September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Gold is the ribbon color for childhood cancer awareness. 46 children are diagnosed each day with cancer. 7 each DAY lose their battle with cancer. Funding for childhood cancer has been cut each year since 2003. There have been no new childhood cancer treatment drugs in 10 years. Please, be aware. You can make a difference.

Trace'll will be a sophomore at Hendersonville High in the fall. He plans to play ice hockey, tennis and maintain a 4.0 GPA I may have added the last part!

Trace'll and I played in a tennis tournament to benefit Vanderbilt Children's HospitalThe Kimler family on our first ski adventureTrace'll has his permit and is learning to drive !!Trace'll will be a sophomore in the fall at Hendersonville High School and plans to play ice hockey, tennis and maintain a 4.0

Trace'll got his picture made with Predators Kevin Klein #8 through Flashes of Hope (an organization that takes photos of kids with illnesses) This picture was in the Predators program during the PlayoffsDr. Avery Mixon and Chris. You can tell from the smiles that we received good news!

Chris went on a backpacking trip to YosemiteTrace'll went on a mission trip with church and put in new floors in a houseTrace'll got his picture made with Kevin Klein #8 Predators and it was in the Predators program during the play-offsKimler kids at the Memphis zoo in January

Trace’ll goes to Vandy for follow-up scans and appointment

Trace’ll went Monday for his pulmonary function test, MRI of left scapular space and his CAT scan of lungs. I called the oncologist yesterday and found out that his lung scan was “stable”! Another words, all clear! Thank you for the many prayers once again. We go in today to meet our new oncologist, Dr. Ho. We will miss Dr. Avery Mixon very much, but know he will be happy with his family in Chattanooga and continue to bring hope and healing to families who receive the devastating diagnosis of CANCER.

The kids have been very busy this summer. Trace’ll has had ice hockey for HHS, hockey camps for both inline and ice, and weight training for HHS ice hockey. I was really concerned for him (with his left scapula and three muscles in his upper arm/and back), but he is doing well. The main thing is that he is happy with  his progress and Trace is definitely his own worst critic. That boy is hard on himself at times! He kept a 4.0 in high school even with honors and advanced honors classes. We are very proud of him for so many things. Maddie is almost 14! She loves soccer, swim team (summer only), tennis, cross country and lacrosse. She has been doing some dog sitting and baby sitting and is enjoying shopping with that $$. Like mother like daughter… Cole Booney is having a great summer being at the pool with friends, playing tennis and  playing xbox live. That boy is a couch potato! (but a fun one)

The family is going to the beach at the end of July with my parents and both brothers and nieces and nephews. We are very excited! We haven’t been to the beach since the summer of 2008. We love the beach so this will be a great time and a celebration of Trace being cancer free for two years! Please, continue to pray for Trace to remain cancer free and for all of the others who are not so lucky.

God blessed us with this family and we are very thankful for all that we have.

The Kimler Family

Trace’ll gets the all-clear at Vandy

Trace’ll, Chris and I went to Vandy this am to have a follow-up CT scan of  his lungs. The results were great. Last month, the CT was said to show two new nodules in the right superior lung 2mm each. There was also a new nodule in the right lower lobe at 2.5mm. The CT still showed all three of these nodules, but… The Dr. said they went back and reviewed the previous CT scans and one of the upper 2mm nodules has been there for several months with no change. The other two could have been there as well. They are super tiny (1/3 of 1/4th of an inch) and each scan is done in different ‘sections’ and your body is always in a different position. Dr. Mixon said, “my level of concern has greatly decreased”. (not an exact quote) That is enough for us to rejoice!

Trace finally admitted that he had been worried, but quickly followed that with, “but you were worried too. You big cry baby.” (and a big grin) I told him he could skip the rest of school today (sorry HHS) and party with me. We actually were invited by Vandy and the Preds to have a professional photography session with Trace and Kevin Klein #8. Kevin had gotten stitches in his mouth yesterday on the left side from someone hitting him with a hockey stick during the game. He asked if the photographer could switch sides to his “better side”. (he was having a hard time smiling with the stitches) Trace said not to worry because he (Trace) didn’t have a bad side. Smarty pants!

Also, the Predators hockey team is having another Hockey Fights Cancer night on March 12. They have asked Trace’ll to be the blueliner of the game on that night. He will get to put on all of his hockey gear and stand with the players on the blue line as the National Anthem is sung. He is very excited. WE LOVE the PREDATORS and Rebecca Ward!!!!!

Mostly, I want to thank every one for all  of the prayers sent on Trace’s behalf. They worked. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

God Bless you all,

Amy

 

The Kimler Kids Christmas morning

 

 

Trace’ll goes to Vandy February 16 for follow-up lung CT

We go to Vandy on February 16 for the follow-up lung CT. What we want to see is NO nodules. (three new ones were noted on the last CT) I don’t think it is likely to be a ‘fluke’ since they were found in two different lobes of the right lung. Hopefully, it is residual infection from a virus he had right before Christmas. I don’t know when we will get the results, but please, pray that the nodules are gone or that they certainly have not grown in size.

Thank you for all of the prayers. We have faith.

Scan Results Are In

Trace, Chris and I went to Vandy this morning to get the results of the CT and MRI done on Monday and to have blood drawn. The MRI looked great with no cancer/tumor seen.  The CT scan had some issues. All along the CT of the lungs has been my major area of concern. Recurrence of lung mets with Ewing’s sarcoma is prevalent.  The first 18 months is the most common time for recurrence. Trace’ll is 15 months post treatment now. The scan showed three new nodules on the right lung (superior/top and middle lobe) The nodules are 2-2.5mm in size. (10mm is equal to 1cm so these are tiny) Another scan wouldn’t show them because they are so small. They could have been there all along and just not seen until now. (due to the fact that every CT scan does not scan exactly the same areas) I wanted to do another  CT scan now to see if they are really there. The doctor wants to wait 4-6 weeks (I agreed to 4 weeks) and do another CT scan of the lungs. The areas will either be gone, grow (pray that this doesn’t happen), or the same. The nodules could be infection. Trace’ll had a ‘flu -like’ virus right before Christmas and they could be from that.  One of the hard parts is that really we have to wait to find out. From past experiences I know that waiting is hard, but it isn’t as hard as hearing bad news. The waiting is all water under the bridge when the doctor looks at you and says we were worried for no reason.

We met with the radiation doctor yesterday afternoon. He was the one who initially told me about these nodules. They were classified on the CT report as nonspecific which he said was good. Honestly, I didn’t feel so great leaving his office either.

I will keep the website updated as to the date of the next CT scan, the results and any other news we get.

Trace seemed to take the news pretty well. The tears in my eyes scared  him. I assured him that my job was to worry because I was the mom and his job as my child was to worry me. All is right with the world I’m worried.

Please, pray for Trace to be cancer free.