March 21
Haha, got yet another week at home! WOOT WOOT!!! Checked my blood again today, most are up nice 'n high except for one. The ANC count has to be up to .75 before treatment can start. last week it was .2 which is considered rock bottom. Now it's .03, sooo... still in the mask. BUT I GET TO STAY HOME!!! should be up next week though, can't really go anywhere but up from here aye!
March 15
Okay, here's the thing. I was going to go back to Van for a week as soon as my counts were up. We checked on Friday and the one count was just a tiny eeny weeny itsy bitsy bit to low to start so we figured we'd check again monday. It was practically garunteed that they would be high enough. So we got all packed, ready to go, checked the blood again. Turns out that count is now completely rock bottom. So I get to stay home another week! :D So I'm stuck in a mask again, but it's worth it in my opinion!
Showing posts with label facebook post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label facebook post. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
February 15
Well, I'm alive and well, which is always nice! Had a good trip down and counts are up meaning we were able to start treatment. So I'm currently sitting on a couch with an IV pumping a lovely little cocktail into my chest. Oh how wonderfully messed up that sounds, gotta love it! God is good, forever and always!!!
Friday, January 14, 2011
January 13, 2011
Joel Macaulay has become a caffine adict!
They actually help with the headaches, go figure! but mom still won't let me have coffee, yet.so the landline decided to join the wifi in it's rebellion against mankind, but we have overcome them... well, the techy did. Feeling pretty good... today, tired after the chemo but no headache today :D doing good so far in the treatments, looks like I'll be down here for the next 8 to 9 months with the odd visit back. Then it'll be a trip to either kelowna or Vancouver every month for a while. how long I'm down here will depend a lot on how I respond to treatment and there could be gaps in between treatment phases if my blood counts drop too low, which is rather common. so at this point it is rather impossible on a human level to give dates, but hopefully home to stay-ish in around nine months. So ya, God is good though we don't always see his plan, but look at King David, he suffered for years before becoming a king and he didn't know why he suffered either, so maybe I'll become Prime minister... or not! I'll stick with redneck farmer if that's where you want me Lord, please?
January 9, 2011
wifi is down and I've been too lazy to go use the landline computer so thats why I haven't been on for a few days. still doing pretty good, been tired, but not too bad considering. Thank you Lord for that one! starting to get some stuff ...figured out with treatment but rather hard to plan very far ahead, so if your trying to plan something and I still haven't gotten back to you, I appologize and I'll try and get back to you when I can or know. still getting used to the new hair style (or lack of one) but that don't mean I ain't rockin the look! In Christ alone, Joel
January 5, 2011
Joel Macaulay is bald, and still a wee bit sexy!!!
Ok, the stuff from the last bone marrow is in. If you remember, when I first came in my bones were full of cancer cells and that was the 100 percent mark. We are now at (or slightly under) the one percent mark! :D Also they've pretty much confirmed what kind of Leukemia it is, with all its special, personal little details. Basically it's the Pre-B-cell A.L.L. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) and it has one of the best prognosis of all the types of A.L.L. Found out that I am a Slow Early Responder, which means I get a few extra weeks of chemo and some radiation treatment at the end. When I first started this, I agreed to be part of a cancer study, which is simply that they take a little extra blood and bone marrow, and they ship it off to the states somewheres for testing. So I'm actually getting the best testing and most up to date results available, which is cool! Starting the second phase of treatment tomorrow, which will last for eight weeks I believe. There's something every week so I'm not sure if I'll be able to come back for a visit. But in the third phase of treatment it looks like their might be a couple ten day breaks between treatments and hopefully then it'll work. From now on the treatments will be working to drop the number of cancer cell from one in one hundred to one in a thousand. Then one in ten thousand, ect. It's just me and my Mom down here now, dad and the bro's are heading back, in the snow, right now. Everybody says its snowing here, I personally call it slushing. Feeling good, steroids are disappearing quite nicely. And they didn't make me fat like they were supposed to. And ya! God is good!!!
December 30, 2010
Haha, doing good! Sounds like my Mom and both the bro’s are coming down Monday, Lord willing :) Got another bone biopsy tomorrow and that should tell us where the cancers at. Their also gonna do another spinal tap, which is just putting ...a little chemo in my lower spine just to get anything that might be hiding in there and I think they might take a little juice out too, just to check what‘s going on in there. So, that’s tomorrow, get to the hospital at ten and when they can get me in they’ll do the procedure. This may mean waiting around for a while, or it might all happen quick, bring a good book aye? So that’s tomorrow. I'm actually eating very good, especially considering its two guys batching it for the most part!!! Just to throw that out there ;) Steroids + an amazing Whole Foods grocery store... lets just say I like that store right now, a lot!!! Filled with a strength and joy right now that is straight from God, and its amazing! One day at a time and really working just to let God have control in everything, gotta say it makes things way nicer. Off to bed now, God bless ya’ll!!!
December 28, 2010
Is doing great! The family's heading home right now, bummed to see them go but I'll be seeing them again soon. Gerbrandts are coming today, stoked for that. I decided to be lazy again and just copy most of an email to a really cool indivividual of amazing incredibleness. So ya, God is amazing to me, even while I don't deserve it at all, he still carries me through.
Thank you everyone for all the prayers and Christmas cards, they are beautiful and amazing and majorly encouraging! Love you all, in Christ!!!
I'm actually doing really good and feeling really close to God. I had a really good talk with Him... a few nights ago, just getting a lot of straight and lettiing myself more than anyone know that I'm fine if He takes me home. Now before you freak out from that statement, I am fine! This isn't a terminal cancer, just a bit of an annoying one. Totally getting yourself right with God on the whole matter of death is such a load off though. i've just had major peace ever since, cuz, worst that can happen, I'm ok with it. The only thing I'd worry about is the pain it would leave behind. So emotionally I'm doing great! Treatments aren't bad, chemo is either given through needles or IV poles so that's a breeze and I haven't had any major side affects other than the one day I had some muscle pains in my chest and back which hurt, but not to bad, and it went away after a while. Steroids make me rather tired and occasionally dopey (to a rather stupid level sometimes). The odd slight headache but nothing too bad yet thankfully. sleep comes and goes at night, I usually have a nap for an hour or two after lunch, and that usually keeps me going "right tooten dandy" till bed time. Bowels are a biggy, as awkward as that sounds ;) laxitives and prunes are a gift delivered straight from Heaven. Without I'd be dying! And ya, that's an honest "how I am". Christ is amazing and I am a sinner. Even now, I try and push God away, trying to control little stuff like what I eat and when, how it'll affect me and just trying to take control of what little I could. Emotionally it started getting rather obssessive and ridiculous. And then I clued into the fact that it didn't matter, yes I gotta plan meals so my bowels don't make me regret it. But its only food (or what ever that little thing is), in light of eternity, whats a single meal aye? Hand in hand we carry on, living life to the full in the arms of our Savior, one day at a time, in Christ alone. Theres gonna be a big meeting on the fourth of January and that'll tell us where I'm at, what kind of treatment we'll be doing and DNA-wise how I am and how that'll affect treatment and hopefully get some sort of plan together.
And ya, geting caught up on the messages slowly. I love hearing from you guys and if I don't get back to you, please don't let that slow you down. gonna run now,
Because of Christ,
Joel
I'm actually doing really good and feeling really close to God. I had a really good talk with Him... a few nights ago, just getting a lot of straight and lettiing myself more than anyone know that I'm fine if He takes me home. Now before you freak out from that statement, I am fine! This isn't a terminal cancer, just a bit of an annoying one. Totally getting yourself right with God on the whole matter of death is such a load off though. i've just had major peace ever since, cuz, worst that can happen, I'm ok with it. The only thing I'd worry about is the pain it would leave behind. So emotionally I'm doing great! Treatments aren't bad, chemo is either given through needles or IV poles so that's a breeze and I haven't had any major side affects other than the one day I had some muscle pains in my chest and back which hurt, but not to bad, and it went away after a while. Steroids make me rather tired and occasionally dopey (to a rather stupid level sometimes). The odd slight headache but nothing too bad yet thankfully. sleep comes and goes at night, I usually have a nap for an hour or two after lunch, and that usually keeps me going "right tooten dandy" till bed time. Bowels are a biggy, as awkward as that sounds ;) laxitives and prunes are a gift delivered straight from Heaven. Without I'd be dying! And ya, that's an honest "how I am". Christ is amazing and I am a sinner. Even now, I try and push God away, trying to control little stuff like what I eat and when, how it'll affect me and just trying to take control of what little I could. Emotionally it started getting rather obssessive and ridiculous. And then I clued into the fact that it didn't matter, yes I gotta plan meals so my bowels don't make me regret it. But its only food (or what ever that little thing is), in light of eternity, whats a single meal aye? Hand in hand we carry on, living life to the full in the arms of our Savior, one day at a time, in Christ alone. Theres gonna be a big meeting on the fourth of January and that'll tell us where I'm at, what kind of treatment we'll be doing and DNA-wise how I am and how that'll affect treatment and hopefully get some sort of plan together.
And ya, geting caught up on the messages slowly. I love hearing from you guys and if I don't get back to you, please don't let that slow you down. gonna run now,
Because of Christ,
Joel
December 24,2010
Had an amazing day with the family and I felt great!!! Uberly stoked for tomorrow, have a blessed Christmas everone!!! For we are worshiping an incredible Savior, and God bless us every one! :D
December 22, 2010
"It's when your on fire, that you shine!"
The results from the bone marrow got back, the percentage mark of leukemia in my bones as of the fifteenth day of treatment is down to 9% from the previous 12%. God be praised, its creeping down! I think we’re on day 20-ish of treatment t...oday. There’s a meeting on the fourth of January that we’ll kinda figure out where we are at and we’ll start to make the plan for future treatment.
Feeling really good, and am so incredibly blessed. Really filled with a strength right now that is straight from the Lord, its totally not me and I have this huge feeling of peace and joy. Oh the glory of our Christ. This is a fire I pray will never dim. It may get hard here, it might not, its totally in God’s hands and as long as I’m hanging on to Him, it’ll never be too much. Just gotta remember that God never gives us more in a day than we can take, its when we take on the burdens of tomorrow that we become overwhelmed. We can learn from the past, plan for the future, and live a life to the full, in the moment.
Family’s coming down tomorrow, super excited to see them. Prayers for a safe trip for them would be greatly appreciated. Side note: with the family coming down and Christmas I might not get on here so if it’s even a week or more without hearing from me, don’t panic. I’ll probably get on but just in case I don’t. It’s been amazing having all the prayers from everyone, I can’t explain it at all but they have been huge. They are definitely doing something! Might try hitting Grandview Island today if it works. Please pray for a boy here at RM House, he just got diagnosed with a cancer quite similar to mine. But he had some bad reactions to the one chemo we had both gotten and, though I was fine, he actually went into cardiac arrest, or something very similar. He’s looking a lot better and they are hoping he can come to Ronald Macdonald House tomorrow night from the hospital. It was pretty hard on the family and a big scare, their doing good now but it shook them up. Pray that I have a chance to share Christ with them, living alongside of them here. Pray that He shines though to this family and all the families around us here. Totally floundering in the love of my King, and absolutely loving it!!!
Feeling really good, and am so incredibly blessed. Really filled with a strength right now that is straight from the Lord, its totally not me and I have this huge feeling of peace and joy. Oh the glory of our Christ. This is a fire I pray will never dim. It may get hard here, it might not, its totally in God’s hands and as long as I’m hanging on to Him, it’ll never be too much. Just gotta remember that God never gives us more in a day than we can take, its when we take on the burdens of tomorrow that we become overwhelmed. We can learn from the past, plan for the future, and live a life to the full, in the moment.
Family’s coming down tomorrow, super excited to see them. Prayers for a safe trip for them would be greatly appreciated. Side note: with the family coming down and Christmas I might not get on here so if it’s even a week or more without hearing from me, don’t panic. I’ll probably get on but just in case I don’t. It’s been amazing having all the prayers from everyone, I can’t explain it at all but they have been huge. They are definitely doing something! Might try hitting Grandview Island today if it works. Please pray for a boy here at RM House, he just got diagnosed with a cancer quite similar to mine. But he had some bad reactions to the one chemo we had both gotten and, though I was fine, he actually went into cardiac arrest, or something very similar. He’s looking a lot better and they are hoping he can come to Ronald Macdonald House tomorrow night from the hospital. It was pretty hard on the family and a big scare, their doing good now but it shook them up. Pray that I have a chance to share Christ with them, living alongside of them here. Pray that He shines though to this family and all the families around us here. Totally floundering in the love of my King, and absolutely loving it!!!
December 20, 2010
So Friday night I started having some muscle pain, nothing to bad. Docs wanted to do an x-ray just to make sure everything was good. Figured that it was just overworked muscles plus a little bit of chemo reaction. Then they found this go...ofy little air bubble sitting just outside my lungs by my central line that they stuck in me. They just wanted to keep an eye on it for a bit so it was hospital food again till today. Looks like it’ll just go away on its own. I’m back at Ronald Macdonald today and got some real food in me, woot woot! Then I got a surprise visit from Peter and Martha Kornelsen which was amazing, thank you guys so much for coming by and the gifts! God is amazing, been taking such care of us. In Jesus we stand!
December 18, 2010
Is doing amazing!!! Internets been down last few days so here’s the updates:
Thursday went great and I was in the hospital at 9 AM and out by 11AM, which was great. That day went great. And I wrote the following that evening.
“I am so overwhelmed with God’s goodness, and amazingness and so totally beyond anything words could ever say. Here I am, a young man entering into manhood, one of the hardest stages in life, finds out he has cancer, and is totally, ecstatically, madly in love with his Creator. I am saved, I am totally in His hands, I am surrounded by so many amazing fellow Christians who are majorly holding me up in prayer and I will be with for eternity. I KNOW MY SAVIOR DEEPLY! Nothing on this earth or beneath can ever touch me. But from above the earth I am completely saturated with God. Lord let me shine bright, my brothers and sisters in Christ let me call upon you! We are going to do something great, every moment we are dedicating to Christ from this moment onward. We are going to fight for every soul against that devil, we are bringing them to our Heavenly Father. Holy Spirit we cry, fill us, help us for we are nothing without you, yet in You oh Triune God, we are filled so far beyond eternity! I love You Jesus, MY JESUS! You, my King, are my desire, and this is my pledge!”
I wrote this on Friday, rather repetitive but ya!
So, yesterday’s chemo and biopsy went great, actually was done and out of the hospital by about eleven AM and we had gotten there at 9 AM. In and drugged up and out pretty nicely, not much waiting around. Then hung out with Glen Janzen for the afternoon which was a hoot! Then that evening I wrote the previous paragraph there, and oh boy, is God ever good!!! Today is sunny and me and my dad went on a beautiful walk this morning around a few blocks. Eating and sleeping are getting figured out nicely, God’s really showing me what to do, though steroids and self control don’t always mix well! ;) Headaches haven’t been much of a problem, the odd slight one but as long as I don’t overdo it, I’m good. Looking forward to seeing the family up here in a few days!!! Continually amazed in God’s majesty and loving it!!!
Today I’m good, a little achey but not too bad! Gonna keep er pretty quiet today! God is amazing and all glory and praise to him!!!
“I am so overwhelmed with God’s goodness, and amazingness and so totally beyond anything words could ever say. Here I am, a young man entering into manhood, one of the hardest stages in life, finds out he has cancer, and is totally, ecstatically, madly in love with his Creator. I am saved, I am totally in His hands, I am surrounded by so many amazing fellow Christians who are majorly holding me up in prayer and I will be with for eternity. I KNOW MY SAVIOR DEEPLY! Nothing on this earth or beneath can ever touch me. But from above the earth I am completely saturated with God. Lord let me shine bright, my brothers and sisters in Christ let me call upon you! We are going to do something great, every moment we are dedicating to Christ from this moment onward. We are going to fight for every soul against that devil, we are bringing them to our Heavenly Father. Holy Spirit we cry, fill us, help us for we are nothing without you, yet in You oh Triune God, we are filled so far beyond eternity! I love You Jesus, MY JESUS! You, my King, are my desire, and this is my pledge!”
I wrote this on Friday, rather repetitive but ya!
So, yesterday’s chemo and biopsy went great, actually was done and out of the hospital by about eleven AM and we had gotten there at 9 AM. In and drugged up and out pretty nicely, not much waiting around. Then hung out with Glen Janzen for the afternoon which was a hoot! Then that evening I wrote the previous paragraph there, and oh boy, is God ever good!!! Today is sunny and me and my dad went on a beautiful walk this morning around a few blocks. Eating and sleeping are getting figured out nicely, God’s really showing me what to do, though steroids and self control don’t always mix well! ;) Headaches haven’t been much of a problem, the odd slight one but as long as I don’t overdo it, I’m good. Looking forward to seeing the family up here in a few days!!! Continually amazed in God’s majesty and loving it!!!
Today I’m good, a little achey but not too bad! Gonna keep er pretty quiet today! God is amazing and all glory and praise to him!!!
December 15, 2010
Ok, so I was writing a message to a real cool person, then I realized I should write an update, so I'm being lazy and copying most of it here!
So a few people were wondering when I'm coming back for a visit, maybe a sunday next month would be sweet. But I have no idea how time here in Van will work, first phase of treatments continues for sure till end of month, and once there we'll see if I need another two weeks continued first session treatment. Then after that depending on how I respond to treatment or if we need to change treatment, it may mean visits starting back home. But really we have no idea till we quite literally get there! And for the first while they'll be short and farther in between, maybe! So we'll all be praying for that too, as He's about the only one who knows, which is so flipping SWEET!!! Tommorrow I'm going in for a wee bone marrow and getting some chemo, so I'll be all drugged up and happy tomorrow and then Friday Ill probably sleep all day so I might not be on facebook till saturday-ish! For a more personal prayer request, each and every one of the fruits of the Spirit! I actually stopped and though about each one individually today/yesterday and ya, I could use every single one! Get to have the whole family together in a week so really excited for that!!! My Mom got home safe today, thanks for all the prayers for her, as well as all the others too!!! Because our Heavenly Father is so good, peace out!!!
December 14
OK, so we got a little bit of info from the bone marrow today!
Basically, when I first came in, the cancer in the bone marrow was full (as expected) so that amount is considered the 100 percent mark. Last bone marrow was done on day 8 of procedure and that percentage mark was at 12 percent, which is a...bout normal for most cases. They were kinda hoping it would be under 5 percent as that would mean I'm responding very well to the treatment, but we'll definetly take this! :D It may just mean a few more treatments down the road is all. Thursday will be day 15 of procedure and I'll have another bone marrow just so they can see how treatment is affecting me and another at the end of the month. There has been talk of starting a little bit of chemo treatment Vernon, so down the road I might be able to do a bit of stuff there, something to keep in your prayers if you think of it! God has truly been amazing, last night I was up for a while and I was totally having this "on fire" time with God and really seeing the good side of stuff and kinda thankful for this in a weird yet really sweet kinda way! Feeling really good, had a nap which was beautiful. Got to see my Mom which was sweet, she came last night and weather permitting she'll head home tomorrow so pray for a safe trip for her. I'll be staying up here for Christmas which I'm fine with and the family will be coming up next week-ish so prayer for safe trip for everyone there would be greatly appreciated! Because of Christ, for He is good, we will praise Him together!!!
December 12, 2010
So, time for another updatery!!! Got into Ronald Mcdonald house quite nicely, real smooth move over. it's a pretty snazy place, four floors but not obnoxiously big or anything. Real nice people here too! And from my last update I discovered that a lot of people don't like saurkraut, if so, well you're just weird, n...o offense! I've got 'er pretty good right now, God is really taking care of me!
And again, thank you all so much for your prayers and all your support for me and my family, I really appreciate it, like seriously! The results from the last bone marrow biopsy should be ready for tuesday, and that should really tell us how I'm responding to treatment and other such relative information. So keep the fingers crossed and all for the glory of God, aye? If you think of it, please pray for me, and everyone else going through this with me (that means you!), for a strength and joy far beyond anything we can ever comprehend! It shouldn't make sense to anyone watching us! Food for thought! Christ reigns over all and who can know His ways!!! Job chapters 38-42
December 9, 2010
OK, so after a week plus of hospital food, me and my dad got a frozen lasagna and saurkraut from Safeway, and it was AMAZING!!! Like a good ukranian women's cooking compared to Mcdonalds, that's what this was like! Got another bone biopsy and lumber puncture tomorrow morning and then it should be Ronald Mcdonald house Saturday. God is good in so many many more ways then I could ever even begin to say, He has truly been my Strength!!! Thanks again for all your guys's prayers and support to both me and my family, you guys have been amazing!!! Love you all!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
December 6, 2010
Has finally resorted to taking steroids! One dose in the morning and then again in the evening adn that's about it till friday. Then its another chemo adn bone marrow biopsy, or as I prefer calling it, tushy mashery! But that shouldn't be to bad. And just so everyone knows, especially for those who've dealt with ca...ncer before, child cancer is a lot different than adult cancer. All risks are way lower and looks wise I'm a thinking I'm just going to look rather bloated in the face from the steroids adn bald! :D God bless you all and thanks again for all the support and prayers, love you all
December 4, 2010
Due to size, I gotta do this in like three posts. Doing good! Feeling a lot better today, not near as sore and I can get up on my own just fine now! So I always thought of chemo treatments as this big machine that they stuck you in and they zapped you with all this radiation and wires attached all over you, electricity flying everywhere, you know, just the regular. But it turns out its just meds they put in my I.V. tube going to my chest and a bunch of pillss I gotta take, so that was a bit of a relief.
So this is the second part of the update. I'm going to be losing my hair so I was thinking, mohalk or monk look? I'm leaning towards mohalk! God is good and your prayers are helping a lot!
So this is the second part of the update. I'm going to be losing my hair so I was thinking, mohalk or monk look? I'm leaning towards mohalk! God is good and your prayers are helping a lot!
December 4, 2010
I've been getting a lot of messages from all of you and thank you for that, it's very encouraging and nice to hear from everyone back home and with whats going on there. I'm not even going to try and reply to every message but keep em coming anyways :D miss you all and see you soon. In the hands of our King, we stand firm!!!
December 2, 2010
Tired and sore in body and a little worn in spirit. Your words of encouragement mean so much and they keep making my mom cry. Found out today that it is the ALL leukemia which is the easiest to treat. Off to surgery tonight to put in my new port and then chemo starts tomorrow. The sooner this starts... the sooner i...t is going to be done. Thanks for all your prayers.
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