Pray for Kate

This beautiful little girl, Kate McRae, is the daughter of one of the pastors at our church.  In June 2009, she and her family learned that she was diagnosed with a malignant, aggressive brain tumor called a supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor or sPNET. She underwent surgery, which removed 50 percent of the tumor, and underwent chemotherapy.  After her treatments in Phoenix were complete, and showed that some of the brain tumor still remained, she flew to Houston.  In Houston she underwent a very localized proton beam radiation therapy.  After weeks in Houston, the treatment is complete, and now they just have to wait.  I can only imagine that waiting is one of the most difficult things when it has to do with the livelihood of one you love.  My only glimpse of this hard reality is the pain in my heart for my dear hubby as we continue to wait to see if our treatment plan of food therapy hopefully helps his pancreas to start working again.  Each day I hurt for him, and I pray for God's will.  So when I think of all that this family is going through, my heart aches and I just want to cry and drop to my knees so I can lean on the understanding that only God can give me.  Sometimes it all seems so unfair.  I continue to cling to this families blog and updates on beautiful Kate, and I am continually inspired by their faith and ability to stand firm knowing that they are being comforted by Him.

I ask that you pray for this little girl.  I can only guess that these next few weeks and months are going to be so difficult as they try to find some normalcy in their life as they wait.  Below is Kate's moms most recent blog post, with all of their petitions!!

"Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalms 27:14

Yesterday we were back in the oncology clinic seeing all of the new and old faces. We quickly updated them on our 2 months in Houston and then discussed what the upcoming days could look like, as well as we can determine. Lab work only periodically, a 100 day transplant appointment to discuss long term side effects and do lab work, and a one month scan. After that we can't determine but only hope what the days will look like. We have to wait to see what the MRI shows. It's chilling how we only plan for a month. If things are stable we will have another MRI in 2-3 months and so on. I can tell they are hopeful, but realistic. Each time we are there I want to beg for statistics. Something tangible for my hurting heart to hang onto. A reminder that some do survive. I won't let myself ask anymore though. We know roughly and that's enough. Enough to know it is possible to survive, and yet enough to drive us to our knees for Kate. Enough to treasure every day and plead for more. Enough to know the upcoming years will be very difficult and that God will have to be our sustaining grace. 

After discussing scans and the upcoming days, it was decided Kate's PICC line could be removed. A day we have all anticipated. No more TPN, no more heparin flushes, and no more sterile dressing changes. Finally bubble baths and swimming. She cannot wait! I cried as I watched her just stand in the shower tonight and soak it in. A simple but well appreciated pleasure.

When we left the clinic with no appointment scheduled I wanted to beg for one. Surely we needed to be seen next week. I wanted weekly labs. I wanted the security net of treatments and the slight knowledge of what was going on in her little body.  But it's time to wait. Please God, strengthen our hearts.

As much as we are nervous for the upcoming days, we also relish in looking over the past year and clearly seeing God's hand. We have seen answers to the many prayers. And so we ask for your very specific prayers in the future.
-Please be praying for for no evidence of cancer on Kate's scans ever, and that there be no cancer in her body, even that which is undetectable.

-be praying for protection for Kate's hearing from the chemotherapy and the radiation.
-be praying for protection for Kate's vision from the radiation
-be praying for healing for Kate's kidneys from the large amounts of chemotherapy
-be praying for protection for her liver
-be praying for protection for the healthy parts of her brain from the radiation, for no long term brain damage or learning difficulties
-be praying for protection of her hypothalmus from the radiation and all of the many functions that it effects
-be praying for protection from any secondary cancers that could result from the chemotherapy and the radiation
-be praying for protection of her heart
-be praying for improvements in her right sided weakness
-be praying for God's protection of Kate's reproductive system from the high dose chemotherapy
-be praying for protection for the artery that is encased in the tumor that it would not be weakened from the radiation

So we wait. But we knock as we wait. Pleading for God to be gracious to Kate. Thank you for persistently knocking on the door of heaven with us for Kate.