dear friends.-- Please Pray: that the FDA will allow the treatment for
thomas----as i said in the last email, thomas continues to remind me,
"mom, let it go, pray!! God is bigger than the FDA " - pray
we went this morning for blood work and a check up. thomas' platelet
count was low but, not low enough to need a transfusion. thomas'
immune count was 0 (literally zero). thomas will go tomorrow for blood
work again and a check up. the doctors want to make sure that the
platelet count has not dropped anymore. if thomas' platelets are
down tomorrow, he will get a platelet transfusion. please pray that
the platelet count comes up. please pray that the immune counts come up
and come up now. please pray that thomas is protected from any
sickness/ infection-- this is really important w/ his immune
system at 0.---- please pray that he is protected from any
infection/sickness. please pray that the tumors will be eliminated
completely --thomas needs a miracle. Luke 18 :1-8 comes to
mind, that God hears and answers the persistant prayers of His people...
please pray without ceasing for a healing miracle for thomas.
Please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2 pray .that the chemo will work in a miraculous way and eliminate the
tumors completely--- MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gen.18:14 Is anything too
hard for the Lord?...
3. pray that thomas' counts (immune, platelet, hemoglobin) will
come up and come up strong -- please pray that the immune count and
platelet counts come up now.
4. pray that thomas will not have anymore seizures-- please
pray that he will have no seizures
5. pray that thomas will not have pain
6. pray that thomas will regain full use of his left hand/arm-- we
praise that he has gotten some movement back and pray for the complete use
of the hand/arm
8. pray for the protection of josh and zack-- emotional, physical, and
spritual
9 pray for a complete healing miracle for thomas, from the Great
Physician, the God of Miracles--- a miracle, that God will be glorified in
and that thomas will testify to here---Psalm 118:17 I will not die, but
live and proclaim what the Lord has done. thankyou for your prayers for
thomas. please pray without ceasing for a healing miracle for thomas. it
is his hope.
amy
our contact info:
www.ccpickens.org
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
Sunday, September 24, 2006 8:29 PM
dear friends, Please Pray that the FDA will approve the treatment for
thomas--- thomas continues to remind me, "mom, God is bigger than
the FDA"--please pray that they will allow the treatment for thomas
,and that the FDA will approve it as soon as possible
Praise: thomas has some movement in his left hand / arm. he can now
open and close his fingers. Praise,praise, praise.
thomas went to the hospital today for blood work. thomas' platelet
count was low , so he was admitted to the hospital for the day and given
a platelet transfusion. thomas' immune counts were even lower than on
friday. please pray that thomas' blood counts --Platelet, Immune,
Hemoglobin- come up. please pray that the blood counts come up now and
stay strong. please pray that thomas is protected from any other
sickness/ infection, this is really important w/ his immune count so
low. we are scheduled to go for blood work and a check up on tuesday. i
will let you know how that goes.
Please Pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors
completely--- miracle. Gen. 18:14 Is anything too hard for the
Lord?......
3. that thomas' blood counts-Platelet, Immune, hemoglobin will come
up now and come up strong--- he can't get his chemo until counts are
UP!!!
4. that thomas is protected from any sickness/infection--
5. that thomas have no more seizures
6. that thomas have no pain
7. that thomas regain use of his left hand/arm---praise for the
movement that is restored and pray for complete restoration of use and
strength
8 protection of josh and zack
9. a complete healing miracle , from the Great Physician for thomas.
a miracle, that God will be glorified by and that thomas can testify to
here.
Ps:118:17 I will not die, but live,and proclaim what the Lord has
done.
Luke 18:1-8, the Lord hears and answers the persistant and fervent
prayers of His people.
please pray without ceasing for a healing miracle for thomas.
thankyou for your love,prayers, and support .
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Friday, September 22, 2006 5:56 PM
dear friends, Please Pray : that the FDA will approve the treatment
for thomas. -- thomas earlier today, sensing my
"stress/heartache" (which i thought i was hiding) that the FDA
hasn't yet approved the treatment for thomas, firmly reminded me,
"mom, let it go-- pray-- God is a lot bigger than the FDA !!!"
-- so, i am asking you to pray with us, that if God is going to use this
treatment in thomas' miracle and for thomas' healing , that the FDA
approve it for thomas.
thomas went today for bloodwork and a check up. thomas' blood counts
had all dropped. he was given a platelet transfusion and is taking shots
everyday to try to get his immune count up-- right now the immune count
is almost nothing, almost no immunity ..... please pray that thomas'
blood counts come up: platelets, immune, hemoglobin. please pray that
thomas is completely protected from any sickness/infection of any
kind--- please pray that he does not catch anything w/ the his immune
system being so low. -- we will go to the hospital on sunday morning to
get blood work. thomas' doctors want to make sure that his platelet
count is at a safe level-- if his platelets are too low on sunday, he
will go in the hospital and have a platelet transfusion. so, please pray
that the platelets come up and come up now, and also, that the immune
counts come up strong. i will let you know how it goes on sunday.
Please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors--
miracle!!
3. that thomas' blood counts(Platelet, immune, hemoglobin) will come
up and will come up quickly and come up to high levels- (also, counts
must be up to get his chemo!! --please pray they are up asap, so he can
get the chemo)
4. that thomas will be protected from any sickness/ infection of any
kind
5. that thomas will have no more seizures
6. that thomas will not have pain
7. that our other 2 boys josh and zack will be protected in all of
this/ in everyway
8. that thomas will receive a healing miracle, from the God of
miracles and that God will use to His glory here-- please keep praying
for a miracle for thomas. amy
Thursday, September 21, 2006 4:40 PM
dear friends, PLEASE PRAY that the FDA will approve the treatment for
thomas.-- and that they will approve it as quickly as possible--- please
pray.
we went today for chemo, but thomas' counts were too low to get the
chemo. we will go to the doctor tomorrow for blood work and a checkup.
thomas' doctors want to check thomas' platelet counts, to see if he will
need a platelet transfusion tomorrow. please pray that thomas' platelets
will come up on their own , NOW. please pray that thomas' immune counts
will come up, his immune count was extremely low today. please pray that
all of thomas' blood counts (platelet, immune, hemoglobin) come up now--
and stay up. please pray that thomas is protected from any other
sickness/ infection, this is especially important since his immune
system is so low right now. i will let you know how tomorrow's
appointment goes.
thankyou for all of your prayers for our son. thomas needs a MIRACLE,
and prayer is that hope. thankyou for sharing thomas' prayer needs with
your email groups, churches, and prayer loops. please keep sharing
thomas' prayer needs. please keep forwarding the email prayer updates to
your email groups. prayer is thomas' hope and strength. if anyone would
like to be added to my email prayer group for thomas , send me your
email address, i would be happy to add you to the email prayer group
that i send w/ updates on thomas.
Please Pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that thomas' counts (platelet, immune, hemoglobin) will come up
and come up quickly-- and that the counts will stay strong and high
3. that the chemo will work miraclulously in eliminating the tumors
completely-- miracle!!!!!!!!!! Is anything too hard for the Lord ?
Genesis 18:14
4. that thomas will be protected from any other sickness/
infection--this is critical w/ his immune system so low.
5. that thomas will not have anymore seizures-- please pray NO
seizures
6. that thomas will not be in pain.---Please pray that he will not
have pain
7. protection-- physical , spiritual, emotional-- for our other 2
boys , josh and zack
8, that thomas will regain the use of his left hand/arm
completely.---- he never complains about not being able to use his
arm/hand but, please pray that God will restore the full use of his left
arm/hand---it would be such a blessing for thomas to be able to use his
hand again.
9. pray for a complete healing miracle for thomas, a miracle, that
God will use to His glory here.
Ps. 118: 17 I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord
has done. .
Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth
them out of ALL their troubles.
please pray without ceasing for thomas. thankyou, you give us hope.
amy
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org --
photo's and prayer updates are posted at our church website
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 4:56 PM
dear friends,
PLEASE PRAY: that the FDA will approve the treatment for thomas------pray.
thomas will go for chemo in the morning (thursday). please pray that
God is glorified in all of this. please pray that his counts are high
enough to get the chemo. please pray that thomas' platelet count is up and that
it stays up. thomas has had to have several platelet transfusions, over the last
week. please pray that thomas' body will make platelets in a mighty way and that
his platelet count will come up strong and come up quickly. please
pray that all counts (platelet, hemoglobin, immune) stay strong. please pray
that thomas does not have any pain. please pray that thomas does not have
anymore seizures--NO SEIZURES.. please pray that thomas
is protected from all side effects of the chemo-- please pray for his complete
protection from any side effects.of the chemo. PLEASE PRAY: that the chemo
will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors-- i will let you know how
tomorrow goes. thankyou for your ceaseless prayers for thomas. please pray for a
healing miracle for thomas that God will use for His glory.
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
"For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by His power, and
everything is for His glory." Romans 11:36
Tuesday, September 19, 2006 12:41 PM
dear friends, URGENT PRAYER NEED: please pray that the FDA will approve the
treatment for thomas. please pray that they approve it quickly. please
pray!!!!!!!!!
thomas went today for blood work and a checkup. his platelets were low so he
was given a platelet transfusion. he is scheduled for chemo on thursday morning,
if his blood counts are strong enough. please pray that his counts will be
up, especially that his PLATELETS will be UP! and that he can get his
chemo on thursday. please pray that the chemo will work miraculously in
eliminating the tumors. please pray that thomas will be protected from all side
effects of the chemo.
Please Pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that the FDA will allow the treatment for thomas--that the FDA will
approve the treatments and approve it quickly.
3. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors--
miracle!!!! and that thomas will be protected from all side effects of the chemo
4. that thomas' blood counts will stay strong-- (hemoglobin, platelet,
immune) that thomas' Platelet count will come up NOW and come up strong
5. that thomas will stay well : no sickness/ infection
6. that thomas will have NO seizures
7. that thomas will have no pain
8. that thomas will regain use of his left arm/hand
9. that our other 2 boys, josh and zack, will be protected through all of
this
10. that God would give thomas a healing miracle. and that He will be
glorified in it.
thankyou for your prayers. please pray without ceasing for thomas. it is his
hope.
amy epting
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Monday, September 18, 2006 10:36 AM
dear friends.
thomas went this morning for blood work and a checkup. his platelet count was
low. we will go again in the morning for blood work and a check up--- they are
watching his platelets closeley if the platelets drop any lower,
he will need to get another platelet transfusion. please
pray that thomas' body will make platelets in a mighty way--- that they will
come up and come up quickly on their own NOW, so that he does not have to
have a platelet transfusion. please pray that thomas' other counts stay strong:
hemoglobin, platelet, immune. thomas will have chemo on thursday if his counts
are high enough and his platelets are high enough-- please pray that thomas'
counts are high enough to have his chemo this week. please pray that
thomas will be protected from the side effects of the chemo.
PLEASE PRAY: that the FDA will allow the treatments for thomas and approve it
quickly.
please pray that God is glorified in all of this
please pray that counts come up-- especially platelet count and that it come
up NOW.
please pray that the chemo works miraculously in eliminating the tumors
please pray that thomas has no more seizures
please pray that thomas has no pain
please pray that thomas regains use of his left hand/arm
please pray for protection of our other 2 boys, josh and zack
please pray for a healing miracle for thomas.
our contact info.
www.ccpickens.org
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
thankyou for your prayers for thomas and our family-- you give us hope.
amy
Saturday, September 16, 2006 5:13 PM
URGENT PRAYER NEED: please pray that the FDA will allow an experimental
treatment for thomas. it is safe, scientifically sound, and may be a hope for
thomas. please, please pray that the FDA will allow thomas to get the treament---- please
pray that they will approve it quickly-- so that it could be done asap. also--
please pray for a healing miracle for thomas-- he needs one in a mighty way---
please pray for God to be glorified through thomas' miracle. thankyou for
sharing thomas' prayer needs with everyone you can. thankyou.
please pray: that the chemo will eliminate the tumors completely-- miracle.
dear friends. thomas went for blood work at the hospital lab today. his
platelet counts had dropped alot so, he was admitted to the hospital for the day
and he was given a platelet transfusion. he is home resting now. he has had some
side effects from thursday's chemo, please pray that they will stop. we go for
blood work and a check up on monday. please pray that thomas' counts come
up(platelet, hemoglobin, immune) please pray that the platelet count especially
comes up and stays strong--- all of thomas' treatments depend on his counts
staying strong, or he can't get the chemo-- please pray that all of his counts
stay strong.
thankyou for your faithful and ceaseless prayers for our son. they are
his hope. God's miracle is thomas' hope. please pray without ceasing for thomas.
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Gen 18:14 is anything too hard for the Lord?............................
Friday, September 15, 2006 4:36 PM
dear friends,
Please , please pray that the FDA will approve the experimental
treatment for Thomas. We are hopeful of what it will offer him. We
go for testing tomorrow for Thomas's platelet counts. Please pray that his
platelets have increased on their own and that he will not need to receive a
platelet infusion. We continue to trust that God's will will be done in all
of this.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I
give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let if be afraid. John
14:27
thankyou for your faithful prayers for our son.
tommy and amy
Thurdsay, September 14, 2006 6:12 PM
dear friends -- we have an urgent prayer need. we are hoping to get
permission to try an experimental treatment for thomas. right now the FDA
panel is reviewing whether or not they will let thomas be given the
treatment. please pray, that if it is God's Will for thomas to
get this treatment, that the FDA will grant thomas' doctors
permission to give it to thomas. also, continue to pray for God's
miracles and blessings on thomas' current treatment plan we are doing
now. thomas had chemo today. the treatment went well --- so far,
thomas has had none of the bad side effects -- praise!! please continue to pray
that he does not have any side effects from the chemo. thomas counts were good
enough to get chemo-- praise!! however, thomas' platelet count had
dropped a lot, and his doctors are concerned it could drop more-- this can
be physically dangerous but, it would also keep him from getting chemo next
week. Please Pray that thomas' platelet count will come up! and that the
platelet count will stay up !!!!!! please pray that all of thomas' blood counts
(hemoglobin, platelet, immune system stay strong). thomas is scheduled for chemo
again next thursday. please pray that his counts are good enough to get chemo.
please pray that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors---
MIRACLE!
pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that thomas' counts are strong-- that his platelet count comes way up
3. that the chemo will work miracles in eliminating the tumors
4. that thomas stays well of infection/ sickness of any kind
5. that thomas have no seizures--- please pray that he is protected from
anymore seizures
6. that thomas will have no pain-- please pray he has no pain
7. that thomas will regain the use of his left arm/ hand and full use of his
leg
8. protection of our other 2 boys, josh and zack
9. a healing miracle for thomas that will glorify God,
thank you for your prayers. please keep praying without ceasing for a healing
miracle for thomas. God's miracle is his hope. amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Wednesday, September 13, 2006 8:08 PM
dear friends,
thomas is scheduled to have iv chemo tomorrow morning. please pray that the
treatment goes well and that thomas has NO side effects from it.
please pray for his comfort during and after treatment. please pray that
his blood counts are strong/good. thomas' doctors are planning to add several
new chemo medications in hopes that they will help in shrinking (or if given
a miracle--eliminating) the tumors. please pray that thomas handles the
new medications well. please pray that he is protected from all side effects of
them. thomas needs a healing miracle from the God of miracles. please stand in
prayer with us, without ceasing, for a healing miracle for thomas. (we are
reminded in Luke18:1-8 that God answers the fervent prayers of His people) we
also remember psalm 118:17-I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of
the Lord. please pray for a healing miracle for thomas, that God will heal
thomas for His glory here-- and that thomas can testify to it..
please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this (thomas' main request)
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors--truly,
that it will work miracles.
3. that thomas will be protected from all side effects of the chemo and
protected from all side effects of all the medications
4.that thomas' blood counts will be strong and thomas will be protected from
all infection/ sickness
5.that thomas will have NO more seizures-- that God will spare him and
protect him from any seizures
6. that thomas will have NO pain-- please pray that he has no pain
7, protection, mentally, physically, and spritually for our other 2 boys.,
josh and zack
8. wisdom for the doctors and tommy and i as descisions are made regarding
treatment
9. that thomas will regain the use of his left hand/arm
10. that thomas will be able to sleep well at night
11. a healing miracle for thomas.
thankyou for your prayers.
amy
our contact info.
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Friday, September 8, 2006 9:15 PM
dear friends.
thomas had chemo thursday morning. the treatment went well. so far
thomas has been protected from all of the bad side effects-- praise. please
pray that he continues to be protected from the bad side effects of the chemo
and also that he will regain strength quickly. thomas' counts were good--
praise. please pray that his counts stay strong. thomas is scheduled for iv
chemo again next thursday. please be in prayer that it will work miraculously in
eliminating the tumors. please be in prayer that thomas will be protected from
bad side effects of the chemo next thursday. saturday morning our pastor
and elders are coming to our house to annoint thomas with oil and pray for
healing and also to have communion. please be in prayer over this time of
healing prayer with our pastor and elders. please pray that God will be
here in a mighty way- a mighty healing way --- please pray for a healing
miracle for thomas. ( thankyou for your prayers for me while
tommy was at air force reserves-- God protected us and all was stable w/ thomas.
while he went to shaw afb ) please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors---- thomas
needs a miracle in a big ,big way!!
3. that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune ) will stay strong
and that he will stay free of all sickness/infection of any kind
4. that thomas will stay free of all seizures-- that God will protect thomas
from any seizures and that thomas will have no more seizures
5. that thomas will have no pain--- please, please pray that thomas has no
pain
6. that God will give thomas comfort, peace, and strength beyond measure
7. protection mentally, spiritually, and physically for our other 2 boys josh
and zack
8. a healing miracle from the God of miracles for thomas.---
please, please pray for a miracle for thomas , it is his hope. .
thankyou for your prayers and love--
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Wednesday, September 6,2006 7:14 PM
dear friends.
thomas will have iv chemo tomorrow morning. please pray that the chemo works
miraculously in eliminating the tumors. please pray that thomas is protected
from the side effects of the chemo. we are grateful for your continuing prayers
and support for thomas and our family. we are standing in faith and hope for a
complete healing miracle for thomas. please join us in prayer for God's miracle
in a mighty way. also, please pray that thomas will have no more seizures, that
he will be protected from them and that they will not happen again. . please
please--pray that thomas is protected from them.
please pray.
1. that God is glorified in all of this.
2. that the chemo works miracles in eliminating the tumors
completely--that God will work in a miraculous way
3 that thomas is protected from all of the side effects of the
chemo
4 that thomas' blood counts (hemoglobin, platelet, immune) stay
strong and that he have no other infection / sickness of any kind
5. that thomas have NO MORE SEIZURES-- please please pray that he have no
more seizures-- we are begging God that they are stopped
6 that thomas have no pain
7 protection physically, emotionally, spiritually for our other 2 boys,
josh and zack
8 peace, comfort, protection and God's grace for thomas
9. a healing miracle from the God of miracles for thomas
thankyou for your prayers. please keep praying for God's miracle
for thomas.
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
amy
is anything to hard for the LORD?....Gen 18:14
Tuesday, September 5, 2006 9:48 PM
when i get dire news, it is my tendency to effectively give up hope--i forget
that Jesus is working in these messy situations that are steeped in the fall, so
the news of thomas epting can certainly seem hopeless and we shift our prayers
from ones beseeching God for a healing miracle to ones asking for God's mercy.
and thomas certainly needs God's mercy, but i am reminded in scripture in the
parable of the persistent widow (Lk 18:1-8) that God answers the fervent prays
of his children. and because of this, i plead for a healing miracle for thomas
from Jesus and i ask you to join with me. we see God giving thomas much grace
and much faith in this difficult time, the boundless encouragement to me each
time i am with him is grace above that which i have seen before. i ask you to
praise God for thomas'
life and faith and then ask for a miracle--in the cross, hope is never lost.
Psalm 118:17 "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the
LORD."
thomas is full of hope in this, and we should join with him; in faith first,
then hope - that Jesus may heal him and be glorified.
john cochran
Monday, September 4, 2006 3:35 PM
dear friends.
thomas had iv chemo on thursday. the treatment went well. God protected
thomas from the bad side effects-- praise. as i said in the last email, the mri
showed that the tumors have grown. this is not good news, especially since the
tumors are inoperable and we need them to disappear from the chemo treatments .
we are continuing on the iv chemo treatments and asking God for a miracle.
please, please pray that God will give thomas a healing miracle in a mighty way
and use the healing miracle and thomas for God's glory here. thomas is
completely in the hands of the Great Physician and we are humbly asking
Him for a mighty healing miracle for thomas. thomas will have iv chemo
again on thursday. please pray that thomas is protected from the bad side
effects of the chemo. please pray that the brain tumors will be healed
miraculously. Please pray:
1. that God is glorified
2. that thomas' blood counts stay strong and that he stays well, no infection
or sickness
3. pray that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors
completely pray that thomas have no bad side effects from the chemo this week
4. pray for thomas to have comfort, peace, and that thomas have NO PAIN
5. pray for our other 2 boys josh and zack-- for their health and protection
6. pray for a healing miracle for thomas.
7. pray that thomas will regain use of his arm/hand and full use of his leg
thankyou for your prayers and support.
amy
our contact info:
www.ccpickens.org
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
Wednesday, August 30, 2006 2:09 PM
dear friends,
the mri test showed that the largest tumor has doubled in size since the last
mri 2 weeks ago. thomas is to go tomorrow morning to start 2
different iv chemo treatments.
1. please pray that God is glorified
2. please pray that he is protected from the side effects of these 2
chemo's.(nausea, stomach cramping, etc) please pray that he is protected and has
no bad side effects from the chemo tomorrow morning.
3. please pray that his counts stay strong.
4. please pray that he is protected from anyother sickness/infection.
5. please pray that the tumors respond miraculously to the chemo
and are eliminated
6. please pray that thomas has no pain, please , please pray that he has no
pain.
7. please pray for josh and zack:protection, health
8. pray for thomas to have comfort ,peace, and strength from the Lord.
summing it all up-- thomas needs a miracle. please pray. i will let you
know how tomorrow goes. thankyou for your prayers.
our contact info:
www.ccpickens.org
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
amy epting
Tuesday, August 29, 2006 3:59 PM
dear friends,
thomas has lost almost all movement in his left hand/arm again -- also, his
walking with the left leg is more difficult. thomas' doctor's have scheduled an
mri test tomorrow morning at 7;30 to see if the tumors are growing again (or if
anything else shows up, that would explain the loss of use of the left
arm/hand)-- i think thomas' doctor's main thought/ concern is
that the tumors are growing. i don't even know where to begin in asking for
prayer right now, it hurts to even breathe --- i know that thomas' request would
be," that God is glorified." please let the Holy Spirit guide
your prayers for thomas. please, please pray for thomas' comfort and
strength and peace-- please!!! . please, please pray that he have no
more seizures. i will let you know the results of the mri when i know them
tomorrow.
amy
our contact info:
www.ccpickens.org
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
Monday, August 28, 2006 4:43 PM
dear friends,
thankyou for your prayers for thomas and our family . thomas came home
from the hospital early this afternoon.-- praise!!! he is on 2 seizure
medications. please pray that the medications will work and that they will prevent
anymore seizures. please pray that thomas will be able to tolerate the seizure
medicine: that he will have no reaction/rash to it. thomas is a little stronger
today, please pray that he continues to regain strength. thomas has
lost some of the use of his left hand/arm and leg again ,since having all of the
seizures-- please pray that this use will return completely and that he
will be completely healed and use of his left arm/hand restored. thomas'
blood counts today were good-- praise!!!!. thomas is continuing to take his
chemo pills every night, please pray that the chemo will work
miraculously in eliminating the tumors. thomas is scheduled to go to the
doctor's office on friday for blood work and a checkup. i will let you know how
that goes. Please Pray:
1. that God is glorified through all of this
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors--- that
the tumors will be eliminated completely--miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the tumors
are inoperable so this is critical.
3. that the seizure medicine will work and that thomas will have no more
seizures--please pray, that if it is w/in God's plan that thomas will have NO
more seizures.
4. that thomas will not have any bad reaction/rash from the seizure
medicine-- that he is able to stay on the medicine, that his body will tolerate
the medicine and that the medicine will work in preventing all seizures.
5. that thomas will regain use of his left arm/hand and leg completely and
regain use as soon as possible
6. protection of our other boys josh and zack-- and for the health of our
family as we care for thomas
7. that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune) stay strong and
that he stay well of all sickness/infection
8.that thomas will be able to sleep/rest well at night , so that he will
regain strength.
thankyou for your prayers. i can't imagine doing this w/o them. please keep
praying for a miracle.
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Sunday, August 27, 2006 11:14 AM
dear friends,
thankyou for your prayers for thomas and our family these past days. we have
needed your prayers and support in this valley, more than you can know--
truly your prayers give us hope. thomas has not had any seizures on
friday or saturday--praise!!! his doctors want him to stay seizure free
for 2 or 3 days before they will let him come home from the hospital. please
pray that if it is with in God's plan and within God's will,
that thomas will not have anymore seizures. please
pray that the seizure medicine will work to control the seizures and also,
please pray that thomas' body will tolerate the seizure medication: that
thomas will have no reaction or rash from the medicine--this is very important,
that thomas be able to take the medicine w/o any reaction to it.
thomas has continued on his chemo pills--every night. please pray that the
chemo works miraculously in eliminating the tumors. please pray that
thomas' blood counts stay strong and that thomas is protected from
anyother infection /sickness of any kind. please keep praying
for a miracle. please keep praising God for all of the blessings and
miracles so far. thankyou for your prayers for our son.
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org.
Thursday, August 24, 2006 8:01 AM
Dear friends,
Thomas continued to have seizures last night and this morning. They are
planning to switch him to the much less desirable seizure medications if he
shows no improvement today. Please pray that the the seizure medications he is
presently on will become effective and that he will not need to switch to the
other kind.
Thank you!
Tommy
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 10:05 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas is in the hospital tonight. At this point, we don't know when he will
come home. He has had a number of seizures throughout the day.
He is already on high doses of the seizure medications, and cannot be given
much higher doses. There aren't really any other seizure medications
available that don't potentially come with some bad side effects. Please pray
that God will give Thomas relief from the seizures whether through an outright
miracle or through use of the medications.
Thomas' blood counts continue to be good, as does his appetite, and we praise
God for that! Also, he has been able to stay on this 21 day course of chemo. He
has about 12 days to go on this cycle. Please also pray that he can
complete this cycle.
Thank you for your prayers.
Tommy
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 11:33 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas had to go back to the hospital tonight because of seizures. He had
come home earlier today, but began having seizures around 5 pm. After giving him
a new medicine, the seizures calmed down, but came back around 8:30 pm. These
seizures were not as severe as what he has had in the past, but were more
frequent. His doctor decided to admit him in the hospital to try some IV seizure
medicine for the night. We are truly blessed to have great doctors and a
hospital nearby that can treat Thomas.
Please pray that he will stop having the seizures, and specifically, that the
doctors will be able to find a medication regimen that will eliminate the
seizures, and that he will not have any adverse reaction to the seizure
medications, which can happen. Please pray also that his blood counts will stay
up so that he will be able to stay on his chemo.
Please also pray for our boys, Josh and Zack, and for Amy. She stays in the
hospital with Thomas 24/7, never leaving his side.
We continue to trust God for a miraculous healing.
Thank you for standing with us.
Tommy
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. Hebrews 11:1
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 5:54 PM
dear friends,
thomas came home from the hospital this afternoon. however, he has just
started having multiple smaller seizures here at home. (5:00) his doctors
have increased the seizure meds and are watching the seizure activity while
deciding wether or not to have us come back to the hospital
tonight---please , please pray. please pray for complete healing and
comfort for thomas.
amy
Monday, August 21, 2006 10:47 PM
Dear Friends,
Thomas is still in the hospital tonight, but will hopefully come home
tomorrow. His doctors have added another medicine to see if that will help
eliminate further seizures. Thomas will also have a brain wave test tomorrow to
see if the doctors can learn any more information on what might be causing the
seizures. Please pray that the test goes well and that he gets good news on
that. Please also pray that he will not have any more seizures and that he can
come home tomorrow (Tuesday). So far, he is tolerating the oral chemo well.
Please pray that his blood counts stay up so that he can continue on the chemo.
Finally, please pray that his spirit stays strong. God has blessed him with
an incredible peace and attitude through all of this.
We praise God that Thomas has had a good appetite lately and also that his
headaches seem to have subsided!
Thanks you so much for your prayers.
Tommy
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Sunday, August 20, 2006 8:19 PM
Thomas is on the way to the hospital in an ambulance. He had another seizure.
This is the first one he's had since Monday. Please pray that God will give him
relief from the seizures. We expect him to be kept at the hospital for at least
tonight.
Please also pray that he will be able to stay on his chemo regimen. Thomas
was having a really good day today up until the seizure.
Thank you.
Tommy
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 9:58 PM
dear friends,
thomas came home from the hospital tonight. Praise!!!!! he is on a higher
dose of seizure medicine. please pray that he will not have anymore seizures,
they are terrifying and very draining on him . upon looking at the
mri, the doctors could not find any damage from the seizures that
thomas had yesterday. praise---they do not know why he had the seizures
but thankfully, the mri showed that the brain tumors had not grown-- praise!!!
please pray that he is protected from anymore seizures, if it is w/in God's
will. thomas' heart rate was very low all last night -- so, he had several heart
tests today. thomas' cardiologist reported that everything looked normal
with thomas' heart-- praise!!!! thomas also had a chest xray today-- it was
clear and looked normal-- praise!!! please pray that the pneumonia does not come
back ever. thomas blood counts have come up, so he has started his next
chemo regimen. he will take chemo pills by mouth every night for 21 days. please
pray that the chemo will be miraculously effective in eliminating the tumors
completely (thomas' tumors are inoperable, so we need the chemo to work miracles
and eliminate the tumors completely.) please pray that the tumors will respond
to the chemo in a miraculous way. please pray that thomas' blood counts
(hemoglobin, platelet, immune) will stay strong . please pray that thomas will
stay well-- no sickness or infection of any kind. he is
still weak , some headaches, some nausea--- please pray that the nausea
will go away, the headaches will go away and that he will regain his strength.
thomas is supposed to go to the doctor monday or tuesday , i will let
you know what we find out. please pray for thomas' doctors for their
protection and wisdom. we are so grateful for your prayers, you cannot
imagine the blessing they are to us-- they are our hope. please keep
praying for a healing miracle . please keep praying that God is glorified in all
of this.
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
18 west hillcrest dr
greenville, sc 29609
Monday, August 14, 2006 8:35 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas is in the hospital tonight recovering from the seizures he had today.
He's exhausted. The doctors have increased his seizure medicine to try and
prevent further seizures. He doesn't seem to have suffered any damage from the
seizures. He can still use his left arm and leg. (After the first seizure he had
in May, he was not able to use his left hand.)
The doctors gave him another MRI this morning to see if there had been an
increase in tumor size and/or brain swelling, but praise God, the tumors had not
grown (a couple of the smaller ones may have even shrunk a little!), and there
was no brain swelling. Thomas continues to have headaches and nausea, and the
doctors are trying to determine the causes.
Other good news was that Thomas' blood counts were GREAT! He is to resume his
chemo (oral pills for 21 days) tonight. We thank God that his immune system
rebounded so well.
Please pray that Thomas' headaches and nausea will stop and that he will
tolerate the chemo well with no side effects, and that God will in his
sovereignty will use the chemo to eliminate the tumors.
We can't tell you how much we appreciate your prayers!
Tommy
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7
Monday, August 14, 2006 8:36 AM
Thomas had a seizure this morning, and EMS came to take him to the hospital.
On the way to the hospital, he began seizures again. He is being taken to the
emergency room at Greenville Hospital.
PLEASE PRAY!
Thank you!
Tommy
Friday, August 11, 2006 3:01 PM
dear friends,
thomas is still very, very weak-- nausea a little better but still
there-- he has started having bad headaches as well. please pray that God will
heal and strengthen him. he never ever complains about anything he has to go
through--but, as a mom i would love for God to make him feel better. if thomas
worsens over the weekend we will go to the hospital for a check up. if thomas
improves / stays the same we will stay on schedule for a check up and
blood work on monday at his doctor's office. please pray that God is glorified.
please pray that thomas is healed, strengthened , and the headaches/nausea
will go away. please just pray. we need it. thankyou for your faithful
prayers, love, and support.
amy
Wednesday, August 9, 2006 6:42 PM
dear friends,
thomas went to the doctor today for a check up and blood work. thomas'
counts were down. thomas' doctors are giving him shots of a medication to
try and stimulate his immune system and raise his immune counts-- he got one
shot today at the doctor's office and i will give the shots to him
at home thursday and friday. please pray for me as i give the shots to him and
also pray for thomas-- the shots are painful. please pray that his blood counts
(hemoglobin, platelet, immune etc) will come up quickly. he
still has a rash. please pray that it will heal. thomas is on a new seizure
medicine. please pray that it will work and that he will have no more seizures.
thomas is still weak and also still extremely queasy/nauseated all of the
time.. please pray that his strength will come back and that the nausea will go
away. please pray that the pneumonia is completely healed and that it does not
come back, ever. if thomas isn't feeling better by friday morning, we will
go to the doctor again on friday for more blood work, another chest xray ,
and exam--- please pray that he will "pep up" and start regaining
strength immeadiately, please pray that the nausea will go away-- please pray.
please pray that he will feel better as soon as possible --- i will
let you know friday how it is going.
1.please pray that God is glorified in all of this
2. that the chemo will eliminate the tumors completely--the tumors are
inoperable, so it is critical that the chemo work miraculously in eliminating
the tumors completely
3. that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune) will come up
quickly-- and will stay strong and that he will stay well of all
fever/infection
4. that the pneumonia is healed now and does not come back -- ever
5. pray that thomas will not be nauseated and that he will regain his
strength-- now-- please pray that the nausea will go away--
6 protection of josh and zack and also that our family will stay well
7.that thomas have no more seizures
8 that he continue to have use and gain strength in his left hand/arm and
left side
9. a complete healing miracle from the brain tumors for thomas.
thankyou for your prayers— thankyou .
amy
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
www.ccpickens.org
Monday, August 07, 2006 6:45 PM
dear friends,
thomas went to the doctor today for blood work and a check up. his counts
were up a little bit more than they were on wednesday but, his blood
counts were still too low to start the next chemo treatments. thomas will
go again wednesday for blood work and another checkup. please pray that
the blood counts will come up and be strong/high enough to start
chemo on wednesdayand that the rash will be healed so we can start chemo on
wednesday. in addition to his counts being low, thomas
started having a rash yesterday-- his doctors think the rash is a reaction to
either the antibiotic or the seizure medication that he is on.(both medicines
can cause the type of rash that thomas has)because of the rash,
they took thomas off of the antibiotic and they changed
the seizure medication thomas is on to a different seizure medicine.
thomas had a chest xray today and it looked clear of the pneumonia--
Praise!!!!!! since he is possibly having a reaction to the pneumonia
antibiotic that he was taking, and since the chest x- ray was clear,
his doctor's feel that it is safe for him to stop all antibiotic's
for the pneumonia-- please pray that the pneumonia is completely healed and that
it does not come back. we praise God, that thomas has not had anymore seizures
since the second one. today we are starting a new seizure medication,
please pray that thomas can tolerate it and that it will work and
prevent any seizures- please pray that he has no seizures. also, please pray
that the rash will heal. i will let you know what we find out at
wednesday's appointment.
please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this and that people will come to know the
Lord through it
2. please pray that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the
tumors completely-- totally eliminate the tumors.
3. please pray that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune etc.)
will stay strong and that thomas will be protected from any other sickness/
infection---pray that thomas' blood counts come up quickly
4. please pray that the pneumonia is completely healed and doesn't come
back(ever)
5. please pray that thomas will not have anymore seizures--
6. praise!! that thomas has regained movement in his left arm/hand--
pray that he will regain complete use and strength in the left arm/hand and
leg--we thank God for giving thomas back movement in his left hand/arm--
thankyou, God.
7. protection of thomas' brothers, josh and zack-- and that our family will
stay healthy/well as we care for thomas
8. a complete healing miracle from the brain tumors for thomas— our contact
info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest dr.
greenville , sc 29609
ww.ccpickens.org
thankyou for sharing these emails with others who will pray for thomas.
thankyou for your prayers. they are our strength. i can't imagine this journey
without your prayers and support. we are blessed. truly blessed.
amy
Friday, August 4, 2006 3:48 PM
dear friends,
thomas went to the doctor this morning for blood work. thomas' counts have
come up a little bit. praise!! please pray that the blood counts(hemoglobin,
immune, platelet etc.), especially the immune counts continue to come up-- they
have come up some but, are still low. thomas did not start his next chemo
round today, his doctor did not feel that thomas was strong
enough and also thomas' counts were low. his
doctor's are hoping that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, immune,
platelet. etc.) will continue to strengthen over the weekend and that
thomas will be able to start his next chemo round on monday. thomas is still
queasy from the antibiotic that he is taking for the pneumonia, however he has
been able to keep food down-- praise!! he is still weak but, i think stronger
than last week at this time.praise!!! please pray that the pneumonia will
completely heal and that thomas will regain his strength. we are grateful to be
home from the hospital and together again as a family. thankyou for your prayers
for all of us.
Please Pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this and that people will come to know the
Lord because of it
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors
completely-- the tumors are inoperable, so we need the chemo to work
miraculously , and totally eliminate the tumors- pray that the tumors respond
to the chemo and are totally eliminated---pray for a miracle.
3. pray that thomas blood counts(hemoglobin,immune, platelet, immunoglobulin
etc) are strong, that the levels come up and come up quickly-- pray that thomas
is protected from any other sickness/infection--that he stay well.
4. that thomas will be healed completely of the pneumonia and that the nausea
will stop
5. pray that thomas will continue to regain use and strength of/in his
left hand/arm-- we praise God and thank God for the use and movement of the
left hand that He has given back to thomas already and pray for complete use and
strength to come .(thomas was able to write a word w/ the left hand this week
and also can eat using the left hand and is beginning to try to type w/ it--
miracle-- he has had no movement for so long-- thank you God for this)
6.. protection of josh and zack and health of all of the family as we care
for thomas-- that we will all stay well
7.. wisdom for thomas' doctor's and nurses in the descisions they make
regarding his care and for their protection
8.. for a complete healing miracle for thomas from the brain tumors.
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest dr
greenville , sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org
thomas is scheduled for blood work and a check up on monday. i will let you
know what we find out. please pray that he is able to start his next chemo on
monday. pray that all of thomas' blood counts are strong and that
thomas is strong enough to start the next chemo round on monday. thankyou for
your prayers and support. they are our strength and hope.
amy
Wednesday, August 2, 2006 12:52 PM
dear friends,
thomas went to the doctor today for a checkup and blood work. thomas' immune
counts are VERY low. please pray that thomas' immune blood counts will come up
miraculously fast. (w/ such a low immune system, he is at high risk of other
infections and fever-- also, it makes it harder for his body to fight the
pneumonia) please pray that thomas is healed completely of the pneumonia
and please pray that he gets NO FEVER.(so he doesn't have to go back into the
hospital) thomas is still feeling very
queasy, but he has been able to eat and to keep food down--praise!! . he
is very weak, please pray that he will regain his strength and that he will be
able to sleep well at night. thomas is scheduled for blood work again on friday
morning. at this point in time his counts are to low to get chemo on friday but,
we are praying that they come up. please pray that thomas blood
counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune etc. ) come up quickly--miracle. please pray
that he can get his next chemo treatment. i will let you know what we find out
friday. PLEASE PRAY:
1. that God is glorified in all of this and that people will come to know the
Lord through it
2. that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune) will come up
NOW----especially, his immune blood counts, white count, and all of the infection
fighting cells--that the counts will come up quickly---miraculously fast!
3. that thomas will be healed completely from the pneumonia and that he will
not get any fever or other sickness or infection
4.that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors, that the
chemo will eliminate them completely-- miracle!! We praise, that the chemo has
reduced the size of the tumors and pray that it will eliminate them totally.
5.that thomas will be able to get his next chemo treatment on time-- as soon
as possible
6.protection of josh and zack-- and also,that our family stay healthy/well as
we care for thomas
7.that he will have complete use and strength of his left arm/hand-- we
praise God for the movement and use He has restored to thomas--it is
miraculous!!
8. for a complete healing miracle of thomas from the brain tumors.
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest dr
greenville, sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org
thankyou for your faithful prayers for thomas. we are so grateful for your
friendship.
amy
Tuesday, August 1, 2006 6:03 PM
dear friends,
Thomas came home from the hospital yesterday-- PRAISE-- he is continuing on
antibiotics (taken by mouth) for another 2 weeks -- please pray
that the antibiotics will work and cure the pneumonia completely.-- the
antibiotics make Thomas very nauseated -- please pray that the nausea will go
away so that he can be comfortable and start eating well again, he hasn't eaten
hardly anything in over 10 days-- Thomas was able to eat a normal breakfast
this morning--praise!!! please pray that he will continue to be able to eat and
regain his strength -
Thomas is still very weak, but he has not had anymore fever-- praise!!
please pray that the fever will not come back. we are grateful for your prayers
for Thomas during the hospital stay-- i saw so many instances of God's direct
protection of Thomas-- HIS hand and HIS protection were all over
everything that touched Thomas in the hospital-- we are
grateful to be together again as a family at home. thank you for your
prayers for all of us.
Thomas was able to get chemo on Friday. the chemo went well and Thomas had no
bad side effects. please pray that the chemo will work miraculously in
eliminating the tumors completely. pray that the tumors will respond to the
chemo-- Thomas is scheduled for a check up and blood work at the
doctor's office on Wednesday. please pray that his blood counts are strong.
please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this and also that people will come to
know the Lord
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors
completely-- the tumors are inoperable, so Thomas needs a miracle-- w/ the chemo
eliminating the tumors completely --we also Praise, that the mri showed a
reduction in the size of all 5 tumors-- please pray that they will continue to
respond to the chemo and that they will be eliminated completely.
3.that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune,immunoglobulin
etc ) will stay strong and that he will stay free of any infections/fever
4. that the pneumonia will completely heal and that the nausea will end so
that Thomas can eat and regain strength
5. that Thomas will regain complete use of his left hand/arm : we Praise
God that Thomas has regained movement and some use of his left hand-- he picked
up a glass w/ his left hand-- praise. pray that the strength will return to the
left hand/arm too
6. pray for protection of josh and zack and also, the health of our whole
family as we care for Thomas-- that we stay well so that we don't pass any
sickness to Thomas
7.wisdom for the doctors as they treat Thomas-- that God will direct their
decisions regarding thomas' care
8. a complete healing miracle for Thomas from the brain tumors.
thank you for your prayers for Thomas-- they are his hope-- they are our
strength-- thank you for all of your prayer efforts for our son-- thank you for
sharing these prayer updates with so many of your friends who are praying-- we
are ever grateful-- please keep praying--
Amy epting
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest dr
Greenville, sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org
Monday, July 31, 2006 12:54 PM
dear friends,
Thomas came home from the hospital yesterday-- PRAISE-- he is continuing on
antibiotics (taken by mouth) for another 2 weeks -- please pray
that the antibiotics will work and cure the pneumonia completely.-- the
antibiotics make Thomas very nauseated -- please pray that the nausea will go
away so that he can be comfortable and start eating well again, he hasn't eaten
hardly anything in over 10 days-- Thomas was able to eat a normal breakfast
this morning--praise!!! please pray that he will continue to be able to eat and
regain his strength -
Thomas is still very weak, but he has not had anymore fever-- praise!!
please pray that the fever will not come back. we are grateful for your prayers
for Thomas during the hospital stay-- i saw so many instances of God's direct
protection of Thomas-- HIS hand and HIS protection were all over
everything that touched Thomas in the hospital-- we are
grateful to be together again as a family at home. thank you for your
prayers for all of us.
Thomas was able to get chemo on Friday. the chemo went well and Thomas had no
bad side effects. please pray that the chemo will work miraculously in
eliminating the tumors completely. pray that the tumors will respond to the
chemo-- Thomas is scheduled for a check up and blood work at the
doctor's office on Wednesday. please pray that his blood counts are strong.
please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this and also that people will come to
know the Lord
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors
completely-- the tumors are inoperable, so Thomas needs a miracle-- w/ the chemo
eliminating the tumors completely --we also Praise, that the mri showed a
reduction in the size of all 5 tumors-- please pray that they will continue to
respond to the chemo and that they will be eliminated completely.
3.that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune,immunoglobulin
etc ) will stay strong and that he will stay free of any infections/fever
4. that the pneumonia will completely heal and that the nausea will end so
that Thomas can eat and regain strength
5. that Thomas will regain complete use of his left hand/arm : we Praise
God that Thomas has regained movement and some use of his left hand-- he picked
up a glass w/ his left hand-- praise. pray that the strength will return to the
left hand/arm too
6. pray for protection of josh and zack and also, the health of our whole
family as we care for Thomas-- that we stay well so that we don't pass any
sickness to Thomas
7.wisdom for the doctors as they treat Thomas-- that God will direct their
decisions regarding thomas' care
8. a complete healing miracle for Thomas from the brain tumors.
thank you for your prayers for Thomas-- they are his hope-- they are our
strength-- thank you for all of your prayer efforts for our son-- thank you for
sharing these prayer updates with so many of your friends who are praying-- we
are ever grateful-- please keep praying--
Amy epting
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest dr
Greenville, sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org
Saturday, July 29, 2006 9:25 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas was able to get chemo Friday, for which we thank God, but he continues
to be nauseated and weak. The doctors want to let him come home tomorrow if he
can manage to keep food down. Thomas will be on antibiotics for at least three
more weeks for the pneumonia, and the antibiotic he takes causes nausea. Please
pray that the nausea will go away and that he can start eating so that he can
regain his strength.
Please also pray that God cures him of his pneumonia and pray that his blood
counts will come up, since they are still too low, and that the chemo will be
effective and not present side effects.
Thank you for your prayers and support! We are overwhelmed at the love that
has been shown to Thomas and our family.
Tommy
Thursday July 27, 2006 11:16 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas has gone nearly two full days without fever. We praise God for this!
The doctors plan to give him chemo tomorrow. Please pray that his fever does not
return and that he beats the pneumonia, and also pray that God uses the chemo to
miraculously heal Thomas. Please also pray that Thomas can withstand the chemo
and doesn't suffer from any of the side effects, ans especially that his immune
system (blood counts) rebounds. He is still very nauseated most of the time
and wasn't able to keep much food down today.
Thank you for all your prayers for Thomas and our family.
God Bless you,
Tommy
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 10:10 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas' MRI was moved to today and we are praising God! The doctors saw
a reduction in size in all 5 tumors and also saw a reduction of
swelling in the brain. We are praising God that the tumors are responding
to the chemo. Please continue to pray that God works through the chemo to
eliminate all 5 tumors. We are also praising God that Thomas went all day
without a fever. Please pray that Thomas' fever will not come back and that he
will be healed of the pneumonia. Thomas is very weak and hasn't been able to
hold food down for a week. He is also weak from all the medications he is
getting. Please pray that we will be able to eat and that the nausea will
subside, and that he will be able to sleep-Thomas' blood counts
(hemoglobin, platelets, immune) are still dropping, so please pray that his
blood counts will come up to strong levels. The doctors are hoping to do the
chemo as soon as possible. Please pray that Thomas is strong enough to have the
chemo as quickly as possible.
please pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. please pray that the chemo will eliminate the tumors completely-- that it
will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors
3. please pray for the protection and health of josh and zack (and also
the health of our family as we care for thomas)
4. please pray for a healing miracle for thomas-- that the tumors will be
eliminated completely and that God will be glorified through thomas' healing.
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest dr.
greenville, sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org
thankyou for your faithful and continuing prayers for thomas and our family--
they give us strength.
Monday July 24, 2006 10:57 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas continues to run high fevers in the hospital. Also, his
blood counts are dropping, which means his immune system is weakening. He had a
chest X-ray today, and the doctors still think he has pneumonia, but they aren't
sure whether it is bacterial or fungal. As a precaution, they have now also put
him on an anti-fungal. I've lost count on how many meds he is on now.
So, we ask that you pray that it be in God's will that the medications
work to give Thomas relief from the fever and cure the pneumonia, and that his
blood counts will be sufficient to get him back on schedule with his chemo.
Thomas has been able to sit in the chair in his room during
the day, and has not required oxygen during the day. He has been nauseated for a
lot of the time, probably because of the meds he is on and the
infection.
Amy asked Thomas today what his prayer request was, and he said, "that
God be glorified and that His will be done in my life. That's all that
matters."
We can't thank you enough for your prayers.
Tommy
Sunday July 23, 2006 3:34 PM
dear friends,
thomas is in the hospital-- and will be through next week. right now he
is on 4 different iv antibiotics-- after looking at a cat scan done yesterday, thomas'
doctors have diagnosed double pneumonia-- they have him on 2 different
antibiotics to specifically fight the pneumonia . he has had a rough
time since last week when the fevers began -- yesterday he hit 104.5--
thankfully, tylenol has worked in helping to reduce the fever . ( we are also
blessed by the fact that thomas has enough immune system to even get a
fever-- at least his body is fighting -- so while really uncomfortable and
scary, even a fever has blessings attached -- God was not surprised by any
of this, we cling to that fact-- HIS plan, HIS purpose ) at this time all blood
cultures are still clear-- praise!! please pray that the cultures stay
clear. thomas is scheduled for an mri on thursday, to look and see if
there has been any change in the tumors-- please pray for a miracle in the
mri results. please pray::
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that the antibiotic will work against the infection-- as quickly as
possible
3. that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune etc.) will stay
strong-- right now the blood counts are dropping, please pray that thomas'
counts come back up now.-- if thomas' counts come up, there is
a chance that thomas can get chemo this week-- it is really important
that he not miss the chemo.-- please pray that his counts come up and that
thomas can get chemo this week.
4.please pray that the chemo will eliminate the tumors completely-- that it
will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors
5. please pray for the protection and health of josh and zack( and also
the health of our family as we care for thomas)
6. please pray for a healing miracle for thomas-- that the tumors will be
eliminated completely and that God will be glorified through thomas' healing.
our contact info: mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest dr.
greenville, sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org
i will not have a computer at the hospital, tommy and josh will send updates
for me, as i have news on thomas .thankyou for your faithful and continuing
prayers for thomas and our family-- they are our hope and strength.
amy
Friday July 21, 2006 8:56 AM
Dear friends,
Amy is with Thomas in the hospital. He continues to run a fever and had a
high fever most of the night. No cultures have yet grown in the blood samples
that were taken yesterday, but the doctors believe Thomas is fighting an
infection. They are now giving him stronger antibiotics by IV. He will likely
not get his scheduled chemo today, but hopefully, if the antibiotics bring down
his fever, he will get his chemo tomorrow. Please pray that Thomas's fever will
subside and that whatever is causing it will be wiped out. Please also pray that
he will be able to get his scheduled chemo tomorrow.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers. We feel them.
Tommy
Thursday July 20, 2006 11:12 AM
dear friends,
thomas is running fever again. we are on the way to the doctor's office now.
thomas will probably be admitted to the hospital for stronger iv antibiotics and
more tests-- please pray. please pray that God is glorified. please pray for a
healing miracle for thomas.
amy
Monday, July 17, 2006 11:06 PM
dear friends,
Thomas went to the doctor's office today for blood work, check up, and iv
antibiotic's. his blood counts (hemoglobin, platelet, immune, etc.)were
good.--PRAISE---- at this time the blood cultures (drawn last Friday) are still
clear-PRAISE!! another blood culture was drawn today-- please pray that both
of the culture's stay clear-- no infection. Thomas will continue to get
iv antibiotics tues, wed, and thurs. at home-- at this point his fever is gone
and has not come back since Sunday night and he seems to feel better-- PRAISE--
Thomas is scheduled for another iv chemo treatment this Friday. please pray that
he will be strong enough and that his blood counts will be high enough
to get the chemo on Friday. please pray that Thomas does not get any bad side
effects from the chemo on Friday. please pray that the chemo given Friday
will work in eliminating the tumors.
please pray that:
1. God is glorified through all of this and that people will come to know the Lord
through this
2. please pray that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the
brain tumors-- that the tumors will be eliminated completely--this
would be a medical miracle-please pray
3.that Thomas will be protected from any harmful/bad side effects from
the chemo-- that God will protect Thomas completely from the side effects
4.that Thomas's blood counts(hemoglobin,platelet,immune etc.) will stay
strong and that he will be able to get the chemo on schedule
5.that Thomas's will stay free of any sickness/ infection-- and that his
iv port will stay infection free
6.that Thomas will regain complete use of his left arm/hand and leg -- we
have a huge praise in that God has given Thomas back movement in the
fingers and now some movement in the wrist/hand -- miracle--- (he has
had no movement/use of the left hand/arm for almost 2 months).-- we
are so thankful to God and continue to pray for the complete restoration of use
of Thomas's left arm/hand and leg---please thank God for the movement that
has come back
7.protection of Thomas's brothers, josh and zack -- and that the whole
family stay healthy as we care for Thomas
8. a complete healing miracle for Thomas, from the brain tumors.
our contact info: mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 w.hillcrest dr
Greenville,SC 29609
www.ccpickens.org click on urgent prayer Thomas.
thank you for your prayers for Thomas--- thank you does not seem an adequate
enough word to say to those praying for your child--- we are grateful, thank
you.
Amy Epting
Sunday, July 16, 2006 8:29 PM
dear friends.
thomas has started having fever again. i just talked with his doctor. we are
giving tylenol and if that brings the fever down, we will just go to the
doctors office tomorrow for iv antibiotic as was already planned. they will also
do another blood culture , to test again for any type of infection. please
pray that the fever and whatever is causing it will heal. please pray that
this antibiotic will work. please pray that the blood cultures will stay
completely clear, that thomas has no serious infection. please pray that
thomas' iv port is not infected and does not get infected. please
pray that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune etc.) will stay
strong, so that he can get his chemo treatment on friday. it is very important
that his blood counts stay strong enough for thomas to be able to get the
chemo-- please pray that thomas will be able to get the iv chemo
friday and that it will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors .
thankyou for your prayers. please keep praying.
amy
Sunday, July 16,2006 2:59 PM
dear friends, thomas is feeling better than he was on friday. his fever
has been gone since saturday. we have been getting iv antibiotics at home,
through interim home health care. thomas' doctor just called (sunday
afternoon) and so far all of the blood cultures are clear.PRAISE!!!!! please
pray that the blood cultures stay clear-- no infection. thomas is scheduled to
go to the doctor's office tomorrow for blood work and also iv antibiotics. his
doctor will decide tomorrow how much longer to continue with the iv antibiotics.
he is also supposed to have the iv chemo on friday. please pray that he will be
able to get the chemo on schedule friday-- that thomas' blood
counts will be strong enough to get the chemo. please pray that he will
not have any bad side effects from the chemo.
please pray:
1. that God is glorified through all of this
2. that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors-- that it
will eliminate the tumors completely--miracle.
3.that thomas will have no harmful/bad side effects from the chemo--that God
will protect thomas
4. that thomas' counts(hemoglobin, immune, platelet etc)will stay strong and
he can get the chemo on schedule
5.that thomas will stay healthy and free of all infection / sickness (that
our family stay well too)
6. that thomas' iv port will stay infection free
7.protection of our other boys, josh and zack
8.God's blessing on, protection of and wisdom for thomas' doctors and
nurses-- they are a gift from God to thomas and our family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9.a healing miracle from the brain tumors for thomas
thankyou for your prayers-- they are thomas' hope and our strength. we
are grateful.
amy epting
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
18 west hillcrest drive
greenville,sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org click on urgent prayer thomas
Thankyou for forwarding these emails on to others who will pray for thomas
Friday, July 14, 2006 6:08 PM
dear friends,
we went for chemo this morning. thomas was really not feeling well.
thomas started running a fever w/ chills when we got to the doctor's
office. his blood counts(hemoglobin, immune, platelet, liver function etc) were
good-PRAISE!! since his counts were good, his doctor decided to go ahead with
the chemo treatment. thomas was also given an IV antibiotic. at this
point in time we don't know what is causing the fever. please pray that it is
not infection- --a blood culture was drawn today, it will show if there
is infection and if so what kind of infection it is, please pray that the
culture is clear and the fever is not coming from infection-- thomas will
continue with iv antibiotics given at home over the weekend and he will have iv
antibiotics again monday at the doctors office. thankyou for all of
the birthday wishes, cards, calls etc... they have all blessed thomas: his
comment, "mom, all of this is so unreal, i have done nothing to deserve so
much from so many nice people."-- consider thomas totally humbled and
blessed by all that everyone has done for him!! thankyou. please
pray:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that the chemo will work miraculously to eliminate the tumors,
completely!
3. that thomas' will be protected from any bad/harmful side effects of the
chemo
4. that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, immune, platelet etc.)will stay
strong--
5. that thomas will stay free from ANY infection, sickness etc-- (and that
our family will stay well, too)
6. that the blood cultures will be clear of infection and that the iv
antibiotic treatments will go well this weekend at home
7. for a miracle of healing for thomas.from the brain tumors
8.that thomas will regain full use of his left hand/arm and leg-- complete
use
thankyou again for your prayers, please pray that this "fever" will
heal and thomas will feel good this weekend-- thankyou for all of your
happy birthday wishes for thomas, we are blessed--
amy epting :
our contact info.
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
thomas epting
18 w. hillcrest dr.
greenville, sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org click on urgent prayer thomas
Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:04 PM
dear friends,
thomas is scheduled for chemo tomorrow (july 14) morning.we are
grateful to God that thomas did not get any of the really bad side
effects w/ last weeks chemo-Praise ! however, he has been pretty weak, tired,
and queasy, --pretty wiped out , this week following the chemo last friday.
still , we praise God , that there were none of the
really bad side effects after the last treatment. We thank God for His
protection of thomas--- tomorrow is thomas' 16th birthday, please pray that
the chemo treatment will go miraculously well-- that he will feel good and
have no bad side effects from the chemo. we are really praying
that he will feel good on his birthday and the following week---- PLEASE PRAY:
1. that God is glorified in all of this
2. that thomas has no bad side effects from the chemo- -that God will
completely protect him from any bad/harmful side effects of the chemo
3.that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors-- that
there is a medical miracle and they are eliminated
4. that thomas' blood counts(hemoglobin, platelet, immune, etc.) will stay
strong and that thomas will be completely protected from any other sickness or
infection
5. protection and health of our other 2 boys (and health for tommy and i
as we care for thomas)
6. a complete healing miracle for thomas from the brain tumors
7. that he will feel good for his birthday and also , next week: that he will
have strength , energy, and no nausea
8. that thomas will regain the complete use of his left arm/hand and leg (
praise: he is still able to move his fingers and at times his wrist) please
pray that God will give him back full and complete use of his left side.
thankyou for forwarding these emails on to friends who are praying for thomas--
thankyou for your prayers for thomas and for our family-- they are our hope
and our strength-- please keep praying.
amy epting
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
thomas epting
18 west hillcrest dr.
greenville,sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org click on urgent prayer thomas
Friday, July 7, 2006 7:25 PM
dear friends,
thomas had chemo this morning---God has granted thomas another miracle
, thomas has had none of the "nasty" side effects from this chemo.
praise! thankyou for your prayers for his protection. thomas is
tired, a little queasy feeling and a little weak but,
none of the really bad side effects have occured at all. (please pray that they don't
start) please thank God for protecting thomas again during the chemo.
please pray:
1. that God is glorified through all of this and also that people will come
to know the Lord because of it
2. that the chemo will be miraculously effective in eliminating the tumors--
that it will work miracles and eliminate the tumors completely
3. that thomas will be completely protected from any harmful/bad side
effects of the chemo (please thank God for protecting thomas during chemo so
far)
4. that thomas will regain full use of his left arm/hand and full use of his
left leg (praise and thank God that thomas has been able to move his fingers
this week)
5. protection for thomas from any other sickness or infection of any kind
(and protection /health of our family)-that his blood counts(hemoglobin,
platelet, immune)stay strong so that he can stay on schedule w/ his chemo
treatments
6. protection of our other 2 boys, josh and zack--and also, that they both
stay well
7. for a complete healing miracle for thomas from the brain tumors
our contact info:
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
thomas epting
18 w. hillcrest dr.
greenville, sc 29609
www.ccpickens.org click on thomas prayer need.
thomas is scheduled for blood work on monday and the same chemo is
scheduled for next friday-- thank you for your faithful and continuing prayers
for thomas and our family-- we are blessed by your prayers and very grateful for
them.
thankyou.
amy epting
Wednesday, July 5, 2006 7:54 PM
dear friends,
we definitely have a miracle to praise today-- thomas can move the fingers on
his left hand!!! we are praising God for this and continuing to pray that
thomas will regain the complete use of his left hand / arm -- he has
not been able to move the fingers of his left hand at all -- this morning when
he got up , he could bend the fingers in and slowly out - thomas was very
excited and actuallly, i think that he is still grinning !!( and also
reminding me that," God has him (thomas) in His hand
--and that God is protecting him(thomas) please, thank God for this
miracle. thomas is scheduled for chemo this friday morning. PLEASE PRAY:
1. that God is glorified in all of this and that people will come to know the
Lord through it
2. that thomas will be protected from any side effects of the chemo on friday--
that God will protect thomas and thomas will have none of the "nasty"
side effects that are a possibility w/ this chemo. (we contiue to praise God and
thank God , that thomas was given a miracle, during the chemo last
week, in that thomas had no bad side effects from the
chemo-- we are asking God for the same miracle and protection for thomas during
the chemo this friday--no bad side effects )
3. pray that the chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors-- elimination
of the tumors completely , would be a medical miracle, we are
praying that God will cause the chemo to work miraculously and eliminate the
tumors completely. we pray!!
4. that thomas will regain complete use of his left hand/arm, and full use of
his left leg (we praise, and thank God that some movement is back)
5. that thomas will stay well and free from any other sickness or
infection (and that our family will stay healthy too)
6. protection of our other 2 boys, josh and zack
7. that thomas' blood counts (hemoglobin, platelet, etc) will stay strong ,
so that he can get the chemo on schedule
8. pray for a healing miracle for thomas, that God is glorified through the
miracle of thomas' healing-- HE is thomas' strength.
9. that thomas will have peace and comfort during all of this
thankyou for your faithful prayers and support-- we are blessed by all of you
and thank God for your prayers for our son and our family.
amy epting
Sunday July 2, 2006, 12:07 PM
Dear friends,
Thomas had his first IV chemo treatments yesterday. He was given 2 different
chemo’s. God definitely gave Thomas a miracle—Thomas did not have any of the
severe side effects that are normally expected with these 2 chemo drugs—He was
queasy, tired/weak, a little headache etc., but, none of the common and pretty
much expected "nasty" side effects of these chemo drugs – This is
truly a miracle and a direct answer to your prayers. Thank you for praying for
Thomas’ protection. Please thank and praise God for this miraculous answer to
prayer.-- Since Thomas handled the chemo well, his doctors let us come home from
the hospital on Saturday instead of Sunday—It is good to be home!!!!! Thomas
will go to the Dr.'s office Monday for blood work and is scheduled for this same
chemo again next Friday. 1. Please pray that God is glorified
through all of this.
2. Please pray that Thomas will not have any bad side effects with this next
chemo treatment-(- even though he had no bad side effects from the chemo this
last time, each treatment will carry the same risk of nasty side effects –
Each treatment is a new ball game, so to speak—So please pray that God will
protect Thomas again during the treatments next Friday) 3. Please pray that the
chemo will work miraculously in eliminating the tumors completely, this would be
a medical miracle, but please pray that the chemo will eliminate the tumors.
4. Please pray that Thomas’ blood counts (hemoglobin, platelet count,
etc. ) stay strong and that he will stay well from other sickness and infection.
5. Pray for the protection of our other boys, Josh and Zack.
6. Please pray that Thomas will regain the use of his left hand/arm and full
use of his left leg.
We thank God for the answered prayer that Thomas would be protected
during the chemo—And continue to pray and ask God for Thomas’ complete
healing. Thank you for your prayers for Thomas and our family. Our contact info:
MOUSESMAIL@BELLSOUTH.NET
18 WEST HILLCREST DRIVE
GREENVILLE , SC 29609
Thursday, June 29, 2006 10:22 PM
dear friends,
thomas will go to the hospital friday morning for two iv chemo
treaments. his doctors want him to stay in the hospital for the treatments in
case thomas has any bad reaction or bad side effects from the chemo. thomas is
supposed to be in the hospital friday- sunday. please pray that:
1. God is glorified through all of this
2. that the chemo will be miraculously effective in eliminating the tumors--
that the chemo will eliminate the tumors completely-- it would be a
medical miracle for this to happen-- so, let's pray for a medical miracle,
that the tumors are GONE.
3.that thomas will not have any bad side effects from the chemo /that
he will be protected from harmful side effects and that he will feel good
4. that thomas will regain the full use of his left arm and hand(he has
no use now)-- please! and that he will regain full use of his left leg
(on that note, i do THANK and PRAISE God that he can still walk and also beg
God that he will be able to use his left arm/hand -- thomas is left
handed so ,it is especially hard on him to have no use of the left arm /hand)
5. that our other 2 boys are protected physically and mentally in all of this
6. that thomas will have the peace and comfort that only God can give
in all of this --that God will strengthen thomas beyond measure
7. that he will be protected from other sickness (and also that our
family will stay well / no sickness)
8.that thomas will be given a healing miracle
thankyou for praying. thankyou for your faithfulness to thomas in
prayer-- we are so, so grateful for your prayers to heal our son.
thankyou, amy epting
our contact info:
Thomas Epting
18 west hillcrest dr
greenville,sc 29609
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
also, thomas is on our church website: www.ccpickens.org click on thomas
prayer needs there are photo's and all prayer emails sent to date
Thursday, June 22, 2006 8:07 PM
dear friends,
thomas went to the doctor today for a checkup and work. thomas' blood counts
(platelet count, hemoglobin, etc. were good) Thomas finished the first round of
oral chemo (21 days) last night. Thomas is scheduled to start the rounds of iv
chemo next week. Thomas's doctor is planning to put Thomas in the hospital (next
Friday through Sunday) for the first dose of iv chemo--the first dose
will actually be 2 different chemo drugs given together--and they have
potentially side effects, so to be on the safe side, his doctor wants to do the
first round of iv chemo treatment in the hospital. Thomas
continues to be strong in faith and sweet in spirit--( trust me he doesn't get
it from his mother!!!! )Thomas was actually upset with me over the last several
emails i have sent out , he was upset that i didn't put as my first prayer request
"1.that God be glorified in all of this"-- he asked me, "
mom, why don't you put , that God be glorified, first?"-- to which i
answered, "i don't know,i just put what comes to my mind first-- i
want God to be glorified but, as your mother, quite frankly, i think what
i want most is for you to be healed , you are my child!!"-- Thomas quickly
informed me that, "my feelings weren't biblical, that God being glorified
was the one most important thing-- that i should have enough faith to trust
God in what He was doing, that God would take care of him (Thomas) and is taking
care of him (Thomas)-- that God was protecting him (Thomas). mom, quit
worrying, have faith, God is in control." -- i am continually in awe
of Thomas's faith-- please pray:
1. pray that God is Glorified in all of this
2.please pray that the chemo will ELIMINATE the tumors completely
and that the chemo will work miraculously
3. pray that Thomas will be protected from any harmful side effects of
the chemo
4.please pray for the safety of our other 2 boys, josh and sack--and that we
all stay well
5. please pray for a healing MIRACLE for Thomas
6. please pray that Thomas will regain the use of his left arm and hand and
also, full use of the left leg
thankyou for your continuing prayers for thomas and our family-- we are
grateful , truly grateful-- please keep praying for a miracle for Thomas. our
contact info: mousesmail@bellsouth.net --
amy epting
Friday, June 16, 2006 2:22 PM
dear friends,
we have done a 4x6 photo prayer card of thomas w/ his picture , prayer needs,
and his story printed on the back. if you could/would be willing to take some
prayer cards to share with friends who would pray for thomas -- ie:
church, small group, work etc.... let me know. i will send you as many copies as
you can share, wether you want 1 to put on the fridge or 201 to cover your
whole church ----- we would like to get these into the
hands of as many prayer warriors as God will send thomas. if you can share
some of thomas' prayer cards please send me your Name, Address, and the Number
of prayer cards that you need and i will mail them to you.
18 West Hillcrest Drive
Greenville, SC 29609
phone: (864) 235-7068
mousesmail@bellsouth.net
thank you for sharing thomas' prayer needs with others. thankyou for praying
for a miracle for thomas, it is his hope.
amy epting
Friday, June 16, 2006 2:07 PM
dear friends,
thomas went to the doctor today for blood work and a checkup. all of his
blood counts (hemoglobin, platlets, et.) were good- -- praise. his doctors are
raising the dosage of seizure medicine that he is on, hoping that they will be
able to raise thomas' blood level of the medication. we are scheduled for blood
work again monday and blood work and another checkup on thursday. thomas is
still taking chemo (by mouth)every night at home. he will finish this round of
chemo next wednesday and then will start 2 different iv chemo drugs that next
week. thomas will be in the hospital for the iv chemo treatments. please pray:
1. that the chemo will work MIRACULOUSLY in eliminating the tumors and that
it will work as quickly as possible in eliminating the tumors
2. that thomas' body will tolerate the chemo w/o harmful side effects
3. that thomas' blood counts will stay strong
4. that thomas will regain the full use of his left arm/hand and full
use of his left leg (right now he still has no use of his left arm/hand )
5. for protection of our other 2 boys, josh and zack
6. for God to be glorified in all of this
7. for thomas to have peace , protection, and comfort in the midst of this
8. that thomas will have no more seizures
9. PLEASE PRAY for a HEALING MIRACLE, for that is what thomas truly needs.---
our church has added thomas to their website: www.ccpickens.org (photos and
email updates are posted)--- we can never adequately explain how much we
appreciate your prayers, they are thomas' hope. please keep praying for a
miracle. thankyou for praying and for sharing thomas' prayer needs with others.
amy epting
Friday, June 09, 2006 7:55 PM
dear friends,
thomas went today for a checkup-- all blood counts looked good-- thomas
is continuing on the increased dose of seizure medicine-- we go again
monday for blood work. please pray:
1. that God will be glorified in all of this
2. pray that the chemo will eliminate the brain tumors-- that it will
work miraculously
3. that thomas' body will be protected from the dangerous side effects of the
chemo.
4. pray that thomas will not have anymore seizures
5 . pray that thomas will be able to sleep at night(the
steroids he is on make it very hard to sleep)
6. pray for protection of our other 2 sons, josh and zack
7.that God will honor thomas' faithfulness and give him a healing miracle.
earlier this week
as i fell into a worried /scared/stressed "mode" ( i try to
hide all of that from thomas but, usually he can see right through me) thomas
told me, " mom, quit worrying-- it is a sin-- quit being scared -- God has
a plan -- don't be stressed out -- God is in control -- mom, my God spoke the
world into existence in 6 days, he can handle 5 brain tumors. " thankyou
thomas, for speaking truth to me in my absolute weakness -- our
church has added thomas to their website: www.ccpickens.org click on urgent
prayer needs/request -- all emails sent so far are posted and also some pictures
of thomas-- we thankyou for your prayers for thomas, they are thomas'
hope. we are humbled by the outpouring of prayer for thomas and thank God
for His leading all of you to pray--please keep praying.
amy epting
Wednesday, June 07, 2006 8:31 PM
dear friends, thomas had another seizure this morning (the seizure,
while extremely frightening, was not as severe as the one last week ) we
rushed thomas to the doctor's office and they did an exam and work
thankfully, thomas' doctors let him come home , he did not have to go to
the hospital overnight. thomas' doctors have increased the dosage of
the anti seizure medication that he is on- --we are going to the doctor again
friday, for blood work. and an exam. .
1. please pray that thomas will not have anymore seizures.
2. please pray that the chemo will work and will eliminate the
tumors.--miraculously
3. please pray that thomas will regain use of his left arm and leg
4. please pray for our other 2 boys, josh and zack, for their health
and protection in the midst of this
5. *** please pray that thomas will be healed, that God would give him a
complete healing miracle ..
6, :please pray for thomas' doctors and nurses, for their wisdom in
treating thomas and that God will bless and protect them (they
are truly a gift from God to our son-- they d and cared for thomas since his
first bout w/leukemia at age 4-- and i cannot imagine this journey with out
them. we truly thank God for them.)
we can never thankyou enough for your prayers and for sharing thomas' prayer
needs with others, please know we are ever grateful.
thankyou, amy epting
Wednesday, June 07, 2006 11:18 AM
thomas just had another seizure-- we are on our way to the doctor now please
pray
amy
Tuesday, June 06, 2006 9:57 PM
dear friends-- thomas' surgery today went very well-- thankyou for
praying-- doctors placed an IV port in his chest-- it will be used to give iv
chemo through--
1. please pray that the incision will heal and that the port will work, and also
that the port will never get infected .
2.please pray that the chemo will work in eliminating the tumors, in a
miraculous way - PRAY that the chemo will be miraculously effective
3.please pray that the chemo will work as quickly as possible, because thomas
still has no use of his left arm/hand and walks w/ difficulty on the left leg (
please know though that i praise God that he can still walk and that he
can use 1 of his hands) the chemo needs to work, to shrink/eliminate
the tumor and then hopefully thomas will be able to use
his arm again
4.pray for the protection and safety of our other 2 boys josh and zack
*** 5. still thomas' all covering prayer need is for a HEALING MIRACLE,
i pray that God will heal thomas and use thomas' healing miracle for God's
glory.
i don't know of an adequate way to thank you for praying for our son--
i just pray God will give you a feeling in your heart of how grateful we are for
your prayers, they are the Hope for our precious son--
thankyou.
amy
Monday June 05, 2006 10:22 AM
dear friends, thomas has surgery tomorrow (tuesday) to place an iv port
in his chest. it will be used for iv chemo. please pray that the surgery goes
safely and that he is protected and heals quickly. he continues to take oral
chemo nightly at home. please pray that ithe chemo will work and that it will
eliminate the tumors- miraculously. thomas still has no use of his left arm/hand
(he is left handed) --thankfully he can still walk but, w/ difficulty. please
pray that the chemo will get rid of the tumors and that he will regain use of
his arm/hand and that he will be able to walk freely again. thomas continues to
marvel me with his unmatched faith. during family devotions yesterday each of us
had to tell what we were thankful for. thomas said, "life and
all of the people that are praying for me." also, while waiting at the
doctor's office this week, tommy (thomas' dad) was reading prayer emails from
friends sent to him on his blackberry, he looked at thomas and
said.,"thomas i never knew that there were so many praying people in the
world. thomas, you are causing people to talk to God,you are pulling people to
God in prayer, you are causing people to be stronger in their faith, to be
closer to God, and also you are opening dialogue about God w/ people who don't
believe in Him. i think that alot of people will come to know Christ because of
your testimony and all that you are going through.i think that alot of
people will be savedbecause of this. " thomas looked at us and instantly
remarked, "then this is all worth it." please pray that Godwill honor
thomas' faithfulness and will give thomas a miracle and heal these tumors.
thankyou, amy
Thursday, June 01, 2006 8:46 PM
dear friends, i am tired and need to care for thomas but, wanted to give a
short update -- we came home from the hospital tonight-- thomas is
very tired and weak-- doctors have him on seizure medication and also increased
steroid doses,which they are hoping will reduce swelling in the brain from
the tumors. we are starting a chemo therapy medicine tonight, please pray that
it will work in a miraculous way.(and that thomas will not be sick on the
chemo).-- thomas has virtually no use of his left hand /arm, and limited
use of his left leg-- please pray that use will return (it is especially
hard on him because he is left handed) please pray for a healing miracle ,
please pray for the health and protection of our other 2 boys,josh and zack.
please pray for the protection of our family, --
please pray that thomas will be healed. --
amy
Wednesday, May 31, 2006 8:06 PM
today thomas had a seizure--he has been admitted to the hospital-- please
pray-- we are to start his chemo tomorrow-- we are begging God for a healing
miracle.
amy
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 4:26 PM
dear friends, we heard from duke today-- the brain tumors are malignant--
type: glioma. thomas will be on a combination of several chemo therapy
drugs and also radiation. we should start the first round of chemo tomorrow. we
have an appt. w/ thomas' doctors here in greenville tomorrow when they will go
over the whole treatment schedule w/ us. i will email more specific details
tomorrow after that appt.-- i know that medically the diagnosis is not the best,
"aggressive malignant" however, God reminded me today that He
knew the diagnosis before He created thomas, and God isn't anymore
challenged by a brain tumor than a cold--so as thomas' mother i take comfort in
the fact that thomas' chief doctor is The Great Physician-- in who thomas puts
all his faith, that said, thomas needs a healing miracle.
please pray:
1. that the chemo/radiation will work miraculously and get rid of the tumors
completely
2. please pray for thomas' comfort
3. please pray that he will regain use of his left arm/leg
4. please pray for protection (mental and physical) for our other
son's josh and zack
thankyou for sharing thomas' prayer needs with others.
amy epting
Friday, May 26, 2006 8:55 AM
dear friends, thomas went to duke this week and had a brain biopsy. the
procedure went safely,praise. the preliminary pathology report diagnosed the
tumors as leukemia/lymphoma type tumors. however, the next day we had an
appointment with the leading neuro oncologist and he does not think that they
are in the leukemia family. the neuro oncologist believes that thomas
has 5( highly aggressive )malignant " primary brain tumors." (we
will not know for sure until all pathology testing is done on the biopsy.
we probably won't know the results until next week.) after the oncologist left
the hospital room, i looked at thomas and asked thomas what thomas was going to
pray for. thomas looked at me and said, "that God is glorified in all this
mom, that is the most important thing!"--( i am so not worthy to have been
given such a special son) prayers for thomas:
1.that God is glorified
2. that God would give thomas a healing miracle
3. that treatment would be (miraculously) successful
4. wisdom for doctors and pathologists making decisions about the diagnosis
5. that thomas would not be in pain and would regain use of his left arm and
leg and that he will feel good
6. protection of our other 2 boys (physically and mentally)
7. that thomas will have peace and comfort .
-- during his 5 1/2 years of chemo for leukemia thomas never complained,
he just had faith, he has not complained during any of this-- he just has his
same sweet spirit of faith and trust, my prayer, as his mom is that God will
honor that and heal thomas and use the miracle of thomas' healing for His
Glory.
thankyou for praying and making thomas' prayer needs known.
amy epting
Saturday, May 20, 2006 8:18 AM
we are going to duke - we have an appt. w/ a brain surgeon monday and a
pediatric neuro-oncologist tuesday. they will evaluate thomas and advise our
next step. it will probably be a brain biopsy/surgery on wednesday. please pray
1.for thomas to be healed and any biopsy to go safely
2. for thomas to have comfort, and peace through this
3. protection (mental and physical) for our other two boys,josh and zack
(strength for my mom as she cares for them while we are at duke)
4.frankly the bottom line truth is this Thomas NEEDS a
MIRACLE
please pray. amy
Thursday, May 18, 2006 5:37 PM
dear friends-- where to start? the spinal tap and bone marrow procedure went
well-- but, thomas is very sore and has a headache. please pray that it
will heal quickly and that the pain will go away. the doctors could find no sign
of infection in all of the testing that they did today (some cultures will take
more time but,the quick cultures are all negative) since infection cannot be
found , we are being sent to duke u. next monday or tuesday to see a pediatric
specialist in brain tumors. they will do an exam and a biopsy of the mass in his
brain. is it cancer? his doctors don't know. the 5 spots appear on mri to look
more malignant than benign. however, some tests done today that are normally
high w/ brain tumor are not elevated. i think that his doctors feel the most
probability right now is brain tumor -- probably malignant and as a result
of radiation treatments during his leukemia treatments but, there is possibility
it is an infection(not as likely as tumor because no cultures are positive and
thomas has no fever, which is usually present w/ infection) where to begin w/
prayer needs--
1.that thomas is given a miracle from the God of miracles and is healed
2.that he will not be in pain and that he will regain use of his left side,
he has little use of his hand/arm and his leg is also affected
3. that appointments at duke will go well--wisdom for doctors and if possible
that we can get an appointment for the biopsy quickly -- while
we are already at duke mon or tues, so that we will quickly know what
this is
4. for safety in the biopsy -- that thomas will be protected
5. protection of our other 2 boys in the midst of this :both mental and
physical protection 6. that we will feel the grace of God in this valley
,because honestly right now the mountain looks so steep
7. pray for thomas' healing that God would grant it and use thomas'
healing for God's glory
8.THAT THOMAS WILL HAVE THE PEACE AND COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AS HE DEALS
W/ THIS .
thankyou for all of your prayers, thankyou.
amy epting
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 12:44 PM
we went for the mri this morning-- the test showed 5 spots on thomas' brain
not just the 2 they had seen on the cat scan. the possibilities are still
the same:infection, tumor, or radiation necrosis. he will have a spinal tap and
bone marrow aspiration tomorrow-- tests will be done on the spinal fluid to
check for infection and possible brain tumor cells-- if it is infection he will
be treated here. if there is no infection we will go to duke (probably friday )
and see a brain tumor specialist for a biopsy-- diagnosis will determine what
happens next-- right now there is not a definite diagnosis we are
asking God for a miracle-- pray for:
1. thomas' healing
2.thomas to not have pain-- headaches
3.thomas not to lose anymore use of his left side--right now he has
little use of his arm and hand--but can still walk-- please pray that this will
get no worse
4.thomas' peace and comfort
5. our other 2 boys--that they will stay well
6.a miracle
thank you for praying for our son.
amy epting
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 3:31 PM
dear friends, we went for a cat scan this morning. the results showed 2 spots
on thomas' brain (quarter and nickle sized spots)-- his doctor feels it is one
of 3 things:
1. infection (not likely because we have had no fever)
2. radiation necrosis: resulting from the radiation he had while in treatment
for his leukemia or
3. brain tumor--
he really doesn't have a leaning between 2and 3 from what i could tell --
different symptoms point toward each one. he sent us to a pediatric
opthamologist today. the opthamologist checked thomas' eyes and could
find no damage of any kind. praise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we are scheduled for an mri
tomorrow morning at 8. thomas' doctor feels he will be able to let us know after
the mri what the diagnosis is.
1. PLEASE PRAY THAT THOMAS IS HEALED
2. please pray that thomas will have peace and not fear
3.please pray for wisdom for his doctor
4.pray that God is glorified in all of this. we appreciate your prayers and
support. please feel free to forward this to any friends you have that are
praying.
thanks, amy