Look what Ashton did to Daddy!

While we were at the hospital today, Ashton saw her first bald headed girl! All she had to say was, "Look at that girl..She looks funny.." So, Dan decided to let Ashton shave his head so that the "bald head" look wasn't so scary.. WHAT A TEAM PLAYER! Ashton's daddy ROCKS!

Just a daddy supporting his baby! I love this guy!
We can do this!

Ashton's Cancer

So the Oncology team has given us a preliminary Stage of III and Group I

This means the cancer was a very large tumor but they got all of it out.

We are still waiting on results to see if it has spread to anywhere else.

She will begin chemotherapy late next week and it will last for a Year.

She will have treatments every three weeks and mini treatments every week with blood work.

She will lose her hair with in 7 to 10 days post matriculation.

Daddy will be shaving his head too!!!

Please continue to send your prayers heavenward!

As we get more news we will post here. 

Thank you for all the love and support. 

Pathology Report

The pathology results are in.

Ashton has what is called Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

Sarcomas are cancers that develop from connective tissues in the body, such as muscles, fat, membranes that line the joints, or blood vessels. There are many types of sarcomas. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a cancer made up of cells that normally develop into skeletal muscles. The body contains 3 main types of muscles. About 7 weeks into the development of an embryo, rhabdomyoblasts (cells that will eventually form skeletal muscles) begin to form. These are the cells that can develop into the cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. Because this is a cancer of embryonal cells, it is much more common in children, although it does occur in adults occasionally.

One of the main rhabdomyosarcomas is;

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is the most common type of rhabdomyosarcoma. It usually affects infants and young children. The cells of ERMS look like the developing muscle cells of a 6- to 8-week-old fetus. ERMS tends to occur in the head and neck area, bladder, vagina, and in or around the prostate and testicles.

What’s next for Ashton?

 

On Thursday she will undergo some more testing i.e.: CT, Bone scan, and a bone marrow biopsy. After that is all done Thursday late afternoon she will have another surgery to place a Port-a-Cath (and venous blood access point) where they will be able to have a portal to begin Chemo with out damaging her peripheral veins. Thursday will be a long day at the hospital.

 

We still have one test still pending. While in surgery when the surgeon resected the tumor there was a small amount of fluid in her abdomen. They sent the fluid to the lab with the tumor for examination. The pathologist saw some cells in the fluid that he thought to be suspicious but wasn’t real sure. So they packaged the fluid and sent it to St Jude’s Research hospital for another pathologists review.

 

The one thing I am thankful for is that Ashton is not in any real pain. We are 5 days post-op and Ashton is acting normal. The road we have ahead will be a rocky one but we will prevail!

 

What can you do?

 

Please exercise faith on Ashton’s behalf.

Please remember her in your prayers.

Please support my wife she will need it.

 

 

My poor Ashton..

My poor Ashton had surgery this past Wednesday. I noticed about a week ago that her tummy was feeling harder than usual and that it was lopsided. So last Tuesday I decided to go take her in to her pediatrician and they sent us to Evanston Hospital for an ultrasound and then a CT scan. They could finally see that it was a tumor but didn't know what kind it was and where it was originating from. So, we then needed to go to Children's Memorial Hospital for surgery to get a biopsy to decide how to take care of the tumor..We then had about one hour to go home and pack our bags for a 3 day hospital stay..Poor Ashton was probably so confused and annoyed that we were going to the hospital instead of Nana's for the weekend! To her, nothing hurt and nothing was wrong with her belly!
S0, we spent the night in the hospital Tues night and Wed. morning the were preparing to take Ashton in to surgery. They told us they just wanted a piece of the tumor to test it so they could decide what to do next-either take it all out or do chemotherapy to shrink it down. So, we were all kinda in the dark until they were in the middle of digging around inside of her. Then they called us during surgery and told us they could tell they'd be able to take the whole thing out right then and there. It was the size of a CANTELOUPE!! SCARY!! So that was great news that they were able to get it all out! So about 2 hours later she they got it all out, sewed her up and she was doing great! It felt like forever until we could go see her again! But we went back to her recovery room and stayed till Sat afternoon healing and praying! She had a tube up her nose that went down into her stomach, one IV in one arm and one in the other, she had an epidural in her spine, and a cathader in her bladder. She had tubes and wires coming out every hole you could think of! Poor baby! She had fasted from Tues afternoon until Thurs. afternoon!! My poor baby! They told us they ended up having to cut out 5% of her bladder cuz the tumor was sitting on it and they didn't want any cells or tissue left behind. So she had to keep her cathader in her bum the longest to let her bladder heal. She was soooo excited to get that out and go pee by herself! So, we FINALLY got to go home once they saw that her bladder was working on its own. And that was Saturday afternoon. So it is SOOO great it be home finally...that was the most awful thing I've ever had to do...my poor Ashton...she just kept saying everyday "I wanna go home!" "I just wanna go sleep in my tinkerbell bed!" It was so heartbreaking seeing her in such pain. She has a cut from her belly button, straight down to her pubic bone..Its about 4 inches long. No stitches or staples. They glued it together so it really doesn't look too bad..lol...for a slice right down ur tummy..She's doing really great though! She's walking around fine and eating and playing. She hasn't complained about her tummy so far! And to top it off, one of our friends in our ward surprised her with a homecoming present...a PUPPY...AHHHHH!!!!!!!! lol...it's actually not that bad...its a good little dog and it makes Ashton happy and preoccupied. Anything to make her feel happier right now! So I really don't mind too bad..
Anyway...that's the news so far...we've been REALLY blessed so far and we couldn't be more grateful! We're still waiting to hear back from the lab about the test they're running on the tumor. There are a few possibilities: it could be just a harmless tumor that won't come back since they got it all, it could be a cancerous tumor that only grows in that same spot-but since they got it all out she'll just have periodic check ups to keep an eye on her, or it could be a cancerous tumor that can grow anywhere in her body and she'll have to do chemotherapy to kill all the cancer cells.
So...we're definately hoping, fasting and praying that its harmless and all gone so she can be done and not have to go back!! It's been really stressful!!! We will HOPEFULLY find out this Tues from the lab to see what kind of a tumor it is.
This is Ashton before surgery..so SAD!!
She's all decked out in her "pixie dust" that her anesthesiologist brought her the day after surgery! How nice! It made her day:)


Our last family get together before they left for Utah...bummer...There's Ashton passed out in her bed!
Yay! Finally walking around!

This was Ashton's homecoming present from the Trudeau's! wow....Alleisha, Alex, and Brigham bought this puppy for Ashton with their own money! Such amazing kids....Ashton could not have been happier! She has named her "Sharlee" and hasn't left her alone for ONE minute! haha...so much love! (Doesn't Ashton look a MILLION times better already?!! She's walking around and carrying the puppy around all over the place! I'd say she's bouncing right back! I'm amazed...)

So thank you for ALL your prayers for my sweet little Ashton...I really appreciate it..Ashton's my world and we're so grateful to have her!

Losing my family!

Ok...nobody asked me if it was ok to leave Illinois after 13.. or so.. years! My family (mom, dad, Brad, Austin and Jackie) has decided to move to ST. GEORGE, UT!.....WHAT?! Ya...it hasn't quite sunk in yet...although the last several times we've been over to their house it has been more and more evident....the empty-ish rooms and stacks of boxes everywhere is strange...They leave in like 23 days or something now. So surreal! We've ALWAYS been able to hop right on over to grandma's house for a play day or Sunday dinner or birthday or WHATEVER...not anymore! It'll be more of a hop skip and a jump jump jump over to grandma's house...:(( Until then, I'll sit here, wasting my 23 days, wondering if it's really gonna happen. And wonder what in the WORLD we will do on those days that we would just run on over for no reason at all...How depressing.. Then I remember, my brother Brad! He has decided to stay for the summer semester taking a class or two at CLC and working. Since we are the closest to CLC, he's going to be living with US! I'm not quite sure how its going to work really, since all we have is our room and Ashton's room! I'm thinking, Ashton's bunkbeds!?? haha!! (Brad is about 6'3") Oh well, its family and a live-in babysitter! I am THRILLED about that..However, that too shall end in August. I'm trying to focus on the time we have left and the times to come! So here's how we're spending the last month or so with my family:

A day at the ZOO!
Awe...I love this picture of these three!!
Definitely NOT the best family picture but it was the only one....:/
Playing with Aunt Jackie:)
Catching raindrops with Grandpa! What a perfect end to a perfect day:)

Our trip to Utah!

I'M HOME

Ok! Soooo, Utah's GREAT! We had a BLAST! Dan was actually job hunting online while we were out there for jobs in Salt Lake! Haha!! Quite the transformation huh? Now that we're home, I must say, I do LOVE being home. There's nothing quite like it.. I did enjoy all the aMaZiNg food and scenery there. It was soooo strange to have everyone be so happy. I didn't realize how grouchy people can look around here! Haha! It was also wonderful to be around family that we haven't seen in YEARS! And to look out and see 3 temples at the same time! You can't do that anywhere else in the WORLD! Ashton l.o.v.e.d. the moutains. Everytime we looked out the window it was, WOOOOOW! The drive was suprisingly easy! Except for those last 6 hours that seemed to go on forever! Ashton never cried, whinned, or complained (OR PUKED!) the entire time! I was so proud of her. And grateful for Nana's ginger cookies and good ol' dramamine! gotta love 'em! Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute in Utah! Thanks to everyone, especially family, who made it wonderful! And thanks to my Lovie who was my appointed tour guide:) lovin'!


p.s. no serious job opportunities so far! ;)