Update on Riley

Plans


Posted 1 day ago

Since our trip skiing Riley and I have returned to NY for another infusion of immunotherapy cells. The trip to NY has actually become quite routine for us. We wake up early and leave at 3 am to be to Raleigh for a 6 am flight to NY. We arrive a little after 7 am with enough time to make it to the hospital by 8:30. Riley has an IV placed and labs drawn and then by late morning she receives the infusion of cells. Next is 6 hrs of monitoring which I try to sleep through and Riley watches TV or reads. We have been blessed to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald house with each stay-so that is were we head after monitoring to relax and sleep for the night. We awake early in the morning to head back to clinic for a quick exam and then we are off to the airport to leave again. We have tried to leave on an early flight but for 2 trips we have been delayed, delayed and rerouted, but regardless we still make it home by evening the next day. The kids do well since we are only gone from them for 1 evening. Kirk on the other hand says the routine is not so smooth for him, as he typically leaves work earlier then usual to accommodate the evening needs while we are gone and he goes to sleep with kids to make things “easier” thus falling behind on work weekly. Thankfully mercy has been shown to us and we both still have jobs.



This past week plans have been arranged to move forward with what we hope is Riley’s last surgery. On Tuesday 2-22-11 Riley will have the tumor in her left upper lung removed along with the left upper lobe of her lung. Some may wonder why we have to remove the whole lobe for what is relatively a small tumor. The reason the whole lobe needs to be removed is because the tumor sits so far into the lung which makes a wedge resection impossible. We hate to remove a whole lobe of her lung, however we feel it is what is necessary to finally get Riley to be cancer free. We pray and believe that Riley will be without cancer after surgery on Tuesday and so we are eager to proceed. After surgery we will head back to NY for another infusion of immunotherapy cells in hopes of cleaning up any small disease that may linger after surgery. The FDA has approved 4 doses of cells to be used over 5 weeks after surgery. We will discuss with our Drs in NY about continuing maintenance therapy with cells after her 4 dose cycle, however if that is to be done it will require another FDA approval.



Please continue to pray and believe with us in Riley’s healing here on earth. We continue to give thanks to God for all our blessings, for the gift of today, and for how He has brought us to where we are right now. We are exactly where He designed us to be.



Thankful and Believing, Kirk and Kelly