Pray 4 NPE

Thanksgiving 2011 ~ We are SO THANKFUL!!!

2011-11-18T10:53:00.001-08:00

I honestly don't think our family has ever felt more thankful then we do this year. Just two short years ago we spent Thanksgiving in the hospital, struggling to hang on to hope that Natalie could get through this. Look at us now!! Thanksgiving 2011 is AWESOME!! We thank our Lord and Savior everyday for what HE has done for our family. HE healed our daughter!! We give Him all the glory and are so grateful He loves us and hears our prayers. If your battleing something, call on Him. He is there and loves you too.
Please remember to be thankful this holiday season and put a smile on someones face. It feels good!!!

Life is Good ~ Really Good!

2011-09-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a little over a month since we heard those wonderful words...."All Clear". We haven't stopped smiling. We have been celebrating in both Arizona and Colorado and tell just about everyone we come in contact with what an amazing GOD we serve. We give Him all the glory and praise and KNOW that HE is truly the Healer in all of this. Natalie is feeling great and has a smile like no other on her face all the time. She is so awesome, we couldn't be more proud. We so look forward to what life has in store for Natalie. We know she is going to do big things and change even more lives then she already has. Thanks for praying ~ thats what carried us through this! Love always ~ Sharon and the rest of the family too

CANCER FREE!!!

2011-07-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to share that today we found out that Natalie is Cancer Free. She got her last bone marrow and spinal tap and they called and told us there is no signs of cancer. We can not express the joy in our hearts for this wonderful news. It has been a long hard two and a half years. We had many incredibly hard days and shed more tears then we ever thought possible but by the Grace of GOD we made it. WE MADE IT!!!! We promise to be a light unto the world and do whatever we can to help anyone that ever endures this beast called cancer. If you have faith in God then never give up and pray, pray and pray some more. God hears us and answers us! Thank you all for your support and prayers through this journey ~ we are forever grateful to all of you.
Loving Life beyond belief!!
Giving HIM all the Glory ~
The Erwins

10 Months to go!!!

2010-10-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

After a three week break, Natalie is back on her chemo. Her ANC (immune system) was to low the last few weeks so they held all chemo until yesterday. Sometimes I think your body just flat needs a break. Natalie got her drivers license on September 13th. She passed with a 100% which makes us very happy. She is loving driving herself around. She drives her and her brother Wyatt to school now and that is awesome for me. 10 months from tomorrow is the finish line. We will be DONE and by the Grace of God, Natalie will be healed FOREVER.

2010-09-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone~
I'm not sure if many people still read this but I thought I would update it for those who do. (: I can't believe that August has already came and gone. I am enjoying school and have made many new friends.

This Thursday my mom and I fly out to Arizona. My birthday is on Sunday and her birthday is Monday. We are going out so I can see all of my friends and get my license. It's crazy that in a week I can get my license. (: I can't wait to see everyone there. Hope everyone is doing great!

Nat.

ONE YEAR LEFT OF TREATMENT!!

2010-08-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Some days it felt like this journey was never going to end. Most days now it seems so normal and sometimes for a quick second we forget it's not over. Today marks one year to go. Natalie has completed one and 1/2 years so far and on August 13th, 2011 she is done. Studies have proven that it doesn't do any good to go longer, by that time it should be gone forever. We pray daily it is. We pray Natalie's next year is great and healthy. She has so much to offer this world. I think even if she wasn't my first born, special gift from God I would think she was an amazing person. She has lots of work to do here and I know God has great plans for her. One month from yesterday she gets her drivers license. Whoooo hoooo. She is so excited. She is doing really well with her treatment and we really like the doctor here. We miss everyone is Arizona very much but are loving living in Colorado.
We ask that for the next 365 days you keep Natalie in your prayers. 100% cured! That's what we ask for and trust that is what He will do. Love you all!

2010-07-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hey guys~
It's Nat. I thought that I would update the blog this time. Summer has gone by so fast, but I have enjoyed it very much. We got back from Illinois last night. We all had a great time seeing all of our family there and being able to spend time with them. It is definitely good to be home though.
I am looking forward to starting back to school here again. I miss my friends back in AZ a lot though. Hopefully I can make a lot of new friends to make this school year pass by quickly.

I hope that all of your guys' summer is going great!
In God's Hands
Nat.

Let Summer Begin!

2010-06-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

For a change we are excited for the summer weather this year. So far it has been in the 80's here and that is sure nice for this time of year. The kids and I have been enjoying the community pool. Natalie is going to be very busy this summer. She flew to Arizona Wednesday with my mom to surprise her best friend. She is staying there for a week and visiting lots of friends and then Ashley is coming here to stay with us for eleven days. We are excited to have her. Natalie misses her so much so it will be great for them to have all that time together. After she leaves me and the kids are going to Illinois to visit Gene's parents for a week. Unfortunately he can't come with us because he doesn't have any time off work yet. Natalie is feeling great and maintenance has been good to her. She looks amazing! We hope you and your family are doing great and as always, thank you for continuing to pray for a complete healing for Natalie.
God Bless you all!

Boxes are Unpacked!

2010-05-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone ~
Sorry it has been so long since our last update. Been super busy with the move and getting everyone settled in.
Everything went great with the sale of our house and the long road trip to Colorado. We really like the house here and are happy with the neighborhood.
The kids are all doing better then we could have hoped for. They have made some good friends and seem to be adjusting great. We all miss everyone from Arizona very much.
Natalie has been doing great. Her doctor here is really nice and has made the transition good for us. We loved her doctors in AZ so they do have some big shoes to fill. Maintenance was rough getting going but things are going great now and we are so happy for that. Natalie's hair is growing in super cute and she has gained all but four pounds of her original weight back. Praise the Lord, she is doing great!

Colorado Here We Come!

2010-03-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well the countdown begins. 12 days until the Erwin family moves to Parker, Colorado. I am looking forward to change and having a nice change in seasons. I will miss everyone here so much! The Caron family is throwing a going away party for us on March 27th from 3-8. It's come and go. There will be a grill so if you'd like to bring something to bbq and a dish to share, feel free to do so. I hope you all can make it.
~Sorry it has taken me so long to post something new. I have been feeling great so I wasn't sure what to post. I hope everyone has a great and safe spring break!

In God's Hands,
Natalie

(If any of you need directions to the Will Rogers club house for the going away party, you can contact my mom at 480.888.1373 or 480.650.4217)

Slideshow

2010-02-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I just wanted to let you all know the slide show is posted at www.Londonsrun.org
It is really neat to see all the "Team Natalie" presence there. You all are truly amazing!
Natalie is doing great!!!

Pretty Normal these days!!!

2010-02-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

I just realized it has been way to long since our last update. Sorry! Natalie is doing really good. Getting on maintenance hasn't been as smooth as we had originally hoped but it has not been to bad. It takes them a little while to get the meds adjusted so Natalie counts have been up and down some and she has been fighting a cold for about three weeks now. We go back in tomorrow to get her checked so hopefully they will give her something to get rid of her cough. Other then that, life is good. Nat's hair is really growing back now. She is excited about that. She looks so good! London's Run was amazing! There were so many people there. "Team Natalie" showed up huge and we were thrilled to see all the orange shirts with her name on them. We appreciate everyone coming out for an awesome event. It was a blast! Well, believe it or not, we are letting Natalie and her little sister, Kendra fly to Illinois for spring break. As much as I would love to make her stay home with us, I have to let her go. She loves going and spending time with her grandma and grandpa Erwin so much. It will be hard for us. I tend to hover a little now. :-) Well, I will do my best to update this more often. Life gets in the way and I tend to forget. Thanks for checking in and praying for Natalie. We love the prayers and support so very much. Love ~ Sharon

CHRISTmas Blessings!

2010-01-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

Well, sorry it has been awhile since we have posted anything. Things have been wonderful!!! Natalie is doing great and is actually spending the night with her friend Hallie tonight. First sleepover since this all started in April. Kinda weird for me but I love that she is getting back to normal. She is going back to school on Monday (another weird thing for me). She is very mixed on going back. She has enjoyed the life of getting up whenever she wants and lunches and pedicures with her mom. She misses her friends so I think she will be so glad to get back in the swing of things.
If you haven't checked out Londonsrun.org yet, please do. Natalie is one of the highlighted kids and we would love to see you there. It is Jan. 30th.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Love ~ The Erwins

London's Run

2009-12-15T05:37:00.001-08:00

http://www.londonsrun.org/

We would love for you to check out www.londonsrun.org The price goes up on Dec. 16th and we would love for you to come out and be a part of "Team Natalie". Please let us know if you are interested and if you will want a "Team Natalie" shirt. This is a wonderful event that helps families with childhood illness and local... childrens hospitals. Let us know if you have any questions. Thanks

Relief at Last

2009-12-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

Some days we felt like this would never get better or be over. Most of the time we plugged along and tried to make the best as each day but to tell you we are relieved and thankful and shouting from the roof top just doesn't seem to be enough. Natalie completed her final big phase of this nightmare and now we move on to two years of maintenance. We know this is far from over but the relief we feel knowing that the toughest part is behind us is overwhelming. Going to the doctor once a month, wow that will be so easy. Some weeks we were there five times so once a month is going to be awesome. We are so looking forward to Natalie getting back to hanging out with her friends, getting back to school, all the things she hasn't been able to do. I would be lying if I didn't say I have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have had with her, our relationship has grown and we cherish her more then ever before. Please continue to pray for Natalie and our family. Although it will be easier, it isn't over and we covet your prayers.
Always relying on HIM!
Love ~ The Erwins

15 DAYS AND COUNTING

2009-11-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

We are in the hospital right now. We came in on Thanksgiving evening because Natalie had a fever. They have ran blood cultures everyday but so far they have all came back negative. The doctor thinks the fever is caused by the Ara-C (chemo) shots Natalie was getting. She got the last one Thanksgiving day. Her counts are very low right now from the chemo too. They expect counts to drop and they should start to come up soon. We need counts to rise and fever to drop. It has been hoovering around 99 or 100 and at one point got as high as 103.5
Nat has been having some head aches too. This round is hard on her. The saving grace is that we have 15 more days of this phase and life should get so much better. As a mother, it breaks my heart daily to not be able to fix this. All I can do is pray that God hears our plea and heals her completely. We trust that He will. We had lots of company in town for Thanksgiving and unfortunately we hardly got to see them. We knew that was a possibility but were still very disappointed that we didn't get to spend more time with them. Next year will be better!
Please continue to keep Natalie in your prayers.
Love ~ The Erwin Family

One week down, one to go!

2009-11-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

I got chemo shots (ara-c shots) Monday through Thursday this week. Today was the last shot for this week. I am looking forward to a better weekend than this week. Next week I get the shots again Monday through Thursday. I am looking forward to getting the very last ara-c shot i will ever get on Thanksgiving day. Please pray that I feel good while my family is in town and my counts are high enough to keep me from getting any infections. Our God is an awesome God!
I thought i would post a recent picture of me. This is me and Hallie, one of my best friends, up at her cabin in Pinedale. We had a blast riding around in my Samurai.
25 days left! Whoo-hoo!!
In His hands~
Nat

Our God is an awesome God!

2009-11-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

I thought that I would update the blog today just to change things up. Today we found out that my counts are good enough to continue this phase, which means this phase will end on December 14th! I go in for a spinal tap and some other chemo on Monday. The next couple weeks I will also be getting daily chemo shots at home. We have lots of family coming into town for Thanksgiving, so please pray that I feel good and my counts stay stable while they are here.
I am going to physical therapy three times a week, and my feet are greatly improving. My goal is to not use the wheelchair when i go back to school on January 4th. Doing my school work from home has been very nice.
In His healing hands,
Natalie

TODAY IS DAY 16

2009-11-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

We are closing in on completing 16 days out of this 57 day phase. So far things have been going great. Natalie has had a little upset stomach the last two days and her appetite is not as good but she feels pretty good and really doesn't complain about it. She is back on steroids this week along with two other chemo's she got yesterday. She does have some hard stuff coming up later in this phase so hopefully she will just keep sailing right through. It has been so nice having her feeling pretty normal the last month or so. Her feet are continuing to improve and she is walking more and more. That in itself makes her feel better. We would love you to pray for the following:
1. continued success during this phase
2. no nausea
3. feet to keep improving
4. spirits remain high
5. 100% cure!!!!
Thank you so much for praying with us and for us. God is good and He is doing great things with Natalie.

Who' s Counting? We are!

2009-10-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today is day 55. So far, so good. Natalie is feeling good and going strong. We went to physical therapy today and they are so pleased with her progress. She is walking so much better. We are all super excited about that. Her stomach feels good so far and all is good. They told us that her counts would drop after a couple of weeks so hopefully we can get through that without an infection and just plug away. Please pray that she has no big side effects and gets through this easily. She so deserves a break. She has had some rough times and some big side effects. Please pray ~ No fevers. Fevers mean hospital stays and we have had enough of those. If all goes well, and it will, then 57 days is complete on December 14th. Sometimes during the phases if your counts are too low they hold the next chemo until they come up so we have to pray she stays on track and it will be a MERRY CHRISTMAS at the Erwin house.

No News is Good News!

2009-10-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. We have had a wonderful couple of weeks. Natalie has felt great. We increased her physical therapy to three times a week and you can sure see improvement in her walking. We are anxious, and nervous, and excited, all rolled up into one for the phase to start on Monday. This phase will last 57 days and believe me there will be a countdown chart hanging in the Erwin house. We are so ready to be told...."Natalie is now on Maintenance." Can't wait for that. They say life should feel pretty normal then. Hair grows back, feel good, back to school, normal stuff. SOOO EXCITED! This has been a long journey but we can now see light at the end of this horrific tunnel and it feels good. We trust God to see us through and are excited to see what is next for us. It has got to be good, right? Thanks for praying and we ask that you pray now for October 19th to go smoothly and the following 57 days. We ask for Natalie to have little or NO complications or sickness. She gets a spinal on Monday and starts all the new meds. We pray that that goes smoothly and Natalie comes out smiling! Thank you so much for your faithfulness. We couldn't get through this without you all.
Love the Erwins

Oh What a Relief!

2009-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

This past week as been so great. Natalie has been feeling really good and we are so glad. She even had chemo last week and she has it again tomorrow but she has been feeling great. She soooo badly needed this. We all did. We are wrapping up this phase and we will be starting the final phase soon. Final before maintenance that is. We still have two years of maintenance left. Thank God that is only once a month and they say you go back to normal life as you knew it and it doesn't really effect your everyday living. We are ready for that! The phase we are getting ready to start is called "delayed intensification". It is similar to the first month of treatment. They hit you pretty heavy so it is supposed to be one of the harder phases. We will just wait and see because so far the phases that were supposed to be easy have been terrible so we are hopeful that the hard phase is going to be easy. Nat handled the first month really well, the only reason we were in the hospital for most of it was her pick line kept getting infected. If we can stay away from infections in her port, hopefully she can sail right through.
We met with her school yesterday and got "homebound" set up. We are going to do that until after Christmas break. That will get her through the next phase and lighten her load. We are hoping after break she will be good to go back to school and start living her normal life again. So, if you will, please pray things keep going great like they have been for the past week and that we get through this next phase with flying colors. No fevers, no nausea, feet get better, smiles stay bright and life will be good. Thank you all so much.

HOME SWEET HOME!

2009-09-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

We finally got to come home today and I can't begin to tell you how happy we are. Being there for almost two weeks is way to long.
They did an ultrasound on Natalie's stomach to make sure all is well there and thank God it is. Her pancreas is irritated from one of the chemos but it should get better within the next 4 - 5 days. She hadn't eaten much for over a week so introducing food to her system again is rough on your organs. We just have to watch what she eats and take it slow. We had to promise the nutritionist at the hospital that we would give her two Jamba Juices a day for the next few days so we know she is at least getting 600 calories just from those. We go back to the doctor on Friday for a check up and are hopeful all counts will be normal again and we can move forward and GET THIS OVER WITH!

INSTANT REPLAY

2009-09-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

We are back in the hospital less then 48 hours later. Pour Natalie had a horrible day yesterday and couldn't keep anything to eat or drink down. We brought her in this morning and she already got a bunch of hydration and they are going to have a GI doctor check her out and see if there is anything else going on in her stomach. She looked like she felt and that was horrible. It is so hard to watch.
We are asking that you pray for the following:
1. Natalie feels better quickly
2. The GI doctor doesn't find anything serious and whatever it is that it is treatable fast and easy.
3. That she gets an appetite (she has lost way to much weight)
4. That God keeps her spirits high
5. Strength for her parents.
Thank you all so much and I will keep you posted.

PRAISE THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD!

2009-09-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Happy to report, we are home. Natalie woke up today feeling much better and the doctor shocked us when he said we could go home today. Needless to say, we were thrilled. Now we just need to make sure Nat drinks and eats enough at home. SO...please pray for me and Gene. She gets a little irritated with us when we harp on her about eating and drinking. :-) We go back to the doctor for a count check on Friday and then boom right back at it. Monday she gets a spinal tap and more chemo. UGH! On the bright side, less delays mean the sooner this will be behind us. Thanks for praying! We love you!

What a difference a day makes!

2009-09-15T22:22:00.001-07:00

Today has not brought great news but it sure has gotten better. Natalie feels better and is able to talk without to much pain now. She laughs and smiles and that makes all the difference in the world to everyone around her.
They did start her last night on TPN which is IV food. She doesn't have much of an appetite yet and it still hurts to eat so at least we can rest in knowing that she is getting the nutrition she needs. They also gave her a medicine through her IV that will boost her white blood count. We are hoping that kicks in soon and that will heal her mouth and throat. They say once that happens, it happens fast and she will bounce back fast. We are so ready for that! They are thinking we will be in here another couple of days. We have to make sure Nat can drink and eat enough at home first. So, now we pray that each day gets better and Natalie gets her appetite back in a mighty way. Thanks for your support and prayers. Can't wait to report that Natalie is eating everything in sight. That would be awesome!
Relying on HIM~

HOPING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW

2009-09-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well, today didn't bring everything we wanted so we are hopeful that tomorrow does. Natalie is feeling a little better tonight but we are still stuck in the hospital until her mouth and throat don't hurt so bad. She has not been able to eat since last Tuesday. Poor thing has been in tremendous pain. She did get lots of visitors today from her friends. Tanner, Spencer, Clayton, Tyler, Nicole and Sarah all came to see her today. Even though she couldn't talk much I know it always makes her feel better to see her friends. Natalie has the best friends ever. I will keep you posted on her progress but in the mean time if you will please pray for the following.
1. Natalie wakes up without mouth pain
2. Hunger sets in and she can make up for lost meals
3. Her spirits remain high through this journey
4. We are able to go home
Thank you all for praying for Natalie. I love listing specific things because then the answers are so clear when God works. Then we can praise Him!

THIS STINKS!

2009-09-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

The last several days have been terrible. Natalie feels awful and her counts are extremely low. Please pray and ask specifically for the following:

1. Natalie to feel better in general
2. Her blood counts to come up
3. That we can avoid any infections
4. That this gets easier on her
5. That she keeps fighting with her great attitude and smile
6. For GOD SPEED

Thank you for your prayers. We are relying on HIM and trying to be patient.
Love ~ Sharon

We reached one milestone yesterday!

2009-09-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Natalie received her last injections of Peg asparaginase. These are three chemo shots that they give simultaneously in her thighs. They sting when they go in. We put numbing cream on her legs and then ice so she doesn't feel the shots but the medicine goes into her muscle and that hurts. So, we are really glad that was the last time for those. She has had them five times. Now she doesn't have any more chemo until the 14th of this month. Unfortunately, the effects of these shots cause nausea so that is a bummer but hopefully the medicine we got for that (Emend) will take care of it. On the 14th she gets a spinal tap again and some IV chemo.
One of Natalie's doctors told her Thursday that she was the only patient he had ever had with the attitude and smile she has. He said she finds the positive in everything and he loves that. She is handling this so well and for a doctor of 20 plus years to say that was really nice. She told him "she might as well be happy because it sure wouldn't help things for her to be sad or mad." We are so proud of her.

Day by Day

2009-09-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since our last update. There hasn't been a lot going on. Natalie has been struggling with nausea just about everyday. Poor kid gets up every morning and tries as hard as she can and most days is able to go to school, sometimes a little late but she sure gives it her all. She for some reason is sick in the morning and then it seems to pass. We have been trying different medicines to see if that will help but haven't found the perfect one yet. We won't give up until we figure it out.
Natalie is super excited that football season is starting. She has lots of friends that play and is already talking about showing her school spirit and going to the games. Her feet seem to be doing a little better and we start back up with physical therapy on Thursday so hopefully we will really see some improvement with that. Her hair is starting to grow back too. Lots of positive things happening and we are so excited for every one of them. WE WILL BEAT THIS!
Thanks for continuing to pray for NPE.
Love ~ The Erwins

What a Bumpy Road!

2009-08-19T09:30:00.001-07:00

Well, just when we thought it was going to be easy for awhile, Natalie keeps getting nauseous. This is so frustrating because she is getting much less chemo right now and should really be feeling pretty good. They gave us some new medicines to try for nausea so we will see in the next day or two what happens. She hasn't been able to go to school the past three days. I have never wished time away like I do now. I want it to be the end of 2010 so bad. That would mean we were done with this madness. I just want my girl to feel good again and get back to her normal life. I know and trust she will but time just can't move fast enough for me these days.
I know this is just another bump in the road and we will get over it. We just have to be patient (again).

Life is Good!

2009-08-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that Natalie has been able to go to school for the past week and 1/2 and is doing great. Her friends help her around campus and everyone has been so good to her. We have sure enjoyed the break in her treatment. She couldn't get any chemo while she was on the antibiotics from the infection she had and they also had to give her blood counts time to recover so Nat hasn't had chemo for a couple weeks now. The bummer is is just drags the treatment on but the breaks are so needed and nice. She feels good and that is awesome to see.
We will be back at it starting Thursday. Nat has to get chemo every 10 days for the next couple of months. That is a lot less then the last phase (thank you Lord) so hopefully life will be pretty normal for her for awhile.
We love normal!!!

Make ~ A ~ Wish

2009-08-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

We just met the three most incredible men tonight. Rick, Gary and Kevin from the Make A Wish Foundation came over and brought us dinner and wanted to discuss Natalie making a wish. At first when we were told she would be granted a wish we were a little freaked out. We didn't understand that this foundation grants wishes to kids all the time that are going to be just fine. They just have to be dealing with a chronic or life threatening illness. We thought it was a last wish kinda thing.
Well, these three wish grantors are sure to be life long friends of our family. They were the neatest people. If we never got anything more then the 2 1/2 hours they spent with us tonight we would still feel so very blessed. Our entire family enjoyed them thoroughly and what a special gift they give families with their compassion and love they show in doing what they do. This is the 71st wish Gary will be a part of and he himself is a Leukemia survivor. Love that! For Kevin and Rick, Natalie was their very first personally chosen child and what a perfect fit. Leukemia is very close to all of these men and has touched them personally in some way. What an absolute blessing God gave us tonight and we are so grateful.
Wishes Really Do Come True!
Love ~ The Erwin Family

Back to some Normal Stuff !!

2009-08-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Natalie got out of the hospital Saturday and got the clearance to go to school Monday. She did great. She even made it all day on the first day, which surprised us. She is so strong and has such will to do stuff in amazes us. She enjoyed seeing all of her friends. She was certainly pooped when she got home and needed a nap, but she is handling it great.
Thanks so much for all the well wishes and sweet notes from everyone. It is so so nice to have such support.

HOME AT LAST!

2009-08-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Once again we are home. Thank you Lord! These week long stays at the hospital are bruddle. Thanks to all our faithful friends that pray for Nat, her counts went up last night from 147 to 540. In one night that is a big jump. God is good and He hears us cry out to Him.
The doctor said today that Natalie is fine to go to school on Monday. She is so anxious to get back and see all her friends. I am sure when the homework starts she will re-think that one. :-)
The next couple of months should be easier on her. That's what they tell us, so we sure hope so.
If you ever have to take your child to Banner Desert Peds. Dept. rest assured, you get great care. We are so thankful to the team there and appreciate all of them very much. At least when we are at our home away from home, we are in good company.
Thanks again to everyone for hangin' in there and praying consistently for Natalie. It truly is what keeps us going.
Love ~ The Erwin Family

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

2009-07-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Well, again we are at the hospital with a fever. Natalie woke up this morning with an upset stomach and fever. We had to bring her back in and unfortunatley she will have to stay for a few days at least. This broke my heart, I am so sad for her that she won't be able to start school Wednesday with her friends. There must be a reason, right? Protecting her from something maybe, who knows but I have to let it go. I was so overcome with emotion when we got here and I think I handle it even worse then Natalie does. As a mom, it is just so hard. I can't even explain it. I just long for the day my sweet Natalie can be normal again and hang out with her friends, go to school, all the things she should be able to do at her age. I know our God will heal her and I trust that is true but some days my emotions just take over. Please pray for Natalie to feel better super fast and get to school and please pray for our family as a whole.
Waiting, Trusting and Relying on God!
Love ~ The Erwins

We gladly wait!

2009-07-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot to report lately. Natalie has had a good week. Her counts are still low and she got another blood transfusion today. This is completely normal and her counts should start to climb now on their own. She will start the next phase as soon as the counts are up enough to move on. Usually at this point the doctors said you get a week or two off to give them time to recover. We are glad to have a break now because school starts one week from tomorrow and that would give Natalie some time to get started and feel really good. Please pray that Natalie gets to go to school and hang out with her friends like a 14 year should. She is really looking forward to that. Hope everyone is great and enjoying your summer!
Love ~ The Erwins

Counts are down! Spirits are high!

2009-07-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

We went in today for a count check and Natalie's platlets were only 8 thousand. They should be in the hundreds of thousands so that is super low. She got a transfusion so that should boost them up some and hopefully her body will kick in soon and get them up as well. Her red blood cells were good. We have to be really careful for the next few days that she isn't around anyone that is or has recently been sick so we will be hangin' at home a lot.
Some really great news is she is up to 9 pounds on her weight gain. I was so excited to see that.
If I haven't already mentioned how much we appreciate Blood Donors.......Thank you so much. We depend on them right now and are forever grateful for everyone that gives.

GOOD TIMES!

2009-07-12T10:09:00.001-07:00

Natalie is done witht the Ara-C shots for awhile. She got her last one of Friday and we are so glad. They really wipe her out. Her counts go way down after two weeks of those shots so now we just wait for them to come back up. Natalie got two units of blood on Friday so she is fueled up and good for a little while to give her body time to come up on its own.
Yesterday one of Natalie's friends had a party and that was fun. Nat was able to go hang out with a bunch of her friends and play "catch phrase". They always have a good time together. It was good for her to get to see everyone.
Oh - when we were back at the doctors office on Friday, they weighed Nat again and she is up 7 pounds! She looks so much better. Were feeding her anything and everything she wants. :-)

AMEN FOR EMEND!

2009-07-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

We say Amen for Emend! Emend is the new nausea medicine Natalie is taking and thank you Jesus it is working. She also is taking a appetite enhancer and gained 4 pounds last week. We are hoping for another 4 or 5 this week. We are trying to get her back to where she was. Her physical therapist was very pleased with her progress again yesterday. :-) Tomorrow is her last Ara-C shot for awhile and we are glad to be done with those. They really make her feel yucky.
We go in tomorrow to get her blood counts checked and they think she might need a blood transfusion. This Ara-C really knocks her counts down. They will start to climb back up next week but until then she may need blood once or twice. We pray while her counts are down that she can avoid getting an infection.
I think thats it for now. Hope you are all doing great! Love ~ The Erwins

More Support

2009-07-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

http://stevenlpearsonleukemiafoundation.org/SLP/Home.nsf/Page?Open&Id=Home

Friends of Natalie!

2009-07-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

We shaved our heads for Natalie!

If you have pictures that you would like to add to the blog, send them to: missmindyevans@gmail.com

thanks!

BETTER DAYS!

2009-07-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

The new medicine Natalie got for nausea is nothing short of a GOD send! It has made such a difference. Her appetite is increasing, she still gets a little sick to her stomach but at least manages to keep everything down. Hopefully this will not only beef her up a little but give her more strength and energy. Her walking is definatley showing improvement. She is getting physical theapy twice a week here at home and the therapist is excited to see the improvements she is making. We are too!
Nat's spirits are amazing and she is looking forward to school starting the end of the month and being able to see all her friends more. We are very hopeful she can start school on time and get back to normal as much as possible. She will miss more then the average kid but that is okay. We'll make the best of it until her treatment is complete. We hope you all have a very happy 4th of July.
Love ~ The Erwins

Long Day of Chemo Today

2009-06-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

We had to be at the hospital today at 8:00 am and didn't get done until 5:20 pm.
The treatment today required Natalie to be super hydrated and so they had to give her tons of fluid first then 30 minutes of chemo and then 4 more hours of hydration. It was a long day but we made the best of it making scrapbook pages all day. That was alot of fun and we will have a great book to fill with pictures of this journey. Natalie's friend Hallie came to the doctors office and hung out with Natalie all day. That certainly passes time better then being stuck with just me. The next four days the home nurse comes and gives Natalie shots of chemo and we don't have another appointment until next Tuesday. The next couple of weeks will be rough but we did get a new prescription today for another nausea medicine so we are hopeful that will make this round a whole lot better. Two of our favorite nurses left today. They are travelers and their time here is up. We will miss Kristie and Jodi so much. They were the best!

Just The Medicine Natalie Needed!

2009-06-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

Natalie has had two great days! It has been so nice. My dad, sister Cheryl, and neices Dillon and Jesse are here and that must have been the medicine Natalie needed. She has been awesome! It's amazing how much you appreciate the good days when you have had so many rough days lately. I can't tell how happy it makes us to see Natalie smile, laugh and act like our Natalie.
Her treatment starts up again on Tuesday and goes for two weeks, then phase three here we come. We are so excited to begin phase three because the doctors say it is much easier. We like easier!
Thanks again for praying for Natalie to feel better ~ again He answered our prayers like we knew HE would.
Love ~ The Erwins

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

2009-06-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to be home. As much as we love the care at Banner Desert Hospital we were so thrilled to be home and in our own beds. Natalie gets to finish her antibiotics at home thanks to having the port. We are glad about that.
She is struggling a lot with eating so we pray that gets better fast. Us Erwin girls don't have any weight to lose so not eating is out of the question. We are super excited my dad, sister and two neices are coming this Thursday to see us. Hopefully Natalie is feeling good and able to spend some quality time with them.

2009-06-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today was a little better. Nat is still sick to her stomach a lot and is getting sore from laying around so much. Hopefully tomorrow she will feel even better. We are here until Monday most likely. They have to get the temperatures to stop consistently and her blood counts have to come up as well. They said a weekend discharge was not likely because they have to set up the IV antibiotics to be done at home and that means at least Monday. That's okay ~ I want to know this is under control before we leave so we don't have to come right back. Until next time ~ Love Sharon

PATIENCE IS THE KEY!

2009-06-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Natalie had a fever yesterday morning when she woke up so we brought her into the hospital. They admitted her and today confirmed she has an infection in her blood. They are treating her with IV antibiotics. She has felt terrible yesterday and today. She has an upset stomach and no appetite. They said she should feel a lot better tomorrow. That's where the patience comes in. I hate that I can't help her and it is so hard to see her feeling miserable. I know tomorrow will be a better day. Not sure yet how long we will be here. Hopefully not too long, the bed stinks!
Please pray for quick results from the meds. and that Natalie is smiling again soon. She is so amazing!

2009-06-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since our last entry. There hasn't been that much to really tell. Natalie has done a little better this week, although she has still been struggling with Nausea. She gets another spinal tomorrow morning and some chemo and then she is done for the week. Her blood counts are doing okay but that is normal and we just have to be careful that she isn't around anyone that is sick. One of the chemos is causing some problems with her walking so we went to see a physical therapist today. They gave her some exercises to do and hopefully that will help. They decreased the med. that is causing it so hopefully we will see some fast improvement. Her spirits are still amazing. Please continue to pray for her.
GOD is good all the time.....All the time GOD is good! Love ~ The Erwin Family

One day at a time!

2009-06-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Phase two is a bummer so far. It is making me sick to my stomach and I hate being stuck at home. Hopefully it gets better soon and I can get out a little more. I thought it was going to get easier but this medicine is harder on me then the others. It was nice this week, a nurse came to our house to give me my shot so we didn't have to drive all the way to Banner Desert everyday. We do go back to the hospital tomorrow morning to see how my blood counts are and I might have to get a tranfusion. They expect my counts to go down right now so the transfusion is a normal thing. Next week the treatment is a little less so hopefully I will have more energy and feel better. Have a great day! Natalie

BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE!

2009-05-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

The yardsale was so amazing! Our friends and family never cease to amaze us. The yardsale was a huge success and we can't think of words large enough to express our appreciation. A special thank you to Steve and Stacy Lavalle. They didn't even know us and put this whole thing together and worked so hard to pull it off without a hitch. We will be forever grateful to them and everyone that lended a hand to this awesome cause. Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts!
Love ~ Gene, Sharon, Natalie, Wyatt, Reed and Kendra

YARD SALE!

2009-05-28T08:01:00.001-07:00

PLEASE come to the Yard Sale this weekend! You can help, or shop! :)

There will also be a raffle, with TONS of great give-a-ways! So, come and buy and raffle ticket ... or two ... or TEN! :)

Here is a sneak peek of some of the prizes:

Recipes $20 gift certificate
Premier Designs Jewelry Necklace valued at $50
Epic Salon 2 - $50 gift certificates
QCPAC 2 tickets to CATS & 2 tickets to Wedding Singer at QCPAC
Denene Till 4 suite tix to Mercury w/parking & 2 Dbacks tix w/parking pass
Julienne's Salon Haircut & style gift cert
Chris Anthony's Haircut & style gift cert
Elephant Bar 2 - $30 gift certs
Super Suppers $25 gift cert
Port of Subs $10 gift card
Olive Garden $20 gift card
BJ's Brewery $20 gift card
Neos Med Spa Free microdermabrasion
Abuelo's Two free entrées
Starbucks 1 lb. of coffee
Red Robin 2 - $25 gift cards
Firebirds 5 - $10 gift cards
PF Changs 2 complimentary lunch bowls & 1 free appetizer
My Big Fat Greek Restaurant $10 gift card
Dolce $75 gift card
B&B Florist & Design Center Dozen premium roses
Salon K Haircut & style gift cert
Harkins 4 movie tickets & candies (Hershey, M&M)
Stacey Gauman Creative Memories basket
Debbie Kubli 12 gift bags of Hallmark items (cards, tissue, gift bags)
Trilogy Golf Club Golf for 4
Mindy Evans Family Portrait Session $200 value

Seriously ... What do you have to lose? All proceeds go directly to Natalie!

From Pray 4 NPE/Events

Thanks for your prayers!

2009-05-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Natalie's port is in and all is well. She is a little sore but that is to be expected. Hopefully tommorrow it will be better and she can enjoy her day with her friends. You all are the best friends and prayer warriors anyone could ever ask for. Thank you, Thank you! Love ~ The Erwins

Getting her Port today!

2009-05-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

Today Natalie gets her port put in at 2:45pm. Please pray that everything goes smooth and she gets out of the hospital in the morning as planned. Tommorrow is a big day as she has a yearbook signing party and 8th grade promotion dance. She is really looking forward to both. She also starts the 2nd phase of treatment with new medicines so we ask for prayer that she tolerates them as well as the first phase. She has been so strong and we are so proud of her. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Love ~ The Erwins

A NICE BREAK!

2009-05-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Natalie has had a great week. We went to the doctor Tuesday and her counts were up much higher. She gets this week off from chemo and we go in Tuesday to get the port put in. We have to stay overnight for one night and then the rest should be done outpatient. With the port she will get chemo and everything done through that and won't have to be getting IV's. She will be able to swim and shower with it which is nice too. This phase of treatment is starting Tuesday and our hope is that she tolerates it as good as she has the first phase. She is nothing short of amazing and we are so very proud of her. Please continue to lift her up, we sure appreciate it!

ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE!

2009-05-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can't even explain how the phone we just got from the doctor just felt. They just told us that Natalie is in REMISSION! Her bone marrow and spinal tap came back great! Her treatment will still continue for the next year and a half but knowing that it is working makes all the difference in the world. We are so grateful for every single prayer that has went up in Natalie's behalf and ask for you to continue to pray for a perfect complete healing. God has been so good!

Waiting is the Hardest Part!

2009-05-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

We didn't get the results yet so we wait. Longest day ever! We will put an update on here as soon as we hear anything. On the bright side.....it gives us one more night to pray for remission.
Love ~ The Erwins

PRAY FOR REMISSION!

2009-05-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is almost here and we can't wait. We just know Natalie is going to be in remission. Our GOD is bigger then Leukemia and we trust HIM to fix this. Please pray with us tonight that tomorrow is a great day. Blood counts need to come up and Remission it is! Natalie's bone marrow is at 8:30 am so we hope to know results by late tomorrow. We will keep you all posted.
Praying like we've never prayed before~
The Erwin Family

Wednesday is a BIG day!

2009-05-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

We would love it if you would join us and pray for Wednesday to be great! Natalie is getting a bone marrow test and spinal tap and it is day 28 which is a milestone. Day 28 brings us to the end of the "induction" and it should get much easier from here. If her bone marrow has no bad cells (which it didn't on day 8) and it is repopulating with good cells then that is when they will tell us she is in remission. We can't wait to hear those words. We need her counts to come up between now and Wednesday and IT WILL BE A GREAT DAY!

2009-05-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we thought we were going home today but the doctor just came in and said she consulted with another doctor and he feels we should stay until Natalie's IV antibiotics are complete. They considered sending us home with them and decided it was best not to. BUMMER! Natalie really wants to go home. We understand completley and would rather be safe then sorry so here we stay! Her pick-line was the cause of the infection so they removed it yesterday. We are learning patience in a mighty way and we just focus on positive things that are happening. We will get through this!
Praying Without Ceasing~
The Erwins

COMMUNITY YARD SALE

2009-05-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY, MAY 29TH &
SATURDAY, MAY 30TH
6 AM – 11 AM

DESERT MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY
22301 S. Hawes rd.
(SE CORNER HAWES & OCOTILLO)
QUEEN CREEK, AZ

* If you wish to donate items or volunteer in any way, please contact:
stacy lavalle at 480.516.2417 or
steve lavalle at 480.570.6853 or
via email at thelavalles@cox.net *

2009-05-07T06:56:00.001-07:00