tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75450331205805143182024-03-14T04:54:46.853-05:00Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-86638091087269945302010-03-08T20:27:00.004-06:002010-03-09T21:34:19.262-06:00Diagnosis Day<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our beautiful little girl turns four years old in just over a month, but on this day we celebrate something greater. It was 3 years ago that Keira Grace was diagnosed with cancer and today she is alive and well and looking eagerly to her fourth birthday! No one would ever guess the battle she fought -- and won. Standing on this side of the tears, prayers, and long, dark nights of questions and pain we relish the great joy of her laughter, her vibrant smile and her great love of life. And we are eternally grateful.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As we reflect on these past years, we are in awe of the amazing support of literally hundreds who rallied around us. We did not walk this path alone, but like many before us we had the tremendous support of family, friends, and even those we did not know, but who heard our story and began to pray for our daughter. We were never alone in our battle. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Now we want to give back.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b></b></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">On May 22, 2010, will be the first CureSearch walk in the DFW metroplex. For us this is not just another fundraiser, but it is personal. Jason, Erin and Keira will be walking to raise money to rid our world of this horrible disease that has impacted the lives of so many children and families. We will walk to find a cure for childhood cancer. Will you join us? </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">You can sponsor any of us in our walk, or you can join our team and walk with us. The beauty of this walk is that you can even walk "virtually". Add your name to our team and "walk" with us from anywhere in the world. We have set a monetary goal of funding we would like to raise, but we have a personal goal as well. We'd like to have 100 people walk with us as part of our team, people willing to add their names to the list of those who would - "I too would like to reach the day when all children diagnosed with cancer are guaranteed a cure."</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If you are willing to join us, please visit: <a href="http://www.curesearchwalk.org/"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color:#0720a5;">www.curesearchwalk.org</span></a></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Select Dallas/Ft Worth and then join Team Keira.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Together we can make a difference for those that are fighting this battle now!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Thank you,</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Jason, Erin and Keira Grace</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Georgia; min-height: 19.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p>Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-60419858848857867902009-12-21T00:19:00.004-06:002009-12-21T21:45:23.926-06:00Christmas 2009<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Georgia', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Our family has had a great 2009. We have enjoyed tremendous peace and have had very few "events" to make life interesting.<br /><br />Keira has had a wonderful year. She continues to spend 2 days a week at preschool and has had a miraculous change in her social ability. The once quiet little girl who feared just about everyone but her parents will now willingly take candy from any stranger, but not before introducing herself by her full name and beginning an extensive conversation concerning Go Deigo Go or wearing Princess Dresses (which is a daily occurrence in our household). She has branched out from her one best friend and will now holler a friendly hello to anyone who might happen to be within earshot. She can also spot another child under the age of 5 from a mile away. We are shocked by her behavior as her parents are complete introverts who love their friends, but tend to keep a low profile whenever possible. We assume this gene must have come from somewhere but it definitely skipped a generation!<br /><br />Keira completed her last CT scan in July and has officially graduated to the After the Cancer Experience program. It seems so unreal to us that it has been over 2 years since her diagnosis, but we are thrilled with where she is at. She no longer has to do any CTs and her follow up appointments will be every 6 months. Developmentally she is a happy, healthy, normal 3 year old. To look at her and interact with her, you would never know what she's been through. She is truly an answer to prayer.<br /><br />Erin has been hitting the books harder this past year. She took a set of board exams in September (and passed!!!) and will take her last set in May. She is looking forward to finishing residency and can hardly believe that 5 years have passed. After finishing residency she will go on to a year of fellowship in Nuclear Medicine at Baylor. On a different note (pun intended) she has started to play violin again. The worship team at our church has some fantastic musicians, some of whom Erin used to play with in her previous life as a poor musician (as opposed to a poor resident). They have been gracious enough to allow her to play with them when her schedule allows, and she has loved having this musical outlet again.<br /><br />Jason has probably had the biggest year of all of us. In February he began a new position as the Men's Minister at our church. After trying to juggle both teaching and ministry, he made the difficult decision to step down from his teaching position at TCA. It was difficult to leave what had become such a good family, but he has loved his new job. In September he was ordained. He continues to pursue his Doctorate of Ministry at Ashland Seminary and will likely complete his degree at the same time Erin finishes fellowship.<br /><br />We pray that this Christmas will bring a time of peace and rest for your family. As we reflect on this past year, we rejoice in the blessings God has given us and look forward to his plan for our future.<br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira Grace<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p>Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-45649907569517974562008-12-14T20:49:00.009-06:002008-12-17T21:59:34.607-06:00Christmas UpdateSo, we decided to try something a little different this year. Our Christmas newsletter is posted here. I'd like to think that we are a forward thinking family who is techno-savy and eco-friendly... but the reality is that the fact that I would have one less piece of paper to stuff into our Christmas cards appealed to me too : )<br /><br />2008 has been a great year for the Bowmans. Keira has gone one entire year without treatments or trips to the ER. We are so blessed. At this point, she is being seen by her oncologist every 3 months for labwork and we have another round of scans in June. If everything checks out ok at that point, she will get to "graduate" from her CT scans - something I'm sure she will be glad to see the last of.<br /><br />She started pre-school this year 2 days a week. She loves her teacher and her friends. She is really starting to open up and we have seen her become much more at ease around new people. She loves to "read" and can recite many of her favorite books from start to finish. Her favorite question is "Why?", and she has to do everying by herself. We are happy to report she is a very normal 2 year old -<em>who is potty trained - yeah!!!</em><br /><br />Erin is still in residency - yes still. Fortunately she gets to work with a great group of people! She keeps busy with her studies and trying to keep up with Keira and when she's not doing that .... what am I saying - that pretty much covers it.<br /><br />Jason is also the eternal student. He continues to do well in his Doctorate of Ministry program. He is in his 7th year of teaching Bible to high school students - and his seventh set of lesson plans, always striving to make things better. His favorite role is that of Daddy and is quite influential in that role.<br /><br />Blessings to you all during this wonderful time of year. We pray that you get to spend some sweet time with your families. We are grateful for all the gifts God has given us this year, most importantly the gift of His Son.<br /><br />We thought the most fun way of capturing this year might be in pictures - so we hope you enjoy the show!<br /><br />Love,<br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-42289328742456736712008-12-14T16:40:00.003-06:002008-12-14T16:47:00.748-06:00December 5, 2008 - More resultsKeira decided to celebrate her father's birthday this year by going to Children's and having a CT and lots of labwork performed. At the end of the day, it turned out to be a wonderful birthday present as all of her tests gave us good news. Keira continues to look great and so far has not shown any signs of complications from her treatments! We are blessed with this news and look forward to a special Christmas.<br /><br />Jason, Erin and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-47227568129698227982008-06-11T21:22:00.002-05:002008-06-11T21:35:56.206-05:00June 11, 2008 - ResultsGood news! Despite the fact that Keira's bloodwork came back on Friday with some possible abnormalities, the rest of her tests came back earlier today and show only good news! Keira remains NED (No evidence of disease) and her doctors are spacing her follow up out to 6 months. We are all so happy with these results. Thank you for all your prayers on her behalf!<br /><br />Friday's testing was rough on Keira. When we drove up to Children's, Keira started protesting - "No go here today. Let's go to Ellie's house." She knew. They had a problem getting the IV started which meant more than a few tries (ouch!) Additionally, Keira's body has grown tolerant to the medicine that they use to sedate her for the CT scans so the first dose they gave her didn't work. She remained very upset for quite a while. They gave her an additional dose to settle her down, which worked beautifully. Unfortunately, the extra dose made her sick! After a day full of bad experiences, we still remain thankful - it could be so much worse. We are grateful for where we are at, and try our best to make these times as short as possible and then celebrate their accomplishment with something fun. This weekend to celebrate we went to the zoo. <br /><br />Keira had a wonderful time and has aked to go back several times. She wanted to ride the zebras, and the lions. How do you explain to a 2 year old that you can't ride a lion? We distracted her from this request by letting her ride some shetland ponies. She was aprehensive at first, but ended up having a great time. We will try to get some pictures posted soon of her ride on the "real horses".<br /><br />Thank you!<br />Jason, Erin and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-33780942786931481352008-06-04T21:34:00.004-05:002008-06-05T23:22:24.447-05:00June 4, 2008 - More testingA quick update for all of you who are following us on this journey. Keira returns to Children's for more testing this Friday (June 6th). We will begin the day in radiology and have her scans done then report for labwork and a physical. It has been three months since her last tests and we are anxiously awaiting some good news.<br /><br />It is amazing. Though Keira looks and acts like a completely normal two year old (tantrums and all) the cancer experience changes the way you view things. The past couple of weeks she has been more irritable on a regular basis than normal. Those of you with kids are probably thinking "welcome to the terrible two's". While we know that this is a normal part of two year old development, it is difficult not to worry a little. We have every reason to believe that Friday's tests will bring us continued good news... but will feel much better once we have them firmly behind us!<br /><br />Throughout Keira's journey we have asked you to join us in helping raise funding and awareness for pediatric cancer. We have another request for you. One amazing mom is doing everything she can to get at least ONE major company to agree to put a gold ribbon (the gold is for our most precious gift - our children) on their product to raise awareness about childhood cancer. Please click here to sign. <a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/gold-ribbon-support-for-childrens-cancer-on-consumer-products">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/gold-ribbon-support-for-childrens-cancer-on-consumer-products</a><br /><br />We promise to post updates once we have some results - likely the first part of next week. Thank you for all your prayers! God has brought us through such an amazing journey and given us so many gifts through this. We are so grateful to you all for walking with us through this.<br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-69197404658625712592008-04-20T15:48:00.003-05:002008-04-20T15:58:48.488-05:00Happy Birthday!Keira is now officially 2! Wednesday was her birthday and we marked the day by visiting "cocoa" her favorite horse (on a carousel). We then had ice cream - for the second time that day. What more could a 2 year old want?<br /><br />Saturday Keira had a small party with a few close friends and showed off her new swingset - thanks daddy and grandpa! The party was a huge success - made unexpectedly better by the sudden flooding of our backyard 15 minutes before guests arrived. Luckily, when your 2, a flooded backyard is even more fun than a dry backyard. As we suspected one of our sprinkler pipes had broken so I sense a little digging in our future.<br /><br />Keira seemed to enjoy the party, especially the cake. She really "got into it" so to speak. All in all she had a good few days and we are so happy. We enjoy every day with her and are loving watching her learn and grow.<br /><br />Happy Birthday Keira Grace!Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-67629930014319832162008-03-25T21:58:00.002-05:002008-03-25T22:25:41.699-05:00March 25, 2008 - Too longIt has been too long since we've posted. First of all - Keira is doing great. Her monthly blood and urine tests are completely normal. Her most recent CT shows no change - this continues to be wonderful news. Her doctor told us at the last visit that he didn't want to see her for three months - that was great news to Keira who now recognizes the parking garage at the hospital and lets us know that she isn't pleased to be there.<br /><br /><br /><br />We can hardly believe that it has been over a year since her diagnosis. In many ways it seems like so much longer. March 9th, one year from the date of her diagnosis, we had a wonderful little celebration honoring Keira's life and all that God has done for us. Thanks Suzy! We are so grateful to be together as a family, enjoying the wonder of life through the eyes of a soon to be two year old.<br /><br /><br /><br />Keira had a wonderful Easter this year complete with egg hunts and bunnies. She discovered that plastic eggs were fun to shake - and even more fun to break open and eat!<br /><br /><br /><br />Keira is growing and changing daily. She loves the playground and asks to go daily - make that multiple times a day. She will even tell us which one she prefers - "blue slide playground", "green playground" "barn playground". She has developed a love of singing and has a special place in her heart for "Old Macdonald". She is not afraid to be heard singing E-I-E-I-O at the top of her lungs. She loves to laugh and will ask for "mo" (more) of anything she finds amusing. Yesterday, Jason said "OW". This was one of the funniest things she had ever heard. We hope this doesn't mean anything.....<br /><br /><br /><br />We will return in June for more tests. Until then we plan to enjoy watching Keira grow. We will try to be better about posting updates.<br /><br /><br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-14496013770326074562008-01-23T20:23:00.000-06:002008-01-23T20:25:35.277-06:00Update on Isaac - please prayToday's posting from Isaac's blog<br /><br /><em>Today, Wednesday January 23rd Isaac Matthew Lieser has become an angel. He is being held by his Mom & Dad. Thank you for all your prayers.<br /></em><br />Please continue to pray for Isaac's family as they grieve over their incredible loss.Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-55885681500770892272008-01-19T18:35:00.000-06:002008-01-19T22:19:29.975-06:00Please join us in prayingTonight we ask you all to please pray. Keira continues to do very well, but one of our friends, 2 year-old Isaac who also has neuroblastoma, is doing very poorly. This family really needs our prayers right now. They are making some very difficult decisions. Would you please take a moment and pray for Isaac and his family? Isaac really needs a miracle from God right now.<br /><br />Thank you so much,<br />Jason, Erin, and Keira Grace<br /><br />If you want to know more of their story, see their blog. If you go to the blog, we do not want you to be taken off guard. You will see little Issac on the site and he is very sick. <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isaaclieser">http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isaaclieser</a>.Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-82756661564420122402007-12-22T04:26:00.000-06:002007-12-22T21:51:16.226-06:00December 21. 2007 - Results are inWe took Keira to Children's today for her oncology appointment and got the results of her tests. All good news to follow!<br /><br />Her chest CT showed her primary mass to be stable to slightly smaller. We didn't expect to see significant change since it hasn't been more than 8 weeks since her prior exam. We are grateful that there hasn't been an increase in size. Her Echo showed her heart function to be normal. The chemotherapy she received can be toxic to the heart, but so far Keira's heart looks good. She certainly acts as if everything is pumping normally. We can barely keep up with her! Her bloodwork is finally back to completely normal! Her white count had been low ever since her diagnosis, but it looks like it has finally recoverd completely. We are very excited!<br /><br />The plan for now is to repeat her CT every 3 months for the next year but to do monthly urine checks. This will hopefully allow us to spare Keira the traumatic experience of IV placement and fasting for hours on end, yet still closely monitor her for relapse. We are very happy with this plan and look forward to less frequent trips to the CT scanner.<br /><br />Keira and Jason are currently fighting off a viral infection and both feel miserable. Keira has learned to say "Nose Hurt!" This morning she woke up with what looked like a black eye and then later on started having some drainage. Yep, she has developed pink eye. Poor girl, you can't explain to her that this will pass and she'll feel better soon.<br /><br />This year, despite the facts that Keira and Jason are both currently sick and Erin is working nights, we are looking forward to a truly joyous and wonderful Christmas. Our little girl is doing great and we are incredibly grateful. This will be our best Christmas ever as we celebrate God's goodness. As we celebrate God's greatest gift of His Son, we cannot help but be acutely aware that He has also given us the incredible gift of our daughter. Merry Christmas!<br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-78895449931565028092007-12-17T21:44:00.000-06:002007-12-17T22:03:40.053-06:00December 17, 2007 - scans but no resultsToday we had two more tests, a CT of the chest, and an echocardiogram (to check Keira's heart). From Keira's perspective, today was so much more. At 6:30, we woke her up since we had to quit feeding her by 7 so she could have her CT. For about 15 minutes, all she could do was rub her eyes and say "bright". We finally succeeded in getting a few bites of oatmeal and some berries down her. Basically, we managed to wake her up early so instead of just being hungry, she would be hungry and tired. Don't try this one at home!<br /><br />We arrived at Children's at 11am. Keira is beginning to recognize it, and only tolerates the place because it has trains. We took her to see the trains, which was a great hour, however at noon, we were called back to radiology. She immediately knew what was up, and quite understatedly voiced her displeasure. After a few minutes, it was as if she was resigned to her fate. She settled down and quietly watched Baby Einstein while other children cried around us. She managed to fall asleep, just in time for them to wake her up by starting her IV. Not a pleasant way to wake up! Keira's CT happened around 2, which in the grand scheme of things is fairly prompt. Up until this point, she'd really been a champ, but now we had to ask her to undergo yet another test. <br /><br />We walked upstairs and checked into Cardiology and Jason went to grab some food for the hungry baby. We managed to get a roll into Keira before we got called back for her echo. Keep in mind that it is now 3:30, all she's had to eat is a roll, she's been up since 6:30 and hasn't had more than 10 minutes of a nap. She did amazingly well during the echo. She told them <em>NO </em>several times, but for the most part whimpered here and there and then let them do what they needed to. Once the technician said "OK we're finished" Keira all but clawed her way into Erin's arms. She had had enough. You know how when kids are upset they'll let out one cry and then there is that long pause while they work themselves up for the really big one? Keira's long pause lasted long enough for us to get all the way out of Cardiology and into the hallway before the cry came. She just wanted to make sure that we knew that she had been very good, but that was the last test she would tolerate for the day. <br /><br />We left as quickly as we could to respect her wishes, but this means we don't have any results yet. We don't expect bad news, but we will rest easier once we know that our expectations are true. We will update as we know more. Next time you see Keira, let her know what a true trooper she is. She handled today much better than most adults I know would have. <br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-68542641798853731192007-12-05T21:25:00.000-06:002007-12-05T21:36:21.776-06:00December 5, 2007 - Happy Birthday DadaI can't believe how fast time is flying by! Keira is now officially 6 months out from chemo. She is off her antibiotics, and is resuming a normal vaccination schedule. Her port is out. Her hair is growing. She looks like a perfect little Christmas elf!<br /><br />Keira will have one more CT scan before the end of the year on Dec. 17th. We hope to have her heart rechecked at that time. One of the medicines she received is toxic to the heart, so she will need to be watched for quite some time. Her most recent labwork looked great. At this point, we will continue to do monthly blood and urine checks and gradually space her CT scans out. We are truly blessed by this miracle.<br /><br />Many of you may have last minute shopping to do. I would encourage you to take a peek at the band of parents website. <a href="http://www.bandofparents.org/">http://www.bandofparents.org</a> They are a group of parents with children who have neuroblastoma who are working together to raise money for more research and better treatments. They have some cute gifts and beautiful holiday cards. Take a peek for a great cause!<br /><br />I want to say happy birthday to my amazing husband who has been such a strength to me throughout our marriage, but especially this past year. Thank you. Oh, and Keira says "Hap Dada!" - maybe next year we'll get to hear Happy Birthday : )<br /><br />Erin and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-82813673670446273382007-11-22T15:40:00.000-06:002007-11-22T16:02:21.592-06:00November 22, 2007 - Giving Thanks!Looking back on the year, we have so much to be grateful for. We give thanks to God for Keira. We are grateful for her wonderful response to treatment, and for the absence of complications through her treatment. We truly have seen a miracle. We are grateful that we are able to look at each day as a gift. We are not guaranteed a certain amount of time with anyone - we realize that now. Every day we have as a family is one that we cherish. Our eyes have been opened to the amazing family and friends we have. We have been shown love far beyond what we deserve or can repay. Thank you. We are grateful for others we have met along the journey who are walking this same road. They are an incredible inspiration to us and have supported us in ways they will never know.<br /><br />Thank you. We hope you each has a wonderful Thanksgiving<br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-12709055908949193032007-11-06T21:35:00.000-06:002007-11-06T23:27:33.218-06:00Nov 6, 2007 - It's Out!Keira did great today, and so did <em>Children's.</em> We showed up at 7:00am in presurgery, prepared for a long day. We had books, dvds, blankets etc. At 8:15 they took Keira back for surgery and she was done by 9. She woke up easily without any real fussiness, and we were allowed to leave by 11. We could not have asked for things to have gone any more smoothly! Keira is doing great and had a good day - once we got some food in her. : ) <br /><br />The plan remains to watch closely. We will keep you posted as she has new test results, but for now we are looking forward to putting some funny stories about her adventures on the blog. We are still planning her celebration party and will send out info once we have plans finalized.<br /><br />Thank you always for your prayers. Keira is a very blessed little girl to have so many praying for her. We honestly did not expect her to complete chemo with so few complications and with such wonderful results. We feel like we have been given a huge gift. <br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-26532911248365847112007-11-05T21:00:00.000-06:002007-11-05T22:44:06.205-06:00Nov 5, 2007 - TomorrowTomorrow is a great day! At 7:00 am we will be checking Keira in at pre-surgery to have her port removed. We eagerly covet your prayers that everything runs smoothly and tomorrow night we will bring Keira home portless for the first time in many months!<br /><br />We will post again to let everyone know how it went. Thank you<br /><br />Jason, Erin and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-4422719880371025722007-10-29T22:24:00.001-05:002007-10-31T12:31:54.881-05:00October 31, 2007The rest of Keira's tests came back today and look good. This means she will be getting her port out in a couple of weeks, we are still waiting on the exact date. This feels like a big step to us. Within the next month, Keira will stop taking antibiotics on a regular basis to prevent infections, she will have her port removed, and she will be able to start catching up on the vaccines she missed over the past 9 months. We hear stories and watch those that we know fighting this battle, and we have seen where there was no evidence of disease, only to have a tragic relapse. We will never be able to feel safe, but right now we are at the best possible place we could be and for that we are very grateful.<br /><br />We want to extend a huge thank you to all of you. When Keira was diagnosed, Erin took time off work and medical expenses accumulated rapidly. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from family and friends, but also from many we haven't met. We want to share with you that your generosity allowed us to be with Keira when she needed us most, without having to give thought to how we were going to pay for her treatment. As we look and plan for the future, and sort through the bills from the past 9 months, we are so happy to say that your generosity met our needs exactly. THANK YOU!!! We will never be able to repay each of you, but hope that one day we will be able to do the same for someone else in our shoes.<br /><br />In light of all this good news, we feel a celebration is called for. We would like to hold a party in honor of Keira and her brave fight, and to honor all of you who have supported us emotionally, financially, and spiritually through this. We have a couple of dates in mind but won't be able to finalize plans until after we have her surgery date, so check back later!<br /><br />Thank you for walking with us through this.<br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-76996009694108894362007-10-27T23:17:00.000-05:002007-10-29T22:24:02.509-05:00October 27, 2007 - New newsA little news. Keira went back on Friday for more labwork and scans. Her labwork is still pending, but her scans looked the same to slightly better than before. Keira did great throughout the day despite having a late afternoon scan and not being able to eat all day. After a long day at the hospital, she had a rough nite. She fevered on and off all night to the point that we worried we would have to take her back in. Luckily it never reached 101.5, and this morning she was back to normal. We think it must have been a reaction to her flu vaccine.<br /><br />We will update again with the results of her labwork.Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-50731202982369444342007-10-02T21:01:00.000-05:002007-10-02T21:05:49.914-05:00October 2, 2007 - quick updateThe remainder of Keira's tests came back normal. Normal is good! We are on track for her next scan at the end of this month with the possibility of removing the port if things look good. We are counting the days : )<br /><br />Please continue to pray for our friend Kate. She is getting her scans done this week after having had 8 rounds of chemo. They found out some good news today and are eagerly awaiting the results of an MIBG at the end of the week. Pray they will receive only good news this week and that Kate will soon be declared NED (No Evidence of Disease)<br /><br />Thank you for your prayers and support!<br /><br />Jason, Erin and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-79896716033600513022007-09-30T14:23:00.000-05:002007-09-30T14:35:28.729-05:00September 30, 2007 - Thank you!Keira continues to do well. She had an appointment down at Children's this past week where aside from some low blood counts everything looked good. We are still waiting on the results of her urine tests, but don't expect that they will be abnormal. Her doctor was happy with her progress and plans to repeat her scans next month. If everything still looks good, she will get her port out! That will be great!<br /><br />We wanted to thank you all for your support and efforts on Keira' behalf. I received the following e-mail today and wanted to share it with all of you. The letter is from the Children's Oncology Group (COG) regarding the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act:<br /><br /><em>Throughout September, parents, grandparents, survivors, nurses, physicians, friends and families have sent more than 4,000 letters to Members of Congress, to tell them that funding childhood cancer research needs to be an urgent national priority. These letters have effectively conveyed to our national leaders what childhood cancer feels like: from the life-altering day of being told of a child’s cancer, through the long and difficult days of treatment, to many examples of courage and inspiration from the children, to the promise of a cure mixed with the devastation of loss.<br />The power of your letters has been overwhelming. <strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">On September 25th, in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Congressional resolutions were passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, expressing the intent of Congress to "…support efforts to increase childhood cancer awareness, treatment and research."<br /></span></strong>This month alone,<strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">the strength of your letters has influenced another 26 Members of Congress to become co-sponsors of the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, bringing the running total to 146 Representatives and 37 Senators.</span></strong> We edge closer every day to passage of this legislation, which will make a meaningful difference in the lives of every child diagnosed with cancer - today and in the years to come.<br />On behalf of the more than 5,000 Children’s Oncology Group researchers who devote their lives to curing childhood cancer, thank you for your support. Step-by-step, we are reaching people; we will not rest until we Reach the Day when we have cured this disease in children.<br />It has been a magnificent September for CureSearch, and for all who want to end this disease. But while September may be over, childhood cancer is not. Every month represents another opportunity to move forward and spread the word. I thank you for all you are doing on the behalf of children with cancer. I urge you to continue to do all you can to help; our children deserve nothing less.</em><br /><br />As you can see, we are making a difference! Please continue to spread the word about the reality of childhood cancer, and the desperate need these kids are in. Thank you!!!<br /><br />Erin<br /><br />PS - Does anyone know how to get a very sleepy 18 month old to take a nap?Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-85815019901147623492007-09-24T12:09:00.001-05:002007-09-24T12:11:33.322-05:00Sept 24, 2007 - Dinner and cancerHere is an easy way to help fight childhood cancer. All day today, Chili's resturants nationwide are donating 100% of thier profits to St. Jude's Hospital. If you are thinking of going out for food or just don't want to cook or you simply want to support the fight against childhood cancer, please consider eating at Chili's today!<br /><br />Jason<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stjude.org/corporate/0,2516,410_2034_23696,00.html">http://www.stjude.org/corporate/0,2516,410_2034_23696,00.html</a>Bowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-19860819497150079342007-09-16T22:19:00.001-05:002008-04-14T21:14:04.716-05:00September 16, 2007 - raising awarenessKeira continues to do well. Her biggest concern seems to be how many bananas we will let her eat in a given day. We will return on the 26th for more labwork and then next month we will have another CT scan. The focus of today's post isn't Keira, it is others like her who are battling this disease.<br /><br />September is pediatric cancer awareness month. I haven't written a post about this until now because quite honestly I feel overwhelmed by what I have learned in the past 6 months. I feel helpless to help not only Keira, but any of the precious children I have met and heard of since Keira's diagnosis. We are incredibly blessed that God is healing Keira in such an amazing way, but she is beating the odds. Here are some facts<br /><p>- One in 330 children will develop cancer before the age of 20</p>- By the time they are diagnosed with cancer, approximately 20% of adults show evidence that the cancer has already spread to other places in the body outside of the original location of the tumor. In children, it is far worse. By time a child is disgnosed with cancer, over 80% of them will have this distant spread of the cancer.<br /><br />- Pediatric cancer is the number one disease killer of children, killing more kids than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma, and AIDS combined<br /><br />- Neuroblastoma accounts for 7-10% of chldhood cancers and well over 15% of deaths, yet receives only 5% of research dollars from a national pediatric cancer fundraising initiative<br /><br />- Neuroblastoma has a less than 30% chance of survival when there is evidence of distant spread at the time of diagnosis.<br /><br />- The National Cancer Institute's federal budget designates 12% for breast cancer, 7% for prostate cancer, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined receive less than 3% of the budget<br /><br /><br />I am not saying that Cystic Fibrosis and Breast Cancer don't deserve funding - THEY DO. However, I had no idea what the statistics on pediatric cancer were before Keira was diagnosed, nor did I realize how severly underfunded research was in this area. If you haven't, please take time to write your congressmen. Let them know that you are concerned that we are letting so many kids down.<br /><br />There are organizations set up to specifically fundraise for Neuroblastoma. Many of you have already donated to Lunch for Life - Thank you. A campaign is currently going on called the Loneliest road campaign. 6 fathers are cycling across the US from San Francisco to Washington DC to raise funding and awareness for neuroblastoma. They are trying to fund a specific treatment. You can read about their campaign at <a href="http://www.loneliestroad.org/">http://www.loneliestroad.org/</a><br /><br />Please share what you learn. Send an e-mail to a friend, write an editorial to the paper, tell your neighbor. Alone I am not sure I can really make any difference in the lives of these kids, but if we each do a little, I hope we can make a real difference.<br /><br />ErinBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-4658761020263370612007-08-31T22:32:00.000-05:002007-08-31T23:39:55.509-05:00August 31, 2007 - This Wonderful DayToday is a good day . . . today the doctors gave us amazing news that I believe I am still digesting. It is news I can hardly believe: Keira is beating the cancer.<br /><br />I will post the details in a minute, but for those who have been with us the whole time and for those who joined along the way, I feel compelled to take a short journey back to what our lives have been like since March 9, 2007. Following you will find some short quotes from previous posts. If you have the time, take a minute and see what God has faithfully brought us through. I have listed the date the entry was posted and then just a brief section that describes something we were going through.<br /><br /><br />. . . <strong>march 9, 2007</strong> "Friday night March 9, 2007 our little girl was diagnosed with cancer. It was the most difficult news either one of us had ever heard. That evening we could barely hold it together and honestly thought it was nightmare we would eventually wake from."<br /><br />. . . <strong>march 15, 2007</strong> "Our familes are doing all they can, but live in different states. However, we do not feel alone. We not only feel our families' love, but we feel the love of church of God . . . it is a testimony to what it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ."<br /><br />. . . <strong>march 26, 2007</strong> "We also know that while our family needs the results to be good, God does not. If God is going to heal our little girl, we must believe that He will heal her no matter the prognosis. Percentages mean nothing to God. I know this in my mind and my heart is trying to hold onto to this truth, but it is hard at this moment in time when it is my daughter's life that is the percentage we are talking about. All morning I have been singing this song:<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! </span><br /><br />My singing is not yet because I feel this truth completely in my heart and emotions, but because I know it is true, because I need it to be true, because God is truly all we have at this moment. "<br /><br />. . . <strong>march 29, 2007</strong> "Today at 1:00 pm, Keira Grace goes goes in for her first round of chemo. We feel like this is a turning point. The tests are over; the war begins. We have seen in our little girl a strength that defies her age, that defies her little body, that is going, with God's help, to defy this cancer . . . she is not giving in and neither are we."<br /><br />. . . <strong>april 21, 2007</strong> "So far this round has been worse. She has thrown up multiple times, including twice this evening. She is also starting to lose her hair. Please pray for her. It is hard to put into words how it feels to hold this little girl while she cries and vomits in the middle of the night."<br /><br />. . . <strong>april 23, 2007</strong> "She is not yet herself, but this afternoon, the pre-chemo Keira showed her face. After 3 days of fussiness and other more unpleasant experiences, it was a relief and a joy to see little Keira Grace waving her rattles around and trying for long periods of time with such a serious demeanor to open a pink plastic egg. That is the little girl who regularly owned our home prior to her chemo treatments, the girl who almost got lost under the weight of toxic chemicals they had to pump into her little body."<br /><br />. . . <strong>may 10, 2007</strong> "For everyone who has supported us, we love you and we thank you and we need you and we want you to know that our daughter means more to us than anything in this world and when you do something for her, you do something for us that we will never be able to fully thank you for, never be able to really express how much it means to us. Thank you for helping us take care of our baby. "<br /><br />. . . <strong>may 20, 2007</strong> "It is not about answers for us. We do not know God's plan, but we know God. And when we fall, He is there. In these days while we wait for her last round, while we wait for those scans that come in June, while we wait to hear whether or not she has been cured, all we can do is believe in an almighty, good God and trust that He is going through this with us. Jesus called it faith like a child. I have seen that faith. I want that faith. It is what will sustain us. "<br /><br />. . . <strong>June 1, 2007</strong> "Keira did very well today. We should be used to it by now, but we are still in awe of our 13 month old who takes in stride what would make either of us fall apart.<br /><br />. . . <strong>june 22, 2007</strong> "Today, things have changed. This war is not over, but the field of battle looks very different now. Today we experienced a victory that we prayed for and believed for and rejoiced knowing that others prayed along with us. The results of the MIBG scan came back today. I can hardly type those results out because part of me still does not believe it. There is good improvement in the size of the main tumor in her chest, and there is no sign of the cancer in her bones."<br /><br />. . . <strong>july 9, 2007</strong> "Finally the test results came today . . . We proceed with surgery tomorrow, as planned. We are nervous about this. Even though we have discussed this with both the surgeon and the oncologist to the point that I'm sure both of them feel exhausted, we still don't know what to expect. We pray that God will guide the surgeon's hands to get all of the tumor, without injuring any nerves . . . We have been asked to trust God in ways that we never thought possible over the past few months. Tomorrow we will be asked to do this again."<br /><br />. . . <strong>july 20, 2007</strong> "About 12:00 pm last night, Keira got very restless. Normally, she will put herself back to sleep, but not last night. We had to get up with her and hold her and rock her and it still took a long time to settle her down. She then woke up again around 3:00. This time, she had a fever of 101.5. For cancer patients that means a trip to the ER. So, about 4:00 am, we took Keira to Children's. We have been so blessed that this hasn't happened before. "<br /><br />. . . <strong>august 3, 2007</strong> "Keira's doctors called us today and told us that the urine tests were essentially unchanged and still normal. Combined with the fact that her scans showed that the tumor in her chest hasn't changed, they feel comfortable continuing to watch her. We will go back in a month to repeat both the CT and the urine tests and make sure that they continue to be stable. We are grateful for this news, and we hope and pray that her tests in a month will show similar results. "<br /><br /><br /><strong>Today 8/31/2007</strong> -- It is amazing to look back on the past 6 (yes 6) months. After all this time, I can palpably feel the fear and pain we felt when we learned of Keira's diagnosis. Tonight we found out that Keira's tumor continues to shrink - while she is off treatment. This is incredibly encouraging to us and means that Keira gets to continue to be off chemo. Neuroblastoma is a very unpredictable disease and children have had recurrances after years of being disease free, however this is not the usual pattern. The fact that Keira's tumor is shrinking makes it very likely that it will continue to shrink and that our wonderful precious daughter will get to live a normal life. We are so grateful for these results. We know that Keira will never be truly out of the woods, but we feel that we have just entered a clearing in the trees. We'll take it!<br /><br />Right now our little girl is sleeping peacefully, and tonight we will sleep in a kind of peace we have not known for a long time.<br /><br />Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for remembering us. Keira's doctors have been wonderful. God has been exceedingly faithful and good to us.<br /><br />Jason, Erin and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-53882138418970109742007-08-29T15:33:00.000-05:002007-08-29T15:38:07.594-05:00August 29, 2007 - Home againJust a quick update to let you know we are home from the tests and things went well. Despite the fact that Keira's CT was delayed by 2 hours (remember she can't eat or drink before them) and didn't go for her scan until noon, she did great. When it was over and she was coming out of sedation, she was pretty cranky. She finally woke up enough that we could feed her and once she drank a bottle she fell asleep immediately. She was a champ through it all!<br /><br />Her doctor thinks she looks great and should have the results of her tests for us in the next couple of days. Thank you for your prayers and e-mails. We definitely felt them at work this morning as our hungry girl kept her composure remarkably well. We will let you know as soon as we hear any news.<br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545033120580514318.post-9963409270055266082007-08-26T18:45:00.000-05:002007-08-26T22:28:52.860-05:00August 26, 2007 - Weekly updateKeira has had a truly wonderful week. She is enjoying learning new things on a seemingly daily basis. The other day we caught her walking around the house with a stuffed duck over her shoulder, patting it on the back, and saying " Ooooh, Duck" Very sweet. She loves balls and will hand them to you to throw to her and then squeal in delight when she catches one. She has also discovered the "mega legos" and will spend up to an hour at a time building with them.... and then tearing her tower down and saying "Crash crash crash!" She is also quite technically savy. Tonight she entertained her grandparents in South Dakota via her webcam showing them just how good she is at sliding down her slide... and then prompting them to clap and cheer in case they didn't know when the appropriate time for applause was.<br /><br />Keira will have her CT on Wednesday along with bloodwork, urine tests and a physical exam. We pray that all these things will continue to show good results. We have been sheltering her from the "general population" over the past few days in preparation since she can't have the CT done if she is running a fever or even has a cold.<br /><br />We continue to be so grateful for how well Keira is doing through this. We will put a post up when we know the results of her tests.<br /><br />Jason, Erin, and Keira GraceBowman Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149868123694104348noreply@blogger.com8