might break the stem! So that's a great thing!!! LOL! God has answered our prayers! Thank you Jesus! Thank you prayer warriors!!! I'll update later! Oh happy day!!!!

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"
Matthew 28:9

Calling All Prayer Warriors!

2009-04-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

We have to be at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning. Surgery is scheduled at 7 a.m. It will be approximately 4 hrs. long. I am asking for prayer for the doctors and the surgery team and that they would all be well rested, that God will use their knowledge and skill to give Vince the best outcome possible. I pray that Vince will feel better than he could ever imagine and that he would even surprise the doctors with how well he will do! I pray that the elbow can be saved and that the joint in the shoulder would have a better range of motion than they anticipate.

I am thanking Jesus for the huge testimony that Vince's life is revealing, and that hearts would be softened and souls will be saved because of the work that God is doing in each one of their lives. I am so grateful that we have each one of you praying on behalf of Vince and our family and we can feel a peace that surpasses all understanding each and every day!

I will blog as soon as I am able to sit and write about how the surgery went, hopefully later tomorrow. In the meantime, Happy Easter and YES! HE IS RISEN!!!

Here is a devotion from Pastor Greg Laurie. His son died in a car accident in July 2008, and his testimony and love for Jesus shines brighter than ever. He is truly an inspiration! God bless:)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:2

Happy Easter! He is Risen! Jesus Lives!

2009-04-12T08:41:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The Ultimate Sacrifice

2009-04-10T13:47:00.001-07:00

Surgery Date Changed

2009-04-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

Vince and I went to UCLA yesterday for his pre-op appointments. He had an MRI, 2 xrays, blood work and saw the doctor and it only took 4 hrs! One thing I have learned through all this is that you need to be flexible and patient. I always bring a book and my computer with me so that I can get stuff done and be productive.

Actually, I really feel very blessed to be at those appointments with Vince because we always meet the most amazing people. I met a mom of a 25 yr. old special needs young woman and she was having a hard time with some tests that they needed to give her and she kept screaming, "get me out of here", "get me out of here"! It's not the most pleasant thing to hear while you are in the hospital walking down the hall, but bless her heart, you could tell she was scared.

When I met her mom and she told me about her daughter and how they had to do various tests on her liver and that she had many things wrong with her. I told her about Vince and we just looked at each other with tears in our eyes and we had an unspoken connection because we could really feel for each other and how hard it is to watch our children suffer, even if they are adults, but they will always be our baby. As she got up to leave, I asked her if I could have a hug and she said, "I'll take all the hugs I can get". I saw God at work by having another tender heart to comfort. There IS joy in suffering:)

Vince's surgery was changed from Tuesday to Monday, again flexibility is necessary. We have to be there at 5:00 a.m. Surgery should be around 7 a.m. and approx. 4 hrs. long. We did see the MRI immediately and the doctor was showing it to us while we were there. He said that he does think that he can save the elbow joint, but he said that for sure the shoulder joint will be replaced. I will know more of the details after it's over and I'll keep you informed.

Dr. Eckardt's #1 goal is to save Vince's life before anything else, so he just wants us to be aware of the possibilities that are involved, so we are informed. What we thought was interesting is that he told us that in the 1970's and earlier, if you were diagnosed with Ewing's you would have no hope and you would just die. Do you know how blessed that makes us feel, knowing how far medicine has come in the last 30 yrs? Even though cancer is a tough thing to fight, at least there is an excellent chance of cure.

Vince played basketball tonight on his team, "The Beirdo's" for the last time. He is staying active since he feels so great. He is taking good care of himself and just wants to do as much as he can, even with a tear in his Meniscus:) The guy has a huge pain tolerance for sure! Mikemo didn't play tonight because he went to Florida for a skate demo and he will come back Sunday night, just in time for Vince's surgery.

Mikemo got his first shipment of the "Mikemo" shoe, which should be out around the end of the year. It think these are just samples and the colors may change when they finally come out.
Here is a photo of Vince and Mikemo holding the two different color options. I sure wish they would smile! I bet if Ty were taking their picture they would smile!! LOL!

I do have a few prayer requests this week for our family. We are all going through different health related issues and we are asking for clean reports all around! Also, for Mikemo as he is away in Florida.

Thank you to Pastor Murry for all your prayers and ongoing support for our family! You are a special blessing to us! Thank you for the Bible verse listed below!

Thank you to my Bible study ladies for praying for my family! You are awesome! I feel loved!

Thank you Cathy for being such a great friend and always being there for me for the last 34 yrs:)

Thank you Anne, my prayer warrior and the best piano teacher in the universe!

Pastor Mark and his wife Michelle and their two sons, Jaxon and Levi...thank you for praying for Vince and of course all of us! We need all the prayers we can get!

Thank you to our parents and all our extended family, we know that it's not easy for you to be at a a distance and watching Vince go through this trial. We are so grateful to have each one of you praying for him.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

2009-04-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

Vince will be having an MRI tomorrow at 10 a.m. This will be for pre-surgery plans for the surgeon to determine where to cut to replace the bone. Please pray for better than expected results for him as he goes through this limb sparing surgery.

Vince didn't get to go to Camp Woodward with Mikemo because he hurt his knee last week and had an MRI and the results showed a tear in his meniscus (he had surgery for that a few years ago on the same knee), which he will probably be referred to another doctor for that situation, but I guess one thing at a time. Also his elbow on his other arm was hurting, which of course we were concerned about, but it did quit hurting the day he decided not to go. So, just to be on the safe side and not be 2 hrs. from home, he decided not to go, so that gave us peace of mind.

Thanks for praying for our son! We are truly blessed to have a great army of prayer warriors!

My wonderful hubby, Jim, celebrated his 46th birthday today! I love you and I am a better person because of you:)

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

The Almost Surgery Date

2009-04-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the surgeon's office called and left us a message that they wanted to schedule Vince's surgery for Tuesday, April 7th (Jim's B-day) and I tried to call all day long to tell them that he will not be available since he will be at Camp Woodward that day. Finally, around 4:30 pm the office calls me back and says, "we couldn't work it out anyway". So, the surgery date will be Tuesday, April 14th instead. That is so awesome! Vince, Mikemo & David Loy will be at the camp for 3 or 4 days, they will be leaving tomorrow.

This morning Bernadette told me that a chunk of Vince's hair was on his pillow when he woke up. Bummer! Today he is wearing a hat...I guess that's going to be the "norm" for awhile. Beanies, hats and wigs are welcomed!! Hey! Maybe Jim will shave his head and we can make a wig for Vince OR I can order this mullet wig for him! What do you think? LOL!

Also, we haven't heard anything about his MRI on his knee yet, which we are hoping is a good sign they didn't call the same day!

He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.
Psalms 30:5

Vince "Skated" Through This Chemo:)

2009-04-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

We still don't have a definite date for the surgery. It will most likely be the week of April 13th. Vince is feeling so good but he is a bit bummed because his hair is starting to fall out:( It's the last time we will see him with hair for about 1 yr. If anyone would like to send some cool looking hats or beanies you can send them his way! Not sure he'd wear them all, but I'm sure it will be fun getting them!

Vince hurt his knee a few days ago and had an MRI today, so please pray that it's nothing but a sprain, so that he can have the surgery on his arm as scheduled. He and Mikemo will be attending a skate camp for kids, Camp Woodward, next week for a few days and it will be a great time to just get away and have some fun doing something good for those kids who are going to get a chance to see their favorite skaters.

Please add Vince's girlfriend, Bernadette, to your daily prayers as she re-fractured her hip for the 2nd time. It seems as though our family is being slammed with health issues, a few more of us have been afflicted, but we are hopeful that God has each one of us in His care and we have peace because of that very reason.

I found this cool photo a few months ago and thought I'd share it with you. It also happens to show the "humerus" bone, which is the one that Vince will have replaced in a few weeks and it also reminds me of my favorite show...American Idol! Go Adam!

Give me knowledge and good sense; for I have put my faith in your teachings. Psalms 119:66

Happy 19th Birthday, Mikemo!

2009-03-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Mikemo's 19th birthday on Friday at Golf N Stuff and boy doesn't everyone look thrilled! LOL! The darker picture is in front of Wood Ranch BBQ, where we went for dinner. Actually, everyone did have fun, they just don't like when I take pictures, but too bad, that's what mom's are for:)

Vince has an appointment tomorrow with the Oncologist and we will find out when he is having surgery. He has done so GREAT this round of chemo! He was out playing basketball and skateboarding a few days later and resting when his body tells him to. After every chemo he has to have a shot approx. 24 hrs. later and I just found out that the shot costs $6,600!!! Mulitiply that by 17 chemos over the next year, and it will have cost $112,200 just for shots! All I can say is how grateful we are for insurance! I will update tomorrow after we get home! Keep the prayers flowing! God is listening!

This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1 John 5:14

Surprise Visitors!

2009-03-21T20:30:00.001-07:00

Vince had some surprise visitors tonight! Mikemo, Eric, Ty and Chris all stopped by to give Vince some support! Thank you for visiting and making him smile!

One Day Left!

2009-03-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's day 5 of chemo and 1 day to go! Vince has felt so good this round and he has just breezed through it, and slept through most of it! I know that your prayers are working because of how good he is doing! Thank you!

I am going to sound like a broken record, but each day things change and you never know what you will hear from the doctors. Vince had an xray on his back two days ago, he was feeling a little bit of pain for the last month so the surgeon had him get an MRI last night and today we heard that both of them came back "pristine"! That's such great news! Whoo Hoo!!

The surgeon told us a few days ago that Vince may have to have another round of chemo before the surgery and then I saw him today in the hallway and he said that now they may do the surgery in 2 weeks. So, we aren't really making any plans yet, since things are still up in the air. He did say that Vince's tumor was almost as long as the whole humerus bone and really close to his elbow. He is going to do his best to try to save part of the bone so that he won't have to have a complete bone replacement, joint to joint, so that he will have better mobility in his elbow. Of course, he really won't know until he actually does the surgery, but just wanted us to know of the possibility. We are hoping that once he gets in there that he will find it even better than he thought! So, that's our prayer request for now:)

We are looking forward to coming home tomorrow and sleeping in our own beds! We probably won't be home until around 5 pm, but at least we will get out of here tomorrow!

God bless:)

They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the LORD'S majesty.
Isaiah 24:14

4th Chemo~Day 4

2009-03-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Vince on Tuesday when we arrived at the hospital. He is so handsome with all that hair! It did change color a bit, not as red, but the beard stayed the same. It should be interesting to see it in about a year when it grows back again for the 2nd time:) Could be blonde and curly or dark and straight! They say you never know!

Vince has been feeling pretty good, he does sleep quite a bit, which is the best way to get through this. He has been able to get unhooked from the chemo machine for 2 hrs. per day and I really do think that is what is making it so much easier for him to endure. He feels so much better because of it! Thank you Dr. Tap for allowing him to do that!

Each time he has chemo we have things that change, for instance, this time he is on insulin and blood thinners, which he didn't have any other time. They said that because of the steroids that your insulin level goes up and that's why you need the shot. They don't want patients to get blood clots from laying around and that's why he has blood thinners. So, why didn't he get that stuff last time? Who knows? Maybe each time is just different, depending on how your body responds to certain things. It's such a learning experience, and one that I would rather not have to deal with EVER! But, it's not that way. So I take it in and educate myself so that I can be pro-active and learn what works best for my son.

I posted a list of other Ewing's patients to the right side of the blog. A wonderful woman named Andrea put the list together. She is starting a foundation to help fight Sarcoma and someday soon I will post her website as soon as it's up and running. Thank you, Andrea! You are truly a blessing to all! It's an overwhelming list of people, ranging from age 2 & older. Some have passed away and others are suffering big time, so please keep them in your prayers, too. Cancer is a ugly disease, but each year the odds of cure get more and more encouraging!

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14

Happy St. Patrick's Day/Happy Birthday, Gianni/Chemo Started Late

2009-03-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

We got to the hospital at 10:00 a.m. They put Vince in a giant room w/an extra bed, then to our disappointment said that they could either add a roommate or move us to a private room. We took the private room, which is the size of a matchbox, so we are all close and comfy with our cot and fold out chair! Of course, the old lady that I am I took the cot! Bernadette is spending a few nights with us and I gave her the fold out chair which is as hard as a brick, sorry Bernadette :) Jim and Veronica were here for about 5 hrs. and will come back tomorrow. It's 9:30 pm and they just started Vince's chemo about an hour ago, and it is estimated that he will go home on Sunday rather than Saturday. That's what happens when you get a late start! Oh, well! I will soak up the quality time that I can spend with my family and there is nothing better than that! I will update soon! God bless!

Happy 11th Birthday to my grandson, Gianni! He had a fun-filled day at Disneyland with his mom and dad today! I love you more!!! LOL!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalms 118:1