Goodbye 2012

It’s been a wonderful Christmastime! We were home… still are! And let me tell you, the days leading up were filled with more than a little worry that we might have a Thanksgiving repeat, especially with Jake’s stem cell collection so close to Christmas day. There were tons of temperature checks to make sure we were OK and no one was allowed to go anywhere too germy. In hindsight, it was a little over-kill but keeping Jake from being hospitalized unnecessarily, was priority. We’ve had some fun days and lots of movie nights, even had a day that wasn’t too cold where we could get outside and play…that was the BEST! Jake actually rode his bike and that hasn’t happened in months. There was a point a few months ago when his legs were hurting so badly and they were so weak that he couldn’t even make the pedals go around. Yesterday he pedaled and pedaled! We were supposed to be admitted for Round 4 last Thursday but Jake didn’t make counts so now we are scheduled for this Thursday, Jan 3rd. The good news is that we will spend New Year’s home! Two holidays in a row! Woo hoo, getting the sparklers!!! We’ll head in for chemo this week and hope to be back home the day before the kids go back to school. At Jake’s appointment last Thursday we met with his Oncology team to go over the next couple of months. Henry had some hard questions (we weren’t sure we wanted the answers but they needed asking) and Dr. Foster was very encouraging, still. She feels that he appears to be responding to his therapies because of the way his counts recover each time. Sometimes they’ve been a bit delayed but she reminded us, each patient is different, and there is no exact time of recovery, only estimates. She reinforced thathis counts do recover to where they need them each time to begin each round of chemo – that is key. She and Dr. Zage are still optimistic about what they feel will be the outcome. We are so thankful for their attitudes, it’s so needed some days. There were a couple of changes to his road map (or treatment plan) but we are still moving along. The biggest change is that Jake will now have six rounds of chemo in this cycle, not five. And it looks like we could be ready for Stem Cell Transplant in April rather than this summer. We will have his MIBG after his counts recover from this chemo. This is the scan that lights up everywhere there is cancer. We hope to see marked improvement in the bones and a big reduction in the abdominal mass and liver. From there our surgeon will plan the surgery to remove that mass. If he feels that Jake’s tumor still needs a little more zapping, we’ll do chemo 5 before the surgery. Otherwise we’ll finish chemo 5 & 6 after he re-cooperates from surgery and then we’ll head into transplant; then radiation and accutane therapies. There’s still so much road to travel. Also, his hearing test did indicate some hearing loss due to the chemo so they will monitor that closely. A lot of information, right??? We have a few family and friends who are into the medical side, so that was for you! (The picture of Jakie above is him waiting to surprise his Docs and jump out with a big “BOO!”) For now, we plan to enjoy the next few days… and for Houston, we’re having a bit of a cold spell… not like many of you with snow, but it’s our version of brrrrrrr! We’re a different breed here, ya know? Our humidity and HOT summers make us wimpy. We’re not used to cold weather so we get out our gloves and scarves and big coats. We make a scene of it. For the Hickford crew, we’re mostly homebound with movie nights and popcorn, AND crazy kids making for

some stir crazy moments. Unfortunately the cold weather has put our photo shoot on hold with Kelly and the Magic Hour Foundation, I just can’t get Jake out for too long as he’s still coughing from the RSV, so as soon as it happens, we will post them – we are so looking forward to this. With everything going on the past few months my partner, Shana, has taken our Beachbody Faith & Fitness girls by the reigns and I am so thankful that I could come and go so easily and grateful to our girls who are such powerful prayer warriors. I am so blessed to be part of such a great group of leaders and workout girls. Henry hasn’t been riding as much and it looks like he will sit out the MS150 this year but he’s playing soccer and we’re doing what we can to keep the kids in their activities as best as possible. All in all, we’re in good shape, saying goodbye to 2012… and PRYAING for a BIG MIRACLE in 2013. Keep your eyes open… TRUTH 365 kicks into full gear on Jan 1st. Please pray with us that it brings awareness, that it brings change, that it brings a call to action by those that can, and that it brings future cures to so many little ones! We ask your continued prayers for courage and healing for Jake and all of the children that fight with all they have, and please pray especially for those families whose children walked through heavens door this year. Then the little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them… Jesus said, “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:13-14 May God Bless You in 2013!