Matthew’s Messages - matthew.tonyc.com

The nurse came in a little bit ago (late Thursday night) and gave Matthew his push of Vincristine and then another nurse came in and whisked his other med away that was on the bed. “What is going on?” we thought.

Our nurse came back to tell us that the doses on the labels were wrong and all chemo has been halted for the night. So he won’t be getting his overnight chemos until after the chemo pharmacists come in the morning and straighten things out. Better safe than sorry. His Vincristine was okay.

So we will be at Vanderbilt all day Friday to allow for the chemo and the 8 hours of Mesna. Still hoping to go home Friday but it will probably be late in the evening. The last time chemo started in the morning we did not go home until around 9:00 p.m. Matthew is crying to go home NOW!

-Gina

(Read entry below for important details on treatment options and a BIG prayer request)

After a week of joy and a touch of normalcy with the catheter out, the Butterfields were back at Vanderbilt for Matthew’s overnight chemo visit. They continue to see prayers answered as Matthew has gained weight this week - from 32 lbs. 4 oz. last week back up to 33 lbs. this week. A big thanks to all that have prayed for this specific request!

I talked to Gina around 2:30 p.m. and they were still awaiting a bed. In the interim, she wanted to inform everyone of what new things they learned about their journey of attacking Matthew’s cancer and what might lie ahead.

First off, they learned the first stage of treatments Matthew has been receiving over the past few months were mostly in an attempt to keep the cancer from spreading #1 and to shrink the tumor itself #2. Once his 12th treatment is complete in mid-April is when more decisions have to be made in terms of “local control” (i.e. really focusing on the tumor itself).

Today’s discussion with the oncology team frankly had its highs and lows for Keith & Gina. First of all, the good news is that the doctors say his tumor is low in the bladder. This is good they say because it helped them find the tumor quicker which allowed them to treat it quicker which made the chance of it spreading is less likely. The not-so-good news about it being lower in the bladder is that it sometimes means the possibility of surgery is more likely. That is something they did not want to hear.

Therefore, PRAYERS ARE NEEDED that the TUMOR SIMPLY BE GONE when the reimaging is done the week of April 19th so the topic of surgery will not even need to be discussed!

Please pray that the treatments Matthew is receiving over the next 24 hours will be so powerful they will knock out every cancer cell in his precious little body - all the to praise of our glorious God!

Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 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.

This week is an important week for Matthew. On Wednesday, Keith and Gina will be removing Matthew’s catheter to gauge whether his bladder can function on its own. At the Thursday clinic visit, doctors will be able to monitor how he is doing and determine whether a new catheter is needed. Please pray that the tumor is out of the way and that he can void on his own.

In addition to this, please continually pray that the chemo is working to destroy the tumor. Matthew has a very important CT scan coming up in April and they hope to see 1) that the tumor is gone or is at least shrunk and 2) that the cancer has not spread.

If the tumor has not been reduced, then surgery might be required and that would likely require removing his bladder. That is obviously something they don’t want to happen.

Above all else, the Butterfields’ prayer continues to be that God be glorified through Matthew’s healing. Thank you for praying for him and the entire Butterfield family.

Psalm 34:1-8
I will extol the LORD at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me;
He delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
He saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
and He delivers them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Matthew had an active night at Vanderbilt last night with plenty of visitors and family to provide encouragement. Little Carmen Bailey even arrived with a Happy Meal, and Matthew ate all the chicken nuggets, a few fries, grapes and drank some apple juice. Keep the prayers going for his appetite to be strong.

His chemo was administered Thursday night, and the follow-up Mesna doses and hydration were completed this morning. After meeting with a nutritionist, Matthew & Gina were able to return home a little past lunchtime. His counts are expected to be down this week so he won’t be out and about much. Continue to pray for his healing and for all the children dealing with so many different issues at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Laura

Matthew made his weekly visit for clinics this morning and he was very cooperative. However, they did realize a little discrepancy when it came to tallying their treatments. Today’s round actually completed #4, not last week’s as we first thought. (Evidently, the first round counted as zero. Go figure!) So, as of today, #4 is complete - Praise God!

Gina also reported that the doctors discussed adding radiation to Matthew’s treatments and briefly mentioned possible surgery in the future. (They will know more about the latter when they meet with their urologist/surgeon Dr. Brock on Thursday of next week.) Also, April 19th has been set as the date Matthew will go back to Imaging to assess the status of the tumor in his bladder and to check his lungs as this type of cancer can often spread there. Please be in prayer now up until that date that the treatments are destroying the tumor and that the lung scan will be normal.

“I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” — Psalm 17:6

Matthew & Gina are happily on their way home from Vanderbilt as of 1 pm. The tests on the blood found in Matthew’s urine came back normal and was probably due to irritation from the catheter. They are thankful to see the sunshine and are heading back to Smyrna. Thanks for your prayers!

Chemo was finally started around 12:30 last night. Matthew was given some Benadryl beforehand so he rested comfortably as it was all administered through his port (so, thankfully, no “ouchies”). A dose of mesna was scheduled for 8:45 am and then the steps to discharge will be set in motion for them to hopefully go home early afternoon. However, they are learning that in the world of hospitals, nothing goes on schedule.

Matthew had quite an episode of pain last night but they praise God this morning that their cries for relief were answered before he fell asleep. (For specific prayer requests, see last night’s posting “Hope, Trust, Wait.”)

Pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks. God is good . . . all the time.

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

Matthew entered Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital on Thursday for clinic and his overnight visit for chemo. Although the wait for a room was long, the Butterfields were thankful to be in one by evening. While they were hoping to start the chemo and subsequent treatments to protect his bladder, they found some blood in his urine. As of 11:30 pm, he still had not received his chemo treatment.

Throughout the day, many friends and family stopped in to continue to show their love and support. The Butterfields are grateful beyond words!

Answered prayer: Although Matthew’s appetite has been severely affected and he doesn’t eat much of anything on some days, his weight has not changed since his diagnosis. (In fact, it was even up by a pound today but Gina suspects it had more to do with his new tennis shoes than anything else!)

Prayer requests:

-The blood in his urine is simply from the catheter irritation and not a sign of infection.

-Pray that the chemo will do the job it is intended to, and that pain the tumor is causing Matthew will stop.

-Keith and Gina ask for you to pray that their faith be increased. That their faith not just be in a good prognosis but that they rest wholly in the faith that our Heavenly Father will answer their prayers for healing.

Through this ordeal, everyone that knows and prays for Matthew will surely attest that they are walking closer to God and relying more on Him. Even Matthew in his little 2-year-old mind is tapping into the power of prayer. During one of his painful periods this week, he hugged Gina and said “pray with me” that the pain will go away. May our merciful and mighty God grant his request!

Matthew has enjoyed a string of good days. They have been some of the hardest days for us emotionally as we have watched his hair make a grand exodus. It is the evidence of the toll the chemo is taking on his fast growing cells as it works on the tumor in his bladder. We can thank God for the outward sign that the drugs are working but at the same time it is a grim reality of the fact that our baby is sick. His hair loss does not bother him. He often names a Star Wars character that has taken his hair.
Just wanted to say thanks again for all the love and prayers!

Please pray that Matthew’s appetite will improve and that he won’t yell so much. OK so he’s not yelling all the time but he wants what he wants when he wants it. Sounds like a lot of us.

Tonight at supper we read Ephesians 6:10-18. By God’s grace we are going to put on our armor daily and fight this foe. We don’t want to simply survive cancer, we want to emerge victorious in knowing that God has been glorified. We are seeing God answer your prayers daily for pain free days for Matthew. He’s not having pain, he just thinks he’s a Star Wars character who has lost all his hair. He just looks in the mirror and laughs. Laughter is good medicine.

Our visit to the clinic went well today. Matthew was given a “Chemo Duck” at the clinic. The duck comes with his own hospital PJs, port and bandana. They accessed his port with a “tubey” to draw blood and to give him a “slow push” of Vincristine. Counts are high now due to the shots we have been giving at home for the last 10 days. Matthew also got a flu shot today after the tube was removed from his port. We were done at V’bilt by 11 today! We will plan to spend the night at the hospital next Thursday for our “sleepover chemo”. That is the chemo that brings his counts down.

We are always meeting new friends when we go to Vanderbilt. Today we met an Air Guard Serviceman and his wife who were there with their daughter. She spoke with confidence about her disease and the blessings she is seeing through her journey. Jonathan and Granna went with us to the clinic and to Mellow Mushroom for lunch. We came home to a clean home and supper in the crock pot. Quite a blessed day! We are so thankful to be covered in love and prayer!