5th July 2013

School holidays are upon us. Victoria got dressed up to be a movie star and practiced some 'moves'. Victoria was well enough to have chemotherapy this week.

Last Sunday afternoon, Victoria's temperature started rising, and immediately we started to pray and claim healing in Jesus' name, within an hour she was back to normal. Praise God!

We are now up at One Mile Beach, having a restful holiday in the Camp Quality cabin. Victoria's temperature started rising again yesterday, again we prayed, claiming healing in Jesus' name, and again within an hour she was back to normal. Praise God! There is no way that we want be going to hospital during this holiday!

We are learning more and more to live out this scripture from Romans 4 v 20 and 21':

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God. Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and do what He had promised.

We know that God has promised in Romans 8 v 28 that: 

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

So we choose to keep in faith for a good result for Victoria's upcoming scan on 16th July. Thank you for standing with us in prayer.

As I have mentioned before during this treatment period Victoria has not had to have a platelet transfusion, for which we are grateful to God. However the need to transfusions did get me thinking about giving blood and if my veins were suitable, giving plasma and platelets. I used to give blood regularly, first at Uni and then whilst working. However since 2006 I somehow haven't found (or made!) the time to give blood.

I can clearly remember coaxing my sister into giving blood whilst we were both at The University of Auckland. With our limited knowledge of all things blood, we found ourselves in a state of confusion when we were told we had different blood types, and asking ourselves, was one of us adopted? It was a very nervous wait to get home that night and tentatively ask Mum the question. We were lovingly reassured that neither of us were adopted. 

During my 24 hours away last week, I drove past the Red Cross Blood Bank in Newcastle. As I drove past, I thought that is what I will do later on this afternoon, give blood! And so I did, along with a lot of the Newcastle Knights players! 

Whilst I was waiting I read about Club Red. "Club Red provides and opportunity for organisations and groups across Australia to get together and do something special by regularly donating blood."

So I have set up a group in Club Red called 'The Conquerors'. If you give blood regularly, or are thinking of giving blood and saving lives, then click on this link to join The Conquerors' group, and let's see how many lives we can potentially save! 

When you join The Conqueror's group, every time you donate blood, plasma or platelets, your donation will be attributed to the The Conqueror's group. Our goal is to potentially save 50 lives by 31st December 2013. Just one blood donation can potentially save 3 lives! Let's get giving!

25th June 2013

The last 48 hours have been very interesting!!! We have experienced the truth of the scripture, The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10v10 (AMP)

The thief had some stealing in mind when on Sunday afternoon Victoria's temperature rose to above 38 degrees, that delightful trigger point for a hospital visit. Ken took Victoria up to the hospital whilst I readied children and things at home for the impending hospital stay. I was trying to hold back the flood of tears that wanted to come, as this unplanned event was likely to impact on my much needed 24 hour break scheduled to commence on Monday morning. 

I had completely forgotten how God had so perfectly made a way for me to have this 24 hours break. I was getting into double-mindedness, will it happen? won't it happen? Rather than trusting that God would make a way through this and there would be abundance.

Sunday night I stayed with Victoria at the hospital. Her neutrofils were good 2.8. Last Thursday they were only 0.7. Victoria's temperature came down and settled all night. Here she is Monday morning ....

 Eating ice-cream for breakfast and ...

Having a jolly old time with the Captain Starlights!

Thank you so much to everyone who prayed for Victoria on Sunday night and Monday morning. When the doctor came around at 10 am she advised that all was well, and Victoria could go home! The plans of the thief had been thwarted once again! Due to Victoria's wellness, I had actually had a wonderful night's sleep in the hospital and a free breakfast!  My little 24 hour break was turning into a 48 hour break! Praise God.

We checked out of Hotel John Hunter as quickly as possible and drove home to get things organised. After taking Victoria to a friend's place I made a bee-line for Merewether Beach for part 2 of my break! The horrendous weather that had been predicted for days still had not arrived, whilst there were some dark clouds, the sun still had the victory!

After lunch, I took the opportunity to do a couple of things I used to do in Sydney when I was single, before marriage and children. I used to walk around the beautiful Eastern Suburb beaches and the Sydney CBD clicking my camera.

It was great to have the time and space to re-live that experience, it a different place, that I am really beginning to love. Please indulge me as I share some of my photos from yesterday.

Looking east from Bar Beach headland

Looking south from Bar Beach headland

Pink flower

Looking north from Bar Beach headland

View from hotel window (how blessed am I???)

Looking east out from Newcastle harbour

Pelican on Newcastle harbour

Tug going past Stockton

Spot the teapot cloud

Structure on wharf

My favourite, piles in the sunlight

Tugs awaiting their next job.

This past 24 hours has been a very restorative time for me, walking, photographing, reading and listening to worship music. Absolute bliss! This morning I awoke at 5.15am and was tempted to turn on the TV to see what the latest news was regarding the  inspirational Nelson Mandela. However, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, instead I started to read the next chapter of the Catherine Marshall book, Something More. She was talking total relinquishment to God in very area of your life. I then had a break from reading, opened the curtains next to the bed to see the black harbour dotted with lights on wharves and tugs working throughout the night. I turned on my worship music, listened to couple of songs, and then it struck me. 

I was lying at the foot of The Cross, worshiping Jesus, exactly where He wants me to be, total relinquishment.

Thank you to everyone who has made this break possible. It has been a very blessed time for me. I have life in abundance.

Sunday 23rd June 2013

Last week it was time to say good-bye to Wedge after 7 weeks of successful therapy and lots of fun! A big thank you to all the volunteers and Riding for the Disabled staff who made this opportunity possible for Victoria.

As we continue to believe for a great result from Victoria's scan on 16 July I have been reflecting on the past 2.5 years. This reflection was triggered a few things that happened this week.

Firstly we continue to experience 'emotional fallout' within our family, which has made for a challenging week. One of our children who has seemingly cruised through this whole journey so far, has since Victoria's last hospitalization four weeks ago, been really struggling at school. A new challenge begins. Please pray that God gives us wisdom with this situation.

Secondly, I myself have again had a difficult week emotionally, particularly on Thursday up at the hospital. When I was talking to another mum at the hospital, she suggested I needed to get away for at least 24 hours. So thanks to help of family and friends that is just what I am going to do on Monday. Please pray that all is well here at home whilst I am away.

Thirdly I had the opportunity to write a guest blog for ABC Open. The producer asked me to write about how I use the Victoria Grace Conqueror blog and what my aims and objectives were. As I was writing the article I began to think about the benefits I have received from writing about our journey and was quite surprised with what came out of my head and heart! If you want to have read, click on this link: ABC Open. I thank God for this opportunity to share our story and give people another reason to have hope.

All of the events of this week have caused me to think how amazing it is that our family has come this far, and is still hanging together, albeit loosely sometimes. I know I have said it before, but I will say it again, God has definitely been our rock during this journey, and He will continue to be. I think this sentence from Nathan Stone's book, Names of God, sums up well what we have learnt as individuals and as a family .....

"Man's extremity is ever God's opportunity, not only for deliverance but to teach also wonderful lessons of His purpose as well as providence." pg 81

Thank you again for your continuing prayer and support for our family. We are expecting an unexpectedly great result from the MRI on 16th July.

14th June 2013

It is a year since we found out that Victoria would have to have chemotherapy treatment to stop and hopefully reduce the tumour in her brain. Praise God, the treatment is doing exactly that.

 

Look at her now, after 49 weeks of treatment and still having treatment, so still full of life. For this we give God the glory.

 

This photo was taken yesterday in the Fairy Garden just after Victoria had finished chemotherapy treatment. Victoria and Alexandra are fully engaged in exploring the garden and finding all the hidden garden statues.

 

Victoria has not experienced complete hair loss. Nor has there been the need for a platelet transfusion. Or in fact, no transfusion of any kind. Please continue to pray that Victoria will remain well for this final 4 months of treatment.

 

Please pray for me, this past year of weekly trips to the hospital for either treatment or other appointments has taken a toll emotionally on me. Some weeks all is good, however, yesterday as I reflected on the amount of times we have driven to the hospital, sat in the paediatric oncology day unit, received various news from doctors, stayed overnight(s) in the J1 ward, it all just got too much. It was a struggle to do even the simple things when we got home.

 

I thought to myself, how am I going to keep this up for another 4 months? Yes, I know the treatment is working, and Victoria is so well, and I am so grateful for that. But it is the mechanics of doing each day that is getting a bit hard at the moment. And those are the thoughts I went to sleep with.

 

This morning, when I got up, the first thing I wrote in my journal was 'Dear God, please give me strategies to get through this next 4 months.' By the end of my devotions time, this was the strategy I had received from God, 'Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God provisions. You'll find your everyday human concerns will be met.'  Luke 12v29-32 (The Message).

 

Thank you for your prayers and support, we so need them as we continue to gather strength, wisdom and peace from our God to get through each day, especially me!

 

 

 

 

9th June 2013

It was all go, go, go, this week as Victoria returned to full health. On Monday she had a half day of gymnastics at school. I spent the first half hour of the session crying as I watched Victoria do her best in running relay races. Victoria's teacher so lovingly adjusting the activities Victoria had to do so she could keep up with the rest of the class.

 

I think the crying was a mixture of (a) the grief and pain that our daughter was different and needed these allowances to be made for her, (b) appreciation of the loving care so delicately shown for Victoria by her teacher and (c) continual amazement of the strength of character shown by this little girl who has experienced so much in her 5 years of life.

 

In fact, whilst I was thinking the last thought, I said to myself, if Victoria can participate in these activities, giving it her all with a smile, then surely I can stop crying! So with that thought and a hot chocolate drink given to me by a beautiful sympathetic mum, the tears stopped!

 

 

At Hippotherapy on Friday, Alexandra had the opportunity to feed Wedge some carrots too!

 

In fact, Hippotherapy this week provided another moment for reflection. After Victoria's session, a teenage girl arrives in a wheelchair to ride. I didn't  know anything about her circumstance until last week when Victoria was in hospital and I saw a newspaper article about her on the noticeboard. She was a pedestrian involved in an accident with a car about 2.5 years ago.

 

This week she came through the door using a walking frame. Tears again came to my eyes as I could only begin to imagine what it had taken for this girl (and her family, friends and health workers) to achieve this. The resilience and determination of these young people is indeed amazing.

 

On a slightly different note, but continuing with the "teary theme", Friday this week was our 15th Wedding Anniversary. We had the opportunity to celebrate by going out for dinner and see a movie. Just to finish off the week with more tears, we chose the movie 'Song for Marion'. I cried through the entire movie, but there was one scene, with one word, that in particular that has stuck with me. The word was 'Enjoy'.

 

These things I have seen and thought about this week have made me more determined to just 'Enjoy' each moment. What a precious gift it is to be able to 'Enjoy'.

 

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:14,15 (NIV)

 

 

 



31st May 2013

Victoria is home. Thank you to all who prayed for her and practically supported us during this past week.

 

 

After a 13 hour sleep on Wednesday night, Victoria woke up on Thursday morning with more energy and very well rested! Rested enough to start on a bit of school work. During the morning, Victoria kept asking about what her class would be doing, so with the help of her teacher we 'face-timed' the class. It was great, a real highlight of the day, and certainly made Victoria feel connected to what was happening at school.

 

 

We had a previously booked appointment with the occupational therapist, so being the wonderfully flexible people they are, they came down to the ward for the therapy session. The bed-sheets will not quite be the same, as the paint came out and went everywhere!

 

Whilst the therapy session was on, I had the opportunity to go to a morning tea for parents facilitated by Camp Quality and the paediatric oncology social worker. It was a good opportunity to meet some more parents and share stories, although it was a bit confronting and emotional at times.

 

 

Ken and his parents came up to visit again in the afternoon, when we got the good news that Victoria could come home, as long as she "laid low" for a while. The doctor's verdict was that it was indeed a virus, probably just the common cold, that was the cause of this week's drama!

 

Thank you again to everyone who helped us out or offered to help. Your assistance enabled our week to go as smoothly as possible. And it is another reminder of God's amazing provision for our family in this season.

 

Psalm 73v25-26 (AMP).  Whom have I in heaven but you? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm strength of my heart and my Portion forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29th May 2013

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Victoria over the past few days. Whilst she is still in hospital, her temperature is now in the normal range. She is washed out and tired, although we have had some bright spots during the day, such as doing this procedure on teddy!

 

 

Victoria also tested out all the bed controls just to make sure they worked correctly.

 

A big thank you too to our marvellous family and friends who have rallied around to help with the other children, especially Ken's parents who sat with Victoria for 5 hours today so I could have a break and pick up the other children from school.

 

So once again, despite our circumstances we can find plenty to be thankful for, as 1 Thessalonians 5v18 commands us, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

Here is another testimony of God's grace ... Victoria first became unwell on Monday morning and by the afternoon her temperature was over 38 degrees, which is the trigger for a hospital visit! My wonderful neighbours answered my calls for help, looking after Marshall, Charlotte and Alexandra whilst I took Victoria to hospital.

 

I was supposed to be sharing some of our story regarding Victoria at a Biggest Morning Tea for the Cancer Council, at church on Tuesday morning. So I busily made phone calls to find someone to sit with Victoria in hospital so I could go to the morning tea. Another one of my beautiful neighbours graciously made herself available.

 

However, overnight Victoria's temperature returned to normal, so she was discharged on Tuesday morning.

 

This was fantastic as the early discharge meant both Victoria and I could attend the morning tea. It was such an unexpected blessing having Victoria with me, her presence added a whole other dimension to the talk. She was so well, radiating joy and hope. She 'worked the room' like a professional.

 

We got home just after midday for a rest. By 3pm, her temperature had risen again, so back to the hospital she went.

 

As I reflected on the days' activities from the hospital room last night, I was amazed that once again, a situation the enemy had tried to use to create anxiety and disappointment, had resulted in such an unexpected blessing. Romans 8v28 is so true, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been a called according to his purpose."

 

Thank you for your support, and please continue to pray that Victoria's temperature will stay down and that she will be infection free.