Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 09:37 AM (CST)

Hi everyone, another story for you today...........
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Two Babes In A Manger
(Author Unknown)

--Prelude: In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach in prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments, and a large orphanage. About one hundred boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words..............................

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994. Time for our orphans to hear, for the first time ever, the traditional story of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edge of their stools, trying to grasp every word.

Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following the instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady had thrown out as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blankets. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their mangers as I walked among them to see if anyone needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about six years old and had finished his project.

As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at the completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young child, who had heard the story only once, he related the happenings very accurately, until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.

Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told Him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept Him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, 'If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?'

"And Jesus told me, 'If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave Me.' So I got in the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and He told me that I could stay with Him--for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would NEVER abandon or abuse him, someone who could stay with him--FOR ALWAYS!
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That story really touched my heart....my hope is that it did the same for you!

Merry Christmas everyone! Try to put the commercialism aside and concentrate on family and the Reason for the Season. Be sure to read the story of Christ's birth to your little ones: Luke 2:1-21.

We love you all, thanks for your support and for checking in!

Peace to all.............~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our "Brave Little Trooper!"

Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 02:05 PM (CST)

Hi everyone! I'm sorry it has been so long since an update. I'm going to do something a little different today. I'm going to put in a Christmas story from a book entitled, 'Chicken Soup for the Soul--Christmas Treasury for Kids'. I will update on Connor and everything that has been going on in a few days. Everything HAS been going great. It is just that HECTIC time of the year. Merry Christmas everyone!
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AN UNLIKELY ANGEL

It was just before Christmas. An angry, middle-aged man stood at the counter of the animal shelter, gripping the leash of an aging German shepherd. "Why won't you take him?", he shouted. "I need to get him off my hands!"

The adoption counselor tried once more to explain. "At fourteen, Samson is too old to be a good adoption candidate," she said.

"Well, then, just take him and put him down," the man yelled. "I want to be rid of him!"

"We don't take animals just to put them down," the counselor explained. "May I ask why you no longer wish to keep the dog?"

"I just can't stand the sight of him," the man hissed, "and if you won't put him down, I will do it myself!"

Trying not to show her horror, the counselor pointed out that destroying an animal was illegal. She urged the man to consult with his veterinarian for other options.

"I'm not spending any more money on this animal," the man grumbled, and, yanking the leash, stalked out.

Concerned, the counselor wrote down the license plate of the man's truck and offered up a prayer for Samson.

A few days later, a German shepherd was found abandoned. He was brought to the shelter and recognized as Samson. The owner was contacted by the police, and admitted that, distraught over his divorce, he had chosen to take revenge through Samson. He was charged with abandonment.

The wife and couple's son lived in Pennsylvania. They were contacted and were horrified to hear of Samson's plight. The only problem was, they had absolutely NO money to go and retrieve Samson from the shelter in New Hampshire. The staff assured her they would come up with something. In the meantime, he was becoming depressed and moping around, missing his family.

Christmas was only two weeks away when an Angel arrived at the shelter. Through a friend of a staff member, he had heard of Samson's plight. He was willing to drive Samson to Pennsylvania to be reunited with his family.

The staff was a bit leary of his intentions until he explained why he wanted to do this good deed. It seems that the year before, he left his beloved dog in his van while he went to do his grocery shopping. While he was inside, the van caught fire. By the time he came out, the van was fully engulfed in flames. He ran towards the burning van, but was stopped by onlookers. They proceeded to tell him that his dog was safe! A stranger had seen what was happening, and had risked his life to rescue the dog from the van. The dog's owner vowed then and there that if he ever had a chance to rescue someone's pet, he would certainly do so.

A few days later, Samson and his Angel were on their way. The dog seemed to know he was going home, because his ears perked up and his eyes were brighter than they had been in some time.

Just before Christmas, the mail brought one of the best cards the shelter had ever received. Along with a thank-you note were photos of a deliriously happy Samson romping with his family in the snow and snuggling with them by their Christmas tree. Samson was truly where he belonged, and the staff knew he would live out his days happily there.

They also know Samson's journey home was a true Christmas miracle, and that Angels--and heroes--may still appear when you need them, even in the most unlikely forms.

--Submitted by Crystal Ward Kent
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I'll update soon, but please take a moment to reflect on the REASON FOR THE SEASON. Take extra measures to do something extra nice each day for some unsuspecting soul. Enjoy the magic of the Christmas season, and embrace those loved ones who are so close to your heart. Wow, what a gift to be happy AND HEALTHY at Christmastime!

We love you all!
Happy holidays and HO HO HO!!!

~~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our "Brave Little Trooper"!!

Saturday, November 23, 2002 at 05:14 PM (CST)

Hello, everyone! Thanks for checking in. My, my, how busy we seem to be lately. I'm sorry it has been so long since I have updated. I know there are those of you who check often for updates, and we are so apppreciative that you all care so much!

I'll pick up where I left off. CONNOR'S EIGHTH BIRTHDAY! As most of you know, Connor's birthday is actually on Halloween. That day, I surprised Connor at lunchtime with cupcakes and cookies. He was embarrassed at first, but then he was excited because all of his classmates enjoyed it so much. That evening, we met up with Aunt Tammy, Uncle Shelton, Ragan and Victoria, and went to Moss Wright Park to trick-or-treat. Alot of businesses in Goodlettsville set up booths along the walking trail for a "safe" night of trick-or-treating. It was the first time we had been there, and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. At the end of the booths, they were having hayrides, so we all hopped on a wagon full of hay and rode around the fields behind the park. We all really enjoyed the night. Connor didn't have to go to school the following day, I think it was teacher inservice, so he got to sleep in after a busy birthday. A big THANK YOU to everyone for all of the wonderful gifts that you brought or sent to COnnor for his birthday! I am still trying to get out thank-you's. He tore into some of the packages so fast and furious, I hope I don't miss anyone, but we appreciate them all!!

The following Sunday, Nana and Poppy had a birthday party for Connor at their house. I had asked Connor a couple of weeks prior to his birthday where he wanted to have a party this year, and he didn't even think about it, "NANA AND POPPY'S!!!" So that is what we did. It was small, mostly just family, but boy, did they decorate and make it really special! Thank you, Nana and Poppy, you are the BEST!!! Connor actually got a Red Ryder BB Gun from them, with the understanding that it stays at their house, (they live out in the country), AND that he never uses it without an adult with him. He was so proud of it. He practiced all afternoon with his balloons and cans.

Tuesday, November 5, was clinic day. We got down there around 8:30 and were there until 12:30. He had blood drawn for the first time without his port. Nurse Kelly was oh so gentle with him. It wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it was going to be. We then had to go over to the hospital for the chest x-rays. That took FOREVER. Then back to the clinic for the bloodwork results. His counts were all good. A couple of days after that, we found out that the x-rays were also good, PRAISE GOD! That is always music to our ears. Connor wanted to go back to school after leaving down there, so he got back around 1:00.

That evening, I started training to work part-time at Dillards. I worked that evening and the next evening (Wednesday). I had also sent a resume to a church that is about 10 to 15 minutes from Connor's school. They called and wanted me to come in on that Thursday for an interview. The interview went well, and they called me later in the day and asked me to come in to work on Wednesday, the 13th. That night, after my interview, I went back into Dillards to work. I worked that weekend, and talked with the lady who had hired me. I told her about the other job, but that I wanted to work a two week's notice, in case I ever wanted to come back for the extra hours. She was so nice about it.

I know I'm bouncing back and forth on the days, so please bear with me. On Saturday, we went to a birthday party for a friend of Connor's, Hannah Greene. She also just finished up treatment not long ago and is doing great. Her party was held at Gilda's Club, (named for Gilda Radnor). Connor had a really good time at the party. We then went out to visit with Tracy and all of the horses of AngelHeart Farms. She has changed locations, and is now in Franklin. She has a couple of new additions to her horse family. One of them is Buddy, a miniature horse. He is the cutest thing! We had a great time at the barn. I even got to hang out in the barn loft with the cat. I haven't been in a barn loft since I was little.

On Sunday, November 10, Eddie and Connor went to the Titan's game. They were invited by Vanderbilt and they got to sit in a suite, owned by a business who graciously donated it that Sunday for the kids. They had a really good time. Some of the Titan's cheerleaders came up to say Hi, and Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn also came in to see them.

I started my new job on the 13th, as planned. The people there are GREAT! I absolutely, positively LOVE IT! We start the day off with a devotional and prayer. I work from 8:30 to 2:30, so I am able to continue to take Connor to and from school. That was of the utmost importance to me in my job search. I truly feel as though God led me straight to this job. I had prayed and prayed for the perfect one to come along, and I do believe I have found it. I am on a 60 day trial basis right now. I just know everything will work out. I am a Ministry Assistant Secretary and I even have my own little office, WITH A WINDOW!

Well, Thanksgiving is upon us. It would take me forever to list everything that I have to be thankful for this year. But, I bet you can all guess my #1 reason...................
Yes, Connor's good health. God is so good, he proves that to us every day. I pray for continued good health for Connor, and a long, happy Christian life. I am very thankful for Eddie, he often doesn't get the recognition he deserves, but he is such a wonderful husband and great Daddy to Connor. During our tumultuous past year, he is the one who had to continue to try to function and go to work everyday, with the strain of what was happening with Connor on his mind 24/7. Thank you, God for giving me such a wonderful husband and life-mate. I also thank God everyday for my Mom. My Mom is my best friend. I don't know where I would be or what I would do without her. She has been right by my side throughout this, trying to support me, when inside, her own heart was breaking, not only for her Grandson, but also for her daughter. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, she has been my rock. Mom, I love you more that I could possibly ever tell you, just please always remember that. Then of course, the rest of our family. We are so thankful for all of the support and encouragement you have given throughout this year. I am also thankful for all of our friends, both old and new. We have made some wonderful new friends as a result of Connor's illness. People like Christian, who I know I could call in the middle of the night and she would meet me just to let me cry on her shoulder. She has been a God-send to us. Then all of my on-line friends, I couldn't possibly name you all, but please know that I love each and everyone of you! I am thankful to all of you who have touched Connor's life in such a big way with gifts, cards, and words of encouragement. Yes, I have tons to be thankful for this year.

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Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Psalm 107:8

Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 106:1


Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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Our prayer is that each and every person reading this, has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day for what it is, a day set aside to give thanks, not for material possessions, which are SO unimportant, but for the love, health and safety of your family, friends and loved ones. Most of all, give thanks for God, that we all have Him to go to in prayer for our EVERY need, nothing is too big for God.

Thank you all for checking in. Thank you all for being a vital part of our lives, we are so grateful. A special thank-you to Cheryl Myers. She and her friends embroidered and quilted Connor a beautiful quilt, with cats as the theme, which he received today. No, we have never met Cheryl, but she is another of the Earth-Angels that God has sent our way.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We love you all! Peace to all, and may God bless us all!

Love and hugs,
~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our "Brave Little Trooper"!!!!

Wednesday, October 30, 2002 at 04:40 AM (CST)

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for checking in. I hope and pray everyone is doing great and enjoying these beautiful Fall days. Well, time for an update on the Hunley household. Things have been going well, praise God! Connor has not had any further pain in his legs, thank God! So we have not had any more visits to the doctor since my last update. His next scheduled appointment is this next Tuesday, Nov. 5. He may have blood work, but will definitely have chest x-rays. His next CT and bone scans should be around the first week in December. I can't believe November is almost here! What a mind-boggling, whirlwind year 2002 has been for us.

Since my last update, Connor has joined the Cub Scouts. He is actually a Tiger Cub, since he is in first grade. We tried the baseball thing when he was four and five, and his interest in that kind of faded. It actually got comical toward the end of his second year of playing. He would sit down in the outfield, and we were constantly having to yell out there for him to get up and pay attention. Then, his coaches decided to make him hind-catcher. Now, that was an experience. Of course, he was only five, with all of that equipment on. The ball would come back to his vicinity, and he would casually sashay over to get it, as if he were in slow motion chasing a snail. We did actually make him finish out the season, much to his dismay. Eddie and I really enjoyed it, but I don't think it was one of Connor's favorite things in the whole wide world. Anyway, back to Cub Scouts. He is loving it so far. We visited their camp weekend before last, and he was very impressed. It rained that day, so we didn't camp out. This Saturday night, one of the Dad's is hosting a cookout/bonfire, so we are looking forward to that. Scouting has changed alot over the years, and they encourage total family participation. Eddie is actually Asst. Den Leader of Connor's pack.

Sunday, October 20, Connor and I went with Nana, Grandma and Aunt Sherry to Louisville to see Sylvia, our cousin that has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She has moved back in with Aunt Margot for treatment. Her spirits are high. She has a very positive attitude, she knows that God is in control, whatever the outcome. She is not quite sure yet of her exact prognosis. She had a port put in yesterday. It had been a long time since we had been up there, Connor was actually only probably two years old. We really enjoyed our visit. Please keep Sylvia in your prayers, as she is beginning her battle against this dreaded monster.

This past week, Eddie was on vacation. Thursday, October 24, we took Connor out of school at lunch time for a little weekend get-a-way. Let me brag on the Goodlettsville Fire Dept. A couple of weeks ago, they invited us to the Fire Station on a Monday night. They made Connor an Honorary Fireman, and presented him with a couple of personalized shirts and a certificate. They then presented us with a check to take Connor on his end-of-treatment "wish trip". He wanted to go to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. What an amazing group of caring people! So, we took off Thursday afternoon, and stayed through Sunday. We had a fabulous time! We went to Dollywood on Friday, and spent the day. It started raining mid-afternoon, but we didn't care. Just about everyone there bought ponchos, so there was a sea of yellow and orange wandering around. We rode the coal-powered steam engine up into the hills, Connor loves that. Saturday, we drove up into Gatlinburg. Our first stop, of course, was "Cooter's Place" from the Dukes of Hazzard, Connor's favorite show of all time. Cooter (aka Ben Jones) has a "garage" type museum in Gatlinburg that just opened this year. The General Lee was in there, as was a direct descendent of "Flash", Roscoe's dog that always rode in the patrol car with him. The wonderful lady working there let Connor sit in the General Lee, and even blow the horn. Connor was on cloud nine! It was difficult to get him out of there. We then drove up into the mountains. We stopped several times at vantage points to view the gorgeous fall colors. There is nothing more beautiful. Kind of a masterpiece of God. We collected several different colors and varieties if leaves to take home with us. Of course, during our visit, Connor and Eddie had to do the "guy thing", and ride the go-carts. They love it! We had a great time. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to the Goodlettsville Fire Department for making this happen, there is no possible way we could have gone without your help!

Monday night was Cub Scout meeting time. We ironed the leaves we collected inside wax paper, to take and show the troop. No, I'm not usually so creative, I guess I just had a moment from my childhood come over me, and thought to do the little project. All of Connor's little friends seemed impressed with all of the different leaves "straight" from the mountains.

Yesterday, Tuesday, Connor had a field trip to the Belle Meade Plantation. I have been taking him to school and picking him up, so he was excited about riding a school bus, bless his heart. When I picked him up, he started telling me all about the history of the Plantation and all the dates, and everything he had learned. I was so proud of him, he really paid attention! After school, we met our great friends, Christian and her children, Will and Caitlyn, at Circus World in Hendersonville. They wanted to do something special for Connor for his birthday, which is tomorrow, on Halloween. Christian had him choose where he wanted to go. We had yummy pizza, then the kids played a few games. We then bowled for an hour. We had a blast! Thank you so much, Christian, Caitlyn and Will for a wonderful evening!!!! We love you guys!

Well, as I mentioned, tomorrow Connor will turn 8 years old, WOW! Oh what a year his 7th year has been. Thank God, the worst is behind us now! He will be closely monitored, but it is our belief and Faith in God that he is going to stay healthy. You should see his hair coming back in. His color is great and he has gained a few pounds. A far cry from a year ago at this time. I cringe, literally, just thinking about it! We thank God everyday for the healing that has taken place in Connor! There is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that the Divine intervention of God is the reason Connor is healthy today! We pray daily for all of our friends still going through treatment, and for those families who have lost their precious angels to this monster. Before Connor's diagnosis, we had no idea, didn't even want to think about, how many families' lives are turned upside down-inside out by cancer. It is astounding, believe me. Just walk up the hallway on the fifth and sixth floor at Vanderbilt, you will see exactly what I am talking about. Noone with healthy children would ever want to even think about such a thing happening, but believe me, it DOES happen. 46 children are diagnosed EVERY SINGLE DAY. Ours just happened to be one of those 46. Please continue to pray for Connor's good health, and for all of the other children out there who are continuing the battle or who have completed treatment, that they can beat this disease. It is just plain 'ole NOT FAIR for anyone, especially innocent children, to have to go through such a thing!
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A Meditation on the 23rd Psalm--by: Emily Matthews

It is those times when the rainbow seems farthest away that we are closest to the Lord.....when we are once again reminded that His love IS the only way. It is those moments when we feel most alone that we hear His gentle voice whispering, "Take My hand, dear child, it's going to be okay." For only then does our troubled heart allow us to trust a humble Shepherd.
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Romans 8:16-18

THE SPIRIT HIMSELF BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD.

AND IF CHILDREN, THEN HEIRS--HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST, IF INDEED WE SUFFER WITH HIM, THAT WE MAY ALSO BE GLORIFIED TOGETHER.

FOR I CONSIDER THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED WITH THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US.

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I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and encouragement. Where, oh where, would we be today if it were not for our family, friends and loved ones?!? The outpouring of love from you all has been like a shining light for us. We know there is no way we could ever repay everyone for their kindnesses, but please know that we have the utmost love and admiration for all of you. Please say a little prayer for Connor tomorrow on his birthday, or whenever you read this. Help us thank God for all He has done for Connor. We are so thankful to be celebrating another year of life in our precious child. Thank you, also, for all of the cards, gifts, money, thoughts and prayers that you have showered Connor with over the past year, and most recently, over the past couple of weeks preceding his birthday. His P.O. Box has been full everyday.

Thank you all for checking in. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week! Take care, peace to all, and May God bless us all!

We love you very much!
~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor--our "Brave Little Trooper"!!!!!!

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 at 03:57 AM (CDT)

Hi everyone! SURPRISE....I'm finally updating! Wow, it seems the days just fly by now. Thank you all for checking in on Connor.

Connor had his port removal surgery, as planned, on September 30. Nana and Poppy came down to take us to the hospital. Connor was fine until JUST as they were taking him back. But, of course, he didn't remember anything when it was over with. Everything went smoothly. He is healing up nicely from that. It is so good to have that thing out. He is still pretty tender in that spot.

Tuesday, Oct. 1, was clinic day. It was also my birthday. Now do you really expect me to tell you how many? O.K., O.K., 33 years old. Once again, Nana and Poppy came down to take us to clinic. They also brought me a birthday cake, and homemade vegetable soup that Poppy made, yum, yum! Connor did not have to have blood drawn, as I had thought. Dr. Shankar said he wouldn't have to have counts EVERY month. They sent us down for chest x-rays, as rhabdo can come back in the lungs. He will be having the x-rays every month. We took the films back up to the clinic. Dr. Shankar read them immediately, and everything was ALL CLEAR! Praise God! That night, Eddie and Connor took me out to dinner to celebrate my birthday. We have LOTS to celebrate this year. All I could possibly ask for, I received with Connor's healing!

Connor has been doing very well in school. He loves it, has made lots of new friends, and he loves his teacher, Mrs. Resha. He has been making 100's every week on his weekly spelling tests. They have now started having math bee's every Tuesday, and last week, Connor won, which meant he got to keep a special trophy on his desk all week. He also was one of the two Reading Award winners for the month of September. We read 66 books at home during the month. So, another trophy adorned his desk for that honor. He got all A's on his report card for the first six weeks. He got one S- in P.E.--apparently he has given a "little" attitude to his P.E. teacher a couple of times, mostly with facial expressions. What? Surely not OUR Connor, Attitude?? Yes, I'm being sarcastic. We see that side of Connor quite often here at home. But we did have a serious talk about it, he knows how he is expected to behave at school. Hopefully, this six weeks will be better in P.E.

Connor went to the dentist last week for the first time since he was diagnosed. He could not go AT ALL throughout treatment, for risk of infection. He has three small cavities. The first appt. we could get to have them filled is the first week in December. He has asked me lots of questions about what will be done. I think he is looking forward to the "laughing gas" alot more than the actual fillings.

Yes, I am continuing my job search. Eddie is going to put me out on the street, if I don't find something soon. I have a couple of good prospects that I should know about by the end of this week. I have been out searching each and every day.

Over this past weekend, we went to a birthday party/family reunion for Poppy's mother/Nanny. Connor played really hard with all of the kids there. We then went to Nana and Poppy's house, where he rode his bike for a while. Sunday, he rode some more at home. Sunday was Nana and Poppy's anniversary. (HAPPY ANNIVERSARY...WE LOVE YOU!!) They stopped by for a little while. By Sunday night, Connor started complaining of pain in his upper leg/groin area. By Tuesday morning, it was worse, and he was walking with a limp. I took him to school, then came home and called the clinic. They said we needed to bring him in. Eddie came home and we picked him up from school and headed down there. The pain had subsided, Dr. Shankar checked him out. She poked and prodded, and he didn't complain at all. She said that we did the right thing, but she thought it was nothing more than a pulled muscle from all of the bike riding he did over the weekend. THANK GOD! She said if the problem persists, she will order an MRI, just to see what is going on.

This is what it is going to be like from now on. We don't want to panic every time Connor has an ache or pain, but we can't afford to ignore it AT ALL. There is no way to know how long his cancer had been there before it was found, but they do know that rhabdomyosarcoma is a very fast-growing cancer. This is where we have to rely on our Faith in God and put all of our trust in Him, and in Connor's doctors. Thank goodness, he will be having scans and x-rays often. Dr. Shankar said there is a possibility that this pain is resulting from the after-effects of radiation. We know that bone growth will probably be affected, we just didn't expect it to be this soon, which it very well may not be. Connor still is going to have a lot to deal with over the next several years, as a result of the "C" word. That is why we WILL live each day to the fullest and not take one day for granted. Our main prayer right now is for the cancer NEVER to return. That is a big fear, as they told us in radiation that radiation itself can cause a different form of cancer to return in the area where treatment is given. BUT, God is in control, so that is where we have to put our faith and trust.

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS.....DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING, BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.

Phillippians 4:4,6-7

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Please say a prayer for a cousin of mine, Sylvia, who lives in Louisville. She just found out that she has breast cancer, and is starting treatment immediately. Breast cancer affects SO many families. This month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, if you see people wearing the pink ribbons, that is what they are for. The gold ribbons are the Childhood cancer awareness ribbons. Please also pray for all of those innocent children still going through treatment, there are lots more of them than anyone of us could possibly imagine, just take a walk down the hall on the fifth or sixth floor at Vanderbilt, talk about a reality check! God bless all of those families who have lost their little ones to cancer, and there are new Angels all the time, fortunate for Heaven, unfortunate for those left here to grieve.

Thank you all for taking the time to check in. We are so fortunate to have such a large suppport system. I don't know how we could have made it through this past year without ALL of you. This past Saturday, October 12, was exactly one year since we heard Connor's name in the same sentence as the word cancer. At that moment, our entire world came crashing down, and the breath was knocked completely out of us. I cringe just thinking about what it was like in the beginning, trying to come to terms with his diagnosis. I can barely even stand to think about all he has gone through over the course of the past year. But, PRAISE GOD, he did it! We are so proud of Connor. No one, especially a child, should ever have to go through all of that. Yes, I still believe that cancer is SO UNFAIR! I hate it, that is all there is to it. But we trudge on, one day at a time. Thank you for the cards you continue to send Connor. Sally Petty, thank you so much for your card creations. She makes Connor the sweetest and most imaginative cards, and sends them to him weekly, as she has done throughout treatment. We appreciate ALL of you for all you have done for us, and for Connor. We will never forget how wonderful everyone has been to us when we have needed it the most!

Have a great week, everyone...may you see the love and glory around you, in everything you do. Don't forget to carve that pumpkin. Of course, Halloween is OUR favorite, as it is Connor's birthday. He will be 8 years old on October 31! My, my, my, how he is growing up! Take care, peace to all, and May God bless us all!

We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our "Brave Little Trooper!"

Wednesday, September 25, 2002 at 03:54 PM (CDT)

Hi Everyone!!! Thanks for your patience in an update and thanks for checking in. I have been having computer problems for the past week. I couldn't get to the web page at all for a while, and couldn't receive or send emails. It seems as though it was a problem with Comcast, I'm not sure what, but hopefully now it is resolved. I'll try to update as best as I can, from memory.

September 11, thank God, was a peaceful day for us all. There was a big build-up as to what might happen that day. When I took Connor to school that morning, I stayed there because they had a special program outside right after school started. It was wonderful to see all of the little children, all in their groups, honoring their Country and their Freedom. It was a great day for reflection. We all have SO much to be thankful for!

Sunday, September 15, was mine and Eddie's 12th anniversary. The night before, Connor spent the night with Nana and Poppy so that Eddie and I could go out to dinner and celebrate. We had a great time. On Sunday, there was a write-up in the Tennessean by Henry Piarrot. He did a beautiful job on it. I hope everyone has had a chance to read it. If not, you can go to tennessean.com and look under editorials for Henry Piarrot and see the article.

Wednesday, September 18th, Connor and I got to school an hour early to participate in 'See You at the Pole'. It was a chance to come together with other parents, students, teachers and administration to pray for our children and their school. We were so fortunate to be able to do this. I thank God that Connor has a Christian principal and leader at his school, Ms. Anne Alexander. She has been wonderful to us throughout Connor's illness. I wish that we could have more "prayer before school". It is really upsetting to think that so many people are trying SO hard to put a stop to prayer and even the mention of God's name.

Saturday, Sept. 21st, we started our day at the Nashville Zoo. Vanderbilt's Oncology department had a Pediatric Cancer Survivor's Day at the zoo. As soon as we got there, Connor was whisked away by the wonderful Amy Seitz, former child-life specialist at Vanderbilt. Amy was with us from the beginning, and just recently left Vanderbilt to work directly with the American Cancer Society. It was SO great to see her. Eddie and I attended a "class" for parents. It was very informative. There was a child psychiatrist who described all the stages the children go through with treatment and beyond. He then answered questions. We learned alot from him. We then had a question/answer forum with a doctor and nurses. After that we were reunited with our children for lunch. We saw many of our friends, Brandee Green , her Mom, and Hannah and Felicity. We also saw Connor's buddy, Caleb Little with his Mom, Dad, and brother Cameron. The kids were all so excited to be seeing each other. It was great to see everyone, and to see all of the children looking SO wonderful.

Now on to Saturday evening. Our wonderful friend, Christian, her Mom, Jewel, children Caitlyn and Will and sister, Nicole, hosted a fabulous "end of treatment/celebration of life" party for Connor. It was held in Hendersonville at Jewel's beautiful home. Friends and family came to help us celebrate Connor being "CANCER FREE!~!". It was a great party, with even better company. Thank you so very much, Christian and family, for the party. What a wonderful thing for you to do for Connor and for us. Thank you to all of you who took time out of your weekend to come celebrate with us. Q-Bert was even there! She was quite popular with everyone. Little Gracen Woods was also there. She is six years old and completed treatment 2 months before Connor. She actually had rhabdomyosarcoma also, same as Connor and even in the same general area. We are so thankful for her clean bill of health, as well. I can't possibly name everyone who was present, but we do thank each and every one of you for attending. It was a very special night! Thank you, God, for Connor's good health!

After the party, Connor went home with Nana to spend the night. A super-nice lady Mom works with, Penny, had given us tickets for the Titans game on Sunday. Eddie and I went. The game was going well, so it seemed, and we left in the fourth quarter, with the Titans leading the Cleveland Browns, 28-14. By the time we got home, Cleveland had scored two touchdowns, which resulted in a tie. In overtime, they scored a field-goal which resulted in the Brown's winning the game. Just goes to show, it's never over 'til it's over. But we did enjoy the game, none-the-less. Thanks, Penny, for the tickets!

Connor will be having surgery on Monday, September 30, at Vanderbilt. It will be to remove his port-a-cath from his chest. YAH!!!!!!! He will be so glad to get it out. Then Tuesday, we will be at the clinic for bloodwork and chest x-rays. Please say a prayer for him, that all goes well next week for him. He is nervous about the surgery, but knows he will be asleep for it.

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AND HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT US, BECAUSE GOD HAS POURED OUT HIS LOVE INTO OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM HE HAS GIVEN US.

Romans 5:5

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Enjoy the crisp Fall mornings, I know we are! Don't you just LOVE this time of year?!? Cherish each day that has passed and all of it's many memories that have been made. Do not take ONE single day with your loved ones for granted. Be thankful for all that you have, and I don't mean material possessions. Our loved ones should know how much they mean to us. Remind them often!

Thank you all so very much for checking in! Have a wonderful week and weekend! Take care, peace to all, and May God bless us all!

We Love You!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor--our "Brave Little Trooper!"

Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 10:33 AM (CDT)

***September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month***

HI there everyone!! In case you don't know already,

~~~~~~CONNOR IS CANCER-FREE!!!~~~~~~

He had his scans last week, and they were all good. He is officially in remission from this dreaded monster. Praise God!! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the prayers that have been sent up for him. God does hear, and answers prayers! Connor is living proof of that! Yes, the doctors play a huge part in this, but God gives them the knowledge to know what to do and how to do it. We are so thankful to all of the staff at Vanderbilt for all they have done for Connor, and for us, as well. Of course, Connor will continue to be monitored. He will go in once a month for blood work and chest x-rays. Then every three months, he will have scans. Chances of a relapse are greatly reduced after two years with no recurrence. Then after five years, he will be considered completely cured. So, as you can see, we are not completely finished yet. Please continue to keep him in your prayers, for the cancer to never rear it's ugly head again.

Connor had a good week at school last week. As a matter of fact, the day of his scans, we didn't leave Vanderbilt until almost 1:00, and he insisted on going to school. He was there for an hour and a half and then the school day was over. We're so proud of him! He has gotten all good reports, and has made 100's on his spelling tests each week. He has made lots of new friends, but still gets to see some of his old friends in the cafeteria. He comes out smiling every afternoon.

Connor's program taped at AngelHeart Farms aired last Thursday night, and then again Sunday morning. He did soooo good, as did Tracy. For those of you who might not know, Tracy is the founder of AngelHeart. She looked beautiful, and Connor was so very handsome. Thank you, Channel 8 and Tennessee Crossroads for giving this exposure to Tracy and her program at the farm.

Friday evening, we had an interview with Henry Piarrot, a free-lance writer for the Tennessean. The article that he is writing on Connor will be in this Sunday's paper (Sept. 15). It will be in the local news section. For those of you who live out of state, it will be available online at tennessean.com. Connor didn't have alot to say, he was being bashful. Henry was wonderful, very down-to-earth. He made us feel at ease.

We told Connor we would take him anywhere he wanted to eat Friday night to celebrate. He wanted to go to Shogun in Cool Springs. So that is what we did. He loves it, because they cook right in front of you. They even came out and played a celebratory song on some type of drum, and sang to him. We had a great time. After that, we headed to Cheval. Tracy hooked us up with tickets again, since we were sick before and missed it. Thank you Tracy!!!! We really enjoyed the show. It is simply amazing what the horses were trained to do, and the performers, WOW!!

Saturday night, we were treated to a night at the Grand 'Ole Opry by Nana. It was Nana, Grandma, Connor, Eddie and myself. They were having a "birthday party" for George Jones that night. He performed, along with Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, Kenny Chesney, and various Opry regulars. We really enjoyed the show. THANK YOU NANA!!!

I hope everyone takes time out tomorrow, Sept. 11, to remember all those who gave their lives last year in the terrorist attacks. Wow, what a year it has been. We have actually had our own "Sept. 11", in addition to the one the nation had. Please remember all of the fallen heroes of that day, as well. Many gave their lives, unselfishly, trying to save others. Thank God for the freedom that we have in this great country of ours! Say a prayer for our Armed Forces. We will be praying for my brother, Chad, who's in the Navy. We love you, Chad, and are so proud of you!!!

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BE JOYFUL ALWAYS; PRAY CONTINUALLY; GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, PRAY CONTINUALLY, FOR THIS IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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Yes, it is true, sometimes we have no control over circumstances, but there is never a time when we cannot go to our God in prayer. He is always, always there, ready to listen. Praise God for answering our prayers!

Take time to reflect tomorrow on all that God has given you. Enjoy the time you have with your family and friends. We love you all! Take care, peace to all, and May God bless us all!!

Love and hugs,
~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, "our bravest little Trooper!!"

Sunday, September 01, 2002 at 09:41 PM (CDT)

UPDATE:******SEPTEMBER 6******--PRAISE GOD, PRAISE GOD, PRAISE GOD, CONNOR'S SCANS ARE CLEAR!!!!!!! WOW, WE ARE SO VERY EXCITED! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STORMIN' THE HEAVENS WITH PRAYERS FOR HIM. HE IS NOW "IN REMISSION"~~~YAH! YAH! YAH! I WILL UPDATE THE ENTIRE JOURNAL IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT JUST HAD TO SHARE THAT WONDERFUL NEWS WITH YOU ALL! ~~RHONDA, OH SO PROUD TO BE KNOWN AS "CONNOR'S MOMMY"~~THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST JOY OF MY LIFE!


Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in. Can you believe it is September already?!? Before we know it, the stores will start playing Christmas music, YIKES! I apologize for the delay in updating the journal. I have been sick pretty much since the last update. I got some of what Connor had, then lost my voice for a couple of days. I think it is now FINALLY starting to subside. This is the sickest I have been in quite some time. Connor, thank goodness, is fine now, just a little cough remaining.

He missed 2 days of school the week before last. He went back on that Friday. He really missed not being there while he was at home. I am so glad he has adjusted so well to school. Thank you all so much for the prayers. He really likes it, and has made lots of new friends. He has had 2 spelling tests so far, and he made 100's on both of them....YAH!!!! His teacher, Mrs. Resha, is awesome. He thinks the world of her. I have been taking him to school each day and picking him up in the afternoon. There is no greater feeling than waiting patiently in the car, then see him come out with his backpack on, smiling from ear to ear. He then tells me about his day each day. Of course, no classroom would be complete without the "bully". Connor's class is no exception. But Connor seems to handle it well. He has had several run-ins with this little boy, but has stood his ground each time without resorting to hitting. So far, so good. The little boy has kicked him a couple of times. I really worry about Connor's port. It is a round little metal device that was surgically inserted under the skin of his upper right chest. All of his chemo would go into it, and blood could be drawn out of it. Hopefully, very soon, it can be removed. It is always tender, and I worry that someone will hit it. It does protrude from his chest a little.

There hasn't been alot of activity in the Hunley household since I have been sick. We haven't been doing alot of "running around". Connor spent the night with Nana and Poppy last weekend. He had a blast, as always. I took the opportunity to rest up. So far, Eddie has remained healthy. Thank goodness! I have started my "job search". I really wanted to work at Connor's school, doing anything. But right now, they do not have any openings. So, I am searching for something in the Goodlettsville area, preferably school hours. Please say a prayer for me, for the right thing to come along. I certainly would appreciate it!

Today, we went to Nana and Poppy's. We had a great day, and a terrific lunch, thanks for the fried catfish, Poppy! On the way back, we stopped at the funeral home. A dear friend of my Aunt Ann's, Mr. Glenn Hodges, passed away Friday night. He just found out about a month ago that he had cancer. He was a fine man, well-liked by everyone. He left behind two children, Brandon and Christy, please also say a prayer for them, and for Ann, to help them with their grieving.

I hope everyone has a most enjoyable Labor Day. Spend time with your family. It doesn't have to cost anything to have fun. Just count your many blessings, and tell your loved ones just that.....that you LOVE THEM!! Don't wait until later, there may not be a "later". We are coming up on my favorite season, FALL! It is reminiscent of days past. Football games, pep rally's, playing in the leaves, crisp evening air, leaves changing color, getting ready for Halloween. Wow, I can hardly wait!

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It Takes the Bitter and the Sweet to Make a Life Complete

Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain,
Laughter and teardrops, pleasure and pain--
Low tides and high tides, mountains and plains,
Triumphs, defeats, losses and gains--
But always in all ways, God's guiding and leading,
And he alone knows the things we're most needing--
And when he sends sorrow or some dreaded affliction,
Be assured that it comes with God's kind benediction--
And if we accept it as a gift of His love,
We'll be showered with blessings from our Father above.

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...If you have Faith as small as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move; Nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20

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Thank you, all, for checking in. We truly, sincerely appreciate each one of you, and all of your support. Connor will be going this coming Tuesday, September 3, for his end-of-treatment scans. He will have a chest, abdomen, and pelvic CT scan, in addition to a bone scan. This is where I have to ask, beg of you to please pray for him. We are so very hopeful that all scans will be COMPLETELY CLEAR! We know that he has come so far in this battle, we just want him to be totally healed, and remain cancer-free forever. I can't and don't understand this terrible disease. It affects SO many families. Everyone knows someone who has had it or has it now. It is just so difficult to comprehend why a child goes through it. I'm sorry, but I can't help but question sometimes. I pray about it every day of my life. I trust in God completely. It's just that when it is happening to your child, and you have virtually NO CONTROL over it, you feel completely helpless. Oh, please, God, let Connor be healed!

Take care, peace to all, and God bless us all!

We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our "brave little TROOPER!!"

Tuesday, August 20, 2002 at 04:58 PM (CDT)

Hi to all! Thank you for checking in! I left off Sunday night before last, so I'll start there. Monday morning was Connor's first day back at school. It was a half day. He woke up, eager and ready to go. I went in with him. His 1st grade teacher is Mrs. Resha. She welcomed him into the classroom and he found his new desk. I told him "bye" a hundred times or more. I'm not sure who had the harder time, me or him. I finally hugged him and forced myself out the door. I spoke to his principal, Mrs. Alexander, for a few minutes. She could see that I was trying to hold back some tears, and bless her heart, she told me I could hang out at the school if I wanted to. But, no, I had to do this, so I left. By the time I got to my car, the emotions came out. I had to call MY Mom. I'm such a big baby. I was so excited when 11:30 rolled around, and I could pick him up again. He came out, ALL SMILES, and hopped into the car. He started telling me all about everything. He had a couple of remarks about his bald head, and wearing a baseball cap, but he seemed to be fine. We then had to go to the clinic for counts. They were dropping, a little sooner than expected. Precious Nurse Kelly told Connor he would need to come in Tuesday for a blood transfusion. He was upset, he didn't want to miss the second day of school. I told him he could go for a couple of hours, and then I would pick him up. Monday afternoon, me met our DEAR friends, Christian, Will and Caitlyn at Chuck E. Cheese. The kids had a blast, and Christian and I were able to just relax and talk (and eat, of course!). Will is 5 years old--let me share what he did for Connor. The character dressed up as Chuck E. Cheese came up to our table to greet the kids. He immediately reached over and snatched Connor's cap off his head. I was kind of stunned and didn't really know how to react. Will stepped right up to Chuck E., and demanded, "Chuck E., you give Connor his hat back!" He was very upset with him. I couldn't believe it, here he was, FIVE YEARS OLD, and standing up for his buddy, Connor. It was the sweetest thing! Christian told me that she had been telling them that Connor was self-concious about his baldness, so Will knew that, and was taking up for him. Thanks, Will! We love you!

Tuesday morning, off to school again. Then, we went to the clinic. He got his transfusion. Wednesday was his first full day of school. He did great, just a little tired. We went to Vacation Bible School Wednesday night. School all day Thursday, then Friday, I picked him up at 1:30, to go back to the clinic for a count check. His platelets were very low, so he received a platelet transfusion. His neutrophils were in the negative range, YIKES! His white count was at 700, should be at least 4500. So, needless to say, he was rock-bottom on everything, and neutropenic as well. We were the last ones to leave the clinic Friday evening, and Connor was VERY TIRED. Saturday, we didn't even get dressed until almost noon. There was a pool and pizza party going on where we live, so we wandered down there. Connor was too tired to be out in the pool, or the sun, so we sat in the office/lounge area and had our pizza. Then we went to the Humane Society in Hendersonville, just for our regular visit with all of the cats. He and I both LOVE to go up there. All of the kittens are in one room, not in cages, so you can just go in there and sit in the floor and play with them all. Great therapy!

Sunday morning, we missed church, I just let him sleep in. We then went to Nana and Poppy's house and spent the day. She had fixed chicken and dumplin's, and a ton of other stuff. It came a great storm while we were there. I love a good storm, no, not violent storms, but a thunder crashing type of storm. We sat out on the carport and had watermelon. It was a good day, as it always is when we go up there.

Yesterday, Connor went to school. He had been showing symptoms of a cold for a few days, but he had not been running a fever, so he went. By the end of the school day, he was feeling pretty bad. His throat hurt, his nose was running, and he was coughing his little head off. He and I were up alot last night. He felt horrible. He started running a fever sometime during the night. We got ready this morning, and headed to the clinic. We took an overnight bag, in case he was admitted. Fortunately, his counts were all back up, so NO MORE NEUPOGEN SHOTS!!!!!!!!! I have been giving them to him every full round of chemo since the beginning, when he was diagnosed. He took them for 10 to 14 days each round. So, that amounts to 10 to 14 shots, then a week break before starting them again. He has done so well with them, I know they hurt like crazy. We are so thankful to not have to do that anymore. The doctor today said she thinks he just has a really bad sinus infection, so she prescribed an antibiotic. We are so glad to be at home. Providing he stops running a fever, hopefully he can be back at school on Thursday. We will just have to wait and see. His little nose is raw. I told him we could just pile up in bed, eat soup and watch T.V.

Thursday night, August 22, is Channel 2 night at Cheval, the Horse Show going on at Opryland Hotel. Two dollars of every ticket sold will go to AngelHeart Farm, where Connor goes and rides. If you have thought about going to Cheval, that would be the night to go! Tracy, AngelHeart founder, called us today, and has tickets for us, so we will be there. The commercial that Connor has been in is for the show that night. I heard that it is still airing, I haven't seen it in a while.

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ACCEPT IT: LIFE IS NOT FAIR!--by:Jim Gallery

At first glance, the statement, "Life is not fair," appears rather negative. But the acceptance of this truth turns negative into positive. When we stop asking, "Why me?" and focus on, "what now?", God begins His work.

The Apostle Paul wrote from a prison cell, "....I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances...." (Phil 4:11 NIV). Paul is not encouraging laziness or despair. He is admonishing his readers to accept their circumstances and then get about the business of living.

Whether the day you face is filled with problems or happiness, challenges or ease, the Psalmist is right, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." (118:24 NIV) Robert Schuller says it well: "Life is not fair, but God is good." And since God can handle it, whatever "it" is, this is the day to move on. Yesterday is past, tomorrow is not guaranteed, today is a gift from God. Let's accept it, be thankful and enjoy it!

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We would like to express our continual gratitude to each and every one of you for the support and encouragement that never ceases. We are so fortunate, as a family, to have such a great circle of friends and family to constantly uplift and inspire us. Please keep those prayers a'comin' for Connor. After we get him over this sinus infection, our next BIG day is September 3, when he will go in for his scans.
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I WILL HEAL MY PEOPLE AND WILL LET THEM ENJOY ABUNDANT PEACE AND SECURITY.
Jeremiah 33:6

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Thank you all for taking the time to read Connor's update. I hope you all have a wonderful week. Embrace life each day--always try to look on the bright side, don't let adversity keep you from winning! Take care, peace to all, and God bless us all!

We love you!
~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our "Brave little trooper!"

Sunday, August 11, 2002 at 08:43 PM (CDT)

UPDATE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 20---WE ARE HEADING FOR VANDERBILT THIS MORNING. CONNOR DEVELOPED A BAD COLD LATE LAST WEEK. LAST NIGHT, DURING THE NIGHT, HE SPIKED A FEVER. I WILL UPDATE THE PAGE AS SOON AS I GET A CHANCE, HE MAY BE ADMITTED, THAT IS THE USUAL PROTOCOL WITH A FEVER. PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR HIM TODAY. THANKS..........
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Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in! CONNOR HAS HAD HIS LAST CHEMO TREATMENT---AUGUST 6!!!!!! PRAISE GOD! I'll tell you more about it in a minute, let me backtrack a little...............

Last Sunday, August 4, was my Mom's birthday---don't worry Mom, I'm not telling your age! She and Poppy came down for lunch. I made spaghetti, and Connor and I made her a birthday cake. We had a really good time visiting with them, and I think Mom had a really good birthday!

Tuesday, Nana, Poppy and Chad came down to pick us up. Chad had to leave back out for Gulfport. We took him to the airport. Connor was pretty upset to see him go again. Then we headed to the hospital. We went to the clinic to wait for a hospital room and to get hooked up to fluids. Connor got into a room around 2:00. His chemo was started around 8:00. There was a mishap, (understatement), with the most potent chemo drug. The nurse was getting it ready to put on the I.V. pole, and the plug came out of the bag and it spilled onto the floor beside Connor's bed. He was actually asleep when it happened. It had to be treated somewhat like a chemical spill, because of the damage it can do if it comes into contact with skin. The cleanup took about an hour. Then more had to be ordered from the hospital pharmacy. The replacement came up around 10:00 pm. He was hooked up to that bag. The vomiting started at 11:30, continuing ALL NIGHT until 5:00 a.m. He finally was able to go to sleep. I got one hour of sleep, then the doctor came in just after 6:00 am and woke me up. Connor slept until around 12:00 noon. Sarah and Q-Bert came by to see him. Q-Bert was wearing one of her bandanas that Connor gave her, she looked so cute! Connor got sick again after they left. The doctor decided to keep him a few more hours to make sure he was not going to get dehydrated. We left the hospital around 6:00 pm.

The nausea continued into Wednesday. By Thursday, he was feeling quite a bit better. Christian, Will and Caitlyn stopped by Thursday afternoon. They brought Connor a big smiley face cookie. They are so thoughtful and sweet. Thursday night, we really went out on a limb and let Connor go to the drive-in with a life-long friend of mine, Christy, her husband, Chuck, their son, Tyler and daughter Daysia (sorry for the spelling). Connor did fine, and had a great time!

Friday, Connor and I headed for the hospital playroom. We were invited to a "Christmas" party to honor the Vanderbilt Christmas card fundraiser by the Friends of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Connor was one of four winning "artists", drawing pictures to be put on the cards this year! We are so proud of him, he did a great job on his picture. Hopefully, we can scan a copy and put it on here sometime in the future. Friday night, we went to the Opry Plaza concert, Billy Joe Shaver. We are HUGE fans of Billy Joe, he is a fantastic songwriter and musician. One of his songs that you might recognize is 'Old Chunk of Coal'. He made mention of Connor mid-way through the show. We had a great time. Connor took his guitar and had him sign it.

Yesterday, I woke up with some sort of a stomach virus, of which I am still dealing with at this minute. We did some back to school shopping, went by the horse barn, and went to a few yard sales.

Today, we did absolutely nothing but lay around at home. I haven't felt like doing anything. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I know it will because it is........

~~~THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!~~

Connor is excited, but nervous, as well. He is so worried the children are going to make fun of his cute little bald head. I'm going to let him wear a cap. I'll talk with his Principal, I'm sure she will agree to let him wear one for the first few weeks, if he wants to, but then his hair should be coming back. Tomorrow is a half day, then Tuesday is the first full day. It is going to take some getting used to for Connor and myself, as well. He will go in tomorrow afternoon to the clinic for counts. He may miss a few days, until his counts rebound, but then, hopefully, everything can level out.

Wow, to think of ALL he has been through since last October.......... I can hardly stand to think about it. What a roller-coaster ride, one we are more than happy to get off of. Thank God for His healing power. Thanks to all of you for standing by our side during the darkest time in our lives. We are so thankful for all of the prayers that have been prayed in Connor's behalf. I honestly do not know how families get through something like this without God in their lives. I am crying as I write this, are they tears of anguish thinking about all he has been through, or tears of joy and relief to think that the worst is behind him? I know that so much of his childhood has been robbed of him by the cancer monster. I get so angry sometimes when I think of all he has had to endure at the tender age of 7 years of age. He knows more about medical things, pain and suffering, and sickness than most adults. I'm sorry I'm rambling.............

A poem by: Pamela Owens Renfro entitled--
BE STRONG AND DON'T GIVE UP

REMEMBER...THERE IS A DEEPER STRENGTH AND AN AMAZING ABUNDANCE OF PEACE AVAILABLE TO YOU. DRAW FROM THIS WELL: CALL ON YOUR FAITH TO UPHOLD YOU. LIFE CONTINUES AROUND US, EVEN WHEN OUR TROUBLES SEEM TO STOP TIME. THERE IS ALWAYS GOOD IN LIFE. TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO DISTRACT YOURSELF FROM YOUR CONCERNS---LONG ENOUGH TO DRAW STRENGTH FROM A TREE OR TO FIND PLEASURE IN A BIRD'S SONG. RETURN A SMILE; REALIZE THAT LIFE IS A SERIES OF LEVELS, CYCLES OF UPS AND DOWNS--SOME EASY, SOME CHALLENGING. THROUGH IT ALL, WE LEARN: WE GROW STRONG IN FAITH; WE MATURE IN UNDERSTANDING. THE DIFFICULT TIMES ARE OFTEN THE BEST TEACHERS, AND THERE IS GOOD TO BE FOUND IN ALL SITUATIONS. REACH FOR THE GOOD. BE STRONG, AND DON'T GIVE UP.

Thank you all for all your support! May God Bless You All! Please continue to pray for Connor. He will have scans on September 3..............

Take care and have a great week!

We Love You All!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our "Brave Little Trooper!!"

Saturday, August 03, 2002 at 10:14 PM (CDT)

Hi there everyone! Thanks for checking in. Wow, I've really let this get behind this time, I'm so sorry. I actually have to look at our calendar to make sure I don't forget anything major from the past week and a half. When I last wrote, Connor's counts had plummeted. He got a blood transfusion AND a platelet transfusion, so that perked him up some. His white count was still very low. He started running a slight fever last Friday, but never enough to warrant a trip to the E.R., THANK YOU GOD!!

Last Saturday, we went to Nana and Poppy's. Of course, Chad is in from the Navy, so as soon as Connor hopped out of the car, he wrapped himself around Chad and I thought we were going to have to pry him off. He is absolutely crazy about Chad. Nana had cooked a delicious lunch, and we had a great day up there.

Sunday, we were afraid to get Connor out again, due to his white count and being neutrophenic, so we hung out at home. It has really been too hot to do anything outdoors.

Monday, we got to go to Christian's house. She had invited us up to do "whatever Connor wanted to do." So she and I got to talk some while Connor played with her children, Will and Kaitlyn. They went out to the pool, but didn't stay in very long. Swimming seems to always intensify the pain that Connor has sometimes. So then we ate lunch, then headed to the theater. The kids wanted to see the new 'Crocodile Hunter' movie, so that was what we saw. We enjoyed it, Connor thought it was awesome. Thanks, Christian, for a very relaxed and comfy kind of day.

Tuesday, we went back to the clinic to have Connor's counts checked again. Fortunately, everything was back up, so they told us we could stop the shots. Now that is always music to our ears! After we left there, we stopped by Music City Dodge, where I used to work. It was so nice to visit with everyone there. I worked there for almost eleven years up until the day Connor got sick. Tuesday evening, we dropped Connor off to stay with Grandmama. Tracy at Angelheart asked me to be on her Board of Director's, and we had our first meeting. Eddie sat in on the meeting too. We picked Connor back up, and he was in some major pain. I'm really concerned about this, as I've mentioned before. The internal radiation burns should be healed up by now, yet he still has intense pain down there. I've mentioned it several times to his doctors, but so far, nothing has really helped.

Friday, Connor and I went to a few garage sales. It was soooooo hot! Unbearably hot! Then Connor decided he wanted to spend the night with Nana and Poppy. I met Nana at Grandma's in Portland. Mom's sister, Sherry was there too. We sat around and visited for a while, then I got hugs and kisses from Connor and we went our separate ways. Eddie and I went to see the new Mel Gibson movie, 'Signs'. I really enjoyed it, at least the parts that I saw. Alot of the time, I had my hands covering my face. The movie is intense, scary! There were some people in front of us with really small children, I'm talking maybe four years old. The movie scared me to death! But I thought it was very good and thought-provoking~~Eddie didn't like it quite as much as I did.

Today, Eddie and I went down to the pool for a couple of hours. Tonight he looks like a lobster. I got ready this afternoon, went to pick up Connor, and we went to Mt. Moriah church outside of Portland to hear our favorite gospel group, The White Family. It was a great singing! They are AMAZING!!! As I've told you before, Connor enjoys it as much as I do. It is the only thing he will actually sit still for. He knows the words to most all of their songs, I love to watch him sing along, praising God!

Tomorrow, Sunday, August 4, is my Mom's birthday~~~~~Happy Birthday Mom, I Love You So Much!!! My Mom is such a special part of my life, she is the most wonderful Mpther in the world! She is coming down here tomorrow, so Connor and I are going to make her a birthday cake in the morning. Yikes!

Connor goes in this Tuesday, August 6, for....get this.....




*************HIS LAST CHEMO TREATMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!*********

YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH!

Can you believe it??!!?? We are so excited! He will have his end-of-treatment scans and tests on September 3, please storm the Heavens with prayers for him. We are so thankful for all that God has done for him and us over this past year! I could write a book.....maybe someday I will, who knows? God is so good! He has calmed this storm that we have been up against.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.
1 Thessalonians 5:16,17

Thank you all for your constant encouragement. I don't know what we would do without it. Everyone can use encouragement and support in one way or another. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to sign Connor's guestbook....he loves to hear the entries. You don't realize how just a few words can pep him right up. Thanks to the Hugs and Hope group for everything they have done and continue to do. What a great bunch of volunteers! They have been a huge source of support for me , as well, over the past 10 months. There is a link at the bottom of this page, check out the site if you haven't already.

Thanks again fro checking in, have a great day, take care and May God Bless Us All!

We Love You All!!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper!!"

Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 10:28 PM (CDT)

Hi there everyone! Thanks for checking in. Connor was admitted last Tuesday, as planned. He was feeling fine until the nurse came in with the chemo. As soon as he sees it, he starts getting very nervous. He actually fell asleep shortly after it was started. We were hoping and praying that he would just sleep right through it, but, no such luck. Eddie left at 9:00 that night to go home, and not even 5 minutes later, the vomiting started. It went on for several hours nonstop. Wednesday, he still felt really bad, but guess who came to cheer him up.......Q-Bert and her Mommy, Sara. For those of you who do not know, Q-Bert is the therapy dog in the picture with Connor on his photo page. Q-Bert always makes Connor feel so much better. We got home Wednesday evening from the hospital.

Saturday morning, Connor had recovered well enough to go to AngelHeart Farm. Joe Elmore from Channel 8 (Tennessee Crossroads) was there to do a story on the program. Connor got his microphone hooked up and away he went. Our buddy Hannah Greene and her family was also there for the taping. Hannah just had her last chemo. Yah!! The kids did great. Tracy made sure that Connor got to ride on the Gator with her to empty the horse p**p. Believe it or not, he loves that AND cleaning the stalls. Saturday night, we headed up to Tammy (Eddie's sister) and Shelton's house in Springfield. We had a cookout with them, Ragan, Victoria, and Grandmama. We had a really good time, and had some great food! Yum, Yum!

Sunday, after church, Eddie had to go in to work for a while, so Connor and I just hung out at home. Can you believe it??? I know, I know, we stay on the go alot. But when Connor is feeling good, we take every advantage to get out and enjoy the day. Life is too precious to waste even one day......

Tuesday, back to the clinic for counts. We thought Connor would also get chemo, but we found out that he skips the next 2 weeks in this cycle and the next. So that means, ONE MORE CHEMO!!!That will be an inpatient admission on August 6. We were so excited to hear that! Connor's counts had started dropping, so Nurse Kelly (sweetheart that she is!!) told us we'd better come back Thursday (today), just to be safe.

Wednesday night started Vacation Bible School at our church. It will be held for the next four Wednesday nights. We took our neighbor, Chelsea (8) with us. We finally got to meet our unseen wonderful friend, Christian. Christian has been sending Connor cards since shortly after he was diagnosed. She even drops off packages at our door, but we had never seen her. She and I have been in touch via email. It was so great to finally meet her last night! We love you Christian!

Today, we headed back to the clinic. Connors counts had plummeted, as expected. He received a blood transfusion, plus a platelet transfusion. His platelet count was 23,000, and should be at least 150,000. His white count is 200, and should be between 4,000 and 11,000. So he is neutrophenic, which means he is very susceptible to any and every germ out there, so we are pretty much housebound. I am still giving him his neupogen shots each night, so hopefully that will bring his white count back up.

The following is from a book entitled: 'God's Inspirational Promises' by Max Lucado.
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There is a window in your heart through which you can see God. Once upon a time, the window was clear. Your view of God was crisp. You could see God as vividly as you could see a gentle valley or hillside.

Then, suddenly, the window cracked. A pebble broke the window. A pebble of pain.

And suddenly, God was not so easy to see. The view that had been so crisp had changed. You were puzzled. God wouldn't allow something like this to happen, would He?

When you can't see Him, Trust Him....Jesus is closer than you have ever dreamed.
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Jesus said, "DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. TRUST IN GOD, AND TRUST IN ME."
John 14:1
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Thanks again for checking in. A special thank you to all of you from the Nascar and Tyler McGrath sites. We sincerely appreciate the encouragement you are sending our way. Tyler was a very special little boy in New York with Leukemia. He became an Angel this past Sunday, which was also his 9th birthday. We know that he is in Heaven now, but would you please say a prayer for his family. I can't even imagine what they must be going through. May God grant them peace.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! My brother, Chad, is in from the Navy, so we are hoping to see him this weekend. Connor absolutely adores Chad, so he can't wait to hang out with him. Take time out to enjoy all of the simple delights in life. Learn the meaning of true happiness. It may not be what you have always thought it to be. Look inward and upward for true happiness. Don't forget, you can NEVER say I LOVE YOU too much! And one more thing while I'm on my soapbox.....I pledge allegiance to the flag.....one nation, under GOD.......with liberty and justice for all! Don't be afraid to tell others of what God has done for you in your life!

Peace to all and May God Bless Us All!!!

We Love You All!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "TROOPER!!"

Tuesday, July 16, 2002 at 07:59 AM (CDT)

Hi there everyone! Thanks for checking in. I meant to update last night, but fell asleep. Connor will be admitted into Vanderbilt today for chemo. He should only be there one night. Please say a prayer for this round to go well. Six more weeks of chemo! Wow!

I think I left off last Monday. Tuesday was a VERY BIG day for Connor. He and I had met a wonderful lady named Kathy a few weeks ago. She and I talked about Connor and his situation. It turned out that she knows Benji Olson, who plays for the Tennessee Titans. We had a call sometime after that from Benji's wife, Tracy. They invited us out to the Titan's training facility. They even sent a limo to pick us up Tuesday morning. We got there at 10:30. Benji, Tracy, and Bob (PR for the Titans), gave us a great tour of the entire facility. Connor got to meet some of the players. We got to go into the locker room, weight room, indoor practice field, and some of the offices, including Bud Adams'and Jeff Diamond's. They gave him a football, and tons of other cool stuff. We had a blast. Thank you, Benji and Tracy, for making Connor's dream come true!

Thursday, we went to visit with Paige, Sky, and Becky. Paige was in Connor's class last year. Sky is her sister and Becky is her Mom. Becky made a cookie bouquet for Connor shortly after he was diagnosed and they brought it to the hospital. She is a sweetheart. They had invited us over to swim. Connor got in the water for maybe 2 or 3 minutes and started hurting really bad. So we went inside for them to play. Connor had a great time. He thinks the world of Paige (SHHHHHHH!). Thank you, guys, for having us over and showing such hospitality! Thursday night, Grandmama came by and took Connor out for ice cream.

Friday, we went up to AngelHeart Farms. Tracy had some friends in town from Michigan, who wanted to meet Connor. We talked with them for a while, but Connor didn't feel like riding. So we hung out with Tracy and Anna for a while. I think he was scared he would get sick like last time, because of the heat. But that is O.K., we enjoy just being up there.

Saturday was my Grandma's ("Cass") birthday. Mom had planned a surprise cruise on the General Jackson. She has talked lately about wanting to go on the riverboat, but she had NO IDEA that is where we were heading. She and my Aunt Ann picked me and Connor up. She thought we were just going out to eat lunch. We were met there by Mom (Nana), her sister (Aunt)Sherry, Sherry's daughter Kyla and Kyla's boyfriend Donald. Grandma was so surprised. We had a wonderful cruise. We ate lunch and watched a show as soon as we boarded, then we were free to wander about the boat. Connor loved it, too. Hope you enjoyed your birthday, Grandma! Connor wanted to spend the night with Nana and Poppy, so after the cruise, he went on back home with Nana. Eddie and I had a night out Saturday night, and had a great time.

Sunday, I went up to Mom's around 1:00. My cousin Tabitha and her daughter Chelsea, met us there. We went to hear the White Family sing at a church close to Nana and Poppy's. They were absolutely wonderful, as always! We have become quite close to them. Connor and I listen to their CD's in the car all the time. As I have said before, if you live in this area, and you hear that they will be performing, you should go see them. I promise you will thoroughly enjoy it! When we got back to Nana's, Poppy had cooked a fabulous lunch for us. Umm, Umm good. He is such a great "chef"! Connor and Chelsea played for a while. Oh, by the way, Connor wanted me to tell you all that he and Poppy found a june-bug. They tied a string around it's leg, threw it up in the air, and watched it fly around. But he said to be sure and tell you that he let it go after that, and he never once hurt it, very important!

Connor is up this morning, he's been playing his Playstation. He asked me to PLEASE put in here that he wants everyone in the whole wide world to sign his guestbook. He loves for me to read him the entries. Thanks to all of you for continuing to send Connor cards to encourage him. We appreciate everything more than we could ever express to you.

It seems as though, the closer we get to the end of treatment, the more frightened Eddie and I get. There will always be a fear of relapse. I know, I know, think positive, but when you have been through what we have been through over the past year, you can't help but to think of what might happen. That's why we try to not think past today. We have tremendous Faith in God, but we need your prayers. Yesterday was "one of those days" for me, feeling very discouraged about everything. Connor was in alot of pain all day long.

This is my prayer, as Connor's Mommy:

Lord, when my heart is troubled, let me trust in You. When I become discouraged, let me depend upon You. When I lose Faith in this world, let me hold tightly to my faith in You. Remind me, Lord, that in every situation and in every season of life, You will love me and protect me and my family. You are my strength, Lord, and I need never lose hope because you remain the same today and forever. With You, Lord, nothing is impossible. Please let us expect the miraculous healing in Connor that we know you are capable of. Please restore his body to perfect health, and for it to remain in perfect health. Please help us in every aspect of our lives, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. Please help us to remember that things will improve. Please bless all of our family and friends. Let them know what a blessing they are to us. Please forgive us our sins and help us to remain faithful to you. In Christ's name, AMEN.

I hope everyone has a great week. Live each day to the fullest, there is no guarantee on tomorrow. Take care, peace to all, and May God bless us all!

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NOONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD, BUT IF WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER, GOD LIVES IN US AND HIS LOVE IS MADE COMPLETE IN US.

1 John 4:12
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We love you all!~~Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Monday, July 08, 2002 at 09:43 PM (CDT)

Hello, our cherished family and friends! Thank you for your visit to Connor's page. It is always so encouraging to see that number rising, and reading all of the guestbook entries. I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! Wow, it has been so very hot here in Nashville.

Connor's commercial did start airing last Sunday. We don't have a schedule of times....I'm sorry! But we have been watching alot of Channel 2 over the past week. It seems to air between 6:30 and 8:45 in the morning, at various times throughout the day, then late in the night. Eddie caught it once around 1:30 a.m. Connor looks GREAT in the commercial. Tracy, at AngelHeart, gave us a tape of it, we are going to try to copy it. I wish everyone could see it. The article in last week's Tennessean was wonderful, telling all about ABC Auction and the things they have done for us, and especially for Connor.

We went into the clinic last Tuesday for chemo. Everything went well. Connor's counts had started dropping. We also got to talk with Amy Seitz, Child-Life Specialist. Amy has been with us since the very beginning, she has a heart of gold, and such a gift for working with the children and their families. Well, anyway, Amy is leaving Vanderbilt to take a position with the American Cancer Society. We know it is a great opportunity for her, but...gosh-darn, we are going to miss her smiling face so much. She assured us that she will be stopping by to visit. GOOD LUCK AMY!!! After we left the clinic, we went to Portland to see my Grandma Cass' (Cassie's) new apartment. We visited with her and Nana for a couple of hours. We had a really good time.....just hanging out. I know I've told you how wonderful my Mom (Nana) is, but my Grandma is awfully special, too. I love them both so very much.

Wednesday, we went up to AngelHeart in the morning to ride horses. Tracy was there, and helped Connor saddle up Cisco. Just before he was ready to ride, he got sick, all of a sudden, and started vomiting. Bless his heart, I guess it was just too hot. Tracy took us in their lounge/office and let Connor lie down and cool off. We just hung out in there with her for a while, then left for home. Tracy knows exactly what he is going through, and knows just what to do to help him.....she is an Angel!

Wednesday night, late, Connor had a long-overdue BM. It caused him to be in excruciating pain ALL NIGHT LONG. He is on a daily laxative, but still has problems, mostly due to the fact that he is so frightened it is going to hurt. He was screaming out in pain at times. I tried everything I could think of. He never slept a wink that night. He finally fell asleep sometime Thursday during the day. When he woke up, he felt a little better. We met Uncle Shelton, Aunt Tammy, Ragan and Victoria at Santa Fe's, then went to Moss Wright Park to watch the fireworks. They were fabulous. We really had a good time. Connor was in some pain, but at least it was controllable.

Friday, I had to go to the dentist for a filling. After we left there, we went to the clinic for counts. They had told me earlier in the week that it wouldn't be necessary, but Connor seemed more lethargic than usual. His counts were low, as I had expected, so he had a blood transfusion. We had to go to the Emergency Room to have it done, because it would not be complete before the clinic closed. Connor DOES NOT like the E.R. He has very unpleasant memories from back in the beginning of this nightmare.......catheters, needles, too many different people poking and prodding. Anyway, after getting the blood, he felt much better.

Sunday, we went to a cookout/pool party at some very good friends of our's house. Dale and Joann, we had a wonderful time. It was so relaxing and stress-free. They have a beautiful home, and they both are the most gracious host and hostess. It was truly like we were a member of the family. Eddie was special friends with their daughter, Mischelle, right out of high school. Mischelle passed away 2 and 1/2 years ago after a very brave battle with cancer. She was such a wonderful person. Everyone who knew her, loved her. She left two beautiful sons behind, Brett and Drew. She was only 29. I am so thankful that Dale and Joann have those two boys, so that Mischelle can live on in them. No finer person ever lived...............
We also got to meet some new friends, Scott, Joni and Katie, (ummm....that's Kaitlyn, as she is quick to tell you). They are neighbors of Dale and Joann's, and such nice, down-to-Earth people. Katie and Connor are the same age, and had a wonderful time playing together.

Today, Connor went into the clinic for chemo and counts. Fortunately, his counts had rebounded, so we can stop the Neupogen shots, that is always GREAT NEWS!! We got to see our buddies, Caleb Little and his Mommy, Debbie. It has been a while since we saw them. The boys were so excited to see each other. Caleb, you are looking so handsome! It was so good to see them, and to see Caleb doing so well! We also got to see Amy one more time, as this Friday is her last day at Vanderbilt.

Tonight, we went to Loco Lupe's in Hendersonville. As soon as we got there, a lady came up to Connor and introduced herself to him. She is a cancer survivor of three years. Her name is Pam, and she lives in Hendersonville. She and her husband, David, spoke with us for quite some time. They were SO EXTREMELY ENCOURAGING! What positive outlooks! I tell you, it is amazing how many wonderful people we meet through these most unfortunate circumstances. Pam, I'm gonna take you up on that offer to call you, you are an inspiration to me, and your Faith is contageous!


^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^ ^i^
TWO PEOPLE CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH AS ONE; THEY GET A BETTER RETURN FOR THEIR LABOR. IF ONE PERSON FALLS, THE OTHER CAN REACH OUT TO HELP. BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE ALONE WHEN THEY FALL ARE IN REAL TROUBLE. AND ON A COLD NIGHT, TWO UNDER THE SAME BLANKET CAN GAIN WARMTH FROM EACH OTHER. BUT HOW CAN ONE BE WARM ALONE? A PERSON STANDING ALONE CAN BE ATTACKED AND DEFEATED, BUT TWO CAN STAND BACK-TO-BACK AND CONQUER.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT
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Thank you, one and all, for taking the time to check in. We are so blessed. Please continue the prayers, we are so lucky to have you all! Enjoy your day, (or night), cherish each moment, don't sweat the small stuff. Remember, you can never say "I Love You" too much. Also, smile alot, you know it takes more facial muscles to frown than it does to smile. And smiling is contageous. Thank God for giving you another day, each and every day! Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!

We Love You!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "TROOPER!"

Sunday, June 30, 2002 at 06:09 PM (CDT)

Hi there, friends and family. Thanks for checking in on Connor. Can you believe tomorrow is July 1st. Half the year has passed by already! I hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth of July. Be careful with those fireworks.

I last updated on Eddie's birthday. He and I rode the General Jackson riverboat that night. It is a "three hour tour" down the Cumberland into downtown Nashville. We enjoyed it thoroughly. The weather was beautiful. We had a great time and Connor really enjoyed spending the night with Nana and Poppy.

The next day, on Saturday, we went to ABC Auto Auction's company picnic. They have done so much for us since Connor was diagnosed. Connor and I were in there last week and they invited us to the picnic. It was held at a park on Old Hickory lake. We had a fantastic time. Connor and Eddie entered some of the contests like the three-legged race and the sack race. We all played BINGO, we didn't win but we had a blast. Thank you, ABC, for including us. We really did have a wonderful time.

Connor was admitted into the hospital on Tuesday for chemo. While in the clinic, we got to visit with our buddies, Kim and Hannah. Connor got into his room around 3:30 that afternoon. This round hit him really quick and really hard. He was up ALL night Tuesday night. He finally fell asleep around 5:00 am Wednesday morning. Sarah and Q-Bert came by around 11:00, and he was still sound asleep. They left and came back at 1:00. I woke Connor up then, to see them and to see if the vomiting was going to stop so that we could go home. Fortunately it did. I guess Q-Bert was the medicine he needed. Anyway, we were dismissed around 3:00 that afternoon. He actually never got sick any more, just a little nausea.

Thursday, I had to call for an emergency dental visit. I had a crown come out, plus an abcessed tooth. We had planned to have lunch with Jacque, our new friend from Hawaii, and her friend Dottie, from Hendersonville. We drove to the restaurant and I told them we couldn't stay because of the dentist appointment. They offered to let Connor stay with them, and he was all for it. So that is what we did, and they brought him by the dentist's office when they were finished. Jacque, Dottie and their husbands were SOOOOOOO very nice. We were so pleased to finally get to meet them and spend a little time with them. Jacque, I'm gonna take you up on that invitation to visit with you in Hawaii one of these days.

Thursday night, we went to Gallatin to attend a benefit concert for AngelHeart Farms. Lee Roy Parnell and Victor Mecyssne were the artists performing. We had a fabulous time and the concert was great! Connor had both of the guys sign his guitar. Eddie made an opening "speech" to tell a little about AngelHeart Farms and what it has meant to us. He did a wonderful job.

Friday night was another benefit for AngelHeart, held on Woodland Street in Nashville at the Radio Cafe. Anna Scala, one of the lovely volunteers from AngelHeart, was the artist performing. She writes and sings children's songs. The show is geared toward children, and Connor had a BLAST!!! Anna, you did a beautiful job, we were so glad to be a part of it. And to all you other parents out there reading this with children going through treatment, please, please email me for info about AngelHeart. Tracy would LOVE to have more children in the program. It's FREE, and the kids, (and parents too), will LOVE IT!

Saturday, we went to Lakewood ballpark to watch Connor's cousin, Ragan, and his team, the Braves, play in their baseball tournament. Connor used to play at the same park. He played two years in a row for the Mariners, then he got bored with it. Anyway, Ragan's team won their game, so then we went back at 6:00 Saturday evening to watch them play again. And again, they won. We had a great time at the park, it brought back a lot of good memories from when Connor played. After the game, Eddie and Connor both were wanting to go bowling, so we went. I sat this one out.....gimme a break, I was tired. If they had their way, we would NEVER be at home. Anyway, Eddie would kill me if I didn't tell you all that on the second game, he bowled a 205. He was on FIRE>>>>SMOKIN'!!!

Today, Connor and I went to Nana and Poppy's. Eddie had to work for a while. We had a delicious lunch, as always. Boy, can my Mom cook. I'm not sure what happened to me, obviously I don't take after her in that department. We just got home a little while ago.

Thanks again, for stoppin' by. I hope everyone has a fantastic week. Try to stay cool. Connor's commercial started airing today on local Channel 2. We will find out the times tomorrow, I think, so I will post them on here. Also, on Monday, July 1st, Connor and ABC Auction will be featured in an article in the Davidson AM, an insert in the Tennessean.

We are so thankful to all of you for all you do for us. We are so encouraged by the fact that so many of you still send Connor cards, and check his webpage. We are truly blessed to have so many caring, loving friends and family.
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GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST....I THANK MY GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST FOR ALL OF YOU.

Romans 1:7-8
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Take care, everyone, Peace to all and God Bless us all!

We love you! ~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper!"

Friday, June 21, 2002 at 12:40 AM (CDT)

Hello, precious friends and family! I actually started this update two hours ago, and LOST everything that I typed in.....ughhhhhh! So, I'm going to try again. Forgive me for my typos, it is very late. Let me start out by giving you the scan results:
GREAT!!!!!

Nurse Connie called me this morning, and this is what she told me:
---Chest scan was clear (rhabdo sometimes froms in the lungs)

---No masses are present

---As for the previous tumor, "very minimal residual thickening" in the area (I'm going to discuss that further with Dr. Shankar on Tuesday...it may be from radiation??)

---A mass is no longer identifiable in the area of the previous mass.

YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH! YAH!

What wonderful news! A great big, HUGE THANK YOU to all of you for all of the prayers that you have sent up on Connor's behalf. Prayers ARE ANSWERED!!! Now ten more weeks of chemo, and hopefully,(prayerfully), we are DONE WITH TREATMENT!

AND ALL THINGS, WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN PRAYER, BELIEVING, YE SHALL RECEIVE.
Matthew 21:22

Today, Friday, is Eddie's birthday (shhh--'35'), so Connor will be spending the night with Nana and Poppy, so that I can take Eddie out. We celebrated his birthday with Connor on Thursday night, just a few short hours ago.

The past week has been another busy week. Yes, it is very hard to catch us at home. We need to SLOW DOWN! Last Friday, I took Connor in for counts, and, of course, he had to have a transfusion. We were at the clinic the biggest part of the day, but, fortunately for us, the Housley's (Donna and Joey) were there, so that helped to pass the time. They are so much fun. Connor tells me I laugh like a teenager when I'm talking with Donna. It seems as though we have known them forever. Joey will be going in this coming Monday for his scan and tests. Please say a prayer for him, that everything is great! Friday night, Connor and I met Tabitha, Chelsea, and Granny in Hendersonville to hear The White Family, yes, for the third time in a month and a half. But they are so uplifting, we can't get enough of them!

Saturday, we dropped in on Tracy at AngelHeart Farms. She asked Connor if he wanted to ride, at first he said no, but with a little arm-twisting (yeah, right), he said he would ride. Have I mentioned that Tracy has fought against and won the battle with the cancer monster THREE TIMES?!? She is AMAZING! We just love her to pieces, and she adores Connor. She is so good with him. The volunteers that she has are ALL wonderful! They give unselfishly of their time and energy to put a smile on all of the little boys and girls who come to ride. THANK YOU TRACY and all of you for all you do for us!

Tuesday, Connor went in for chemo before his scan. Mom (Nana) came down to take us to the hospital. THANKS MOM!! I always get pretty nervous on scan day, so it was great having her with us for moral support. I am so fortunate to have a Mother with whom I can also share a very special friendship. We are so very close, and I thank God for her!

Wednesday was "commercial taping" day. Connor was nervous about it at first, but Tracy helped ease his anxiety. They were filmed preparing Chester for a ride. Then Connor rode him. The commercial is for a special Channel 2 night at an upcoming horse show type performance coming to Opryland Hotel. Two dollars of each of the tickets sold that night will benefit AngelHeart Farms. I will post the times for the commercial as soon as we get them. I think it will run for about a month, maybe six times a day.

The past nine months have been quite a journey for the Hunley family. It seems like yesterday when we heard that dreaded word---cancer---used in the same sentence as 'Connor'. Every parents nightmare, and it was a reality for us. It has been a long road so far. We had a talk about it on Thursday night. We discussed how, even with the horror of it all, so many positives have shown up. Don't get me wrong, I would give anything to have had this NEVER to happen, but it did, so now we deal with it. But the outpouring of love and support from all of you has been overwhelming. It has really restored our faith in mankind. Our Faith in God has definately grown to astronomical proportions. It is so amazing to see God work his Healing Hand on Connor. And to watch Connor bow his little head and pray in times of need.....well, that speaks for itself. A seven year old should not know about such things as cancer, but, unfortunately, Connor does, and he deals with it in such an adult manner. He is inquisitive, and wants to know and understand about each procedure that takes place. He rarely complains about any of the treatment. He is our WHOLE WORLD!!! Yes, I think this is so unfair! But we are in the midst of it, so we put one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, and go on. Each bright new morn is another day that God has blessed us with. Don't forget to delight in the 'little things'. Connor has had a big time this week catching lightning bugs in a jar, then releasing them before he comes in. He told me that he wouldn't dare hurt them, because they are God's creatures too. Boy, oh boy, I am so proud of him.

Please continue to pray for Connor, and his continued improvement and complete healing. We are so thankful to each and every one of you for everything! I don't know where we'd be without all the support! A big "you go-girl" to Miss Hannah Ryals, 10 years old. She is our buddy that also lives in Goodlettsville. She had her scan on Tuesday as well, and found out that she is in COMPLETE REMISSION!! We are so happy for her, Kim and their entire family. I know she has had a lot of prayer warriors sending those prayers up for her as well.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

Love and hugs,
Rhonda, Eddie and Connor--our brave little "trooper!"

Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 09:13 AM (CDT)

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. I was trying to wait until after Connor's clinic visit this week so that maybe I would know about his next scan. Well, I finally found that out yesterday. It will be this coming Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 pm. Please pray for the results to be CLEAR! When Connor had his last scan, his internal burns from radiation were so bad that a readable scan was not possible.

After returning from our trip last Sunday, Connor was admitted for chemo on Tuesday. While still in the hospital on Wednesday, SArah and Q-Bert came by for a visit. That always perks Connor up. We were discharged on Wednesday afternoon. Connor's vomiting continued into Wednesday night. By Thursday, he was nauseated, but no more vomiting. Thanks to everyone for the prayers for this round of chemo.

Friday, we went to the pool where we live. For those of you who don't know, we live in a townhouse and there are two pools here for us to use. Anyway, a friend of Connor's from school also lives in this complex, and he came to the pool. We invited him to go out to dinner with us. We took them to a Japanese steakhouse in Cool Springs. We really had a good time. Then we went to a place downtown for Karaoke. It is a really cool place geared more for tourists coming to Nashville, where you can take children in. Connor, Eddie, and Joseph all did songs. Not me, I'm just a big 'ole chicken. I prefer to sit back and enjoy watching everyone else. Connor got up there and did "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band. He brought the house down! I can't tell you how great he did, and how much everyone loved him. I wish you all could have seen it. He also did the theme to the Dukes of Hazzard, which he also did very well on. We had a really good time. I think we have us a little superstar in the making.

On Saturday, Connor and I headed up to Portland. The White Family, (gospel group), were performing in Meadowbrook Park in Portland at 3:00 in the afternoon. We met Nana at Grandma's house, and we headed over there. My cousin Tabitha, her daughter Chelsea, and my other Granny were there also. We enjoyed a good afternoon of old time gospel singing. YOu can truly feel the Holy Spirit as the White Family sings. We just love them. We talked with them after the show. They even had a special prayer right there in the barn for Connor.

On Sunday, we went to a birthday party for one of our good friends also going through treatment, Joey Housley, who just turned 16 years old. I have become quite close with his Mom, Donna. They are such a wonderful family, and make you feel as though you have known each other forever, They had a cookout/pool party at their house. We all had a blast. We met so many of their wonderful friends.

Monday morning, we headed to Angelheart Farms so that Connor could go horseback riding. It had been a while, so we were so glad to see Tracy and Anna. Connor chose Chester to ride. He did fantastic. They were quite a team. As always, Tracy and Anna were so good with Connor. Any parents reading this who may be interested, please email me privately and I'll give you all the info. I guarantee you that your child will love it, and you will too! By the time we left there, Connor wasn't feeling very well, so we went home to rest. We had been invited by Tanya at Make -A-Wish to their Open House in their new offices on Monday night. Connor and I headed over there, and we had another wonderful time. We got to see some of the other children and their parents, as well as all the folks at Make-A-Wish, and alot of the donors and sponsors who make the wishes a reality. Tanya is is the wish coordinator, and she is absolutely incredible. We just love her to pieces.

Tuesday was clinic day. We weren't scheduled until 2:00. That morning we went to a "yard sale" at Barbara Mandrell's house. And boy, oh boy, what a house it it. You had to take shuttles up the long driveway to this huge mansion deep in the woods. The sale was inside, so we got to explore. I bought a couple of books, and Connor bought a stuffed bear, but the best part was just seeing the house. She recently sold it, and is clearing everything out. After that, we headed to the clinic. Connor got his chemo, and got his counts checked. His counts have started to drop, so we go back Friday to have them checked again, and possibly to receive a transfusion. We got to see Hannah Ryals at the clinic with her grandma. She was just there for counts. She is such a sweet young lady. She is 10 years old. Please add her to your prayer list if you haven't already. She also lives in Goodlettsville, not too far from us.

Yesterday, Connor went to work with Eddie for a little while. Then we all went to the pool for a couple of hours. Tanya and Janice at Make-A-Wish had gotten us tickets for the first ever Flameworthy Award Show in Nashville at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. It was televised on CMT last night. I went to pick up my Mom, (Nana), and we came back home to pick up Eddie and COnnor. Next thing Mom and I knew, a limo pulled up out front for us. Tanya, her husband Pat, Pat's brother and a friend pulled up right behind it. Eddie and Tanya had schemed on the limo, unbeknownst to me. So we all piled in the limo and headed downtown. We had great seats and the show was awesome! Connor is a HUGE fan of Toby Keith, so he was screaming his little head off every time his name was mentioned. My Mom also thoroughly enjoyed the show. I'm so glad she got to go with us. I took her back to Grandma's around 11:00 and got home at 11:30. Boy, were we pooped.

Connor is still snoozing this morning. Bless his heart, last night wore him out. PLease pray for his scan on Tuesday. Hopefully, there will be NO SIGN OF CANCER!!! The little guy has been through so much, he really needs a break.

An exerpt from 'Never Lose Heart' by Joyce Meyer:

Faith: The Antidote For Fear

Faith is the only antidote for fear.

If you or I drank some kind of poison, we would have to swallow an antidote, or the poison would cause serious damage or even death. The same is true of the deadly toxin of fear. There must be an antidote for it, and the only antidote for fear is Faith.

When fear comes knocking at our door, we must answer it with faith, because nothing else is effective against it. And prayer is the major vehicle that carries faith.

Faith must be carried to the problem and released in some way. It is possible to pray without faith, (people do it all the time), but it is impossible to have REAL faith and not pray.

James tells us that when we find ourselves in need of something, we should pray and ask God for it in simple, believing prayer. Those two words (simple, believing) are very important. The way we do that is by simply praying and having faith, believing that what we ask for from God, we will receive in accordance with his divine will and plan. Put your faith in the Lord, he has the power to deliver you from all fear.

FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU; DO NOT LOOK AROUND YOU IN TERROR AND BE DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN AND HARDEN YOU TO DIFFICULTIES, YES, I WILL HELP YOU; YES, I WILL HOLD YOU UP AND RETAIN YOU WITH MY RIGHT HAND OF RIGHTNESS AND JUSTICE.

Isaiah 41:10

Thank you all for taking the time to check in. May peace be with you as you go into this day. Don't forget to delight in the simple pleasures of life. Don't fret over things that won't matter a hundred years from now. All that matters is your belief and faith in God, your family, friends, and loved ones. Material things come and go, and in the grand scheme of things, won't matter one little iota. Give those little ones a great big giant bear hug, and watch their eyes light up. Enjoy and live each day to it's fullest. Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!

We love you all!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our Brave Little Trooper!

Tuesday, June 04, 2002 at 06:58 AM (CDT)

Hello there everyone! Thanks for checking in. Yes, we are back from our week-long trip to Orlando and Disneyworld. We had a blast! We managed to visit every park with the exception of Animal Kingdom. Whew! We stayed very busy.

We flew out of Nashville on Monday morning. After arriving in Orlando, we headed to the Give Kids the World village. It was actually located in Kissimmee. From start to finish, they treated us like royalty. The village has 96 two bedroom villas, equipped with a full kitchen, (no, I didn't cook), washer and dryer, two full baths, and anything we could possibly need. There were palm trees everywhere. The village has an Ice Cream Palace, which begins serving ice cream at 7:30 AM daily. Connor had strawberry shakes for breakfast everyday, I know, I know, but we were on vacation. There was a Castle of Miracles, Amberville Train Station, a beautiful Chapel, Gingerbread House Restaurant, Julies Safari Theatre, two pools, two lakes, and a nature trail. Also, no shortage of lizards. Connor would always want one of us to go up the sidewalk first, in case one was going to run across in front of us. The village was unbelievable. I can't even begin to make you imagine the magic of it. As you strolled through the village, music would be playing on speakers outside, all Disney music, such as M-I-C---K-E-Y-----M-O-U-S-E. There were different activities and events everyday. One morning was breakfast with Disney characters. Wednesday night was Parents night out. YES!!! All of the children stayed at the village with a volunteer assigned to each child. They sent us with a gift certificate to Disney's Polynesian Resort--Ohana's restaurant. It was fabulous!!! The village has a mayor--Mayor Clayton, a six-foot rabbit. On two different nights, we signed Connor up to be tucked in by Mayor Clayton. He loved it. There was a pool party with a baby Shamu. A birthday party for Mayor Clayton, pictures with Mickey and Minnie, caricature drawings, and countless other activities. Breakfast and dinner were served each and every day in the Ginger Bread Restaurant. Everything was FREE. They gave us tickets to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Seaworld, MGM Studios, lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, Air Boat ride tickets, miniature golf tickets, and made even more tickets available, if you had time for anything else! I can't possibly say enough great things about the village. It was founded in 1986 by Henri Landworth, a survivor of concentration camps in World War II. He lost his entire family in the camps. His book is called Gift of Life, which I'm going to start today. We met his wife, Pam. She is a lovely lady, and very down-to-earth. She even served ice cream all day on Saturday.

Wednesday, Connor DID get slimed at Nickelodean studios. It was not broadcast over TV, but we taped it, and Connor was a natural. He did SOOOO good, and had a blast. Friday, we drove to Cocoa Beach, just south of Cape Canaveral, so that Connor could see the ocean. It was stormy after we got there, but we managed to get in an hour or so in the water. The parks all took great care of us, putting us to the front of the lines for the rides and character greetings. One day, Connor had his ENTIRE head painted like Spiderman. You should have seen him. We had lots of fun that night getting all of the paint off. Everyday, when we returned to our villa, there would be a couple of gifts there for Connor. He got movies, toys, stuffed animals, etc.

We want to say a gigantic, great-big, enormous THANK-YOU to Tanya and Janice at Make-A-Wish, and everyone at Give Kids the World for making this trip possible. It truly was the trip of a lifetime for us. Thanks also to Tanya for stopping by Nickelodean on Wednesday to see Connor get slimed. Tanya is the Wish Coordinator for Middle Tennessee. She is such a wonderful person. She took the time during Connor's unexpected hospital stay to re-organize everything so that the trip could still happen. Tanya, you are the best---We Love You!!! They gave us plenty of spending money, as well as a rental car. Make-A-Wish is such a fantastic organization, functioning entirely on donations. Thank you, guys, so very much!

We arrived back in Nashville Sunday night at 10:05 pm. Eddie had to work yesterday, poor thing, we were exhausted. Connor and I had errands to run, then we went to see the movie Spirit. Nana and Poppy surprised us with a visit Monday afternoon. We showed them some of the video that we took. Last night, we went to pick up our little kitty, Lexi. She stayed with Aunt Tammy and family. Thank you, guys, for taking care of our baby. We were so excited to see her. She turned one year old while we were gone.

I'll be posting some pictures from our trip when I get them back, and can get to a computer where I can do it. This computer is an older model, and I can't do it from home, but I WILL get some on here, I promise. I put in SIXTEEN rolls of film yesterday to be developed. Yikes! But everyone told me to take lots and lots of pictures, so that is just what I did. I have to tell you that other than lots of itching, Connor felt great for the entire time we were in Florida. THANK YOU GOD!!! I will be taking him in to the hospital today to be admitted for chemo. YUCK! We should be home tomorrow evening. Please say a prayer for him, for this round to go well. This is the one that really gets him.

Thanks to everyone for all you have done for us. Connor had lots of cards in his PO Box when we returned. Thank you, to the Hugs and Hope group, for always encouraging us. If you have time, click on the link at the bottom of this page for Hugs and Hope and check out their site. Also, please take a moment, if you can, to sign Connors guestbook, so that we will know you were here. It really means a lot to us.

Now a special request. One of our online friends, a ten year old little boy named Zack, passed away during the night Sunday night. He is from Florida, but he and his Mom have been at a hospital in Delaware since February, when he had a bone marrow transplant. He had been doing well, but last week developed a fatal brain infection. There was nothing the doctors could do for him at that point. He was such a special, brave little boy. Please say a prayer for his family, and, if you can, maybe send them a condolence card. Their address is as follows:

Frank and Jill Kull
6435 Stagecoach Rd.
Polk City, FL 33868

I can't, and don't want to even imagine what they are going through now. Zach's website is http://www.caringbridge.com/fl/zacherykull.

Thanks, one and all, for checking in. Have a wonderful day! Hug your little ones tight, and give them a kiss for us. Children are precious, God's greatest gift to us. What a privilege it is to have the honor of being a parent!! Teach your children to have a relationship with God.

"Jesus said, 'LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME, AND DO NOT FORBID THEM; FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' And He laid His hands upon them."

Matthew 19:14,15

Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You!~~Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our "Brave Little Trooper!"

Wednesday, May 22, 2002 at 08:04 AM (CDT)

SECOND UPDATE: SUNDAY MORNING MAY 26~~ WE GOT HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL AROUND 6:30 LAST NIGHT. CONNOR WILL HAVE COUNTS TODAY TO MAKE SURE, BUT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE WILL BE LEAVING FIRST THING IN THE MORNING FOR DISNEYWORLD!! HIS BLOOD CULTURES WERE NEGATIVE AND HIS COUNTS ARE RISING. HE RECEIVED A TRANSFUSION WHILE WE WERE IN THE HOSPITAL. THANKS FOR ALL THE CALLS AND WELL-WISHES. PLEASE PRAY FOR A SAFE TRIP! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!UPDATE--Friday, May 24--Connor developed a fever Thursday afternoon of 102.6, so we are now in the hospital. Today he has no fever, but of course they need to determine the cause of yesterday's fever, so we may be here a few days. The trip is up in the air right now. If we don't go Sunday, it will be mid-July before we are able to go. The next step is to see if Connor's counts rebound by in the morning. Please pray.......

Whew....another busy week at the Hunley household. Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in. The countdown is on...4 days to Disneyworld!!! We are extremely excited! Connor and I have never been before. Eddie hasn't been since high school. Connor has never flown before, so he is also excited about that.

Connor had his chemo last Tuesday, as planned. It hit him pretty hard, pretty fast. Thank goodness we had Anthony as our evening nurse. He is absolutely wonderful with Connor. He would sit with us while Connor was vomiting, and help with cold cloths, bed pan, etc. He has a new little man of his own, Lance, who is just a few months old. He is such a proud Daddy! Wednesday morning, Connor was still feeling VERY yucky, and still vomiting. But guess who stopped by for a visit.....Q-Bert and Sarah. I've talked about them before, Q-Bert is the Golden Retriever Therapy dog that we would see in the radiation clinic on Wednesdays, Sarah is her Mommy. They are wonderful! Q-Bert jumped up onto the bed with Connor, and Connor used her as a pillow. They even brought Connor a t-shirt with Q-Bert's picture on the front to wear in Florida. Thank you Sarah and Q-Bert! You were the best medicine for Connor.

We got home from the hospital Wednesday afternoon. We just relaxed at home. Connor was nauseated a few times, as usual. Thursday, I thought it might be good to get out for some fresh air. We went for a drive, and happened upon a yard sale. It was out in the country at a beautiful house with a huge yard and fields and woods all around. We got out and started looking around. Connor started feeling nauseated, so we decided to go. The wonderful ladies there offered him a chair. We started talking, and I must tell you, they were the kindest people! They were so concerned about Connor and his situation. It was a real blessing to meet them. Thank you, Joyce, for your kindness and encouraging words. It turns out that she attends church at the church where Connor attended pre-school. It really is a small world.

Friday, Tabitha (my cousin), and her daughter, Chelsea, came down for a visit. We went out for lunch, then took the children to Circus World. Friday evening, my cousin, Kyla, graduated, with honors, from Portland High School. We attended graduation, then went on to her house for a party hosted by her Mom and Dad, Sherry and Kevin. Sherry is my Mom's (Nana) sister. We had a really good time even though it was coming a monsoon outside.

Saturday morning, Nana and I went to a neighborhood yard sale. They have it every year, and it is fantastic. Can you tell I am somewhat obsessed with garage sales? I get it honest, from my Mom, but it is something that we really enjoy. Eddie took Connor to see Spider-Man. They thoroughly enjoyed it. Saturday evening, it was off to Connor's surprise party. It was at Chuck E. Cheese, and was given by Tanya and Janice from Make-A-Wish. Kind of a pre-trip party. Connor knew absolutely NOTHING about it, so, Boy was he surprised when we got there. We had a wonderful time. They brought him tons of stuff for his trip, including a Scooby-Doo suitcase. We had pizza and cake...yum-yum. Thank you to all who attended, Nana and Poppy, Grandma "Cass", Uncle Johnny, Aunt Tammy, Uncle Shelton, Ragan and Victoria, Eric and his sisters, Uncle Harold, Aunt Linda, and Nannie. You helped make it a very special day for Connor.

Sunday morning, we got up and went to church, then out for lunch. Then Connor and I decided to go to a gospel singing. The White Family was to be a the Good Shephard Baptist Church in Goodlettsville. We listen to them on Wayne's radio show on Sunday mornings. We were there for about 2 and 1/2 hours, and WOW, it was SOOOOOOO uplifting. Connor enjoyed it as much as I did. This family is amazing. You can just feel the power of God working through them. They are coming back to Portland in June to play at Meadowbrook Park, we are going to go back and take Nana and Grandma with us this time. Anyone who has a chance to see them perform, I would highly recommend it! I promise you, they will inspire and encourage you tremendously.

Monday was field day at Goodlettsville Elementary, Connor's school. Connor has been home-bound all year, but we have visited his class a few times. We went Monday, and had a blast. Field day was from 8:45 until 10:15. After that, we went back to the classroom. Then Connor wanted to eat lunch with his class, so we did. Afterward, he wanted to stay, so I left to run some errands, than picked him up at 3:00. It was so good for him to be there with his class. His teacher, Mrs. Miles, is retiring, this is her last year to teach. She is a wonderful lady, what every parent hopes for in a teacher for their child. Monday evening, Connor went to Grandmama's house to spend some time with her. They went to eat at Cici's and we picked him up afterward.

Tuesday, we had to go in for counts. Connor's counts are dropping, due to last week's chemo. Then onto Radiation for a follow-up with Dr. Teng, the Radiation Oncologist. Everything is going well so far. I had a good talk with Dr. Teng, I asked alot of questions. Connor will have another scan in about a month, and possibly an MRI, as well. Then we should know how well the radiation did it's job. Please pray for NO SIGN of cancer! Tuesday afternoon, we went back to school. There was to be a surprise party for Mrs. Miles. Paige's Mom, Becky, had put together a memory book for Mrs. Miles and all the children. It had their pictures in it, what they want to be when they grow up, and their favorite part of first grade. It also had a page for all of the children to sign. She also had a huge cake with Mrs. Miles picture in the center, surrounded by photos of all the children. It was SO beautiful....too beautiful to cut. Becky, you are unbelievable. Thank you for a wonderful party. We also got to meet Mrs. Miles' sister, Donna, and her husband, passing through on their way home to Arkansas. They told me they have been praying diligently for Connor since he was diagnosed. Yesterday evening, we met Nana, Grandma, Sherry, and Aunt Ann at the Cooker to celebrate Ann's 60th birthday. We had a really good time, eating and laughing alot.

This may be our last update until after our trip. Please pray for us to have a safe journey. A great big whopping THANK-YOU to Tanya and Janice and everyone who makes MAKE-A-WISH a reality for these children. We are SOOOOOO looking forward to our trip. We will be there for an entire week. I will give an update as soon as we get back. Connor is going to be on Slime-Time Live (Nickelodean) on Wednesday. I don't know if it will air that day or not. He is going to get SLIMED...and he is thrilled about that. We will have breakfast with Winnie and friends one morning. I can't wait for Sea World. Thanks to all of you who have sent me suggestions on things to do while we are there.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Spend every possible moment with your children, put the work aside, and play "their" games. The work will wait, the time spent with your children is so much more important, and something that they will always be thankful for. There is no greater gift a parent can give a child than their time, love, encouragement, support and a positive belief in God, who created them. The things you do now will determine what kind of adult your child grows into. Don't forget to tell them what a Blessing they are.

Thank you for the cards, gifts, and prayers for Connor. Please keep those prayers going up. Storm the Heavens! God hears, and answers each and every prayer. Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!

We Love You!~~Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper!"

SHOW ME YOUR WAYS, O LORD, TEACH ME YOUR PATHS; GUIDE ME IN YOUR TRUTH AND TEACH ME, FOR YOU ARE GOD MY SAVIOR, AND MY HOPE IS IN YOU ALL DAY LONG.

Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

Tuesday, May 14, 2002 at 06:45 AM (CDT)

Hi there everyone! We hope everyone is doing well. The sun is shining here after a rainy, VERY windy day yesterday. I'm sorry that I'm so behind on updating. Sometimes it just seems as though there are not enough hours in the day, know what I mean?

Last Monday, I took Connor into the clinic for platelets. After they checked his counts, they decided he did not need platelets, but he did have to have a blood transfusion. His red blood cell count was low. We were there for a few hours, and it seemed like he felt better afterward. He was still running a low grade fever when he woke up on Monday, but he didn't anymore after the transfusion. Monday night, in the night, I woke up with a major migraine and vomiting. What fun! Tuesday, we relaxed at home until early afternoon. Then, Eddie came home and we headed back up to Angelheart Farms to ride horses with Tracy and Anna. This time, Connor had decided to ride Basko. Basko is such a beautiful horse, and much bigger than Rocky. Connor did great, of course, Tracy and Anna play a big part in that. They are wonderful, they take Connor under their wing and walk him through each and every step. He absolutely LOVES going up there. Tracy finished up her radiation the week before last. Congratulations Tracy!!! Anna, as I told you before, is a childrens songwriter. She is going to do a show on Friday, May 24, at the Radio Cafe in Nashville on Woodland St., to benefit Angel Heart Farms. The show starts at 6:30, we would love to see some of you there!

Wednesday, we went up to First Baptist Church in Goodlettsville to attend the Mother's Day Out Graduation of Ragan and Victoria, Connor's 5 year old twin cousins. They looked so cute in their white caps and gowns. Their classes each sang a couple of songs. Ragan sang out above them all. It was so cute, he's a natural. They will be starting kindergarten this fall. Way to go, guys!

On Friday, Connor had to go back in for counts. Fortunately, Donna and Joey were there. As I told you before, Joey is 15 years old with Hodgins Lymphoma. He had a cold on Friday, but, bless his heart, he still entertained Connor while we all waited to be seen. Donna had brought treats, as she always does. They really are SUCH a wonderful family. Connor's counts were back up, so we got to stop our Neupogen shots. Dr. Shankar had told us that Connor could hold off on this next round of chemo until after his Make-A-Wish trip to Disneyworld in two weeks. But after a closer examination of the dates, she decided that he didn't need to go that long without chemo, so instead of this coming up Friday, he will be admitted today, on Tuesday. We were disappointed, but the doctor knows best!

Friday evening, while we were eating dinner, Eddie started talking about how much fun it would be to drive up to Gatlinburg. Then he convinced Connor, and I had no choice but to jump on the bandwagon. We left Nashville at 8:00 pm on Friday night. There is an hours difference, so we got there at midnight. They actually found a go-cart track that was open, so they raced each other around the track. We stayed in Pigeon Forge Friday night, and headed up to Gatlinburg on Saturday morning. The first stop we made was at Cooter's Place. It was just opened by Ben Jones, Cooter, of The Dukes of Hazzard. He had the General Lee sitting out front. Connor LOVED it! We then went to the new Aquarium. It was FANTASTIC!!! I can't say enough about it. There is a very long tunnel that you go through with water all around you. Shark are swimming right above your head. Then there are a couple of hands-on exhibits. We thoroughly enjoyed everything about it. We walked and looked around some in Gatlinburg. Then we came upon the Ripley's Haunted House. Connor oh-so-bad wanted to go in. I told him it would be really scary, but he was so insistent, and Eddie and I love haunted houses, so in we went. The very first room, Connor wanted to go back out. He started crying and screaming, and fortunately, one of the guys inside led me back out, as I carried all 55 pounds of Connor. Bless his heart, he was terrified. I don't think he will want to try that again for QUITE a few years. We ate lunch and headed back to Pigeon Forge. Eddie and Connor dropped me off to shop a little while they went back to ride go-carts. We headed for home Saturday evening, so that we could be home for Mother's Day.

Sunday, we ate lunch with Eddie's Mom, Grandmother, sister Tammy and her family. Then we headed up to Nana and Poppy's house. Connor and Poppy chopped down a cherry tree that had died. We had a very enjoyable Mother's Day. I hope all you Mothers out there enjoyed your Special Day!

I would like to ask you all to say a prayer for Connor. We leave in a few hours for the hospital for chemo. Pray for this round to go as well as the last. Hopefully, we can be finished with his daily shots by the time we go to Orlando. It would be nice to go with no reminders of chemo or shots or counts or ANYTHING like that. Hopefully, it will be a one night stay as usual, and we will be home late tomorrow afternoon.

MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU FALL INTO VARIOUS TRIALS. KNOWING THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE. BUT LET PATIENCE HAVE ITS PERFECT WORK, THAT YOU MAY BE PERFECT AND COMPLETE, LACKING NOTHING.

James 1:2-4

Have a great day everyone! Thanks for checking in! We are so thankful for you all, and for your support. Thank you for the cards and packages that you continue to send to Connor. It really brightens his day. A special thank you to Claudia and Christian for being so encouraging to Connor. Thanks to Nana, my special Mom, for always being there for me, (and us), in every way possible. I don't know where I (or my sanity) would be without you! I Love You so much Mom! Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You All!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our Brave Little "Trooper"!

Monday, May 06, 2002 at 02:57 AM (CDT)

Hi everyone, thanks for checking in! Wow, another busy week at the Hunley household. Monday was kid of a "chill-out" day after the picnic on Sunday. We were so thrilled with how well Connor did with this latest round of chemo. Lots of praying, praying, and more praying.....does the trick every time!

Tuesday, we decided to surprise my Grandma with an afternoon visit. We drove to Portland, and guess what, she wasn't home. We went to a couple of stores and just hung out for a while. We went in a little store called Aunt Tillie's. The owner is a wonderful lady by the name of Rita Taylor. Rita is a cancer survivor of 16 years. I had read a beautiful and inspiring article that she had written for a local newspaper. Her words truly spoke to my heart. Anyway, she was at the shop, so we got to meet her. She and Connor hit it off instantly. They had lots to talk about. We visited for a while and then headed back to Grandma Cass's house. After a while, she and Nana returned. Grandma had an eye appointment in Gallatin. That was what I got for not calling first. Sherry (Nana's sister) called and invited us to go with her to the Cracker Barrel for dinner. We had a really good time. Thanks, Sherry, for dinner!!!

Wednesday was a day Connor and I had been looking forward to. There is a local lady, Tracy, who has several horses that she boards at a beautiful quarterhorse farm near where we live. Tracy is currently in her third bout with cervical cancer, she is 37 years old. What a beautiful lady. Anyway, she had invited us out to the farm to ride horses. There we were met by Tracy and a wonderful volunteer, Anna, for a very enjoyable afternoon. They took Connor through every step of getting ready to ride. He got to pick out his own horse, Rocky was his choice. Then he brushed Rocky, cleaned his hooves, saddled him up, and off he went. Anna is a children's song writer, and they even sang to Connor as he rode around an indoor arena. Then, after he was feeling a little more confident, they headed outside and up a trail. You should've seen him. He looked as though he had been riding forever. He had insisted on wearing his cowboy boots. He couldn't wear his cowboy hat, because ALL children are required to wear a helmet. After they got back, he cleaned Rocky's hooves again, then took him to his stall. They then fed all of Tracy's horses, and gave them all a carrot for a treat. Of course, Rocky got the biggest one for being such a good boy for Connor. There were a couple of lazy-type dogs wandering around the barn, and even a mommy-cat with her four kittens in one of the stalls. We were in Heaven!!! After tending to the horses was complete, Connor rode in a "Gator" with Tracy to some woods behind the barn to empty the 'horse poop'. Tracy let him accelerate, and accelerate he did! Thankfully, noone got whiplash. We had the best time up there with Tracy, Anna, Rocky, and all of the others. We are going this week for a return visit. Any parents reading this, with children going through treatment, email me privately, and I'll give you all the info. She will welcome you any day of the week. She is there five days a week. It did wonders for us, especially Connor. She gives them back a feeling of control over something, whereas they feel throughout treatment that they have lost all control. I would imagine that we will be spending alot of time up there throughout the coming months.

Thursday morning, I had a doctor's appointment. Connor went with me. After speaking to my doctor, he "prescribed" at the very minimum, 30 minutes of exercise a day. He said it would be a great release for me and my body with all of the stress of Connor's illness and watching him go through so much. He told me the last thing I need is to get sick myself from keeping everything bottled up inside. He even put Connor in charge of making sure that I DO exercise. Well, Connor is more than happy to take that responsibility. I'm quite certain he will stay onto me constantly to make sure I do exactly what the doctor said.

Friday, we had to go in for counts. Connor did not have to get chemo this week. His counts were down, so we will be going (in a few hours, actually) on Monday for a platelet transfusion, and possibly a blood transfusion. Friday night was the Relay for Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society. We went to Hendersonville first. Our church had three teams, entitled---Connor's Hope, Light the Fire Within. After the opening ceremonies, Connor walked the first lap carrying a torch. It was the survivor's lap before the actual Relay began. Eddie stayed there all night, (in the rain, I might add) with several church members, keeping walkers on the track at all times. I think Hendersonville raised approximately $96,000.00. Wow! Way to go guys! Connor and I then headed to Portland, where their Relay was going on as well. Nana and Grandma went with us. We hung out with my cousin Tabitha, and the team from Mt. Pleasant church. Connor got to see Bro. Jimmie, Joseph, and all his other buds. Joseph had his race car there, so Connor got to sit in it. There was also one booth that had an old car with the word 'Cancer' painted all over it. Connor got to beat up on it with a sledgehammer. Ah, what satisfaction. I didn't think we were going to be able to get him away from the car. Then there was a touching luminary lighting ceremony. All the names of survivor's were read (Connor's included), then the names of those who lost their battle. It was very moving. Thanks to Tabitha, Lorie, and Peggy for your donation for luminaries in Connor's name. We left there, and headed to Nana and Poppy's to spend the night, and YES, we were tired!!

Saturday morning, Nana and I arose early to go to some garage sales, one of our favorite past-times. Connor and Poppy stayed at home, of course, we left really early, so Connor was still snoozing. Nana and I had a good time, as we always do together. Have I ever told you how much I love my Mom and how much she means to me??? She and I always have so much fun together. Besides being my Mom, she is also my very best friend. Anyway, we got back to their house in the early afternoon. Connor and I left for home. Eddie had slept all day, from being up all night the night before.

Connor started running a fever Saturday evening, that continued throughout the night. I watched it carefully, and it finally broke around 2:00 am Sunday morning. I was scared to take him to church, so Eddie went alone. There was to be a church-wide picnic at a park on the lake in Hendersonville after church. Connor started feeling better, so we took off up there around 1:30. Connor got to go on a boat ride with some other kids. Then we met up with our friends, Brian and Abby Stanley, and their children, Dalton, Bailey, and Haines. Connor asked if Dalton could go with us when we got ready to leave, so off we went. Dalton was diagnosed with an extremely rare blood disorder several years ago, but is doing great now. He is such a wonderful young man. We went to a little restaurant by the marina to eat. Then the boys decided they wanted to go to the pool, so we took off for home. The water was extremely cold, so we didn't stay very long. We then went for ice cream, then back home so they could play Playstation for a while. Eddie and Connor took Dalton home, and I went walking in our neighborhood for my first "official" exercise session.

I'm going to close now and try to get a couple more hours of sleep. I know we will be at the clinic all day today. Thanks to all of you for stopping by. If you have an extra moment, please sign Connor's guestbook, and let him know you were here. A special thanks to Grandma Cass and Sally Petty for sending Connor his weekly cards. Also, to Claudia, who so faithfully encourages Connor through her guestbook entries. Thanks, also, to all of our new friends at Hugs and Hope. You guys are the best!!! You give so much of yourselves to uplift others, and for that, I know that God will greatly reward you.

The following is by Thelma Wells--from 'Hope for a Woman's Soul'...........

HOPE IS A PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR SALVATION. OUR ONLY RELIABLE HOPE IS WHAT WE CANNOT SEE OR CONTROL; THE OUTRAGEOUS FAITHFULNESS OF GOD. EVEN WHEN THINGS DON'T WORK OUT THE WAY WE HAD PLANNED OR DESIRED, HE IS ALL-KNOWING, ALL-LOVING, THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING. HOPE IS ACTING ON THE CONVICTION THAT DESPITE WHAT WE SEE WITH THE NATURAL EYE, GOD IS WORKING IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PERFECT WILL IN OUR LIVES. HIS HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! WE MUST THINK HOPE...SPEAK HOPE...PRAY HOPE...SING HOPE...ACT OUT HOPE...STAND FIRM ON HOPE...SHARE HOPE. BECAUSE HOPE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US, WE CAN EXPECT THE BEST, EVEN IN THE WORST SITUATIONS. PRAISE GOD!


Jesus said, "IF YOU BELIEVE, YOU WILL RECEIVE WHATEVER YOU ASK FOR IN PRAYER."

Matthew 21:22

Have a great week everyone. Thank God each and everyday for all that He has given you. Hug your children or your parents extra tight. Do something wonderful to brighten someone's day. Just a phone call to let them know you are thinking of them would do wonders for someone living alone. Smile....smile more....and even more. A smile can cheer even the hardest person, and a smile IS contageous. Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, "Our Brave Little Trooper!!!"

Sunday, April 28, 2002 at 08:25 PM (CDT)

Hello everyone! Hope you have all had a great weekend. We just returned a little while ago from the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital "Radiology Stars" picnic. It was held at "Smiley Hollow". It is this really cool farm about 15 minutes from Goodlettsville in Ridgetop. They had lots of neat things for the kids to do...miniature golf, horse-shoes, basketball, kiddie-rides, face-painting, a balloon guy, ponies, a llama, hula-hooping, even a hay ride. We had a great time. It is a very rustic farm with lots of old machinery and cars strategically placed around. The entrance had a covered bridge. Well, anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Well, as you read in my last entry, Chad had been in from the Navy. Tuesday afternoon, Nana and Poppy brought him down here. We all visited for a while, then Nana and Poppy had to go home. We took Chad to the bus station around 10:30. He was in his white Navy uniform and looked so handsome. He had given Connor a "real" white Navy hat of his very own, so Connor wore it down to the station. We waited until Chad's bus pulled out, so that we could wave him off. We are really gong to miss him, but we really enjoyed spending time with him the past 10 days. Connor thinks Chad hung the moon, so he will miss him the most.

Tuesday, before Chad came down, Grandmama came by and picked up Connor. Then they went to Chuck E. Cheese for their "radiation's over" celebration. Connor really enjoyed himself. I took the time to run a few errands. It's the first time in a long time that Connor wasn't with me, and I did feel completely lost without him. But they needed some time together.

Oh, I'm kind of going backwards here, but my memory is not what it used to be. Last Sunday, we took Connor to the zoo. It was a perfect day for it. Connor enjoyed seeing all of the different animals. He and I rode the elephant together. He thought that was super cool.

Thursday, Eddie and I took Connor to his school because his class was studying various other cultures, and his teacher invited us to stop by. Connor hasn't actually been a student since his diagnosis in October. We have stopped by a couple of times to visit. Anyway, on Thursday, he was so excited. And you should have seen and heard his classmates when they saw him. They all dressed up in costumes from different cultures. This was in the library. Then, he got to go back to his classroom with his class. We just stayed in the background and enjoyed watching him glow. One little boy in particular, J.C., took Connor by the hand and was showing him everything they have been working on. They were all so wound up. Mrs. Miles, Connor's teacher, is retiring after this school year. Everyone is really going to miss her. She is a fantastic teacher and friend.

After we left school, on to the hospital for a CT scan. We had been nervously anticipating it for some time now that radiation is over. We couldn't find out any results until Friday when we went in to be admitted for chemo. To make a long story short, the chemo and radiation are both doing their job. There is NO sign of ANY new growth. Praise God!!! There is a lot of swelling and inflammation from the radiation burns inside his body. They are causing him a lot of misery. We are having to give a medicinal enema foam twice a day for three weeks, and I can tell you it is NO easy task. Bless his heart, he itches inside pretty much all the time, and gets little relief from his medications. It could be two to three months before we see remarkable improvement internally. Please pray for him to not suffer with the pain and itching, and for his medicines to QUICKLY heal him up. He also hasn't been able to have bowel movements without the help of an enema, since his radiation ended. His hospital stay did go better this time. He was sick Friday night, but in the middle of the night, I had the nurse change his anti-nausea medication to something we hadn't tried before, and then he didn't throw up anymore after that. We are so thankful for that.

We want to say a special THANK YOU to those businesses who have so generously donated to the American Cancer Society for the Relay For Life that is being held this Friday night. Eddie will be walking for Connor in Hendersonville for our Sunday School class team, named Connor's Hope. Connor and I will also be making an appearance in Portland for their Relay being held the same night. We hope to see lots of you there. We are so thankful for the American Cancer Society and their funding for research. We wouldn't be where we are today if it were not for that research. Most all families lives, unfortunately, have been touched in some way by the cancer monster. It may not have been a family member, perhaps 'someone you know', but most everyone DOES know of someone who has fought this battle. To those of you going through it now, do as Connor says, and KICK CANCER'S BUTT!!!

Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes. I know there were lots of prayers going on for Connor's scan, and the news was definitely great. Dr. Shankar did say that she is VERY PLEASED with Connor's progress. We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father up above for watching over our precious son. We know that Connor will have a complete healing.


IS ANY ONE OF YOU IN TROUBLE? HE SHOULD PRAY. IS ANYONE HAPPY? LET HIM SING SONGS OF PRAISE. IS ANY ONE OF YOU SICK? HE SHOULD CALL THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH TO PRAY OVER HIM AND ANOINT HIM WITH OIL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. AND THE PRAYER OFFERED IN FAITH WILL MAKE THE SICK PERSON WELL; THE LORD WILL RAISE HIM UP. IF HE HAS SINNED, HE WILL BE FORGIVEN. THEREFORE, CONFESS YOUR SINS TO EACH OTHER AND PRAY FOR EACH OTHER SO THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED. THE POWER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN IS BOTH POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE.

James 5:13-16

Have a great week everyone! Please keep Connor in your prayers, as well as all of his new friends "fighting the fight"...Joey Housley, Caleb Little, Hannah Ryals, Hannah Greene, Ronnie Russo, Grayson Woods, Zack Kull......

Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!!

We Love You!!!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper!"

Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 06:56 AM (CDT)

Hi there, everyone! Thanks for checking in. This week, Connor has reached a milestone in his battle, RADIATION IS FINISHED!!! We are thrilled to have it behind us. Tuesday was his last day. We are going to miss all of the wonderful techs, nurses, and the smiling receptionist, Gail, but we told them we would be back....but ONLY to visit. There were lots of hugs and well-wishes, and I know they are going to miss Connor's smiling face as well.

Monday was spent at the clinic after radiation. Connor's counts were down, so he had to have a transfusion. He felt really bad that day. I get spoiled by his usual energy level, and I know it takes a lot to get him down, so when I see him like that, it rips my heart out. By the time we got home that evening, he was already feeling better. Chad came down to spend the night. We went bowling in Hendersonville. Connor walks up to the lane, first time, and first person up, and bowls a STRIKE!!! We were all sooo excited. We bowled three games and had a really great time. When we returned home, it was almost 11:00 pm. Connor pops in his Dukes Reunion movie, and he and Chad watched it. I came downstairs at midnight to tell them goodnight, and Connor was still going strong. He was so proud to have Chad spending the night. He thinks the world of him, and has missed him immensely. So he had to savor each and every moment. Tuesday, Eddie was going to have to stay in Bowling Green with his job, so Connor and I stayed at Nana and Poppy's. Connor's burns were bothering him pretty bad. Dr Teng told us on that same day that it would probably be a week or so before we start seeing significant improvement. The area where they are just causes intensification of the itching and pain.

Wednesday morning, after Connor ate breakfast prepared by Poppy, who by the way is an excellent cook/chef, he took off outside to ride his bike and jeep. It was a beautiful, but very warm day here. We left up there, early afternoon, and visited some more. We went to Granny Akins' house for a while, then we went up to Papa and Noreen's. Noreen had a mandolin, and Connor spotted it right away. He played it while we were there, and then talked about it all the way home. "But Mommy, I'll buy it with my very own money!" We then stopped out at Grandma "Cass"'s house in Portland. Grandma had cataract surgery that day. Nana, Aunt Sherry, and Kyla were there, so we visited with them for a while. Grandma was doing well, she was just tired. Eddie was home by the time we got there.

Yesterday, on Friday, we had to go to the clinic for chemo. As soon as we got there, we saw Kathy Woods, Grayson's mom. Grayson was getting blood and platelets. Bless her heart, she didn't feel good at all. We then had blood drawn, and Connor's counts were back up. Thank goodness.....no more shots for a few days! We saw Dr. Shankar, then headed to the back room to wait for the vincristine to come up from the pharmacy. Connor hung out with Joey Housley, the 15 year old with Hodgkins. Connor thinks he is sooo cool. I got to talk with his Mom, Donna, and I think she is sooo cool, too. We just love their family, it seems as though we have known them forever. Josh, Joey's six-year old brother, sent Connor a cool talking Spongebob toy. Thank you Josh! I then met another mother, her son's name is Austin, and he is 5 years old. He was just diagnosed two months ago, and with the same type, rhabdomyosarcoma, as Connor. Please say a prayer for him, his is in the fourth (most progressive) stage. It makes me so angry to know that another child is slowly losing their childhood to this monster. An old children's term comes to mind, and it fits the best.....it is NOT FAIR!!! After we left the clinic, we went to a few yard sales, then ended up at a music store in Hendersonville. Connor bought a guitar instead of a mandolin. He was thrilled. He is very interested in learning, and I think we may have hit on something. I told him he may be playing on the Opry one of these days. After we ate, we went by Grandmama's house. Odell was there, so he was showing Connor a little about his guitar. Connor was just strumming away.

This morning, Eddie left out early for Crossville to play in a golf tournament. Connor and I are going to a breakfast club meeting at Gilda's club for the first time. I'm hoping it really helps him to be around other children with cancer to talk and play.

Chad will be leaving on Tuesday for Gulfport, Mississippi for his next assignment. Please say a prayer for him for a safe journey. We are going to miss him, but it sure has been great to be able to spend some time with him. We love you Chad!!!

ALONG THE ROAD by Robert Browning Hamilton

I WALKED A MILE WITH PLEASURE
SHE CHATTERED ALL THE WAY,
BUT LEFT ME NONE THE WISER
FOR ALL SHE HAD TO SAY.

I WALKED A MILE WITH SORROW
AND NE'ER A WORD SAID SHE,
BUT OH, THE THINGS I LEARNED FROM HER
WHEN SORROW WALKED WITH ME!
________________________________________

FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU;
BE NOT DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD.
I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU,
YES, I WILL HELP YOU,
I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND.

Isaiah 41:10

Thanks again for checking in on us. Thanks for the cards you continue to send to Connor. You don't realize how much it encourages him. We truly are a Blessed family to have so many wonderful family and friends to support us. Please continue to pray for Connor and for us. Connor will have a CT scan this coming up Thursday, please pray it will be completely clear! We put our Faith is God.

A LESSON FROM THE BIRDS BY ELIZABETH CHENEY

SAID THE ROBIN TO THE SPARROW,
"I SHOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW
WHY THESE ANXIOUS HUMAN BEINGS
RUSH AROUND AND WORRY SO."

SAID THE SPARROW TO THE ROBIN,
"FRIEND, I THINK IT MUST BE
THAT THEY HAVE NO HEAVENLY FATHER
SUCH AS CARES FOR YOU AND ME."


Take care, everyone. Have a fantastic weekend and week ahead. We appreciate you all! Please say a prayer for a special lady. She is my cousin, Tabitha's, Aunt. She fought cancer several years ago and won. Now it is back, and very aggressive. She is such a lovely lady. Her name is Brenda Holmes. She needs lots of prayers.
Peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "TROOPER!"

Sunday, April 14, 2002 at 09:08 AM (CDT)

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in. We truly do appreciate your support. We've had a good week. To top it off, my "little" brother, Chad, is home for a 12 day leave from the Navy. We haven't seen him in almost six months. Nana and Poppy drove to Pensacola on Wednesday to pick him up, and they got home Friday night. Yesterday, on Saturday, they came down here, and we saw Chad for the first time. Connor wrapped himself around his "Uncle Chad", and I didn't think he was going to let him go. We were all so thrilled to see him. He looks great. Eddie, Poppy, Connor and Chad went to the opening Busch race yesterday afternoon at the Nashville Superspeedway. Thank you, Tanya, at Make-A Wish for the tickets. They really had a good time. Nana and I spent the afternoon together, and enjoyed ourselves, as always. I am blessed to have a Mom who I am so close to. She and I always have a wonderful time together, no matter what we are doing.

Connor's radiation has gone well this week. His counts have been good so far, although they are expected to drop today or tomorrow. But the weather here has been great and we have taken advantage of it. He finished up his Achievement test on Tuesday. His teacher, Deborah, is great, but Connor was SOOO ready to finish that test. He is easily distracted, and everytime Lexi, our kitten, walked by, he had to stop and talk to her. But I can't blame him, because she is a sweetheart, if I do say so myself.

Connor only has two radiation treatments left. Yaaaaah!!!!! Monday and Tuesday should wrap it up. He is scheduled for a CT scan on April 25, the day before his next hospital admission. Please pray for NOTHING to show up where his tumor has been. He still has 20-22 weeks of chemo left. But our prayer is that the tumor will be gone, NEVER to return to his little body again. We know that miracles happen everyday, and I know that there are so many people praying for COnnor daily. He really is an inspiration to so many people, through his battle against this cancer monster. His courage is astounding.

Friday, after radiation, we headed up to the clinic for chemo. We got to see many of our friends. As we were going in, Hannah Ryals, and her Mom, Kim, were headed out. We haven't seen them lately, so we were thrilled to run into them. When we got inside, we saw Joey Housley, and his wonderful Mom, Donna. Joey was recently diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. On Wednesday of this past week, about 20 of his friends, including his 6 year old brother, Josh, all showed up to have their heads shaved with Joey. Isn't that great?!? That tells you how loved he is. They are a great family, and we are blessed to have met them. Also at the clinic, we got to see Hannah Greene and her Mom, Brandee. Hannah was one of the first children Connor befriended when he was diagnosed.

This past Wednesday was our last "routine" radiation visit on Wednesday, meaning our last "routine" visit with Q-Bert and Sarah. Sarah brought Connor more pictures. She had taken them the week before of Connor and Q-bert with a digital camera, and made a collage out of them. We will be going down sometimes on Wednesdays just so that we can see our new friends. Q-Bert has been so wonderful for Connor, and he always looks forward to seeing her.

Also on Wednesday, Connor and I went to the park in Hendersonville. We had an experience there that has happened numerous times in the past, but never to the degree that it went to that day. Of course, Connor has no hair right now, which he normally doesn't mind. But he does get a lot of stares from children and adults alike. Sometimes the children will make comments, but most of the time I hear them, but fortunately Connor doesn't. Well, on Wednesday, this certain boy decided to center in on Connor in a negative manner. Most always, unfortunately, other children who do NOT know Connor will not invite him to play with him, since he has been sick. So he plays by himself, and he is fine with that. But this boy started calling Connor some pretty bad names. I couldn't hear from where I was, but Connor came to me with tears welling up in his eyes. I asked him what happened and he told me a little of it. So I told him to just ignore it, and we moved to a different area. Well, here came the same boy. I was sitting down while Connor played, and the boy came right up beside of me and started telling COnnor he looked like a monster, and various other things. I didn't see his parents anywhere, so I took it upon myself to tell him that it wasn't very nice to call other people names, and asked him how he would feel if someone did that to him. Well, it didn't phase him in the least, and he continued. I told him that Connor had been sick, and that the medicine that he takes makes his hair fall out. I also told him that Connor was the bravest boy that he would ever meet. Well, then he started telling me that HE was the bravest boy and Connor wasn't brave at all. At that point, here comes Connor, with one fist up, and he told him to leave his Mommy alone. I tell you, all of the name-calling had been bad enough, but when he heard the boy saying things to me, that really got to him. You should've seen his face. I told Connor that fighting wasn't the answer, so again, we moved. This time the boy left us alone. Here I was, taking up for Connor, and he came to my defense. That is MY LITTLE HERO!!!

The following is from a book entitled 'Psalms of Hope':

ANSWERED PRAYERS

NOTHING CAN BE LOUDER OR MORE INTIMIDATING THAN SILENCE WHEN WE ARE WAITING FOR AN ANSWER TO OUR PRAYERS. IN THE NIGHTTIME OF THE SOUL, GOD'S SILENCE THUNDERS DOWN AT US, RATTLING OUR CONFIDENCE AND LEAVING US WONDERING IF HE HAS ABANDONED US.

AT THOSE TIMES WHEN GOD IS SILENT, WE MUST PLACE OUR HOPE IN TWO MIGHTY TRUTHS: THE TRUTH OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY AND THE TRUTH OF HIS FAITHFULNESS. GOD ANSWERS ALL OUR PRAYERS, BUT ALWAYS IN HIS OWN TIME AND IN HIS OWN WAY. WHEN WE PLACE OUR HOPE IN HIM, WE WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED--EVEN WHEN THE ANSWER THAT COMES IS NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED.

WHEN THE HEAVENS SEEM LIKE BRASS, AND WE CANNOT HEAR HIS VOICE, WE ARE WISE TO TRUST HIM AND WAIT PATIENTLY. IT IS IN THESE TIMES THAT OUR FAITH IS TESTED, STRENGTHENED, AND ESTABLISHED.


The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

PSALM 27:1

Thank you all for checking up on Connor. Thanks for all the prayers! We can never have too many prayers. We hope you all have a wonderful week. Tell your children, your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends what a Blessing they are to you. Never take one single day for granted. Sow some seeds of kindness, and watch the joy grow. You can never give too much love. Smile, and it will be contagious. Praise any acts of kindness or generosity by your children...it will reinforce their spiritual development.

I would like for you to also pray for the courageous children I mentioned above that we see at clinic. Also, a little girl named Meghan Lusk, whose Dad works with Nana, was diagnosed this past week with Crohn's Disease. Please say a prayer for her and her family as they deal with this. Meghan is the same age as Connor, 7 years old.

Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!!!
We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "TROOPER!"

Sunday, April 07, 2002 at 10:48 PM (CDT)

Hello everyone! Thanks for checking in. Hope you all had a great Easter. It was raining here, but , so what, God gave us another day! After church, we had lunch with Eddie's family. We then spent the rainy afternoon relaxing at home. That night, we went bowling again, and took our 8 year old neighbor, Chelsea. We had a great time.

Monday morning, we went back to the clinic for radiation. Connor also had to have blood drawn for counts. After we returned home, Deborah, Connor's teacher, came by and started him on his Achievement Test. Grandmama and Odell came by to visit after that. Then the clinic called back with the results from the counts. We get to stop his Neupogen shots for a few days.

Tuesday was Poppy's birthday. After radiation, we went by the bakery and picked up his cake, then headed to their house. We enjoyed spending the afternoon up there. Connor rode his bike, and talked Poppy into another ride on the lawn mower. Connor and Poppy go fishing together sometimes, so we got Poppy a fishing chair for his birthday. That is so he can relax while he is reeling in the "big one". Poppy will probably see alot of humor in that last statement.

Wednesday, Connor slept until 11:00. I woke him up and told him it was Q-Bert day. When we got to the clinic, there was Sarah and Q-Bert waiting for Connor. Q-Bert is a therapy dog, and she certainly is GREAT therapy for us. Sarah and Q-Bert are the sweetest! I told you wrong on one of my entries. Q-Bert is a Golder Retriever. I know now 'cause I asked her Mommy.

Thursday, after treatment, we went back to the cemetery to check on the baby bunnies, AGAIN. When we uncovered their nest, out they came, hopping around. I wish you could've seen them. They are the cutest things. We gathered them all back up, put them back in their nest, and covered them up. We even took Eddie back up there when he got home from work.

Friday, after radiation, we had to go to the Oncology clinic. Connor was to be admitted for his full round of chemo. We got there at 12:30, and finally got to his hospital room around 5:15. His chemo started around 7:00 pm and by 8:45 pm, the vomiting started. The nausea medications didn't seem to be helping at all. He finally fell asleep around midnight, after three hours of continuous vomiting. He awoke around 7:00 am and started again. Thsi went on all day, but we were discharged around 3:00 pm Saturday. He even got sick in the parking garage. He was so pitiful. One time, while he was still in his hospital bed, he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I wish I didn't have to have cancer." It broke my heart into a million (more) pieces. There is nothing like the pain of having to watch your child in pain or suffering, and have no control over it. But through it all, Connor NEVER complains. He truly AMAZES me. He goes through so much, more than most do in a lifetime, yet he bounces right back, smiling. By the time we got home, he was asleep, so I carried him inside. Grandmama came by and visited. Connor never did get to feeling any better. But I did manage to get some Gatorade down him, and it stayed, Thank God! I was so worried about dehydration.

Sunday morning, my Uncle Wayne put out a prayer request on his gospel radio show on WYXE 1130 AM. By the time Connor woke up, he felt wonderful. I couldn't believe it. I thought he would at least be weak from all the vomiting, but he seemed fine. Nana, Aunt Sherry , and Sherry's friend Tina came down. Nana stayed here with us while Sherry and Tina went shopping. We had a good afternoon. We have a new swing on our deck now, so we were able to sit out quite a bit and enjoy the gorgeous, sunshiney day. Chelsea came over, and she and Connor played all afternoon. Connor never got sick, even one time. The power of prayer is mind-boggling! We had to start back on the Neupogen shots tonight. He will get them for the next 10-14 days to try to get his white count up. It drops after every full round of chemo.

Thanks again for stopping by. Take a moment to sign Connor's guestbook, if you have time. We appreciate all the cards, gifts, thoughts, and prayers. Whatever would we do without all of you??? Please keep those prayers a-comin'. We've come long way because of it, that's for sure!


MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY
BY THE WAY YOU LIVE.
MAKE SOME HEART MORE STEADY,
THROUGH THE HELP YOU GIVE.
STRENGTHEN OTHER FEET TO TRAVEL,
ON LIFE'S PILGRIM WAY,
COMFORT OTHER HEARTS IN SORROW,
BY THE WORDS YOU SAY.
THROUGH THE GLADNESS SHED AROUND YOU,
YOURS WILL BE THE GAIN,
FOR THE LIFE FOR OTHERS GIVEN
IS NOT LIVED IN VAIN.
~~Unknown

Have a great week, one and all. Live each day to the fullest, and don't fret over what tomorrow may bring, God is already there and is in control. We are so grateful to the Lord for all that we have. We are certainly not rich, monetarily, but we are RICH in what counts, family, friends, and the Grace of God. That's all that really matters anyway. Don't forget to hug your little ones (or big ones, for that matter) really tight and tell them how much you love them. Some people have such a hard time saying those three words, but , boy, when you say them, you light up someone's day!

Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!

We love you all!
~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper!"


THEY THAT HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH, THEY WILL SOAR, AS WITH EAGLES' WINGS; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY, THEY WILL WALK, AND NOT FAINT.

Isaiah 40:31

P.S. A great big THANK YOU to Chris, for helping me out with the photos on here. She did a great job! I appreciate it so much Chris!

Saturday, March 30, 2002 at 07:12 PM (CST)

Hi there everyone! Hope you are having a great Easter weekend! Connor is actually napping at the moment, so I thought it would be a good time to update.

Monday, when we got the the clinic, the doctor took one look at Connor's treatment area, and decided not to treat him again. He gave us another script for something else for relief from the pain and burning. He told me to be the judge Tuesday as to whether or not it looked any better. His teacher came Monday afternoon, and they practiced for his achievement test, (it will be given this week). Grandmama and Odell stopped by for a few minutes to visit.

Tuesday, his burns didn't look any better, so we 'skipped' the treatment again. Connor was excited because it was the first weekday in three weeks that he didn't have to go to Vanderbilt. We just enjoyed a lazy day at home together.

Wednesday, back down there we went. His burns looked a little better, so they decided to treat him. He did fine with that, and then his nurse, Julie, accessed his port, and drew blood for counts. Then we went up to the oncology clinic to deliver some goods that we had brought. I have mentioned several times in our journal about how long the days are at the clinic. Especially if you are there for a transfusion. Well, they depend on donations of snacks (individual chips, eat-a-snacks, granola bars, and any other snack that children will eat) and drinks (individual juice boxes, capri-sun, etc.)for the children to have while they are waiting. They have a lot of sick children come through there each and every day, so they go through quite a bit of food and drink. The past few times we have been there, there has been nothing, so then you have to leave your child and go across the hospital to the nearest vending machines. If you know in advance that you are gonna be there awhile, you can bring things from home, but sometimes, you don't know until you are there that counts have dropped and your child needs a transfusion. If you know of any vending companies that might help the clinic, I know they would be very appreciative. Just e-mail me privately, and we can discuss it further.

After we got home Wednesday, the hospital called and told us to come in Thursday after radiation bcause Connor's counts had bottomed out. He needed red blood cells, and possibly platelets. But he was feeling so good! I was surprised this time, because, other than the problems with the burns, his level of energy was great.

Thursday, we went to the clinic first to have more blood drawn, then raced to the other end of the hospital for radiation, then back to the clinic for the transfusion. Oh, by the way, while we were in radiation on Wednesday, we got to see Q-Bert and Sarah again. Sarah had brought Connor two absolutely adorable photos of Q-Bert. They are both sweethearts! Thank you Sarah, for brightening our Wednesdays by sharing your precious baby Q-Bert with us! Anyway, Connor's transfusion took a couple of hours, and then we BUSTED outta there!

Friday, he got his radiation, then had to go for chemo. While we were waiting, we got to visit with our new friends, Joey Housley, 15 years old, newly diagnosed with Hodgkins, his Mom Donna, his sister Erika, and his little brother (6 years)Josh. Joey was waiting for bloodwork and the clinic was BEHIND. The Housley's are a great family. Donna arranged something this week for Connor. Of course, all of you know by now of Connor's fascination with 'The Dukes of Hazzard'. Well, Donna actually knows "Enos", aka Sonny Shroyer. She arranged a phone call from him Monday night. When Connor took the phone, the first words out of his mouth were, "Enos....you dipstick!" in Rosco P. Coltrane's voice. I could hear Sonny laughing from the other side of the room. Connor was so excited to talk with the "real" Enos. Thank you Donna, you are wonderful!

Friday night, we took Connor shopping for an Easter outfit (I know boys don't wear "outfits", but that word seems appropriate when we are talking about EASTER!), anyway, Eddie and Connor bickered over what tie Connor was going to get. Eddie wanted Connor's tie to match his shirt, makes sense, doesn't it, Connor was more interested in the design than the color. Eddie finally caved in, and Connor got the tie that doesn't really match. The important thing is that we are there to worship, not what everyone is wearing. We also went to one of our favorite restaurants, Loco Lupe's, for dinner. While we were eating, Eddie noticed someone across the room who was obviously going through treatment as well. She came over to our table and introduced herself. Her name is Tonya and she is currently being treated for breast cancer. Connor was in awe of her. Someone else who looked like him...with no hair! But I must say, she is one beautiful lady. She talked with us for the longest, she and her family have been through alot, but she has the most positive outlook, just like Connor. You can tell that she totally relies on God for her every need, so she has no fear of tomorrow. We were all really inspired by Tonya. We also met the rest of her family and exchanged numbers. After that, we went by Grandmama's for a visit. She had borrowed a tape from her brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Linda, that they had made. It was old home movies transferred over to VHS. Connor got to see his Daddy stumbling around as a one year old. Also as a newborn in an incubator. We also got to see Eddie's grandfather who died when Eddie was quite young. It was great to view the movies. Connor was amused by the hairstyles of the late 60's, early 70's.

This morning, Mom came down and she, Connor and myself went to a few garage sales. Of course it started raining, but we still had fun. We also stopped by where Eddie's Dad is buried. We were pulling some weeds around his tombstone, and my Mom was using her foot to move some what looked like fur of some kind. All of a sudden, an animal moved underneath her foot and she screamed. Come to find out, there was a little nest of baby bunnies burrowed up in the ground right by Granddaddy's rock. There were at least four of them in there. We didn't touch them, but they were so cute. It was really neat to us because we saw them there, and tomorrow is Easter. Kind of heartwarming, huh? Maybe it was a little message to us from Granddaddy to have a good Easter.

Tomorrow is Easter. I hope that you are going to be able to spend time with your family, and contemplate the true meaning of Easter. Thank you, God for the sacrifice you gave of your Son, to die on the cross for my sins, and the sins of all mankind.


DEAL ONLY WITH THE PRESENT,
NEVER STEP INTO TOMORROW,
FOR GOD ASKS US JUST TO TRUST HIM
AND TO NEVER "BORROW" SORROW.

FOR THE FUTURE IS NOT OURS TO KNOW,
AND IT MAY NEVER BE,
SO LET US LIVE AND GIVE OUR BEST
AND GIVE IT LAVISHLY.

FOR TO MEET TOMORROW'S TROUBLES,
BEFORE THEY ARE EVEN OURS,
IS TO ANTICIPATE THE SAVIOUR
AND TO DOUBT HIS ALL-WISE POWERS.

SO LET US BE CONTENT TO SOLVE
OUR PROBLEMS, ONE BY ONE,
ASKING NOTHING OF TOMORROW,
EXCEPT "THY WILL BE DONE."

~~~~~~Helen Steiner Rice~~~~~~

Thanks, again, for checking in on Connor. We appreciate and need the support. Please continue to pray for Connor, and for us as a family. We HAVE come a long way through prayer, and have every belief that God will heal Connor. A special thank you to all the folks at ABC Auto Auction in Old Hickory. They have been wonderful to us , and mostly to Connor. Thank you, guys, we love you!!

Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!! Have a blessed and happy Easter!

We love you all!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"


SEEING WHAT WAS AHEAD, HE SPOKE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, THAT HE WAS NOT ABANDONED TO THE GRAVE, NOR DID HIS BODY SEE DECAY. GOD HAS RAISED THIS JESUS TO LIFE, AND WE ARE ALL WITNESSES OF THE FACT. EXALTED TO THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, HE HAS RECEIVED FROM THE FATHER THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT AND HAS POURED OUT WHAT YOU NOW SEE AND HEAR.

~~Acts 2:31-33

Monday, March 25, 2002 at 08:21 AM (CST)

Hi everyone, thanks for checking in. It's been a few days since my last update, and for that, I apologize. I started updating last night, fell asleep, finished it just now, only to find out that my "session time" had expired, so I'll try again. Last Tuesday, Connor started showing signs of the burns that we had been told about. They treated him, and gave us some ointment to use on his burns. After we left there, we went by Gilda's Club. As most of you probably know, it was founded in honor of the late Gilda Radnor, of Saturday Night Live fame, who died of cancer. The Nashville chapter is located in an old, but restored home close to Vanderbilt. The house is beautiful. We went on a tour, and loved it. Some of the rooms are meeting rooms, with big, comfy chairs, for chatting and coping with others about this disease. There is a "special" room upstairs, called 'Noogieland', just for kids. Connor thought it was really cool! We need to go to a new member meeting, get signed up, then we can go by anytime.

Wednesday was not a good day. Whitney's funeral was held at 10:00 am, so that was on my mind all day. Connor asked more questions, even though I was trying to hide my heartache. Fortunately, after his treatment, we were greeted in the Radiation dept. by Q-Bert. Q-Bert is a long-haired red Lab (I think). She comes with her owner, a wonderful lady by the name of Sarah, each Wednesday to visit with patients. She is 7 years old (in dog years), the same age as Connor (in human years!). She is sooo gentle and living. Connor loves seeing her, as does Mommy! She was good therapy for us that day.

Thursday, Connor started getting blisters, and was hurting really bad. The tough thing about it is his burns and blisters are in his groin area and on his entire bottom. He is not just uncomfortable, he is downright miserable, Bless His Heart! So Friday, when we went for treatment, the Doctor took one look and decided not to treat him that day. He prescribed a stronger antibiotic cream. We then had to go to the clinic for chemo. We were there ALL AFTERNOON. Fortunately, they have the transfusion room with video games, VCRs, and tons of stuff for the kids to do while they wait. But still, it makes for a very long day.

Saturday, I took Connor to a local church, Goodlettsville Cumberland Presbyterian Church, for their annual Easter Egg Hunt. They cover an entire football field with eggs and off the kids go. Connor had a blast. He even saw a couple of kids from school. It is so fulfilling to see him run and play just like he used to. Except for his lack of hair, there are times when you wouldn't have a clue that he is battling this monster. He is so positive and upbeat. After the hunt, we went back inside their activity building and checked out his goodies. He was so excited. He also got to see Ronald McDonald and the Easter Bunny. I can't confirm this, but I heard it was the REAL Easter Bunny!

Yesterday, after church, Connor and I went to Nana and Poppy's. Nana had prepared a delicious lunch, and we stuffed ourselves. After that, I wimped out a took a nap, first one in a while. Connor played outside all afternoon. He even rode around on the lawn mower with Poppy. That was the first thing he told me when I woke up, "Mommy, Mommy, I drove the lawn mower!" He was so proud. It was an absolutely gorgeous day! We got home around six. Then at 8:00 pm, Connor and Eddie decided we were going bowling. Of course, I was out-voted, so off we went. Connor won the first game, I won the second, and Eddie won the third. So we all went home happy. We had a great time. By the way, Sunday night is a good time to go, there was hardly anyone there.

Well, once again, thanks for checking in. We appreciate all of your support. Connor would love it if you would sign his guestbook! Please keep him in your prayers, particularly the burning issue. Please pray for relief from the constant pain and itching. He still has 17 radiation treatments to go, and the burns worsen with each one. But the radiation is absolutely necessary. Bless his heart, he is so brave, strong, and tough. It is rare that you would ever hear him complain about any aspect of his treatment. He simply amazes me each and every day. He is truly an inspiration!


LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND. IT DOES NOT ENVY, IT DOES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD. IT IS NOT RUDE, IT IS NOT SELF-SEEKING, IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED, IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS. LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH...ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS PERSEVERES. LOVE NEVER FAILS.

~~1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8

You must give love to receive love. Take the time today to say "I Love You" more than you normally would. Enjoy every second and 1/2 second that you get to spend with your loved ones. Take nothing for granted. Enjoy the signs of Spring in the air. The budding of the trees, the grass turning ever greener, the crisp morning air, the beautiful song-birds, all a sign of God's Love for us.God gives us so much to be Thankful for, remember to thank Him each and every day for the many Blessings that He bestows upon you, both large and small. Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!

We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our Brave Little "Trooper!"

**Don't forget, next Sunday is Easter~~Take a moment to reflect upon the true meaning of Easter**


JESUS SHALL REIGN

IT WAS HARD FOR HIM TO THINK ABOUT
THE BATTLE HE WOULD WIN;
WHEN IN THE GARDEN OF AGONY,
HE TOOK ON MANKIND'S SIN.

BUT STRENGTHENED BY HIS FATHER'S LOVE
WITH MINISTERING ANGELS SENT;
HE DRANK THE CUP OF OBEDIENCE,
AND WITH THE SOLDIERS WENT.

IT WAS HARD FOR HIM TO REALIZE
HE'D WEAR THE VICTOR'S CROWN;
WHEN ON THE CROSS, HIS SUFFERING
SHED BLOOD UPON THE GROUND.

AND WHEN HE FELT FORSAKEN
CIRCUMSTANCES SAID, "IT'S TRUE,
YOU WILL NOT SAVE YOURSELF, AND
YOUR GOD'S ABANDONED YOU."

HE CRIED OUT IN DESPAIR
AS HE LOOKED UP ABOVE;
AND GOD IN ALL HIS MERCY SHOWED
CHRIST HIS FATHER'S LOVE.

HE SAID TO HIM, "IT'S FINISHED!
SET FREE YOUR SPIRIT, SON!
THE ATONEMENT HAS BEEN OFFERED,
THE BATTLE HAS BEEN WON!"

SO JUST A FEW DAYS LATER
HE WORE THE VICTOR'S CROWN;
SAT RIGHT NEXT TO THE FATHER
AND SENT HIS SPIRIT DOWN.

TO STRENGTHEN US IN OUR AGONY
WHEN WE FEEL FORSAKEN, ALONE, AND LOST;
LET US CELEBRATE THE LOVE OF CHRIST,
WHO GAVE TO US HIS LIFE UPON A CROSS.

May peace surround you at Easter and always.

Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 08:04 AM (CST)

Good day, everyone! Thanks for taking the time out of your day to check in on Connor. It means a lot to us AND to him. Well, as you may have read at the bottom of my last journal entry, after sitting around the clinic all afternoon, we were told there were no rooms available at the hospital. That really puts into perspective the number of sick children that there really are. Connor was so very sad, PSYCHE!, not really. He was elated. They told us to call Sunday morning to see if they would have a room then. So off we went.

A wonderful man that we met the night we went to the Lipscomb game had talked to Eddie on Friday, that same day we were at the clinic. He is an Assistant Fire Chief at the Nashville-Second Ave. station. He had a couple of items for Connor and wanted to bring the fire truck out to deliver them to him. Eddie had told him we were at the clinic. So, when we left, Eddie called him and he asked Eddie if we could run by the Station since we were close-by. His name is Lee. When we arrived, they presented Connor with a t-shirt like they wear, plus 2 way-too-cool caps. One of them, in addition to having Nashville Fire Dept., also acknowledges the 9/11 disaster. Connor was then taken on a tour and was allowed in each fire truck. They even got a call while we were there, so two of the trucks left out, sirens blaring. Those of you who know Connor, knows that he enjoys old-fashioned vehicles. Well, they had an "old-fashion" fire truck parked there that was going to be used in the St. Patty's day parade. One of the guys came out and told Connor that he needed to move it, and would he like to ride with him. Boy, would he ever!!! So, in he climbed, and off they went. They went around the block. I wish you could've seen the smile on Connor's face. He was on top of the WORLD!! The entire experience was wonderful for him. Thank you, guys, so very much for making his day!!!

Saturday morning, Nana and Poppy came by. Poor things, first thing they hear when they got here was, "Just a good 'ole boy, never meaning no harm...yada yada yada". Connor was booting up his Dukes of Hazzard game. I tell you, the child is addicted. If you come to our house, just prepare yourselves, Connor WILL have to show you his 'Dukes stuff'.

Sunday morning, I called the hospital first thing and left a message for the attending Physician to call me. Grandmama stopped by for a minute before church to see Connor, but he was still snoozing. We left home around 1:00 pm for the hospital. We got checked in and they started his pre-chemo fluids. Uncle Harold, Aunt Linda, and Nannie came by and brought lots of Easter surprises for Connor (and Mommy, too!). They visited with us for a while. Connor started receiving his chemo probably around 5:30. Eddie left for home around 8:00. At 9:30, the vomiting started. He had been given nausea medications to try to avoid it, but it happened. I think it was the combination of chemo and radiation being given simutaneously. Bless his heart, he got so sick, so fast. All the fluids made him swell. His face got so puffy. We had not seen that before in him, because he had always had the catheter before to keep him draining. It was scary. I laid down on the foot of his bed for the longest time massaging his legs and feet. That seemed to make him feel better. The vomiting went on until around 1:00 am, when he was finally able to get a little rest. Monday morning, it started again around 7:00 am. He was medicated again. By 10:00, he was ready to go to the playroom for a few minutes before his radiation treatment. They came for him around 10:45. We got back upstairs at 12:15, he was nauseated again, so more meds. Then we were discharged, and came home.

Now, on to some sad news. I've mentioned my cousin, Tabitha and her daughter, Chelsea, before. Tabitha's best friend is Amy. Amy's daughter is Whitney. She is six years old. She was diagnosed the SAME DAY as Connor. It was so weird, because we ended up in side-by-side rooms at Vanderbilt back then in October, 2001. Our families are from the same small town and have always known each other. Anyway, Whitney had an inoperable brain tumor. They tried chemo, but it didn't do anything for the tumor. Their last scan was January 2, 2002, and showed no change. They opted to not go with radiation. They just didn't feel as though it would help her, and they didn't want to put her through it. Mom called me Sunday at the hospital and told me that she had passed away at 2:10 in the afternoon. I was devastated, to say the least. Everyone was holding out hope for a miracle. So Monday, after getting home from the hospital, we got ready and went to Nana and Poppy's in Westmoreland. Connor stayed at their house with Poppy, and Nana, Eddie and myself headed for the funeral home. I got pretty upset, to say the least, but Pam, Whitney's grandmama, was being so strong. She actually came back there to sit with me. She told me that she didn't expect us to come, because of how hard it would be. But she assured me that Whitney was SO READY to go to be with God and Jesus. She had talked about how she would be able to run and play again in Heaven. They were at peace, it was amazing. They had watched her suffer so much. I tell you, what these kids have to go through, yet they remain SO STRONG AND BRAVE! I can not emphasize that enough. Amy, WHitney's Mom, was doing as well as could be expected. I think right now, she is just trying to get through the visitation and service, which will be Wednesday morning at 10:00 at Anderson and Woodard Funeral Home in Westmoreland. PLease pray for this family. They are going to need lots of strength to get through this. Whitney also has a sister, another Chelsea, who is seven years old and in the second grade. If you would like to send them a card, their address is as follows: Amy and Chelsea Proffitt (mom and Sis) and Pam Proffitt (Grandmama) P.O. Box 344 Westmoreland, TN 37186. They live in the same household. They need lots of support.

Well, it's Tuesday morning. Connor is up and feeling much better. Hopefully, the vomiting will subside. We'll leave here in a couple of hours for the hospital for his radiation.

Here's a quote from Helen Keller, an inspiration to us all!
'Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.

Thanks again to you all for encouraging us. We appreciate your continued support more than we could possibly ever tell you! Thanks for all you do to brighten Connor's day, from the guestbook entries, to the emails, to the cards and gifts. Our esteem gratitude, my friend. I forgot to add, we did tell Connor about Whitney. We have been honest about everything from the beginning with him. We feel as though that is of utmost importance. He understands that her cancer is completely different from the type he has. He knew that hers was not treatable like his is. He also has that astounding Faith that we all have, God WILL HEAL HIM!!! There is really no point in shielding him from the facts about this monster that has invaded his body. He has lost a part of his childhood and is having to fight an adult battle, so in a lot of ways, we will treat him as an adult, with info we know he can handle. He knows the lines of communication are always open, 24 hours a day, and if he ever 'wonders' about anything, all he has to do is ask. We always have told him that there are no 'stupid' questions. The only stupid question is the one that is never asked.

Take care, peace to all and May God Bless Us All!

Happiness happens from the outside: it depends on other people, events, results. Joy bubbles up from the inside; it originates with attitude.

Happiness is in the circumstances: joy is in the heart. Happiness may not happen: joy is a PROMISE from God.
_______________________________________
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

I Peter 4:12,13

We Love you All!!!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Friday, March 15, 2002 at 07:43 AM (CST)

Hello all! Hope everyone is having a GREAT day. Connor is still snoozing this morning. After his radiation treatment today, we have to go on to the clinic to be admitted to the hospital for inpatient chemo. Yuck! His word and mine.

The past week has been mostly good. Sunday, Nana, Grandma, and my older brother, Connor's "Uncle Johnny" came down for a visit. Connor and Johnny always have a fun time playing, so Connor got pretty wound up. They were amazed with how good he was feeling. Then, Sunday evening, we went out to eat with Eddie's family for Grandmama's birthday, which was actually not until Tuesday. So Sunday was a full, but fun day.

Monday had us back at the hospital for radiation. They let me go back for the first time and see kind of how it goes. It was overwhelming for a parent to see, to say the least. Each day, when I'm waiting, I can hear the machine when the radiation is being administered, and I sit there and nearly have a panic attack. Then Connor comes out, all smiles, and gives me strength, as always. He is truly amazing.

Tuesday, when we returned home from the treatment, the tech called me and told me to make sure Connor's bladder was full for Wednesday's treatment. It seems as though that affects exactly where the treatment "hits", and they thought the past two treatments might have been a little "off". So, Wednesday, we go. They take Connor back and bring him right back out. He was going to need a new CT scan. They HAD been between 2 and 3 centimeters off for the past two treatments. So, of course, I was very concerned. We certainly don't want any area hit that wasn't necessary, especially bone. The doctor assured me that it had only been two treatments, and that it wouldn't affect anything. I hope and pray he is right. Anyway, they did not treat him Wednesday.

On the way home, Tuesday, I think, Connor told me another story that I want to share. He said that while he was on the radiation table, feet taped together, lying perfectly still, he started getting scared. He said he felt as though the machine was going to come down onto him and crush him. He then said he prayed to God to help him not be scared. He said he knew that it was the devil working on him to scare him. So then, in his mind, he could see God walked up to the devil and slap him across the face, and then told him to leave Connor alone. He said all of a sudden his fear went away, and the rest of the treatment went A-OK. This, from a 7 YEAR OLD!! I tell you, there is ALOT to be said for the power of prayer. I stand back in amazement at Connor for his Faith, Strength, and determination. He is certainly a daily, hourly, reminder to me of the Glory of God!

Thursday, on the way to the hospital for treatment, Connor started getting nauseated. By the time we went back, he was really feeling pretty bad. They brought him right back out and said that each time they put him on the table, he felt as though he was going to be sick. So they gave him some Zofran, for nausea, through his port, and we were put into a little room with a TV and VCR to wait for the medicine to kick in. While we waited, we started watching "Dennis the Menace". We both LOVE that movie. Of course, Connor's bladder was full (for treatment), so the waiting got to be a little much. He had to go. So then he had to drink again. This process was repeated FOUR times, due to other patients being treated in between Connor going to the bathroom, then drinking. Needless to say, we were there for three hours. FINALLY, he drank and made it to the table for his treatment. There was a big YAHOO! from all of us when the treatment was completed. Last night, Connor went to Grandmama's to stay while Eddie and I had a little time out together. When we dropped him off, he decided that he wanted to spend the night. That would be the first time since his diagnosis that he has spent the night away from us. But we said OK, and went on our way. We had an enjoyable dinner, then went to a comedy club and saw a comedian by the name of Tim Wilson. We really needed the laughs that he brought. We were on the way home around 9:45, and Eddie called to see if all was OK with Connor. Apparently, he had gotten really upset, wanting to come home. So we talked to him and told him we were on our way to come pick him up. Bless his heart, he was sniffling on the phone, it broke our hearts. Normally, he would have been fine. It was just, we feel as though he goes through enough without having to be upset over anything else. But we will try again another time.

I want to share a poem with you from the book 'Heartsongs' by Mattie Stepanek. He is the eleven year old little boy with Muscular Dystrophy. He has lost three siblings to the same disease. You may have seen him featured on Oprah. Anyway, he has published a couple of books of his poetry.

On Being Thankful

Dear God,
I was going to thank You tonight
For a beautiful sunrise,
That was pink behind the fog down the hill,
And for a wonderful rainbow,
That I ran under pointing to
All my favorite colors,
And for such a great sunset,
That sparkled orange across the water.
I was going to thank you tonight
For all these special gifts,
Except that none of them happened.
But do you know what?
I still love you, God,
And I have lots of other things
That I can thank you for tonight,
Even if you didn't give those
Very special gifts to me today.
It's OK, God,
Because I'll look for them all again,
When my tomorrow comes.
AMEN.

Thanks to you all for checking in on Connor. Please sign his guestbook if you have a moment. Thanks, once again, for all that you are doing for us and for him. He has been getting lots of cards and packages lately. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful, supportive family and friends to help us during this time. Please continue your prayers for Connor. There is no doubt in our minds that he has come this far due to all the prayers storming the heavens for him. Please say a prayer today that all will go well with this round of chemo. We will be at the hospital, at least through tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for all of your support! Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

UPDATE:FRIDAY EVENING 6:00 PM--We couldn't get a room at the hospital after waiting all day at the clinic. We are supposed to call Sunday morning to see if they have a room for him then. Connor was excited, to say the least.
We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper!"


AND ALL THINGS, WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN PRAYER, BELIEVING, YE SHALL RECEIVE.
Matthew 21:22

Friday, March 08, 2002 at 05:09 PM (CST)

Hi everyone. I hope that you have had a great week. The weather here is absolutely beautiful today. It's 70 degrees outside. Connor and I just got home from the park. We've had a good day.

Sorry that I haven't updated all week. We are trying to get into some kind of routine with his everyday radiation going on. Sunday, Eddie had to go out of town with his job, so Connor and I spent the night with Nana and Poppy. We had a really good time. Monday, Nana worked until 10:00 a.m., so Connor, Poppy and I picked her up at work. Connor and I went in and visited with everyone for a few minutes. I tell you, those people out there are the nicest group you could possibly find anywhere. They have done (and continue to do) so much for Connor and us since his diagnosis. Nana is so fortunate to work with such a great bunch. We left Portland and headed to Vanderbilt. The radiation seemed to go well. Holly and Dennis are the tech's, and they are great with Connor. They told me that he laid perfectly still. He came out all smiles, so I knew by that, he was gonna be A-OK. We also went to the clinic for counts. They were down, so we had to be back at the clinic first thing Tuesday morning for a Red Cell Transfusion. It was over just in time to race to radiation for Tuesday's treatment.

The needle was left in Connor's port on Monday when blood was drawn, so that he would not have to be re-stuck for the transfusion. Then Tuesday, they told us they would leave it in until Friday, so they could do counts again. On Wednesday, he started itching really bad on and around his port, so I pulled the needle out. This morning, I put Emla cream on it to numb it, then a tegaderm bandage. After today's session, we went to the clinic for counts again. Fortunately, everything was up, so we can STOP the Neupogen shots until his next full round of chemo, which will be March 15. Oh yeah, Thursday, we also went to Dr. Brock's office (his Urologist). He said that everything looked great. He has healed up wonderfully from his surgery and also from the suprapubic catheter. And, of course, Connor got to see Pam, the best nurse in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Her friendship has been one of the many POSITIVES that has come out of Connor's illness. She is a true blessing, an "angel on Earth".

Oh, by the way, Connor has become somewhat "obsessed" with the "Dukes of Hazzard". He has two videos with episodes from the TV show. He also has a game for his playstation, "The Dukes of Hazzard--Racing for Home". Well, this week, he received an e-mail from James Best, aka Rosco P. Coletrane. He also had an entry in his guestbook from Tom Wopat, aka Luke Duke. He was SOOOOOOOOO excited. Anyone who has been to our home lately knows that he turns up the volume and sings the theme-song with all he's got. It is so funny. We need to sneak and get him on tape singing.

Well, I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend. The temps are up, so everyone seems to be getting "Spring Fever". I saw several people out today in shorts. Enjoy the sunshine, or rain, whichever the case may be. Enjoy the birds singing, and the children laughing and playing. Thank God for each and every one of your blessings. So many times, we ask God to help us with something, then, when it happens, sometimes we forget to thank Him. The following is from a bookmark I received many years ago.

RULES FOR HAPPY LIVING

1. Count your blessings, not your troubles.

2. Live One Day At A Time.

3. Learn to say, "I Love You."

4. Learn to be a Giver, and not a Getter.

5. Look for the Good in everyone and in everything. Be a "good seeker", and not a "fault finder".

6. Pray every day. Thank God for His many blessings, and ask for his guidance. (Luke 18:1)

7. Do AT LEAST one good deed each day. Plant the seed of goodness, then stand back in amazement and watch it grow and grow.

8. Learn to "count" by learning to keep the most important things in first place.

9. Do not let things bother you, turn them over to God. Worry can destroy you.

10. Practice the "Do It Now" habit. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. (II Corinthians 6:1-2)

11. Fill your life with Good. Clean out the trash, and fill your life with good deeds and thoughts. (Phillipians 4:8)

12. Learn to laugh and learn to cry. Laughter is really great medicine, but you also have to release your anxieties, and not hold them inside.

13. Learn to practice the happiness habit. Smile, and the World smiles with you.

14. Crowd out fears with Faith. Learn to fear nothing or no one. Think on your strengths and not on your weaknesses. (Hebrews 11:1-6)

15. Let Go and Let God Take Over. The only way to find peace and happiness is to let God take the controls of our life. (Psalms 23)

Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!

We Love You!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our Brave Little Trooper!!

Saturday, March 02, 2002 at 10:00 AM (CST)

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. Connor has been doing well the past few days. Of course, the main reason being~~~~the catheter is out!! I know I told you that in my last entry, but it's such BIG news to us, I wanted to say it again. The first couple of days, it was very challenging to get Connor to go, it would take up to an hour of sitting in there...waiting. But then, Friday, all of a sudden, everytime he went in there, within a minute, he would go. Yah! Yah! Yah! This is such positive news for us. Just knowing that the tumor is so small now that it is not, in any way, affecting his urethra.

I want to share with you something that I hope uplifts you. This has happened several times since the first time it happened. As you know, Connor is 7 years old. As a typical 7 year old--he knows about God and Jesus and praying, etc. We read the Bible and have prayer daily. He knows that you can pray anytime, anywhere. But in the past 5 months, I think he has discovered what it takes most people many, many years to learn. You see, the urinating issue has been a big challenge for him since he knew that the catheter was coming out. His body became accustomed to relying on the catheter. So, during these 1/2 hour to hour long bathroom sessions, I would continually pray for God to help him and relieve his anxiety so that his body would relax. Also, a couple of times, he has had me call close family friends to have them pray with him via the telephone. This week, Connor would also pray aloud. Well, one of the times, right after we both had prayed aloud, his urine started coming out immediately. As soon as he finished, he stood up, raised his arms up high, looked up toward the ceiling, and said, "Thank you God, Thank you Lord Jesus. And also Thank you God for sending your Son to die on the cross for our sins." He had tears streaming down his face. Well, I must tell you, as his Mother, I was absolutely speechless. He was so emotional and awe-struck by God's glory. I get chills thinking about it right now. SO, to make a long story short, Connor's Faith is astounding. It took me years to get to the point he is today. So you see, positive things are happening as a result of his cancer. God IS with him every step of the way, and he knows that. I am so proud of him!!! I know his story is touching so many people. I believe that God is using him, because of his strength, to show others the wonders and miracles of God's grace.

SURELY HE TOOK UP OUR INFIRMITIES
AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS,
YET WE CONSIDERED HIM STRICKEN BY
GOD, SMITTEN BY HIM, AND AFFLICTED.
BUT HE WAS PIERCED FOR OUR
TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS CRUSHED FOR
OUR INIQUITIES;
THE PUNISHMENT THAT BROUGHT US PEACE
WAS UPON HIM, AND BY HIS WOUNDS,
WE ARE HEALED.
ISAIAH 53:4-5 NIV

Connor has been getting his shots this week, like the "trooper" that he is. We went to the hospital Thursday. He had to go back to Radiation for x-rays and to get his body markings. I spoke with Dr. Teng, his Radiation Oncologist. He showed me on the x-ray, specifically, where the radiation will be given. Very little hip-bone will be affected. He said that there is a chance that Connor will have arthritis in that bone after radiation is complete. The main bone to worry about is his pelvic bone. One side will receive the bulk of radiation, causing it to stop growing. He will have a definite limp as the other side continues to grow. But Dr. Teng did tell me that he has known of children receiving radiation in this area to go on and play sports, even with the limp. I felt better after speaking with him again.

We have to be at the clinic for bloodwork Monday morning before he goes for radiation. When they checked his counts Thursday, they were dropping. His nurse thinks that by Monday, he is going to need a transfusion. Radiation is at 12:00. If needed, the transfusion will be given in the clinic as soon as we finish with the radiation.

Thank you for all you are doing for Connor. He gets so excited with mail delivery, to see all the cards that you guys are sending. He has had several schools and Sunday School classes send him manila envelopes full of cards. They are so cute, hand-made by the children. They say the sweetest and cutest things. Thank God for our precious children!!! Hug yours extra close today and tell them how much they mean to you. Please continue to pray for Connor and his complete healing. Also, please pray for the least amount of side effects from radiation.

Enjoy the "little" things in life. One day, you may look back and realize they were actually the "BIG" things. Take care, peace to all , and God Bless Us All!

We Love You!!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!!!

Tuesday, February 26, 2002 at 10:12 AM (CST)

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in. Since I haven't updated since Thursday night, I'll start with Friday. Friday morning, Nana and Poppy came down to take us to the hospital. We had to be in Radiology at 10:30 for them to do their own CT scan. That was pretty rough for Connor because of all the dye and contrast that had to be inserted into his body. The techs were so impressed with him. For the actual scan, he had a clamp over his "privates", but yet he laid PERFECTLY STILL. I couldn't stay in the room with him, but I could see him on a monitor, and he didn't move a muscle. I can't tell you how proud I am each and every day of Connor and his strength. The techs told him that he did better than most of the adults that they get in there. My heart swells with pride, yet it makes me want to burst into tears to think of how well he does with all of the procedures, tests, poking and prodding that is done on his tiny body. After the scan, we went to the clinic for admission into the hospital for chemo. After waiting several hours, we were told that there were no rooms available in the hospital. We were told to go home and call back Saturday morning to see if they had anything. Can you believe it?!? Oh well, so goes it.

Saturday morning, I called first thing for the attending physician. He said they probably would have something, just wait by the phone and they would let us know. We decided to take Connor to Ragan and Victoria's birthday party. They are Tammy (Eddie's sister) and Shelton's twins, (boy and girl) who turned 5 on February 20. The doctor called and said they had a room, and Eddie told him we would be there after the party. We were so glad that we took him. He had a blast! He ran and played and laughed and had the best time. For a couple of hours, he forgot all about his cancer. After that, on to the hospital. We were admitted, and fluids were started. He finally was hydrated enough, and chemo was started around 6:00. He and I were awake most of the night, but no vomiting. Sunday morning, Eddie came after Sunday school, around 10:30. They were getting ready to discharge us, and Connor vomited, but only once. We came home and I gave him all of his nausea medications. Then I had to clamp off his catheter. Sunday afternoon was ROUGH. He was so nervous about urinating that it turned into a full-blown war, him against Mommy and Daddy, each time we tried to get him to go. Nana and Aunt Shirley came by to visit. While they were here, I unclamped him once to drain him because he was hurting so bad and begging me to drain his bladder. I felt so bad for him. After they left, it was back to TOUGH LOVE. Finally, Eddie positioned him on the commode the correct way (instead of to the side which is the way Connor had been sitting), and Connor start peeing. This was repeated a couple more times. Connor was so angry at Eddie, boy, can he say some bad things, but in the end, he knew Eddie was only trying to help him. From talking with so many other parents of children with cancer, the kids really have so much anger in them. They feel like they have lost all control over everything in their lives, so they lash out at the ones they love the most. It is really hard to deal with sometimes, but you learn to put yourself in their place, and realize that not only are they affected physically by the cancer, but they are greatly affected emotionally, as well. COnnor always feels so bad after an "episode", and apologizes over and over. He has always been, and continues to be, a very loving child.

Monday morning, Nana came down and went with us to Dr. Brock's office. Guess what, HE TOOK OUT THE CATHETER!!!!!!! Connor has had 8 catheters since October. Connor was laughing and crying at the same time when it came out of his stomach. He told Dr. Brock that he wanted to have a party to celebrate. Pam (Connor's favorite nurse) was in there with us. Connor loves her so very much. She is fantastic with him. Having her there helped his anxiety level alot. After leaving, tube-free, we went to the Spaghetti Factory for lunch. Then we weent in a shop on Second Ave. and Connor picked out a black cowboy hat. He loves Toby Keith, and had gotten a signed photo of him Monday morning in his PO Box. He wanted a hat like he wears. We came home after that. Nana went home, and we got down to the serious business of trying to get Connor back into the habit of going to the bathroom. It was a beautiful day, so we took his new bike outside that Santa brought, and he tried to ride it. He is still kinda sore in his groin area, so we gave up on that. All in due time. He then played with Chelsea, our next door neighbor. She is 8 years old and she and Connor used to spend most all of their free time together before Connor got sick. He enjoyed playing with her. Grandmama and Odell came by to visit for a few minutes. Connor had to show them his new "Dukes of Hazzard" tape that Eddie found for him. After they left, Connor concentrated on urinating again. His nervousness makes it difficult for his body to release his urine. I also had to start back on the Neupogen shots. He gets them for 10 to 14 days after every full round of chemo. He is so brave about it. The medicine really hurts going in.

He slept good and is in his room now playing Playstation. It has turned cold here, and we are getting a light snow-shower right now. Connor's teacher will come tomorrow. Thursday, we go back to radiation for some more pre-radiation tests and markings. Connor's counts will probably continue to drop this week after the chemo, so Thursday, we also go to the clinic to have blood drawn for counts. Monday, the radiation starts. Oh, by the way, Connor has not been able to get into a bathtub since October because of the catheters. TODAY, HE GETS TO TAKE HIS FIRST TUB BATH IN 4 AND 1/2 MONTHS! We are very excited about that.

We appreciate all of you taking time to check on Connor today. Please continue to pray for him and his complete healing. Also, please pray for the radiation to go well, with side effects kept to a minimum. We are very concerned about that, but trust in God to continue to watch over and care for Connor.

The following is from "Psalms of Hope":

God has given us a mighty sword with which to fight the predator fear--our Faith. Faith protects us from fear's torment and allows us to face each new day with hope and confidence. Faith frees us to tackle the real obstacles in our lives rather than to waste our energies dealing with difficulties that might never materialize. Our faith in God gives us the courage to face fear and drive it away.

"But I will restore health to you and heal your wounds," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 30:17

I AM THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE.
Exodus 15:26 KJV

We are so very thankful for all of you! Please sign Connor's guestbook, so that he will know you were here. Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"

Thursday February 21, 2002 11:13 PM CST

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. It has been a few days since my last update, and for that, I apologize. Sunday, we went to Nana and Poppy's house. Connor did pretty well with the clamping of the catheter. His anxiety level is high concerning urinating on his own after so long, and that seems to be the root of the problem. Monday, we were not very successful. Tuesday was even worse. Wednesday was the day to see Dr. Brock. He decided to leave the catheter in until this coming Monday. He drew some urine out to be tested to make sure that Connor does not have an infection before the catheter comes out. I will clamp him off Sunday morning and leave him clamped straight through until Monday, when we return to see Dr. Brock.

Now on to our visit for our "Radiation Consultation". Eddie and I have known since Connor's diagnosis that he would have to have radiation. What we did not know, and what no one had warned us about, were the long-term side effects of the radiation. We were blown away yesterday with what we heard from the Radiology Oncologist. There are devastating side effects. Some of you may be familiar with this. The doctor actually told us that they never want to give radiation to children. After our conversation with them, we asked Dr. Brock about the necessity of the radiation with Connor, and he told us it was "absolutely necessary". We have no other option. He told us that we will have problems with radiation, but we will have bigger problems if we do not do radiation. One of the effects is that Connor's pelvic bone on one side will stop growing after it is hit with radiation. The chance of that happening is about 95%. The word "deformity" was used. Another effect is a great chance that another tumor will form in the same area in 10 to 15 years. There is also a 99% chance of major sexual side effects that I don't even want to go into. He may have long term damage to his bladder, rectum, or any thing else in the region being treated. The list goes on and on.

Needless to say, we were greatly discouraged. But, as we have been trying to do all along, we are going to take each day as it comes. Right now, our main concern is getting Connor healed of the cancer. We, with God's help, can and will deal with everything else.

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE: FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9

Our main objective at the moment is to keep Connor positive and upbeat. He is a very strong-willed little boy who is having to fight an adult battle. He needs tons and tons of encouragement, and we intend to everything we can to do that. God does work miracles everyday. Please continue to pray for Connor to be healed.

WHEN THOU PASSETH THROUGH THE WATERS, I WILL BE WITH THEE; AND THROUGH THE RIVERS, THEY SHALL NOT OVERFLOW THEE. WHEN THOU WALKETH THROUGH THE FIRE, THOU SHALT NOT BE BURNED; NEITHER SHALL THE FLAME KINDLE UPON THEE.
ISAIAH 43:2

Thank you so much for everything. All the emails, cards, phone calls, thoughts and prayers mean so very much to us. I know I say that over and over again, but I truly, sincerely mean it from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to Tabitha and Chelsea for bringing Joseph down tonight to visit with Connor. It really lifts him up. Nana is coming in the morning to take us to the hospital. We have to be there in the morning for another CT scan, then admission into the hospital for the next round of chemo. Hopefully it will go well. I'll update the first chance that I get. Take care, each and every one of you, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Thursday February 21, 2002 11:13 PM CST

Saturday February 16, 2002 11:04 AM CST

Hi everyone, thanks for checking in. We have had a busy couple of days. Thursday, was Valentine's Day, of course. I took Connor to his school so that he could participate in the class party. He had a BLAST! They had made a couple of banner-like signs for him signed by all of his classmates. There was also a table of yummy food. Mrs. Becky Bustin, Paige's mom, had made a beautiful heart-shaped cake with the names of all the children on it. So they each had a personalized piece of cake. She is so talented. They brought Connor a 'Cookie Bouquet' to the hospital not long after he was diagnosed. Thanks Becky and Paige for all you do! Then the children passed out their Valentines. I can remember how exciting that was when I was their age. YES, I can still remember some things! Connor really enjoyed seeing everyone. Thanks, Mrs. Miles and Miss Rager for including Connor. You are the best!

After the party, we came home to get ready for the circus. Amy, Child-Life Specialist at Vanderbilt, had given us the tickets. The tickets were to be in the Vanderbilt Suite at Gaylord Entertainment Center. We were the first ones in there. It was so nice. There was hot food in the room. Very child-friendly food, chicken tenders, tater tots, and mac 'n cheese. The kids loved it. We all made new friends. We met Caleb, 5 years old with leukemia. He and Connor hit it off. I think they both really enjoyed each other. We enjoyed meeting Caleb's parents and his little brother Cameron. It was really a good day and night. We got home around 10:30, and we were pooped!

Yesterday, Connor slept until 11:00. His teacher came around 2:00, and he dozed off while she was here. He had been hurting, so I had given him medicine. So, of course, it made him sleepy. Deborah, his teacher, is always so understanding, so it was no big deal. She brought him a Scooby Doo mug for Valentine's Day, and brought me an inspirational daily calender. She is so sweet.

On Thursday, Connor's fave nurse, Pam, called and invited us to David Lipscomb High School for Friday night's basketball games. Her nephew, Adam, is a senior and plays on the team. We got there around 6:45. Pam was waiting in the front for us. We made our way to the bleachers. Connor had started hurting pretty bad on the way in. At half-time in the girl's game, Connor was honored by Adam with a huge basket that they had put together for him. It had a basketball signed by all the players and coaches of the boys team, a type of duffel bag, a water bottle, gatorade, snacks, and all kinds of goodies. A special prayer was lead by Mr. Steve Flatt for Connor. Connor didn't feel like walking out onto the court, so Eddie went out and thanked everyone for all the cards, prayers, and everything they have done for Connor. Then the cheerleaders came over to say 'Hi' to Connor. He was quite the celebrity. We met Will, Pam's husband, and he is just as wonderful as she is. Their entire family really made us feel so welcome. Pam, we can't thank you enough for all you do for us. We love you!

I just clamped Connor off again a little while ago, so he are hoping and praying for positive results today! He told me this morning that today was the day he was going to be able to pee on his own. He is SO READY to get the catheter OUT!!!

Thank you, one and all, once again for all the prayers, encouraging words, emails, cards, packages and everything you do. Connor received so many beautiful valentines from so many loving people. We are so blessed!

The following is from a book entitled 'HOPE for a Woman's Soul'. This particular writing is by Millie Stamm.

'As we look into the unknown future, with no clear path before us, we may become fearful. But God has provided for our future. Paul wrote, "and my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19. It does not say "perhaps he will provide", or "he is able to", but he "will" provide. God is our hope for the future.
We can thank him for the past and have confidence in him for the future. Yet sometimes we find it difficult to trust him for the needs of today. But we must remember he is willing to do the same for us today as he did in the past and will do in the future. He is the great "I AM" of today, the all-sufficient One for this very moment.
Sometimes he takes us out of situations, problems, or needs; other times he takes us through them. Regardless of the way he works in our lives, we can trust him as our ever-present guide for today.


Thank you for taking the time to get an update on Connor. Please sign his guestbook, so that we will know you were here. Have a great day today. Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you!~~Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"

UPDATE: 1:40 PM-SATURDAY~~~~~~CONNOR PEE-PEED OUT HIS PENIS~~~YAH!YAH!YAH! HE TRIED FOR ALMOST AN HOUR, DURING WHICH TIME HE CALLED BRO. JIMMIE AND HAD HIM PRAY WITH HIM, THEN WE KEPT PRAYING AND FINALLY IT HAPPENED. THIS IS A HUGE STEP FOR CONNOR! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE PRAYERS!

Wednesday February 13, 2002 10:12 PM CST

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. It's Wednesday night, and we are getting ready for bed. On Monday, I clamped off Connor's catheter, as planned. Several hours went by with NO LUCK. I unclamped him so that he could drain. A close family friend of ours, Don, had driven in from South Carolina to see Connor. So Nana, Grandma (Cass), and Don came down to visit. Then Don took us all out to dinner. We went to Cock of the Walk and had catfish. It was SOOOOOO good. We had a really good time, and Connor really enjoyed spending time with Don. Thanks, Don, We Love You!

Yesterday, when Connor woke up, we tried the clamping thing again. Once again, several hours past, Connor tried so hard to urinate, but it just wasn't happening. He was literally begging me to unclamp him so that he could drain. So that is what I did, and I didn't clamp him off anymore.

This morning, we had to go to the clinic to see Dr. Brock. He explained to us why he thought Connor couldn't go on his own. Part of it is psychological. There is actually a balloon attached to the catheter tubing inside Connor's bladder that keeps the catheter from coming out. It seems as though the tube had slipped into his bladder a little more that it should have, so that the balloon was actually blocking the opening from the inside of his bladder to his urethra. Does that make any sense? Anyway, he thinks that was the main problem. So, our next step is to check the tubing Saturday morning, make sure it hasn't slipped too far in again, then try to clamp him off again. Dr.Brock says that the catheter is coming out next week regardless of whether or not he goes before then. PLease, oh please, Lord, let him be able to go on his own.

The radiation will not start on Monday. We have a consultation appt. on Wednesday, the 20th, to set up everything concerning the radiation. On Friday, the 22nd, Connor will be admitted for chemo. I'm still not clear on when the radiation will actually begin.

Thank you to everyone for all the Valentine packages, cards, candy, and goodies that you have sent to Connor. A special Thank You to Nana's work, Appleton Wire, in Portland, TN. They sent a huge box full of all kinds of great stuff for Connor. He was so excited. Everyone out there has been unbelievable since Connor was diagnosed. They bend over backwards to encourage Connor and us, for that matter. Also, huge thanks to everyone at Hugs and Hope for all the Valentines and packages. You guys are great. We are so blessed to have so many caring, thoughtful people thinking of us during this time.

Whoever sows generously will also reap generously...for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all Grace abound toward you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

May God Bless You All! I hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentines Day. Enjoy the day with your loved ones. To those you love, but don't always say it to, tell them how much you love them and how much they mean to you. Sincerely ask someone how their day is going, then wait and listen for their reply. Smile, smile, smile as often as you can. Something as simple as a smile may make all the difference in someone's day. Hug your children extra tight, and let them know what a precious gift from God they really are. Let the household chores wait, ask your children what they would like to play, then take all the time that they want you to, and PLAY WITH THEM. Life is too short. Enjoy each other to the fullest extent! Take care everyone, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You!Happy Valentine's Day!~~Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!


God is our refuge and strength...
An ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1


Your promise revives me...
it comforts me in all my troubles.

Psalm 119:50

Monday February 11, 2002 9:59 AM CST

Good morning. Thank you all for checking in. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a few days. Thank you for all the encouraging phone calls, visits, gifts, guestbook entries, and emails trying to lift us up. It worked!! Friday was just a restful day here at home. Uncle Harold and Aunt Linda came by with a huge basket full of goodies for Connor. They are such wonderful people. Linda calls each day to check on Connor. Connor, of course, had to show Uncle Harold his Playstation. Then, Friday night, Uncle Kevin and Aunt Sherry came by to visit. They brought Connor a huge bundle of balloons. I told him not to go outside with them, because he'd probably float up into the air. They stayed for awhile. It was good for all of us. Eddie and Kevin enjoyed playing CD's and "talking music".
Saturday, Connor was hurting quite a bit, but he decided he wanted to go to Opry Mills and walk around. He rarely wants to go anywhere, so we were more than ecstatic to go. We ate out there. One of the guys who was working in the restaurant went out and came back with a "point card" for the huge gameroom. He gave it to Connor and told him to have fun. So we spent probably an hour in the gameroom. Connor had a blast. Then we got a wheelchair and rode Connor around in the mall. One of the munchkins from 'The Wizard of Oz' had a booth set up in the mall. We stopped to talk with him. He sang the 'Lollipop Guild' song from the movie to Connor. Now that was exciting. A lady who happened to be standing there volunteered to take Connor's picture with the Munchkin with her digital camera. She is going to email tham to me at some point. We finally left the mall around 9:00. Connor really enjoyed himself, but was starting to hurt.

Yesterday, on Sunday, we let Connor sleep in. Eddie went to church alone. Grandmama came by around 2:00 to visit, and stayed for a couple of hours. Connor had to show her all of his skills on Playstation. Around 5:15, Connor and I decided to go to Mt. Pleasant General Baptist Church and visit. Eddie had gone to pick up prescriptions, so Connor and I went by ourselves. Everyone at the church was really surprised to see us. They were having a special candle-lighting service that was just beautiful. Then, the entire church had a very special prayer for Connor and his healing. After church, we were invited to go eat Mexican food (my favorite!!!). A large group of us went and really had a good time. Thanks Danny and Betty Jo for our meal! We then went back to their house (they are Joseph's parents), so that the 'boys' could play Playstation. Connor got to go out into the garage, and sit in Joseph's way too cool race car. He really had a great time. Joseph is such a wonderful young man, and Connor has really become attached to him in a big way! Joseph's entire family made us feel so at home with them. Thanks to all for such a great night. We didn't get home until around 10:30.

Today, I start clamping off Connor's catheter, to try to get him to urinate on his own. PLease, oh please, pray for Connor. He has been dreading this so much, even though he absolutely detests the catheter. He is so afraid everything is going to hurt.

Our Lord, we belong to You.
We tell You what worries us,
and You won't let us fall.

Psalms 55:22


He will command His angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Psalms 91:11-12

Like a gentle shepherd, God guides us around the obstacles that block our path and through the waters that threaten to sweep us off our feet. Sometimes he carries our burdens, and sometimes he carries us. Through it all, we are never alone. He is always with us, sharing our cares, lightening our load, clearing the path before us, and assuring us that we will, one day soon, reach our destination.

--Taken from 'Psalms of Hope'
given to me by (Aunt) Linda

Please keep those prayers coming, also, please sign Connor's guestbook. He asks me each day to read it to him. Thanks you for all the wonderful things that each and every one of you are doing for us and for Connor. Take care, peace to all, and God bless us all!

We Love you!--Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Thursday February 7, 2002 5:23 PM CST

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. We are home from the hospital. I couldn't get to a computer there to update you. Connor's surgery went fine. The tumor could not be removed. The tumor is very small, but in order to remove it, his urethra would also have to come out. He did get a port in his upper right chest, almost to his shoulder, and his hickman tubes in his chest came out. Now all of his chemo, blood work, and meds will go in through the port instead of his "tubies". He also got a new suprapubic catheter. We have to start clamping him off Monday, hopefully he will be able to urinate on his own. Then his catheter will probably come out by the end of next week. The incision to get to the area around the tumor was made between his scrotum and his rectum. He is going to be pretty sore for a few days, and his arm next to the port is also sore.

Connor will start radiation in 8 to 10 days. He will be receiving chemo at the same time. The doctors are confident that the combination of the two will furthur reduce the tumor to nothing. I would not be honest if I told you that I'm not discouraged. We had really geared ourselves up for the removal of the tumor. But, like I've said many times before, "One day at a Time!" We have every confidence in Connor's doctors, their ability, and the decisions that they make. We also know that God is going to bring Connor to a healing. We absolutely can not think of this any other way. There is no room for doubt.

AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

ROMANS 8:28


Thank you all for all the prayers. Please keep remembering Connor and us in your prayers. We are, indeed, lifted up by all the guestbook entries, card, and e-mails that we have received. We are blessed to have so many people encouraging us. Nana and Poppy braved the snow this morning, and came to the hospital to be with us. They followed us home, and have been with us all day. Nana even brought supplies to cook for us. Eddie had to work today, so I was really needing them. Thank you Nana and Poppy for everything.

Take care everyone, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You!--Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"

Wednesday February 6, 2002 3:44 AM CST

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. TODAY IS THE BIG DAY!!! I've had almost 2 hours of sleep all night. Who could sleep at a time like this?!?

DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. TRUST IN GOD; TRUST ALSO IN ME.
JOHN 14:1

All will go well today, God is in control of everything. The flowers of May could not flourish if it were not for the showers and dark days of April. God has a plan for everything and everyone. I am amazed when I stop and think how many lives Connor and his story have touched. I know that God has great things in store for him.

Well, Monday we went for the CT scan. We haven't heard anything from it, so I guess Dr. Brock will talk to us about it before Connor's surgery. Monday night, we, along with Grandmama, went to Loco Lupe's in Hendersonville. The Mariachi band was playing. We saw some good friends of ours from church, then, just before we left, we saw our new friend, Hannah, and her family. Hannah is 10 years old, lives in Goodlettsville, and also has cancer. It was so ironic that we were there at the same time. Hannah looked great, her counts were up, and she seemed to be feeling good. Please remember Hannah and her family in your prayers also. She is a sweetheart.

Yesterday, (Tuesday), we hung out at home, trying to get ready for today. Bro. Jimmie and Joseph came by last night to visit with us. Connor was so excited when Joseph called to tell us they were coming. He says that Joseph is his new best friend. Thank you so much, guys, for putting that smile on Connor's face. He loves you and so do we! Of course, they ended up in Connor's room playing Playstation. Connor has a new game, The Dukes of Hazzard, and he absolutely loves it. Of course, we grew up with the Duke boys, Uncle Jesse, and Daisy, so it is great that he is so "into" it. Bro. Jimmie and Joseph brought Connor a HUGE basket full of goodies for at home and the hospital. Joseph brought Connor a picture of him in his dragster that he races. Connor thought that was super-cool! As soon as they left, Connor looked at me and said, "Mommy, I miss them already so much that I could cry." He has really taken to them. We are so blessed to have SO MANY WONDERFUL NEW FRIENDS!

Well, hopefully I will be able to let you all know via this website, how the surgery goes. Sometimes it takes a while to get a computer in the hospital, but I will do my best. Thank you to you all for each and every thing that you are doing for us. The prayers that are storming the Heavens are the main thing that has carried us this far. God is working a miracle in Connor, we just KNOW that! Connor's suffering of the past four months is but a stepping-stone in the purpose that God has planned for him. All the prayers, coupled with Connor's strength and determination (hard-headedness, if you will), have brought him this far, and God's grace will lead him on.

NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SUFFERING PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE; PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; AND CHARACTER, HOPE.
ROMANS 5:3-4

Please keep those prayers a-comin'.

AH, SOVEREIGN LORD, YOU HAVE MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH BY YOUR GREAT POWER AND OUTSTRETCHED ARM. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR YOU.
JEREMIAH 32:17

A great big "Thank You" to you all. Take care, peace to all, and May God Bless Us All!

We love you!--Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Sunday February 3, 2002 10:28 PM CST

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in. We have had a good weekend, and now are winding down. Yesterday, (Saturday), we hung out at home all day. Nana and Poppy came down around 5:00 pm to stay with Connor while Eddie and I had a little dinner "date". We really enjoyed ourselves. Connor had not been hurting all day, so that made it a lot easier to leave for a little while. When we got back, he was having a great time with them. He was talking 90 miles an hour, and laughing like you wouldn't believe. He was worn out when they left.

This morning, he woke up hurting pretty early. I gave him medicine and he went back to sleep. Eddie left for Sunday School, then Connor and I went for the Worship service. Our preacher, Keith Parker, had a special prayer for us after services. Connor wanted to go to Shoney's for lunch. We got home around 2:00. Around 3:30, Connor fell asleep on the sofa, and slept for 4 hours. He felt much better when he woke up. Of course, that means we will be up half the night. But that's OK, I can't bear to wake him when he is sleeping so well. I know when he sleeps, he is not hurting.

Tomorrow we go for a CT scan. Then surgery on Wednesday at 1:00. Please say an extra prayer for Connor this week. We just know that the surgery will go well, and the doctors will be able to remove all of the tumor.

DEAR FRIENDS, IF OUR HEARTS DO NOT
CONDEMN US, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE BEFORE
GOD AND RECEIVE FROM HIM ANYTHING WE
ASK, BECAUSE WE OBEY HIS COMMANDS AND
DO WHAT PLEASES HIM.
1 JOHN 3:21-22

I AM THE LORD, THE GOD OF ALL MANKIND.
IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR ME?
JEREMIAH 32:27

Thank you so much for encouraging us. You really keep us going. Sometimes it feels as though we are free-falling, but with the help of family and friends and God's grace, there is always a cushion to soften the fall. Take care, peace to all, and God Bless us all! Have a GREAT week!

We love you! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Friday February 1, 2002 8:53 PM CST

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in. We are winding down from a pretty rough week. Connor and I had no sleep on Monday night, Tuesday night, or Wednesday night, and very little sleep last night. But he did sleep until 12:00 noon today, so that was good. I hate to sound like a pessimist, but today was a baaaaad day. Connor has really been having mood swings lately, then when you factor in the lack of a good night's rest, watch out! His teacher came by today, and he wasn't the most cooperative student. After she left, things went from bad to worse. We were supposed to have a group of friends from Mt. Pleasant Gen. Baptist Church over tonight. Connor had looked forward to it all week. Then, this afternoon, his mood changed and he started arguing about everything and nothing. It escalated until we took away T.V. and Playstation. He then proceeded to throw the worst temper tantrum ever in the history of the world. That, in turn, caused his abdomen to start hurting really bad where the catheter goes in. To make a long story short, (because I'm rambling), I had to call my cousin, Tabitha, and postpone their visit. I hated to do it, but I actually thought we were going to eventually have to go to the ER. I've heard from other "cancer parents" of these mood swings, but could never imagine how bad they can actually get. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

On a lighter note, I'm so proud of my "little" brother Chad. He graduated this morning from basic training for the Navy in Great Lakes, Ill. His next training will be in Pensacola. We have missed him so much, especially Connor. They are big buddies, and Connor can hardly wait to see him. Way to go, Chad!!!

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend. Thanks for all the guestbook entries, emails, cards, and gifts. We are overwhelmed by your generosity.

GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, AN EVER-PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE. THEREFORE WE WILL NOT FEAR, THOUGH THE EARTH GIVE WAY AND THE MOUNTAINS FALL INTO THE HEART OF THE SEA, THOUGH IT'S WATERS ROAR AND FOAM AND THE MOUNTAINS QUAKE WITH THEIR SURGING.
PSALM 46:1-3

THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN MAKES TREMENDOUS POWER AVAILABLE--DYNAMIC IN IT'S WORKING.
JAMES 5:16

KNOW GOD, KNOW PEACE
NO GOD, NO PEACE!

Take care everyone, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You!--Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"

Wednesday January 30, 2002 9:48 PM CST

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. We are winding down from a busy day. I took Connor to the clinic this morning to have blood drawn for counts. His counts were all back up. Yah! Yah! Yah! That means he did not have to have a transfusion. It also means we can stop his daily shot of neupogen for now. It starts after every full round of chemo (every third week) and continues for 10-14 days. Providing Connor does not spike a fever or have any other problems, we do not have another dr's appt. until Monday when he goes for his CT scan. Then one week from today, (the countdown is ON!!), surgery to remove what is left of the tumor. Something funny I wanted to add, this morning, when we were getting ready to go, Connor told me he hoped he had to get platelets today, so that he could play in the playroom at the clinic. Wow! But, at least he doesn't mind being there. Each time we go, we are always there for several hours.

Yesterday was another beautiful day. We stayed in all day, because I was still unsure of his counts, and didn't want to take any chances. Grandmama came by last night and visited with Connor for a while.

We can never thank you all enough for all the prayers, thoughts, gifts, cards, kind words, and "shoulders to lean on".

DO NOT FORGET TO DO GOOD AND TO SHARE WITH OTHERS, FOR WITH SUCH SACRIFICES GOD IS PLEASED.
HEBREWS 13:16

H: HEAVENLY
O: OMNIPOTENT
P: POWERFUL
E: EVERLASTING SAVIOR

Never fear tomorrow, God is already there!

Take care everyone, peace to all and God bless us all!

We Love You! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Monday January 28, 2002 7:48 PM CST

Good evening everyone. Thanks for checking in. As I wrote in yesterday's journal, we spent the day at Nana and Poppy's house. Nana had cooked a delicious lunch of Chicken 'N Dumplins, broccoli and rice, mashed potatoes, white beans, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, lima beans, corn bread, and strawberry jello cake for dessert. Yum, Yum, Yum!!! I have to say, I didn't take after my Mom with her culinary skills. She is a great cook! Anyway, after we stuffed our faces, we just visited with them for a while. Tabitha and Joseph came by to see Connor. After they left, I think we ALL took a nap. First nap I've had in a while. Connor and I got home around 7:00 pm.

This morning, we had to be at the clinic for counts at 9:30. His red blood count was very low so he had to get a Red Blood Cell transfusion. We were there most of the day. Connor was really weak all day, naturally, and was in quite a bit of pain in his legs and back. We have to be back down there Wednesday morning at 9:30 for counts again, and probably a Platelet transfusion. He was kind of borderline today on his platelet count, but not quite enough for that transfusion. He is also running a low-grade fever, and is neutrophenic, which means he can't have visitors until his counts come up some to avoid exposure to any kind of germ.

Thank you for being our continued support system. You have no idea the amount of gratitude that we have for each of you. May you all receive blessings back for all the blessings that you are bestowing upon us. We know that Connor's story is touching alot of people in alot of positive ways, and we are thankful to God for that. Please keep those prayers coming.

SURELY GOD IS MY SALVATION; I WILL TRUST AND NOT BE AFRAID. THE LORD, THE LORD, IS MY STRENGTH AND MY SONG; HE HAS BECOME MY SALVATION. ISAIAH 12:2

MAY THE LORD DIRECT YOUR HEARTS INTO GOD'S LOVE AND CHRIST'S PERSEVERANCE. NOW MAY THE LORD OF PEACE HIMSELF GIVE YOU PEACE AT ALL TIMES AND IN EVERY WAY. THE LORD BE WITH ALL OF YOU! 2 THESSALONIANS 3:5,16

Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Sunday January 27, 2002 8:20 AM CST

Good morning everyone. Connor is already up this morning eating scrambled eggs and bacon and watching Rugrats. He is excited because we are going to Nana and Poppy's house today. It is a bright-sunshiney day here and the temp is supposed to be something like 62 degrees.

Yesterday morning, I had to leave for a couple of hours to get my root canal finished. I came home and we relaxed at home for a few hours before getting ready for Scooby Doo. We went downtown around 4:30 to get something to eat before the show. Not long after we were seated, Connor started hurting. I had just given him his medicine before we left home, so it wasn't time for more yet. By the time our food came, he and I were both in tears. I literally carried him to the restroom and tried to soothe him, but it wasn't getting any better. We got back to the table, the waitress brought us our check and we left. We drove to TPAC, where the show was going to be. Connor was actually saying that he just wanted to go home. I finally talked him into trying to walk a little to see if that would alleviate some of the pain. We got inside and Eddie got him a wheelchair. His pain finally started subsiding. The show was an hour and a half long, and he made it through just fine. He really enjoyed it. After the show he asked us what our favorite part was, we told him, then he said that his favorite part was ALL OF IT! Thank goodness he was able to enjoy it. We actually were thinking beforehand that we were going to have to go to the emergency room.

Most of his pain is due to the catheter, as I have probably told you before. When he has bladder spasms, the walls of his bladder constrict and he is not able to release urine, even through the catheter. I think last night was a really bad bladder spasm. The nerve endings in his penis are affected in a big way with the spasms resulting in a lot of pain there. Hopefully after his surgery, the catheter can come out, and we can re-train him on going to the bathroom on his own.

Thanks for checking in, thanks mostly for all the prayers, and please continue praying for Connor. Surgery is just ten days away now, on February 6th. Yah! Yah! Yah! Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you all!Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

P.S. Thanks for signing the guestbook. He is always asking me to read him the new entries. We have been overwhelmed with the response he is getting from all over the world! We love you!

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, WITH THANKSGIVING, LET YOUR REQUESTS BE KNOWN TO GOD.
AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6,7

Friday January 25, 2002 10:26 PM CST

Hello everyone! Thanks for checking in. Connor and Eddie are downstairs playing CD's and singing, Boy oh boy! So I thought it would be a good time to update the journal. Connor had a rough night Wednesday night. He was hurting and itching most of the night. His medications helped some, but never took it away completely. Thursday was an OK day, he laid around most of the day. Thursday night, he had some visitors from Mt. Pleasant General Baptist Church in Cottontown. My cousin Tabitha, her daughter Chelsea, Bro. Jimmie Vaughn, the Youth Minister, Betty Jo and Joseph, her son. We had a really good time talking with them. Someone mentioned PLAYSTATION, so Connor took the "boys" up to his room. Joseph showed Connor some new tricks on some of the games. Connor had a blast. After they left, he kept asking me when they would be coming back. It was really good for him to laugh and have such a good time.

Today we went to the clinic. We thought Connor would be getting Chemo, but apparently on this regimen, he skips this week and next. His Red Blood Count was very low, so we have to go back Monday morning, possibly for a transfusion. Hopefully everything will go well for tomorrow, because we can't let anything mess up SCOOBY DOO LIVE ON STAGE! The show is at 7:00 pm tomorrow night. We are all looking forward to it. Scooby has been around since I was a little girl, and was always my favorite too.

Thanks for the countless prayers that I know are going up for Connor. We appreciate each and every one of you, near and afar, for keeping up with Connor's progress. What would we do without you???
Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We Love You All!--Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME.
PHILIPPIANS 4:13

Wednesday January 23, 2002 10:09 PM CST

Hello everyone. Thanks once again for checking in. Today has been a good day. Connor woke up smiling, and has felt great all day. Yea! He rented a couple of games last night for his Playstation, so he has spent alot of time playing that today. His homebound teacher, Debra, came this afternoon and spent probably an hour and 1/2 working with him. He has lots of catching up to do, but just like with everything else, "One Day At A Time!"

Grandma "Cass", Aunt Sherry and Kyla came by this evening and visited with us for a couple of hours. Grandma brought her wonderful HOMEMADE Banana Pudding. Yum, Yum, Yum. She has been spoiling me with that since I was a little girl. Thanks Grandma, We Love You!

Thanks to everyone for all the continued prayers. Please keep 'em coming.

THE LORD IS NEAR TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM, TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM IN TRUTH.
PSALM 145:18

Thank you also for your encouragement. I shudder to think where we might be today without all the kind, encouraging, thought-provoking, prayerful, compassionate, and sympathetic words from all our friends and loved ones. Sometimes we all have to be reminded that God IS in charge, and all we need to do is turn our burdens over to Him, and He will carry them for us. Isn't that such a wonderful thing.

Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you all! Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little Trooper!

Monday January 21, 2002 9:12 PM CST

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. We were really lucky this time with the "full round" of chemo. When I wrote Saturday, Connor had not really gotten sick any. During the night Saturday night, he started vomiting some. Then Sunday afternoon, he did again. We stayed in all day Sunday and rested. I actually got to watch a movie on "Lifetime". With me being the only female in the house (besides Lexi, our kitten), sometimes it is hard to watch the "Channel for Women". Oh well, all in all it was an enjoyable day.

This morning, Connor slept until after 10:00. We left around 1:30 to go to Dr. Brock's office. We found out, for sure, that Connor's next CT scan will be on Feb. 4 (Monday), and then surgery to remove the remainder of the tumor will be on Wednesday, Feb. 6. He will be in the hospital at least overnight. His doctors will then make a determination as to whether or not he will have radiation and how much he will need, if any. Then back to more chemo. Things are looking really good for Connor, thanks to all the prayers.

ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU:
FOR EVERYONE THAT ASKETH RECEIVETH; AND HE THAT SEEKETH FINDETH; AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKETH, IT SHALL BE OPENED.

MATTHEW 7:7,8

We got out for a little while this evening. The mall was empty, so we took Connor to the game room in there to play some video games, one of his favorite things. He will be going to bed soon. He is hurting pretty bad right now, so he just had some medicine. We still have to do his shot before bedtime. We started it back up yesterday, and will continue for at least 10 days, until his counts get to an acceptable level. He always prefers to do it at the end of the day as opposed to first thing in the morning. He is SOOOOOOO brave about getting it.

I hope everyone has a good night and a great day tomorrow. God gave us a beautiful day today, plenty of sunshine and blue skies. Take care, peace to all, and God bless us all!

We love you! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

P.S. All of you who have children, give them an extra tight hug tonight at bedtime, they are such a blessing.

TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO: AND WHEN HE IS OLD, HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT.

PROVERBS 22:6

Saturday January 19, 2002 6:52 PM CST

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. Thursday, Connor had such a good day and was feeling great, so we decided to take him to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner and to play for a while before his chemo Friday. He had a great time. As soon as we got there, we ran into one of Connor's friends from pre-school, Zachary. He really enjoyed seeing him. Then we saw some friends of ours, Monica and her son, Sylvain. It was good for us all to get out and have fun. Afterwards, we went to Baskin Robbins and picked up ice cream and went to Grandmama's house. Nannie was staying with her for a couple of days, so we all had ice cream and visited for a while.

Then Friday morning, on to the clinic for admission into the hospital for chemo. We got down there at noon, and into our room around 4:00 pm. Chemo was started around 8:30 after Connor was hydrated to the level he needed to be. He and I were up quite a bit during the night, mostly with him hurting in his penis. The catheter causes that, but also the chemo coming back out of his system seems to be really hard on him. I asked for him to get nausea medication twice during the night, and he only got sick once and it was very little then. I tell you, I prayed ALL NIGHT LONG for this round to go much better, and once again, prayers were answered!

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I call to you all day long. Psalm 86:3

Nana and Poppy brought breakfast to the hospital, and miraculously, Connor's appetite was back. We couldn't believe it. They stayed with Connor while Eddie took me to the dentist for the root canal that had kept being put off since Connor was first diagnosed. We were gone for 2 hours and when we got back, Connor had a Nintendo in his room. He was really feeling good.

We were dismissed shortly thereafter. Nana and Poppy followed us home and helped unload all our "stuff". Eddie stopped and got bar-b-q and we all ate. Connor ate some bar-b-q, some white beans, and FOUR scrambled eggs. We are really going through the eggs lately. Anyone have a spare hen we could borrow? Connor wants them all the time. Grandmama came by and ate too, and visited for a little while.

It is now after 7:00. and Connor has been sleeping for about 2 1/2 hours now. I guess I'd better wake him or he will be up all night. Thanks for those continued prayers, and all the entries into the guest book. You all are very uplifting!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the LORD JESUS, giving thanks to GOD the FATHER through him. Colossians 3:17

Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little "Trooper"!

Thursday January 17, 2002 10:03 AM CST

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in. Connor is still snoozing this morning. He had a big day yesterday. Dr. Brock took him back for surgery early, around 10:30 am. He didn't remove the tumor. He wants him to have another full round of chemo first. Connor will be admitted tomorrow (Friday) into the hospital. In a couple of weeks, Dr. Brock will do a biopsy of the area. He said the tumor is SO SMALL now that he is having a difficult time deciding whether to remove what is left or let the chemo continue working. He showed us the CT scans (3 since October), so we were able to see the difference for ourselves. In October, The mass literally filled in every crevice in the region between his bladder, urethra, and rectum. In November, it appeared to have reduced in size by at least half. Then this past Friday, it is virtually just a speck on the scan! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Connor's urethra and rectum are clear now, so hopefully very SOON his suprapubic catheter can come out.

Isn't it amazing what Prayer can do? That is exactly what has gotten us this far in this battle against this monster called cancer. Thanks for all your entries into Connor's guestbook, please sign in again and again, he loves hearing from each and every one of you! It is very encouraging.

We hope everyone has a great day! Take care, peace to all, and God bless us all!

We love you all! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little Trooper!

Monday, January 14, 2001--9:30 pm

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. Today has been a GREAT day. Wanna know why? Because Dr. Brock, Connor's Urologist, called to let me know he had read the CT scan. He said he saw "remarkable improvement" in the size of Connor's tumor. I asked him if he thought it was less that 50% of what it was originally. His words were, "Yes, my God, less than 10%, even less than 5%." In other words, the tumor has shrunk 95%!!!!!!! Can you believe it?!? Let me tell you, that is a perfect example of the Power of Prayer! He said that it is so small that he hasn't yet decided his next step. Connor will have an exploratory surgery Wednesday so that Dr. Brock can examine his bladder.(because of the suprapubic catheter being in for 3 months now.) He will then check the tumor and the area around it to determine whether or not to remove it. We are SO excited. Just to know the chemo is working so well. Thank you everyone for all your prayers, and please keep 'em coming.

A short, but sweet verse:

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
Psalm 56:3

The Lord's faithfulness is monumental, majestic, true, and permanently dependable!

Take care, peace to all, and God Bless Us All!

We love you all! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little Trooper!

Sunday, January 13, 2002 at 06:28 PM (CST)

Hi everyone. Thanks for checking in. Well, I haven't updated since Friday so we'll start there. We went for the CT scan, then on to the clinic for chemo. Dr. Shankar wasn't at the clinic, but she called before we left and told me that she had looked at the scan. She said based on what she saw that the tumor appears to have shrunk 50% since November. Yea!Yea!Yea! She THINKS that Dr. Brock, Connor's urologist and the surgeon who will make the decision, will probably be ready to remove it. I should hear from him tomorrow after he views the scan. Please pray, pray, pray that we will get great news.

Last night we went to see the Predators play hockey. Connor did ride the Zamboni just before the start of the game. He did fantastic. They told him to wave at the crowd and boy, did he ever. His arm never came down the entire time. The game was great (Preds won 2-1 against the Ducks) and then all the kids got to go to the locker room to meet the players. Connor got his jersey signed by 8 or 10 players. He absolutely had the time of his life. We didn't get home until after 11:00 pm and he was exhausted.

Nana and Poppy came down to see Connor today and he enjoyed visiting with them. They brought breakfast and once again, Connor gobbled it down.

We are concerned about his legs. The Vincristine (chemo that he gets every week), has a side effect in some children that causes constant pain in their legs. Connor seems to be having more and more trouble all the time walking. We were told Friday that either they will have to cut down the dosage or he may have to have physical therapy. I think we are supposed to talk about that this week as well.

Well, I'll close for now. Keep those prayers coming, please.

DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. TRUST IN GOD; TRUST ALSO IN ME.
JOHN 14:1

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
1 CHRONICLES 16:11


Take care, peace to all, and God bless us all!

We love you! Rhonda, Eddie and Connor, our brave little Trooper!

Friday, January 11, 2002 at 04:30 AM (CST)

Good morning everyone. I finally got to sleep at 2:30 am and I'm back up at 4:30 am, could it be anticipation about the CT scan? Connor, bless his heart, woke up at 12:00 and stayed awake in bed with me until 2:15 am. We really had a great talk. He really amazes me with some of the grown-up talk that he can come out with sometimes. The child never forgets anything. He was talking about stuff that happened 3 years ago, in detail. Some of the stuff, I don't remember. One thing he said that was so cute was, "I'm bald, I'm small, but I can handle it all." Short, sweet, to the point, but OH, how profound! I asked him to please tell me that again today so that I could write it down, but how could I possibly forget that. That is what I mean when I call him my "Little Trooper." It just makes my heart ache to think about all that he goes through with this disease.

Well, like I said, today is the day! Our scan is at 11:00 am, then on the clinic for chemo. He is so nervous about his scan, more so than he has been before. I've tried to reassure him by telling him that I will be right there with him. The thing about it is, we will not know results until next week. Dr. Shankar has already told us that.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
2 Thessalonians 3:5,16

This is just another occasion when we have to put our Trust and Faith in God, and wait out the results. Please pray for us today, and every day. I know that we will get GREAT news back from the scan. We are just SO ready to get this "mass" out of Connor! I have prayed and prayed for it to just be gone from his body, never to return. God IS the great Healer and Physician!

Take care today, peace to all, have a great day, and by all means, God Bless Us All!

We love you! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little Trooper!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5

Wednesday, January 09, 2002 at 08:23 PM (CST)

Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days, but I haven't been feeling well. I've had an abcessed tooth, but I'm not sure if it is related to that or just a virus. Anyway, I'm finally starting to feel a little better. Connor has had a good couple of days. We have been doing his IV antibiotics every 8 hours. Hopefully they are doing their job. I guess we'll find out soon enough. But he does seem to feel better.

His home health nurse came this morning to draw blood for counts. We expected to hear back tonight from that, but so far, we have not. His home-bound teacher came by this afternoon and left a TON of work for him to be working on as he feels like it. She will be back next week. Her husband came by too, and brought Connor a camo hat from the Nashville Fire Dept. Connor loves it. It matches his camo stuff that Nana and Poppy got him for Christmas.

If anyone reading this is going to be at the Predators game this Saturday night, look for Connor on the Zamboni before the start of the game. We are going with a group from Vanderbilt compliments of Amy, Child Life Representative. Connor is really looking forward to it. He will also get to go to the locker room after the game and meet a couple of the players.

Thanks for checking in. Please sign the guestbook. We love the encouragement. Please continue sending up those prayers. Our next CT scan is only 2 days away now, on Friday, the 11th. We know that we will get good news!!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

Take care, peace to all, and God bless us all!

We love you! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little Trooper!!

Monday, January 07, 2002 at 09:19 PM (CST)

Hi everyone. Well, much to our surprise, we are at HOME!!! Connor had a good night last night. I was awake this morning well before Connor, so I spent my time praying by his bedside. When he awoke, he looked at me and said, "Mommy, I feel much better today!" The answer to all our prayers. He was eating Rice Krispies when Nana and Poppy got to the hospital around 9:00 am. They brought Nana's yummy homemade biscuits and bacon that Poppy had fried. Connor ate it up. We couldn't believe it. His appetite is back.

He continued his IV antibiotics all morning. Around 12:00, the playroom closed for lunch. They let us bring Connor in there so that he could play without picking up germs from other children. He really enjoyed it. Nana and Poppy left around 1:15, and we went back to the room. We were told that he was going to be dismissed. We left the hospital around 3:00 this afternoon. It was so good to get home. Shawna, Connor's home health care nurse, came around 7:00 to teach me how to do the IV antibiotics. We have to do them every 8 hours for the next NINE days. His infection was a staff infection. He is being treated with Vancomycin. He gets Benedryl before to prevent "Red Man Syndrome", which he got with his first dose Saturday. That is exactly what it did, it turned his entire head, part of his chest and stomach, and part of his legs beet red. Anyway, it is a three hour drip, then we are done for 5 hours when we repeat the process.

Thanks for checking in, and for all the prayers. We are so thankful to be home tonight. As Connor tells me, "Home is the bestest place to be!" Take care and Peace to All!

We love you all! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little Trooper!

Sunday, January 06, 2002 at 06:09 PM (CST)

Hello everyone. Thanks for signing in. We are still at Vanderbilt and will be for at least a couple more days. Connor is still on IV antibiotics. His particular "bug" causing the infection has not yet been identified. Hopefully by tomorrow they will know more about what we are dealing with specifically, so that they can treat it with the proper antibiotic. He didn't have a fever all day on Saturday. He slept well last night until around 4:00 am. He woke me up and we were just talking. At 4:45 am, all of a sudden, he started vomiting pure blood. It was also coming out his nose. His platelets had bottomed out, so the nurse ordered some from the blood bank. I had to plug his nose the entire time he got the platelets. He was also given something for the vomiting. Eddie had gone home last night so that he could go to church this morning, but I called him because I was really scared. By the time he got here, Connor was asleep and slept until around 9:00 am, when Nana and Poppy got here.

He perked up a little with them here. Eddie and I went down to the cafeteria to have lunch. They left around 2:00. Connor and I dozed off for a little while, and woke up around 4:30. He had spiked a fever of 101.9. He has taken tylenol now. The nurse drew blood for another culture. We haven't gotten the results back yet. He is just really feeling bad now.

Please continue to pray for Connor. We know that all of you are, and that really makes us feel better. We know that God can make anything happen, and all we want is for Connor to be well. Please pray for us, our families and friends. Also, please pray for Connor's doctors to have the knowledge to do everything within their power to help Connor.

We really appreciate all the support. I can't express that enough. Please sign his guestbook. It is very encouraging to us to read your entries. Take care and peace to all. Oh, I have attempted to put pictures on here, the first one did fine, but the other two, well, you'll see. Maybe I can fix them when I get the chance. I'll try to update everyone tomorrow.

We love you all!! Rhonda, Eddie, and Connor, our brave little Trooper