This page was last modified on August 03, 2007 05:04 PM
April 2007
 
Click here to view & print your own prayer card. Our youngest son John Ben, age 6. As of 3/9/07, his tumor that was the size of a small apple, has been completely removed. We covet the prayers of our friends for John's healing and wisdom for the doctors, nurses and other caring professionals helping John. Please sign our guestbook so we can share with John who is visiting the website: 
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4/28/07 | We have so enjoyed the last few days together as a family. It has been great to all be here and laugh and play together. We are home (Ronald McDonald House) for the weekend with another backpack of fluids. John's counts are low. He is very susceptible to an infection. He will start his Neupogen shots tonight. Monday morning, we will take John back in for another complete blood count to gauge his progress. Please pray we aren't admitted with a fever over the weekend. We want to enjoy our family time.
The boys are glad to be together. They have laughed and played a lot. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. John even slept in the bed with George last night. The room we have is a little smaller than the one we had before. Bedtime was tough. We don't have the heart to fuss at them too much because they haven't seen each other in two and a half weeks. They are precious brothers!
John's battery of tests are still on tap for next Thursday and Friday. We got the word today that John could possibly go home for at least a week after his tests on Friday. This would be a wonderful blessing since Rick's and James' birthdays are the following Friday (May 11). It would be an added blessing! THANK YOU again and again for your prayers. |
4/26 10:40a |  Suprise! Last night about 8:00p I put in a very low bid on priceline.com for tickets to New York. I told them I was flexible on departure dates and times. A short time later I got an email that they accepted my incredibly low offer. The flight was out of Greensboro, NC, which is 100 miles from our house, and it was at 6:00 am. Right now myself, James & George are in the back of a taxi headed to the Ronald McDonald house to surprise Dinki and John. We are so grateful for God's provision, as all the other flights we looked at were at least as twice as expensive as the ones we were able to purchase last night.
Isn't modern technology great, you can be driving in the back a of a car and updating your website at the same time. Dinki and John were both so shocked when they saw us, it was priceless! |
4/25 | Monday was a beautiful day (outside and inside). After two shots of Neupogen over the weekend, John's counts were back up. So much so, we all thought it was a mistake. And yet we know, God makes no mistakes. This is another testament to your prayers and God's faithfulness. Hemoglobin was low. He needed a transfusion of packed red blood cells. He slept through the entire thing. He was sent home with more fluids in his backpack. His counts didn't need to be checked again until today.
Tuesday, John and Dinki were able to sleep in and take a nap. Yeah! A break from the hospital. He only threw up once all day. He's been able to keep a few things down. We began tapering off the meds.
Today, John and Dinki were at the hospital bright and early for a finger stick which went quickly. Then, they wanted to check his electrolytes from his lines. It sure took a long time to get those results. They were planning to take him off of the backpack only to find out his magnesium is low. A special mixture of fluids was made to incorporate magnesium. By the time he was all hooked up to his new bag of fluids in his backpack, it was after 3:00 pm. It's not uncommon to be at the hospital for seven hours a day.
Typically, you go to the I.V. room for a finger stick. You wait for the results and to be called back to meet with someone from the Neuroblastoma Team. They go over the results, review all medications, examine John, evaluate his progress, and come up with a short-term plan for the next couple of days. We all pretty much know the long-term plan. Then, you can possibly go back to the I.V. room for more lab work, to the playroom to wait for more information, or the bed area for blood products depending on what is needed. On rare occasions, you can leave after the Team visit.
Counts don't need to be checked again until Friday. We are praying counts and electrolytes will be good enough he won't have to be on fluids over the weekend, also, for his immune system to not be compromised. He is trying to eat and gain strength on his own. He's a trooper! |
4/22/07 | Whew! So far, it has been an uneventful weekend. John is making great strides. The real trick will be to make our hospital trips this week without landing "in-patient" (aka running a fever). I get nervous when we have to be around other people with his counts being so low. Most of you know, when we are home (NC), we are at HOME. This being around other people in a great big house and all of the children at the hospital is a challenge for us.
John was able to eat some dry cereal Friday and again on Saturday and keep it down. Yeah! Bless his heart. He says he is hungry, but is somewhat afraid to eat. Last time he was on this chemo, he ate anything and everything. If it came back up, he just kept trying. This time is different. He's leery of eating. I tend to think these medications are working better for his nausea. It's hard to tell when he is not ingesting anything, though.
The weather has been gorgeous. Yet, John is not interested in being outside. Quite frankly, I am not interested in him being out there around the multitude of germs. God will provide another gorgeous day for him to get out and play.
John started his Neupogen shots last night. He doesn't remember a thing. For those of you who don't know, John kept begging to be "asleep" for this particular stick. In the past, he has been asleep for sticks and pricks under anesthesia. So, we thought. Why couldn't he be "asleep" for this one? The first hour John falls asleep is when he sleeps the hardest. It is at this time we, under cover of night/Rick with his head lamp, gently pull back the covers, swab him with alcohol, and give him his shot. We hear a few moans with some wiggling, but that's it. The shot is done. James 1:5 is true.
Please continue to pray for our family as we are separated. This is a very hard season for each of us. We are not even remotely accustomed to being apart for such lengths of time. Yet, we know God is faithful. He is the Great Redeemer and Provider. He will restore what is lost.
Loving you,
DINKI |
4/20/07 | It has been a tough week. We have spent close to ten hours a day at the hospital Monday through Thursday. Fortunately, today only lasted four hours. The weekend is long awaited for some much needed rest.
By late afternoon Wednesday, the nausea got the best of John. Sloan (MSKCC) has done a great job trying to find medications that work best to help alleviate some of these awful side effects. His counts are holding steady, but we know it is only a matter of days before they drop significantly. His CBC (complete blood count) revealed no need for blood products going into the weekend. However, they were planning to cross and type his blood in preparation for Monday's results.
John's blood count medicine arrived today at the Ronald McDonald House. He will begin getting this tomorrow night. In the meantime, we will keep him hydrated, rested, and quarantined as much as possible. We were sent home with another backpack of fluids over the weekend. This really does help because he has no appetite and frequently throws up. Sloan (MSKCC) has truly made great strides to make these children comfortable while maintaining their systems as best they can considering the circumstances.
Thank you for your continued prayers on John's behalf. We aren't out of the woods yet. Monday through Thursday are his most critical days for a further drop in counts. We are praying he will not get a fever and be admitted. If he is, we will minister where God leads. |
4/18/07 | 
MSKCC received a new portable games system and requested for John to test it out for them. Update from Dinki: John started his fifth cycle of chemo Monday morning. It was late getting started because of his usual hydration issues. The original plan was to hydrate him overnight before starting. Being that we started on a Monday, this was not an option. He ended up getting two quick doses of fluids to bring his body up to where it needed to be. He got a late start which put him late getting out. John and I checked into Sloan at 8:00 am and didn't leave until 7:30 pm. It was a very long day.
There was also some question about his counts. While his platelets were rising, his white blood cells were dropping. Chemo is hard enough on white blood cells (a.k.a. immune system) going in to chemo. It's even harder on the body when it's already low. This translates into a greater likelihood that John will get a fever and be admitted to the hospital after this cycle. We have been very blessed in the past. John's first, major sickness (fungal rash) was after this last bout with surgery and fourth chemo. In the overall scheme of things (compared to other Neuroblastoma patients), he has done very well. It has been a minor setback. There's not telling what this one could land us.
Tuesday was a repeat of Monday except for the fact that John got an earlier start; checking in at 8:00 am and leaving at 5:45 pm. Today John threwup a couple of times, but is resting now. Thursday will likely be the same. Friday, we will go in for a CBC (complete blood count) and electrolyte check. John will be sent home over the weekend with a hydration pack. Sloan does this particular chemo outpatient. John is given his chemo during the day and sent home with a backpack, I.V. overnight. The backpack is pretty heavy (1.5 liters). John can hardly pick it up. Of course, I carry it alongside him. Yet, he assured all of us, including his nurse, that his daddy could easily strap it on his back with no trouble.
This cycle tends to have a delayed effect. John started feeling nauseous this afternoon. Please pray he will not be as sick as he was after his first Cisplatin. He threw up for an entire week that time. Sloan seems to have a better system of medications. While CMC back in Charlotte is a great institution, Sloan has really worked hard to use some great medications combined with listening to the parent as to the particular needs of his/her child. We will see how this cycle goes.
John has a battery of tests scheduled for May 3 and 4. These will determine if he needs to have a sixth cycle of chemo before moving on to the next phases of his treatment. Here's where you come in. More than anything else, we know it is your prayers that are sustaining us through this difficult journey. Watching your child battle cancer is a heart wrenching experience. It is painful to be separated as a family. There isn't much in life this family doesn't ALL do together. So, here's another thank you for standing in the gap for us. We are most grateful for each and every one of you. You are an incredible blessing!
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4/15/07 | Tomorrow morning at 8, Dinki and John will go to MSKCC for him to begin his fifth chemotherapy treatment. He will get the chemo for eight hours at the hospital and will then be given a backpack with IV fluids and will go back to the Ronald house to slepp. this will be repeated for four days. This particular type of chemo (cisplatin) has been very hard on John in the past and caused him a great deal of nausea and vomotting. Please pray for: - Strength for John as he goes through his chemo.
- Strength and rest for Dinki
- For me (Rick) to be able to encourage and lead and serve my family in a Godly manner. I have heard reports that many Dads have abondoned their families during difficult sicknesses like we are experiencing. It is my desire to stand strong and fight for my family no matter the personal cost. Please pray for God to continue to make this desire a reality in my life.
Today during church services I had the opportunity to share some of the pains and struggles we have experienced and are still facing as a family. Click below to list to the recording in either MP3 or WMA format, Testimony in MP3 format Testimony in WMA Format |
4/14/07 | John and Dinki had a great day today and they got to go out and walk around Central Park. John climbed on some of the big rocks near the Zoo, but he is still weak. He is eating better every day and had a great appetite today.  As you'll see in the linked photos and videos below, we had a great time at George's fifteenth birthday. We want to thank all of our friends for taking time out of there busy Saturday's and spending it with George and us. George was very appreciative of everyone's gifts and cards. It was a blessing to all of our family to see so many of you send George encouraging notes and cards. Thank you for making it a very special day for George!
We're so proud of George and how maturely he has handled these past few months. He has been a great help with James and John and they could not ask for a better big brother. Dinki and I have been able to ask him for help many times and he has jumped right in there and did what needed to be done. As we look to the future for George, we are asking for God to make his will known to George in the areas of his education, career and wife. It is George, and our intention to practice a model of courtship rather than the more common method of dating. We believe, that for our family, courtship provides a much healthier environment in which two persons can get to know more about each others beliefs and values without being placed in situation in which those values are easily compromised. Here's the birthday pictures from Today! |
4/13/07 |  Tomorrow (Saturday, 4/14) is a very special day, as out oldest son George turns fifteen.
Although an email or card will be greatly appreciated by George, I know that some of you would like to do something more for him. He loves to shop on Amazon.com or Target.com and you can purchase electronic gift certificates in amounts as small as $5 online and they can be sent to him electronically using the contact page to send an email to any of us. John and Dinki went back to Sloan (MSKCC) today for another blood count. His platelets tripled from Tuesday and is good to go on Monday for his fifth cycle of chemo. Once again, the Neuroblastoma Team apologized for our having come back to NY so soon only for us to be delayed until Monday. They are too kind. Yet, we were reminded. This is not a race. None of life is. God has perfect timing for a purpose. This one was for John to regain strength. His surgery, fourth chemo, and fungal rash really hit him hard. He was quite weak still from all his body had been through over the last four weeks. He has needed this time to recuperate. God knew just what John needed when he needed it, and He provided. He is Jehovah Jireh. George, Jame and myself are looking forward to being back in church Sunday. It has been over two months since we have been able to attend. We so want to be under the teaching of the Word of God and within the fellowship of believers. The boys went for there annual homeschool testing to measure there progress and their scores showed improvement in many areas, despite the difficult last few months. We then went by and picked up some of the boys friends and took them to lunch and walked around Concord Mills then ended up having supper with their family. It was a really good day for us and good for us to get out of the house and do something different.
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| 4/10/07 | John's blood platelette counts are still too low to receive his next chemo treatment so he and Dinki will have to wait in NY until next Monday, 4/16, to begin. |
4/8/07 3:00p | They had an uneventful flight and made it to the Ronal McDonald house by 9:30, as they said there was no traffic anywhere. They went over to MSKCC and got his blood checked and his platelettes are only at 45k, so it looks like Wednesday before they will be able to start chemo, as the platelettes have to be at 75k or higher. They are in the Ronald at Room 1005, right next door to our previous room. If you wish to send them anything, please go to the contact page for address information. |
4/8/07 07:45a | John and Dinki made it on the Corporate Angel flight and are headed to Manhattan for John's next round of chemo and tests. George, James and myself will stay behind and take care of the house and pets. We plan to go up to New York to visit once we have a better understanding from the physicians of what the schedule will be over the next several weeks. |
4/7/07 |  John had a great day and is back to his old funny self. John took some medical tape from his weekly dressing change and made a cross on his face in honor of Jesus dying and being raised on Easter. He never ceases to amaze us with all he has been through. It's good to have our Sweet Little John back.
The surprise birthday party for George was a great success. He was shocked and totally thrown off guard. We want to thank all the families at New Life Church that helped put this together on short notice as well as our friends the DeCostes who gaveus the idea and the Ptaceks for keeping George away from the house while we prepared. Thank you Mary, Jan, Bryan, Vivian and everyone else that helped, it was awesome! The kids played paintball in the woods for a while then jumped in the air castle and played on the trampoline, it was a beautiful day. I want to give special thanks to Rick and Amanda Hiner for donating the use of one of there giant inflatable combo-slides and a cotton candy machine. Everyone had a blast jumping and we ate cotton candy until we turned blue. Thanks Guys! If you ever have a special event and need to rent a bouncer, moonwalk, etc., please call our christian friends at Air Castle Inflatables 704-677-JUMP or visit them on their web suite at: www.aircastlefun.com Hope all of you are having a happy Easter Sunday and enjoy celebrating the gift of eternal life that is available free to everyone. I'm uploading a lot of pictures and movies at the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/rsumrall/20070407GeorgeBirthday |
4/6/07 | John is getting his bath right now. This is the first time he has been able to get in a tub in over six weeks. Don't get me wrong, we washed him periodically, but we were very limited in what we could do to clean him. He's felt great the past couple of days and his blood counts continue to improve. Thank you Heavenly Father for helping John get better. A dear friend purchased us season passes to the local theme park, Carowinds, so George, James and myself went with another family for a few hours this afternoon. We all had a wonderful time and it added a little normalcy in our life.  Tomorrow afternoon our church is giving George a surprise birthday party. He turns fifteen on the fourteenth of this month, but Dinki and John will not be here then so we are celebrating it a week early. They have an exciting afternoon planned for him as celebrate this milestone of moving toward manhood.
Dinki & John will fly out early Monday morning (4/9) on a Corporate Angel Network flight to New York for John to begin his fifth chemo treatment. Since this will be our fifth experience with chemo, we believe that it may be manageable with just one of us. However, I remain on standby to go up there if any problems arise. But for now, the plan is that she and John will go up and stay at the Ronald McDonald house and the other two boys and I will remain at home, trying to get our lives somewhat back on schedule and for me to return to work again at my job. They will probably be in New York for several weeks as John will get chemo and then a battery of tests will be run to determine how effective the treatments have been. the results of the test will help determine if John will have to receive a sixth chemo treatment or whether he will be able to begin the 3F8 Monoclonal Antibody Therapy followed by a seven day radiation treatment. I want to thank all of you that sent me the encouraging emails and scriptures the last couple of days. I'm feeling much more revived and encouraged today compared to Wednesday. We are looking forward to Sunday when we celebrate our most holiest of holiday of the year, Easter or as we like to call it Resurrection Sunday. This is the day Jesus arose from the dead after being crucified on a cross and his dead body laid in a tomb for three days. |
4/4/07 | Dinki - We are HOME!!! Oh, the sweet aroma of five Sumralls together under one roof. It is wonderful! Getting here took six weeks and two days. Nothing compares to it. Who's counting, you ask? All of us. We gave new meaning to "Family Night." Typically, we celebrate on Friday night. Maybe we'll celebrate again on Friday. After all, it is Good Friday.
This morning, our oncologist gave us three options. One of which was to be discharged today. Of course, it had quite a few orders attached. None of which were too big to fill. It is so worth it. We return to the hospital on Friday for a blood count. Hopefully, we won't be admitted. It should just be a standard finger stick; in and out. In the meantime, John needs to be drinking a lot of fluids. He's not an avid drinker to start with. So, this is somewhat of a challenge. He did well today. We'll see how tomorrow goes. He is, already, tired of being reminded to drink.
We are already overwhelmed with plans to return to NY. Currently we are trying to book with Corporate Angel in order for Dinki & John to fly up alone. If that fails to work out, we will seek out other methods. John’s chemo will be outpatient this time, so we aren’t sure what challenges it will bring about.
Several bags from the first trip aren't unpacked yet. John will be receiving his fifth chemo treatment along with a series of tests. These tests will help the Neuroblastoma Team at MSKCC solidify the rest of John's treatment. Cancer sure isn't easy. Then again, neither was Jesus' life on earth. May we rise to the task set before us and give the glory back to Him as we carry our cross. Eternity is worth it! Is it worth it for you? Rick - I'm so exhausted from this past month. I feel so depressed at times and find myself unable to pray or open my bible. God has provided so well for us through all of this, I am just having a weak moment in dealing with so many details involved with arranging for John's care, deciphering hospital and insurance bills, preparing to file annual taxes, etc. I have been unable to work at my office for the last six weeks due to our stay in NY and John's illness when we returned. Ienjoyed having my daughter Jodie and her husband Cisco to visit with us the past few days, as they headed back to Louisiana today. Please pray for our family as we ask for God to provide all the needed arrangements for Dinki and John to travel next week to NY. Click here for the a lot of photo and movies from the past few weeks. |
4/3/07 | Sunday, John discovered his first loose tooth. We are experiencing some normal, six-year-old stuff. Woo Hoo! Life is not, totally, about cancer.
John's counts are slowly rising. Hey, they're rising. We'll take 'em any way we can get 'em. The plan is to begin weaning John off of his meds. His TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) will only be used at night because this suppresses his appetite. It's more calories than John would normally get. Our oncologist does not want us to go home on it. So, the goal will be to get John to eat on his own. Needless to say, he's not too fond of the hospital food. Daddy is the best "finder" of all things. If John craves it, no doubt, Daddy will find it for him.
Many of you have been praying for John's attitude. We are happy to report. Our sweet Johnny has returned. He began perking up Thursday morning. Even our oncologist said, "I got a smile out of him." Surgery and the fourth chemo really hit him hard. The nurses have been buzzing around asking about him. John has formed a reputation of sorts on tower seven. We had a new nurse on Sunday. She talked about how she finally got John. Everyone wants to take him. As parents, this was heartwarming. Our son is wanted, loved, and cared for. The feelings are mutual. We love all of the nurses and staff at CMC.
NY is eminent. It is hard to leave again. Please continue to pray for us as we fine tune the details. We have birthdays coming up and really want to be together as a family. We know this is a challenging season. And the God of the Universe never slumbers or sleeps. We are confident He will show us the way.
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. KJV |
4/1/07 | Dinki - John's oncologist is not worried about his fevers anymore. However, he is concerned about his white blood counts. John is hanging steady. They feel he will start to bounce back soon; as his track record has indicated. All of John's labs have come back negative. So, we are waiting around for counts to increase. The rash has caused discoloring of his skin. Pigmentation will take some time to recover. It's a small price to pay for nothing more serious. The other night, John said to me, "I love you more than anything except one thing, and you can't beat it. ...God." My heart sang for joy. He is so precious to us, and God. What a comforting thing to hear these words from him as he, now, spends his tenth night in the hospital. He has been in the hospital 21 of the last 23 days. We are all exhausted. We have not been in our home together as a family in six weeks. We are in the process of planning our next trip to NY and MSKCC (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center). [Details to be announced.] John has told the nurses here that he does "NOT like NY, but he likes Sloan." He even likes CMC (Carolinas Medical Center). Child Life and the nurses make each stay very comfortable. I am thankful he doesn't dread going to, and staying in, the hospital. God is so good!!! Once again, we want to thank all of you for making "coming home" a treat. The body of Christ has filled us to overflowing in many areas. Nothing has been duplicated. We are beyond grateful for everything. So, if we forget to tell you personally just how much we appreciate you, please extend us a little grace. Life in the fast lane just got faster. I would love to list all of you by name and the spectacular things we have received from each of you on our web site, but there truly isn't enough space to do it. Ok, some of you who know me well, know that I have a "list" to prove it. We are blessed beyond measure! THANK YOU!!! Rick - My daughter Jodie and her husband Cisco arrived this evening from Baton Rouge, LA. They are excited to be able to see John at the hospital and will be staying a few days with us to visit with us. |
3/30/07 | John seemed to be happier and feeling better today. He's having trouble with pain in his legs when he walks to/from the bathroom, but we attribute that to the fact that he has spent about three weeks in a hospital bed. Some friends, the Franks, dropped by and played games with John and just hung out for a while with him. James got to go have lunch with his special friend, Ms Brenda. Afterwards, James went over to some of his friends house to play and have supper with them, thank your Roger & Hiroko. George got to spend the afternoon with his friend Kyle and they had a great time. I spent the afternoon attempting to recover some data that got wiped out on one of our laptop computers while we were in New York. I was installing some software upgrades and a malfunction caused it to wipe out all of my data, including all the photos taken while in New York and some financial and email correspondence that I need. The recovery process is slow and time consuming, but I'm hopeful that I can get back the most important files. John's rash looked like it is still spreading, so they are doing some additional tests to try and figure out the problem. We really think that until his body can rebuild his white blood cells back, the rash will be an issue. With a good white blood cell count, John's body can defend itself from the rash and other infections. - Please pray for John's white blood counts to increase and that the rash and other issues he is having would be taken away.
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3/29/07 | John spiked a fever twice Wednesday night. Our oncologist says this is common for someone with such a low white blood count. They will discontinue the first antifungal drug and give him a stronger one. They will continue to monitor his fevers and the antibiotics will continue. The good news is. All of his blood cultures have come back negative. We are still waiting on the results of the endoscopic procedure.
His attitude and overall outlook have changed for the better. He was very discouraged and unhappy when we first arrived. We have made some adjustments and he seems to be responding well. In addition, the medicine is doing its job, just at a very slow pace. Even the nurses here at CMC were concerned about him. They know John to be a jovial, positive boy. He has several favorites, but he had become irritable with them, too. The nurses here are wonderful! They have been so patient with his recovery.
We are delighted to be together as a family again. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. The boys are turning into fine, young gentlemen. A dear friend came to stay with John yesterday while the rest of us took a break from the normal hospital routine. It was a welcomed breath of fresh air for all of us. Thank you Sue. We are blessed beyond measure to have such an amazing support group. We are truly seeing the body of Christ at work. All of you are a testimony! We could go on and on sharing stories about how God has met a specific need by each one of you. Just yesterday, we took the boys out to eat on a gift card provided by the Berryhills. Another dear friend cleaned our home. It was delightful coming home to that. Support and service are defined in many different ways. There are so many names we can’t even begin to mention here. So many things are being done to help us, yet we can't think of one that has been duplicated.
Now to give credit where credit is due: We attribute all of John's positive progress to the Lord and the prayers of faithful warriors such as you. Please know how much we need you and could not traverse this without you. In NY, we were thrust into a large environment of Neuroblastoma patients. There are so many stories to tell. One remains constant. Treatment can be delayed often for months at a time because of illnesses incurred while counts are low. One family was in the hospital for six weeks because their daughter got chicken pox. Any somewhat, minor illness to you and me is major to a cancer patient. Their bodies do NOT have what it takes to fight off anything. It's one of the reasons John's healing from this rash is taking so long. Based on John’s current state and the rash having spread further, he will likely be in the hospital a few more days. Several friends like Matthew and the DeCoste girls recently dropped by to help cheer John up and it really does lift his spirits. Here are the latest photos
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| History | Click here for previous history of John's cancer diagnosis. |