CLEAR SCANS!

Once again, God has blessed us with great news today. Our baby girl's scans were clear of all cancer!
It was a wonderful day in many ways. It is sweet to have so many people praying for Ansley at once, it is beautiful when the medical people working with her are patient and loving, and it is AMAZING when you get a phone call saying everything looks clear. Praise be to God and God alone for the blessing of this good news.

Why Do I Fear??

Dear Friends,
It has been a while since I have posted. Life has seemed quite normal lately. Clinic visits are less frequent, nausea and headaches are a rare occurrence. Yesterday was the first time in over 14 months that I was able to put Ansley's hair in ponytails! It was a very sweet thing because she has been struggling with her hair looking boyish. When she looked in the mirror and saw her ponytails she couldn't stop smiling!

My heart has hit a bump though with scans being this Wednesday. I don't really know what it is. Is it Satan trying to steal my joy or God preparing me for bad news?? Nothing is normal about waiting to see if the cancer is back in her little body. I really feel gripped by fear. This will be the second set of scans since she ended chemotherapy. I have no reason to think the cancer is back-her labs look great, she has lots of energy, and a good appetite. But, I'm struggling. Struggling to trust that Ansley will never have to undergo what she did last year.

Please pray for the scans on Wed. They begin at 10:45. Pray that I would trust her Maker and not fear the outcome.
Blessings on you tonight, my friends.
Amy

Sweet Times

Dear Friends,
I have taken a breather from journaling the past couple of weeks. The break came not because things have been hard but because life has been so sweet. Our Christmas was one of the most joyful days I can remember! We had so much to celebrate...Jesus, clear scans, cancer-free bone marrow biopsies, and LIFE!!!

Our precious baby girl is getting back to her "normal" self. She has started back to school which is thrilling to her. Her body is quite tired though and we are trying to give her breaks whenever possible. She has enjoyed what most 5 year old enjoy- painting, playing outside, enjoying friends, and spending time with her new puppy, Hershey.

I am thankful that we had so many bad days because it just makes the sweet days so much more amazing! I don't seem to take the good days for granted like I did in the past. I have so enjoyed watching Ansley put on her school uniform, put on her backpack, and run up to her friends. It does a momma's heart good to see her child filled with joy...

Countless thanks for the hours you have prayed and thought about our family. We are in a season of rejoicing! Next scans and biopsies will be in March.

Blessings, friends!

CHAPTER 2 UPDATE: A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT!!!

We just got the news that Ansley's PET/CT scans this morning were totally clear - no signs of cancer! We have taken lots of pictures this year, but those may be the most beautiful ones that Amy and I have seen in a while! We are so thankful to everyone at MUSC for such wonderful care, and we give thanks to God for this wonderful news! They will be done with her bone marrow biopsy soon and the final results of that will take a few days. But for now, everything looks beautiful! Thanks for praying!

Also, as we receive this news, we know that there are families right now where we were at a year ago this time. Please pray for them as they begin a long journey.

Chapter 2 of our Story Begins

Friends,
I had the privilege of taking the kids to see my grandparents in Florida this past weekend. We celebrated Christmas with them in the same house where as a child, I had countless fun memeories. It was one of those "WOW" moments in my life. Seeing my precious grandparents love on my precious children...

After a wonderful weekend, it is time for Chapter 2 to begin. This morning, in just about an hour, Ansley will go to MUSC for her first set of CT scans, PET scans, and bone marrow biopsies. This is the first of many this year. She will be in the best of care with the doctors and nurses who have loved on her so well during the past year. But, even more than that, she is in the safe arms of Jesus. I am resting in that fact this morning. I am not going to lie and say there isn't some bit of "what if the scans show more cancer?" coming up in me this morning, but it's not taking first place in my heart. What is first this morning is this...

God promises to never leave us or forsake us.
God promises to strengthen us and help us.
God promises to uphold us by His mighty right hand.
God says not to fear bad news, because we trust in Him.
God loves my baby girl even more than me.

And so, we move forward this morning asking the Lord for complete healing of our precious Ansley. He has been faithful throughout this first year and I know His faithfulness and tenderness will continue. Please pray today. I will update this afternoon after we know the results. May God's blessings be evident to you today!

A New Day.....A New Season

Well, friends, Ansley's year of chemotherapy treatment is officially OVER!!
Just this morning, she woke up feeling more like herself than I have seen in months. She ended her final oral chemo on Saturday morning but I think knowing there is no "next round" has boosted her spirits in an incredible way. Words can't express the emotions that fill my heart right now. I am watching she and her brothers make a fort together out of sheets and towels and whatever else they can find. Why is it that a year ago this would've driven me crazy but now it brings nothing but delight to my soul?? I see life differently now. I see how precious it really is.

We are praising God for His faithfulness during this past year. It has not been easy but He has been so gracious to us. We pray that Ansley never has to have chemotherapy again! I trust that He is completely able to make that happen.

Ansley's Attempt on Saturday was a huge success! What an amazing way to celebrate the end of treatment! She also got her first Guinness World Record! She carries around the framed certificate everywhere she goes. I feel honored that so many people desire to help other families through The Journey House. It is a beautiful thing when we use our lives for good. I want to be totally spent when Jesus comes back! I have all of eternity to live in perfection. Now is the time for work!! Now is the time for service. Now is the time for endurance. Please join me in this vision.

Ansley's first set of scans is on December 19th at 7 AM. Would you pray for our family that day? I am sure the enemy will try to capture our minds and bring about fear. Please pray he is not given control. Pray for clean scans and no complications with the bone marrow biopsy, too.

Thank you for how you have loved our family. It is because of people like you that this year is ending so sweetly.

If you want to be on the Friends of The Journey House list, you can send me your e-mail address and we will keep you updated on our progress. We would covet your prayers as we make some big decisions about building plans. Also, our website is www.thejourneyhouse.org.

Anyone interested in seeing footage from Ansley's Attempt can go to News 5 Charleston,News 4 Charleston and YouTube. Just type in Ansley's Attempt and it should come right up.

Rejoice with us today and this season!! We love you dear people so much.

Amy

12-3-2011....

A year ago to the day we started this journey with a visit to the ER. Syringes full of medicines have become the new normal for Ansley. This week was the final week of chemo in Ansley's final cycle for the year. As we get ready for Ansley' Attempt, we pray that these are the last doses of chemo EVER for our little one!

last day of chemo....i have to say it again it sounds so good!

Enough hair for a hair clip!!!

The morning of last chemo!

Sleeping peacefully.

Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Thankfulness

Tomorrow is a big day around our house. It is the final day of IV chemo for our sweet baby girl, Ansley. It has been one long, hard year and it is almost over! She will have to be put to sleep tomorrow to have a spinal tap, she will get chemo through her port, and also antibiotics through her port. After tomorrow, she will have 5 days of oral chemo. We are praying that this is the last chemo cycle this precious life ever has to experience. Quite frankly, I feel like tomorrow we are going on an exciting trip. I can't sleep, I have packed a special snack bag for my girl, and I have incredible joy in my heart. It seemed like this day would never come; and finally, it is here. Please rejoice with us that this week is the final week and pray that her scans show no more cancer in her little body in December.

So much to be thankful for tonight. So much to thank God for tonight.
Blessings and Peace my friends,
Amy

New Mercies

I am writing with joy in my heart after a very sweet weekend with my family! The 7 of us enjoyed a relaxing weekend with not much on the agenda. It was a treat to go out on a date with my hubby, have pedicures with my girls and take a Sunday afternoon nap!
We are thankful for Ansley's emotional and physical health. She is upbeat, positive and being very tender with her siblings. We look forward to a great week and preparing to go to the mountains on Saturday for a week of vacation! Oh so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Pray for us as we remember last Thanksgiving and how much things have changed over the year.... a child with cancer,a move to a house closer to MUSC, etc. Please pray that I can be thankful for our "new" story. Maybe not thankful "for" the story but thankful that God has held our hand through the story.

I stared at the computer screen for a few minutes trying to come up with a title for this entry. I feel so torn inside that all i could think of was, "Jumbled." You would think that this close to being done with chemotherapy would feel magnificent. And, in some ways it does. I would've thought I would feel relief. But, quite frankly, it's not what I am feeling today. Our sweet Ansley came up to me today with huge tears in her eyes, "Mommy, I just want to be killed so I don't have to deal with this cancer any longer." Ugh.....what in the world do you say to that? Today was day 5 of oral chemo. She is swollen, sore, nauseated, red-faced, irritated, hungry but not hungry, sad and just plain over it all. All I knew to do was to hug her and tell her how much I loved her. It broke my heart when she said she was ready to see Harper in Heaven. This whole journey is hard. I am having a day filled with fear, anger and sadness for Ansley.

She is asleep now next to her brother, Garrett. Her emotions are much more under control and she hasn't mentioned death since this afternoon. Would you please pray for our family? I am weak right now and I need God to strengthen me. Please pray that Ansley does not stop fighting! We might be done with chemo this month, but we have years of scans and labs. This is a life journey not just a year journey.

My precious mom sent this to me and it has ministered to my soul today.

Christ will lead you into many situations that will seem impossible, but don't try to avoid them. Stay in the middle of them, for that is where you will experience God. The key difference between what appears to be impossible to us and what is actually possible is a word from our Master. Faith accepts his divine command and steps out in a direction that only God can complete. If you attempt only things that you know are possible with the visible resources you possess, those around you will not see God at work. You will be the one who receives the credit for a job well done,but God will have know part in it. Take inventory of your life and the decisions you are presently facing. Have you received a word from the Master that awaits your next step of faith? If you will proceed with what He has told you, no matter how incredible it might seem,,you will experience the joy of seeing your Lord perform a miracle, and so will those around you.

I feel like tomorrow is our family's next step of faith. I need Jesus for tomorrow!
Thanks for your faithfulness and letting me empty my heart to you. It is a helpless feeling to watch your baby girl suffer. I want to be faithful through every step. But, I can only do that with the Lord's strength. My tank is on empty....but His is always full!

Thirty One Info

Our dear friend, Rebecca Deans, is a Thirty-One consultant. She is blessing The Journey House effort by giving from her sales for the coming month anyone who uses the following link. Please use it if you have any need for this cute stuff! They make great gifts, too.

http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E1203315&from=DIRECTLINK


Chemo went well yesterday. An 8 hour day at MUSC seems like a marathon!! But, our baby girl is doing well today and we are thankful that we are able to come home and sleep in our own beds. So many families have to either stay at a hotel or stay in the hospital. We have so much to be thankful for!!!

www.thejourneyhouse.org

Much love,
Amy

second to last

Arriving at 2nd to last chemo! Long day ahead with multiple infusions, EKG and ECHO. But oh so thankful to be at this stage of the game. Please pray for port access to go smoothly

Exciting Stuff

Friends,

We enter a very exciting week as we count down to only two more chemo treatments!! Wednesday of this week is the next to the last one. I was looking back on some past entries and it seems like only yesterday we were in the hospital with an initial diagnosis of cancer. I am grateful beyond words at how God has carried us through the last 11 months and how He will continue to do so as we wait to see how Ansley's scans look every 12 weeks.

We are very excited about the upcoming event in Charleston known as Ansley's Attempt!
It will take place Saturday, December 3rd at Blackbaud Stadium at 9 AM. If you haven't a clue what I am talking about, please go to our website at www.thejourneyhouse.org and find out all about what God has laid on our family's heart.

Many people have asked how they can help with Ansley's Attempt. What we need more than anything is for people to come and hold a board for the mosaic. In order to get the World Record, we need 1,404 people holding up the boards. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COME TO ANSLEY'S ATTEMPT!!!

Also, a dear friend of ours is a Thirty-One Gifts Consultant. She has graciously offered to give all of her commission to The Journey House from now until the end of November! Please look through this wonderful catalog and use the following link for The Journey House to get credit.

http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E1193271&from=DIRECTLINK

We want to get this home away from home going as soon as possible for families that are in Charleston for treatment of a sick child. Please help us raise the money! Also, we are now up and running for donations on our website. www.thejourneyhouse.org

May God use The Journey House for His glory!

Today is a good day around our house. Ansley is tired but not in pain so we will gladly take it!! We had the pleasure of talking briefly this morning on Channel 4. Please visit www.thejourneyhouse.org to find out more about what God is doing in Charleston. It is amazing how He takes something as painful as disease of a child and can bring good out of it.

No chemo this week. After next week's chemo, she will have 1 more treatment! We are thankful that we don't have to live in fear of what next year will bring. She will have PET scans every 12 weeks starting in December. At that point, we will see if the chemo has killed off all the cancer cells in her body. Psalm 112:7
says, "He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD."

May God be glorified through whatever He chooses to bring into our lives.

Ansley's Attempt

It is amazing to see God work in the middle of hard, life changing, and emotionally draining times. But, I do believe that God can make good from anything He chooses to bring into our lives. Remembering that God desires for us to comfort just as He has comforted brings me to an exciting announcement.....

Our family will be on Lowcountry Live on ABC Monday morning around 10:30. We will be talking about Ansley's Attempt, which is an upcoming event on Sat. Dec 3rd at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston. I will send more info out later on the event. In short, Ansley is attempting the world record for the largest picture mosaic ever created. The reason behind this event is a dream of ours known as The Journey House. Ansley's Attempt is the "launch" event for The Journey House. The Journey House is a dream to see a home downtown that cares for and meets the needs of families with kids that have life changing diseases. We want to offer the hope of Christ, relieve the burdens of these families with meals, lodging and child care for siblings, and counseling, and also encourage these families during a really tough season of life.
We need the support of so many friends to make Ansley's attempt happen on the 3rd of December. If anyone is interested in helping, please e-mail me. There are lots of ways we can use your gifts!! We need coloring done, too. So, if you have children, they can serve before the event as well. Please bring your friends and family out on the 3rd of December.
More info will follow. But, please be in prayer for the Monday news broadcast. We want people to hear that our desire is to comfort hurting families just like God has comforted us for the past 10 months. We want to use our story to let other families know they are not alone.

Tomorrow will be the final day of oral chemo for this cycle. The weekend has been hard because Ansley hasn't felt well. It has also been good because we have done NOTHING!!!!
It's such a season of mixed emotions.....sad to have her feel yucky, glad she wants to cuddle with me all day long; sad that she has so many questions about death, dying, and cancer but glad she comes to me and Matt to have them answered; sad she has had to go through so much in the last year, glad there are only 2 more chemo treatments; sad to see people die of this awful disease but glad they are out of the pain and agony that it brings along with it; fearful of what next year will look like but ready to move on to next year.

I guess it's like any season of life that is uncertain-it brings with it a mix of emotions.
The rash continues to stay gone which is a wonderful thing. Looks like we won't go back to MUSC until Nov.2!!! The Lord willing, that is.

Today was a long but good day at MUSC. Ansley's rash came back and we have been concerned about what might be going on. But today it began going away and we were able to move forward with chemo. She had real pain and fear with her port access and deaccess today. She shed lots of tears and Matt and I felt so incredibly helpless. But, the good news is there are only 2 treatments left! I can't believe we will be finishing a year pretty soon. Oh, what a year it has been. We are overwhelmed with the love you have shown us the last 10 months. It is never repayable what you all have done for our family. Whether we know you intimately or have never met you, thank you more than you know for loving, praying and encouraging our family.

We will begin a new phase of life starting in December as we begin PET scans every 12 weeks to see if the cancer is actually gone. I will admit I have fear over the waiting game of scans every 12 weeks for a year. I want to live remembering the verse in Jeremiah that says, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you." I am asking God to anchor our hearts to His truth and to help us in our weakness.

We press on this week with oral chemo for 5 days after IV chemo today. Please pray specifically for
**Ansley's left leg. She is having pain and soreness and we aren't exactly sure what is going on.
**Ansley's rash to heal and not to EVER come back
**Patience
**Matt as he is traveling for work to Chicago

God's grace in abundance to you all,
Amy, for the McEvoy Crew

Good but Hard

Ansley has been feeling really well the past couple of days. Her energy seems high, her attitude seems pretty normal for a 5-year old, and she has been in a sweet, tender mood. I am so thankful for these last few days.

We have had some hard conversations around our house. Precious Harper Drolet, who was the first cancer patient we met in clinic, died on Friday. Her mom, Amy, actually consoled me on the first day in the out patient clinic. She shared with me that things would get easier and that life does get back to normal. She hugged me as I cried. Her dear daughter, Harper, fought so hard against this awful disease. Her family is an inspiration to anyone who understands how hard this journey can be. After we told the kids that she had died, it has brought up some fear issues, of course. Ansley said to Kendall the other night, "Kendall, if I die, will you keep my toys so you can remember me?" Whoa. What do you say to that? Then, Ansley says to me, "Mommy, why did Harper have to die?" I said, "It was just her time." Ansley said, "But it shouldn't have been her time."

I agree. It doesn't seem like at 11 years old it should be her time to die. Such hard questions. I want to be honest with the kids and celebrate these beautiful children who are now out of all pain, are cancer free and are in their true Home.
Yes, we who are left without their presence here on Earth are sad, but Heaven is rejoicing.

Harper, thank you for how you lived your life...Faithfully, courageously, passionately, unselfishly, and boldly. Drolet Family, thank you for how you have shown us how to live well in the midst of tragedy.

Chemo for Ansley is on Wednesday, the 12th. This will begin the countdown to November 28th!!! Praise God!