When my son, Nathan, was 2 and a half years old he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Wilm’s Tumor, which is a kidney cancer. He had one kidney removed, underwent radiation, and had almost a year of chemotherapy treatment. Nathan has now been cancer-free for 12 years (as of 8/23)!

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I am aware of childhood cancer every month, every day, but September is a time to focus efforts and bring awareness to everyone. The need for awareness is because of the lack of funding for childhood cancer research. Due to limited funding, there is limited research to discover the causes of childhood cancer. Children do not get cancer for the same reasons adults do. Childhood cancers are not generally caused by smoking or sun or plastic or microwaves or cell phones or too much whatever, they are children and have not had enough time to do anything to cause this awful disease. So, too many kids get cancer and the cause is unknown! Also, due to limited funding, there are limited treatment options. Therefore, children are treated with adult protocols. Yes, they are adjusted for children, but the fact is kids and grown-ups are different and even when adjusted they are still treatments created for bigger bodies that are done growing and changing.

No matter the age, cancer is awful. Not all people are cured of cancer on Earth. All of that to say…I am so thankful for the treatment options and the healing that so many adults and children have because of the treatment available. Eight years ago Nathan’s dad and I agreed to all treatment possible knowing the risks. We chose and would choose again to do everything possible to fight cancer.

Each Fall Nathan returns to the “Clinic” at OU Children’s Hospital for his annual check-up. Thankfully, for him most of the time it is fun. He has more memories that are good than bad, which is an answer to my prayer. He does not remember the long hospital stays, being sick, or any fear. He is comfortable with having blood drawn, he does not mind the warm jelly (ultrasound), the stickers all over( EKG) are routine, he thinks it is cool to pee in a cup, and he would be fine going in the donut (CT Scan), but thankfully he no longer has to do that. He likes getting to see friends (nurses and clinic staff), he likes getting a cookie from Kamp’s, and he sometimes talks me into eating in the cafeteria, although, I do have many memories from eating in that cafeteria, so we generally avoid it!

Last Fall was Nathan’s 7th year check-up off treatment. His check-up was harder on both of us for a few reasons. Nathan’s TLC (Taking on Life After Cancer) doctor is amazing! Since he is amazing he does a really great job of meeting kids where they are developmentally. Now that Nathan is 11, 10 at the time of this appointment, the doctor was educating him on his medical history and just making sure he had a good understanding of what happened to him and what the risks were because of his treatment. These were things like possible secondary cancers developing, kidney failure in one good kidney, infertility, heart failure, spine damage, and skin cancer due to radiation…often these late effects are seen around puberty as the body is changing. Yea, it was a real fun appointment! Okay, no it wasn’t! Nathan and I were both shell shocked! None of what he shared was new information to me,  but most I choose not to think about and do not need to think about because my boy is now strong and healthy!

The other reason we did not like that appointment was because of some of Nathan’s lab results. No cancer, still cancer-free! However, his results showed concern about his remaining kidney. This could have been caused by a few different things, so we agreed to make extra effort to drink lots of fluids and come back in a few weeks. We did that and numbers were higher, we drank more, and came back again. Numbers even higher. Then, we were sent to a pediatric nephrologist (kid’s kidney doctor).

In January 2018, we met with the nephrologist and she quickly, bluntly told us that “Nathan had stage 3 kidney disease and would need a kidney transplant within the next few years. Hopefully, he could avoid dialysis and go straight to transplant. I am so very sorry, see you in 6 months.” This was caused by the late effects of chemo. Yea, another great appointment! Not!

Precious Nathan, afterward, decided he “did not really like that doctor and he thought a transplant would really hurt, because, when he had his tonsils out he thought he was going to die, it hurt so bad, and he thought a transplant might be way worse!”

The one good thing from appointment was that he did not need to go back for 6 months and there was nothing we needed to do. I have learned that when they want to get you in as soon as possible that is bad.  Six months until you need to come in again is a good thing. No call from the doctor is a great thing.

This also meant 6 months to pray. Six months to lay my boy on the altar of God again. Six months to anoint his head with oil and pray healing. Six months for our support community to lift Nathan up to our Father. Six months to accept. Six months to trust. Six months to believe God knows best. Six months to increase our faith and know that no matter God’s answer He is faithful. Six months to know “even if ” we will trust.

So, in late July I picked up my boy from children’s camp to take him for the 6 month follow up. Same doctor, nephrologist, but she had a different demeanor and a pep in her step! She said that Nathan’s numbers were so much better!  After getting his current labs, he was now stage 2 chronic kidney disease!  Who would have thought we would be so excited about stage 2 chronic kidney disease?!?!  (It is all about perspective, people!) People live with stage 2. People do not get a kidney transplant with stage 2! No check-up for a year! Woohoo! A much better appointment! A few days later Nathan saw his regular pediatrician for another check-up and she was shocked by our news. She said it was rare for anyone to go down a stage!  What?! Wow!!! We know our God is AMAZING!

We praise God for this healing! We know that it is God’s grace and mercy. We would have praised God no matter what, but we are so thankful for this answer. God is so good even if…We trust God through cancer, we trust God through the unknown, we trust God through chronic kidney disease.

It is never a dull moment for the Jcrew! I could say so much more about how amazing our Father is and I could say more about how grateful I am to get to be mom to 3 incredible kids, but I won’t today! We love you and are so thankful for your continued prayers and support of our family! We continue to enjoy every moment and appreciate them all!