Savannah

Savannah had her post-op appointment at NIH August 4th & 5th. They ran the scans and did all the testing and found that she has a small tumor on her existing adrenal gland. They recommend that she has a treatment called Ipilimumad.
It is an infusion that she will get every 3 weeks. It is considered experimental medicine since it has not yet been FDA approved. There are only certain places that administer the drug. Fortunately, there are 2 in Arkansas....Little Rock and Hot Springs. Her first appointment to discuss the treatment will be next Tuesday, August 24th in Little Rock. After that, they will schedule the start date. Once she starts, she will have one treatment every 3 weeks for 4 or 5 months........I think! We don't really know much about it til we have the appointment. They did tell Savannah at NIH that it has some pretty major side effects but we believe God can take care of all the details.
From what NIH told us, the other 2 options they were discussing were not good options at all....(unless the Ipi doesn't work). One was to do the Til cell therapy again but they said that was like taking a bazooka to kill a fly. The other was removing her other adrenal gland which would put her on hormone replacement therapy for the rest of her life....so....that would be the last choice!
Apparently, this is a tumor that had been the size of an apricot and then disappeared and is now back the size of an acorn. That doesn't sound too bad til you realize how aggressive this form of cancer is.
Please pray that the treatment will work and that the side effects are minimal.
She will be trying to go to school and work during all of this. Please also pray for her spirit and attitude. So far she has been a real trooper!

Shelby is home from Germany! She had a fantastic time and was a little sad to have to leave. Only a week after she got home, we encountered the "German Invasion" (just kidding). Corinna and her family came to America to visit us and see where Corinna had spent a year of her life. Her Dad's name is Berthold, her Mom is Kordula and her sister is Saskia. All very sweet people!
We thoroughly enjoyed their visit. They were gracious and charming, spoke English very well.....(probably better than us!) and had great personalities. We enjoyed a cook out while they were here so that some of Corinna's school friends could stop by and see her. The next night at Dinner, Saskia, who is a wonderful pianist, entertained us with some classical pieces and Kordula, who is a former Opera singer sang a beautiful song in Italian...of coarse!
They were interested in the American Indians so the next day while the girls did "girl things" the adults went to Talaquah to the Indian Village. It was a nice day although it must have been at least 110 in Oklahoma! :(

The day the Fischer's left to go to Las Vegas and San Fransico, Shelby started back to school.....she is a JUNIOR this year.....oh my!
The day after that , Bo arrived home with my nieces, Rose and Lilly.....
they had been here before for only 2 days when their great-grandmother Dot passed away....so....Donna and Jeff asked Bo if he would accompany them back to VA for the service and then back to AR to finish their visit. As it happened....Savannah was finishing up her appointment in Bethesda at the same time Bo was checking out the sights in DC. Her airport is in DC and she just happened to miss her flight...so that made it very convenient to meet up with Bo, do a little sight seeing, stay in a nice hotel, have a nice dinner and sight see some more the next day. She finally made it home....two days later. :)

I am looking for a job! If anyone knows of anything please let me know.
Of coarse, I would love to do something creative in art, music, something with kids or adults but at this point.....I would probably consider anything that I'm physically able to do. :)

Thanks to all of you out there that have never stopped praying for Savannah.
We have received so many notes and cards from individuals and churches that have been praying every single week since her diagnosis. God hears those prayers.
We still hold to the belief that God is in control.....not the cancer.
Thanks again and love to all!