So, I will post another update when I hear one, but it probably won't be for another few hours at best. Clearly, your faith and prayers and fasts have made a difference. Thank you so much!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Surgery Update
I just spoke with Sherri. It looks like Natalee has another 2-3 hours left in the surgery. A fifth year resident (think Bailey on Grey's Anatomy) came out to speak with them just a few minutes ago and told them that the surgery was going beautifully. The tumor is sticking to itself which has made it easier to remove. There was a concern that they could cause damage to the internal organs while trying to remove the tumor, and they haven't had any trouble with that at all. The best news is that there hasn't been any problems with bleeding, so they are very pleased. The doctor told Sherri this morning that he was planning on taking his time to be as thorough as possible.
Day 8 - Natalee's Prayer
Sherri asked me to post these scriptures that she is referring to as Natalee's Prayer:
Psalms 55: 1, 4-6 & Psalms 57: 1-3
Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
Specifically today, when praying for Natalee in surgery we do want to ask that your prayers include a blessing that Natalee's main artery that leads into her organs will be shielded from the surgeons knives. The risk of hemorrhaging is high and we want her to be as protected as possible.
We know that several large groups of people are fasting today, the missionaries at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, the youth of the Summerlake Ward as well as many families, friends and caring people from all over the United States. Thank you for being there for Natalee & her family when they need you the most. This type of service is anonymous and the most greatly appreciated since it is truly a sacrifice in behalf of someone else. Please know how grateful we are, and we know that you will be blessed for the sacrifices that you are making.
As updates are available, I will absolutely post the minute I know anything.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
More Love for Natalee
Actually, this is just of one of so many touching things that I have heard about but it's the first one that I was able to get pictures of. 
Natalee's basketball team had a game today, and they all wore a special sock that their coach made for them.
Thank you so much to Cassie for sending the link to this, to Coach Darryl for his brilliant idea, and for Natalee's teammates.
I can't figure out how to get the video from Cassie's Picasa Album, but I have a link to it here!
Day 7 - Update
Just spoke with Sherri and it looks like the surgery won't start until 1:30 on Thursday. Please please pray for Natalee tomorrow. This surgery will be very tough for her; she will likely be in the ICU for a day or so after the surgery. More updates as they come.
Day 7
Great news! The doctor called this morning and they have surgery scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday May 21). Natalee will be admitted back into the hospital this afternoon around 2 pm to do pre-surgical preparations and diagnostics.
The surgery is a big one, and is expected to take several hours (4-5). Sherri didn't remember if they told her the exact time, but I think it will be first thing in the morning (I always had to be at the hospital at 5 am for a 7 am surgery - ick!).
We'd like to ask if those who can would be willing to fast again tomorrow during the surgery. The procedure tomorrow is a very important step in helping Natalee to beat the cancer, so we'd love to have everyone united in faith and healing prayers and positive images. We're envisioning the tumor sticking to itself and withdrawing from her healthy tissue so that the doctors have an easy time removing it.
We are hoping to post more pictures of Natalee, especially recent ones, so if you have some that you could email to me, I'd love to post them here. What Natalee would really like are pictues of her with her friends, so send me them as attachments as possible. My email address is joanna.wilbur@gmail.com.
Natalee, I want you to know how much you are in our hearts; we are all praying for you night and day and all the time in between. Quite literally, nearly everyone that I know is praying for you in one form or another. I can't say that I know how you are feeling, but I can say that I know how much you are loved, not just by your family and friends and acquaintances and community, but by your Heavenly Father. We are all priviledged to walk a portion of this journey with you and be part of your support group, and just think of the party that we'll have when you are all better! You'll do great with the surgery and I can't wait to show you all the fun things we are planning for you during recovery time. You definitely have a lot of great things to look forward to!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Day 6
--Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaking of his mother:
"... she would “call on the Lord with perfect confidence when special blessings were needed.” In her prayers, she would speak to the Lord of her covenants with Him, “almost reminding the Lord that we had paid our tithes and offerings, that the desired blessing was, as nearly as we could judge, a righteous desire, that we were serving in our various callings to the best of our ability, and that now we were laying hold on the Lord’s promises. I can’t communicate the sincerity and the fervor of those pleas. Or the sincerity of the way she lived. … Because my mother had no doubts about the Lord’s reality and his ability to answer her prayers, I haven’t either. … This is a very personal thing to talk about and I don’t very often, because it’s hard to do without sounding overconfident. But I would be scared to death to try and undertake something without asking for the Lord’s help, so I always pray for that help, and I’ve never failed to get it.”
"How often have we prayed something like, "O Lord, be with cousin Billy now in a special way"? Have we stopped to consider what it is we're requesting? Imagine that you are a parent who is preparing to leave your children with a babysitter. Would you dream of saying, "O Betsy, I ask you now that you would be with my children in a special way?" No way. You would say, "Betsy, the kids need to be in bed by 9 pm. They can have one snack before their baths, and please make sure they finish their homework. You can reach us at this number if there's any problem. Any questions before we go?" We are very specific with our requests and instructions for our babysitters. We want them to know specifics. It should be no different with prayer."
--David Jeremiah
Sherri has asked for everyone to be very specific in their prayers right now for Natalee. These are the things that she would like us to pray for:
"... she would “call on the Lord with perfect confidence when special blessings were needed.” In her prayers, she would speak to the Lord of her covenants with Him, “almost reminding the Lord that we had paid our tithes and offerings, that the desired blessing was, as nearly as we could judge, a righteous desire, that we were serving in our various callings to the best of our ability, and that now we were laying hold on the Lord’s promises. I can’t communicate the sincerity and the fervor of those pleas. Or the sincerity of the way she lived. … Because my mother had no doubts about the Lord’s reality and his ability to answer her prayers, I haven’t either. … This is a very personal thing to talk about and I don’t very often, because it’s hard to do without sounding overconfident. But I would be scared to death to try and undertake something without asking for the Lord’s help, so I always pray for that help, and I’ve never failed to get it.”
"How often have we prayed something like, "O Lord, be with cousin Billy now in a special way"? Have we stopped to consider what it is we're requesting? Imagine that you are a parent who is preparing to leave your children with a babysitter. Would you dream of saying, "O Betsy, I ask you now that you would be with my children in a special way?" No way. You would say, "Betsy, the kids need to be in bed by 9 pm. They can have one snack before their baths, and please make sure they finish their homework. You can reach us at this number if there's any problem. Any questions before we go?" We are very specific with our requests and instructions for our babysitters. We want them to know specifics. It should be no different with prayer."
--David Jeremiah
Sherri has asked for everyone to be very specific in their prayers right now for Natalee. These are the things that she would like us to pray for:
- That the tumor will start gelling together so that when the surgeons go in to take it out it can be removed cleanly
- That the surgeons will be in good health and sound mind during the surgery
- That the tumor will stop growing
- That surgery could be scheduled for Friday to get the tumor out as soon as possible
Now that the shock and numbness of the diagnosis are starting to wear off, Sherri says that she is feeling great comfort from the comments on the blog and that Natalee really appreciates this too. She feels like the ability to be able to read and reread the uplifting thoughts and prayers is helping to their burden.
No word yet from the surgeons on a possible date for surgery, but will post it here as soon as we know.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Day 5 - Diagnosis
I’ve started this blog entry several different times, but still haven’t found the right words to ease into this information. The diagnosis is renal cell carcinoma. It is very rare in children. It started in her left kidney and the doctors do not know what causes this cancer in children. Because it is so rare, there is not an established treatment method.
We do know that chemotherapy has not been effective at treating RCC. The plan is to go ahead and remove the diseased kidney and as much of the tumor as possible. In some circumstances, when tumors have been removed, the other metastatic lesions (such as the ones in her lungs) have shrunk on their own, and we are hoping for that scenario.
Additionally, after Natalee has recovered from the surgery, she will begin a treatment of some drugs that have had success in the past at stopping the growth of the cancer. There is a doctor in Houston who is currently running a clinical trial for people with RCC, and Dr. Olson had just consulted with him prior to our meeting. He felt like the drugs that he was using in his trials were available in Portland and that Natalee would do better to undergo the treatment at her home. He was very willing to work with Dr. Olson and assist her in treatment options so that was very encouraging. It is likely that the Walton’s will travel to Houston for a second opinion after the surgery, and if there is an option to join the clinical trial they will consider that.
Dr. Olson was hoping to get the surgery scheduled as soon as possible, so it will likely be the end of this week or beginning of next. It is a big surgery and is complicated to schedule, but they are hoping to bump Natalee ahead of other scheduled patients.
Natalee has felt a great deal of fatigue this weekend and is worn out. To help keep Natalee as healthy as possible in preparation for surgery, Sherri & Kent would like to ask that people wait to visit Natalee until after the surgery. She does read her blog and is grateful for the comments and support and love that she has received.
This is going to be a very difficult battle and recovery and we again request fervent prayers on her behalf. We will continue to post needs as they arise and will keep everyone updated.
If you are interested in sending a card and don't have her address, please send it to me and I'll take it over immediately:
Natalee Walton
% J Wilbur
12185 SW Summer St
Tigard OR 97223
Thank you for your love and support during this difficult time.
We do know that chemotherapy has not been effective at treating RCC. The plan is to go ahead and remove the diseased kidney and as much of the tumor as possible. In some circumstances, when tumors have been removed, the other metastatic lesions (such as the ones in her lungs) have shrunk on their own, and we are hoping for that scenario.
Additionally, after Natalee has recovered from the surgery, she will begin a treatment of some drugs that have had success in the past at stopping the growth of the cancer. There is a doctor in Houston who is currently running a clinical trial for people with RCC, and Dr. Olson had just consulted with him prior to our meeting. He felt like the drugs that he was using in his trials were available in Portland and that Natalee would do better to undergo the treatment at her home. He was very willing to work with Dr. Olson and assist her in treatment options so that was very encouraging. It is likely that the Walton’s will travel to Houston for a second opinion after the surgery, and if there is an option to join the clinical trial they will consider that.
Dr. Olson was hoping to get the surgery scheduled as soon as possible, so it will likely be the end of this week or beginning of next. It is a big surgery and is complicated to schedule, but they are hoping to bump Natalee ahead of other scheduled patients.
Natalee has felt a great deal of fatigue this weekend and is worn out. To help keep Natalee as healthy as possible in preparation for surgery, Sherri & Kent would like to ask that people wait to visit Natalee until after the surgery. She does read her blog and is grateful for the comments and support and love that she has received.
This is going to be a very difficult battle and recovery and we again request fervent prayers on her behalf. We will continue to post needs as they arise and will keep everyone updated.
If you are interested in sending a card and don't have her address, please send it to me and I'll take it over immediately:
Natalee Walton
% J Wilbur
12185 SW Summer St
Tigard OR 97223
Thank you for your love and support during this difficult time.
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