James Gregory Ryan

A new home

2010-10-18T19:30:00.001-05:00

We will be moving to a new home....a new blog home that is!

http://gregryanfamily.blogspot.com

Come check it out!

Finally.......

2010-10-18T18:46:00.002-05:00

We're done!

The dumping ceremony

2010-08-29T17:14:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Adrianne!

2010-08-26T11:04:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pics for her big day....

You're Cordially Invited...

2010-08-10T17:00:00.002-05:00

To the celebration of the year(in our book)-James' end of chemo party

Sunday September 19th 6-8pm
The Student Ministry Building
Woodlands Church/Fellowship Campus
1 Fellowship Dr
The Woodlands, TX 77384

We are so excited about the upcoming celebration. Everyone is invited...Hope to see you there!

Look who's sweet...

2010-07-17T21:28:00.003-05:00

And look who's sassy...

3 years ago today...

2010-07-12T07:41:00.002-05:00

James was diagnosed with leukemia. Some days it feels like such a long time ago and others like it was yesterday. 69 days from now he completed his 38 month treatment. There are no words for how excited and hopeful we are. We are planning a celebration September 19th from 6-8 at the student ministry building at Fellowship of the Woodlands. Put it on your calendar...you're invited to help us celebrate James, his life, completing of one chapter and starting a new.

Goodbye June...

2010-07-04T19:17:00.003-05:00

June came and went.....we were gone for most of it to TN. We got to spend time with cousins and celebrate James' bday. Get ready...there are alot of pictures!!!!

Finally the kids sporting there pjs their dad got them in Alaska!!

Dream night

2010-06-05T07:54:00.002-05:00

We got invited to Dream Night at the Houston Zoo. Dream night is an event that children from the medical center are invited to participate in. There were lots of activities, food, and fun. James couldn't wait to see the dinosaur exhibit but once we got there he wouldn't take his picture with the T-rex. Here are some pics before we left....

Keep smiling....

2010-05-17T15:44:00.002-05:00

Smile!

2010-05-16T08:45:00.003-05:00

Mother's Day/Baby Dedication

2010-05-10T13:02:00.002-05:00

Floating in Fleece

2010-05-06T15:43:00.003-05:00

It's comforting to know that if they ever fall in...

They know what to do to survive!

Swimming lessons have been the best money we have spent this year. Tomorrow we are officially graduated and James and Adrianne have done an awesome job!

Strawberry pickin'

2010-05-05T18:51:00.000-05:00

Update

2010-04-23T15:15:00.000-05:00

James' counts are good and most likely its viral. Thanks so much for the prayers!

Prayers please

2010-04-23T10:04:00.002-05:00

Once again James is battling some type of virus. He had fever on Tuesday and we went and got his counts checked and everything looked good. Last night he started throwing up and running fever so today we are having counts rechecked and a visit to the pediatrician. The good news is that we can get him accessed here at Memorial Hermann.

Please pray that this "bug' will quickly leave his system. Thank you.

Week 2

2010-04-09T16:02:00.002-05:00

Week 2 of swimming lessons:)

Happy Easter

2010-04-06T08:18:00.003-05:00

Spring has Sprung

2010-03-31T18:42:00.003-05:00

We started swimming lessons on Monday. We are taking lessons from Infant Swim Resource and have the most amazing teacher, Ms. Bonnie.

A rare picture of everyone together and actually looking at me. Love the warmer weather and summer pjs!

James heads to the clinic on Monday for his normal routine. Will keep you posted!

I know....I know

2010-03-23T14:30:00.005-05:00

It has been way too long since I posted something...a month exactly. I can't seem to find a good time between taking care of 3 kids, spending time with Greg, going to graduate school, working out--well you get the picture. I am happy to post that things have been fairly uneventful in our house. Last week my mom and I set out on a 14.5 hour drive with all three kids to go to TN. The kids had a blast with their cousins. I took a few pics but lets face it 7 kids under 4....not alot of picture taking opportunities.

Our sweet Marks loves him some cupcake!

Helping Daddy in the kitchen,Snow Day (kinda), and the Bumbo

2010-02-23T21:28:00.003-06:00

Here's what has been going on the last few days...

Unprompted togetherness...

2010-02-15T14:23:00.002-06:00

Greg and I were watching the Olympics in the living room and this is the scene I found in my bedroom. So sweet and so opposite of our weekend:) Thankfully James is off steroids now and we wait for them to get out of his system. This past weekend was one of our harder weekend BUT we made it and can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

So sweet....maybe they like each other after all:)

Hell on Earth

2010-02-11T16:16:00.002-06:00

that's what Thursday after clinic are like.... He cries, screams,calms down then the cycle starts over. He wants a snack, he doesn't want a snack, he wants to get dressed, he doesn't want to get dressed, he wants milk, he doesn't want milk. You get the picture and this happens over and over all day long. Me...I am at my wits end. We could use your prayers!

Monitoring the fever

2010-02-08T17:31:00.004-06:00

Talked with MDA this morning and they feel like its a virus. He has hovered around 102 today and if the fever doesn't break by 7am tomorrow morning he will not get his scheduled Lumbar puncture (has to be fever free for 24 hours)' he is still feeling pretty crummy...please pray that we are almost through this!

And here is Little Miss chilling...watching Nick Jr:)

The fever still persists...

2010-02-07T19:58:00.003-06:00

James has battled with fever all weekend long. Tonight it got to its highest(103) so we decided to call MDA. We talked with a fellow that we have known almost James' whole treatment. She certainly put Greg and my mind at ease. With a lot of coaxing we got him to take Tylenol and now he is in bed. The docs at MDA still thinks its a virus but most likely we will return to MDA tomorrow for them to take a look at him. This whole ordeal never gets easy for us...the worry, concern, etc. We will let you know about tomorrow and what they want us to do. Thanks for praying.

Quick Update

2010-02-06T09:31:00.002-06:00

James started running fever yesterday morning. We called MDA and they let us see our pediatrician here and get blood work done at the local hospital. His counts came back great and indicating that what he has is most likely viral. He ran fever through the night and woke up at 5:40am with 101. We managed to get him to take Tylenol and that seems to bring it down. If he is still running fever Monday, they want to see him. He is scheduled for Wednesday to get a lumbar puncture with chemo, chemo through his port and start steroids. Please pray that the fever breaks and it doesn't turn into a bacterial infection. Thanks

All Star Day

2010-01-27T19:45:00.002-06:00

And after 10 weeks of life....

She still hates her bath!

Inspiration dinner

2010-01-18T09:33:00.004-06:00

Saturday night our family headed downtown for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's Inspiration dinner for all those participating in Houston full and half marathon. James was the honored teammate for the woodlands team. I didn't take my camera and had to take pictures with my Blackberry. I can't figure out how to make them regular size...so hopefully you can see it. They made James a special shirt with a gold cape. He thought he was a super hero all night. Thank you to all the Team in Training participants that raised money to help the Society find a cure for blood cancer!!!

My little helpers

2010-01-09T08:54:00.002-06:00

I put her down, turn my back, and they descend:)They love their baby sister!

This is our year...

2010-01-03T13:37:00.001-06:00

2010 is finally here! We are counting everyday to September 19, 2010!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-29T13:50:00.001-06:00

...a few days late:)

My buddy and a bob

2009-12-23T10:01:00.003-06:00

My buddy....My T-rex and me

I have debated what to with Adrianne's hair and I think I have finally found a good style..the bob!

Finally.....

2009-12-11T11:34:00.002-06:00

the drought has ended. This 3 kid thing has thrown me for a loop! Anyway we are still settling in to our new life as a family of five. James continues to do well. He went to the clinic on Wednesday and his counts are great and we are on half strength chemo. We will get blood work done again in two weeks to see if we can resume to full strength. He also started steroids this week so we would appreciate your prayers. Adrianne and Rachel are great. Rachel will be one month old on Wednesday...hard to believe! Here is the crew all watching TV together!

Settling in.....

2009-11-21T15:27:00.004-06:00

FYI

2009-11-17T14:06:00.003-06:00

UPDATE
James is home. His counts were great and they are guessing it is a bug. Rachel and I are home and getting settled in. Her bilirubin(sp?) is elevated so we will see the doctor tomorrow. Please pray for us as we continue to get adjusted to our new life!

I am still in the hospital with Rachel and the plan is for us to be discharged today after being here 24 hours. Meanwhile James has spiked a fever and Greg left me to take him to MDA. We would really appreciate your prayers! I will keep you posted.

Baby Rachel has Arrived!

2009-11-16T18:45:00.007-06:00

Well, our precious Rachel Claire has arrived! She was born 11/16/2009 at 2:58 p.m. weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz., measuring 21 inches. She came quickly into this world (as it should be) and had moderate difficulty breathing until the NICU nurse whacked her on the back and cleared those lungs immediately! Here are some pictures of her shortly after her arrival.

We feel so blessed to have had things go smoothly today and know that Rachel will bring such happiness and joy! We will post more very soon.

Blessings! Greg and Joy

Halloween and other things.....

2009-11-07T08:17:00.002-06:00

Sorry it has taken me a week to post but James is doing much better. We went to the clinic on Wednesday and he had his counts done. His ANC is up to 870 and his white count was 5700. They started him back on chemo but only on half strength. He has done well taking it again which is a huge relief. They discontinued Tamiflu because he was spitting it out. I am including some pics from Halloween and from James riding his bike. Halloween was low key and we didn't go trick or treating. I let the kids dress up and pass out some candy. They seem to be ok with it! We return to MDA on Wednesday for lumbar puncture and chemo plus we start steroids. My mom is coming on Tuesday and Rachel is scheduled for Monday The 16th unless she decides to come early. We will keep you posted. Thanks for all the prayers!

Headed back

2009-10-30T11:08:00.002-05:00

Update..They are sending James home with a 10 day course of tamiflu and we can give him Tylenol/Motrin every 3 hours. Right now he is receiving IV antibiotic that will carry him through 3pm tomorrow. If after 3pm he runs a fever of 101 or higher we will head back to MDA where there will hook him up to an IV and send us to Memorial Hermann downtown because MDA has no beds. The good news is his counts continue to climb and his ANC is 170. Please pray the fever goes away, Tamiflu does its job, and James starts feeling better. Thank you.

Greg and James are headed back to the clinic. James feels crummy and his temp was 101. So when we called they said to bring him in. Pray that his blood counts are up and they can come home and that he starts feeling better! Thank you.

Reunited

2009-10-29T19:33:00.001-05:00

It was a sweet scene. We are not out of the woods yet. James still has low blood counts. Greg will take him tomorrow to get rechecked. Please pray specifically that he would remain fever free. Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers.

This morning's update

2009-10-29T08:11:00.002-05:00

The newest info-as we have found all through this process of James being sick, things can change quickly.They have decided to discharge him and we will take him to the local hospital tomorrow for bloodwork to make sure things are going in a good direction.My thoughts on discharge is that there are alot of very sick kids at MDA and since James seems to be doing good they dont want him to pick anything up. Keep praying.

The Latest...neutrophil count still zero but white blood cells are increasing which is promising. At least another night in the hospital. Pray his neutrophils come up so that they can come home tomorrow. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

Morning update..Greg said the night was pretty tough. They came in around 10pm and gave him tamiflu and he threw up everywhere. So at midnight, he started coughing again and threw up but this time Greg was able to get something in front of him so that he didn't get it all over him. At that point he asked for something to help James quit coughing and go to sleep. They gave him Benadryl and I think James slept pretty decent the rest of the night. Greg is exhausted because he hasn't had much sleep. Don't know what the counts are today..will know sometime this morning. Keep praying.

James

2009-10-28T00:25:00.006-05:00

Update as of 7:00pm
Latest update..as of 5 minutes ago they are moving James and Greg to the pedi floor at MDA. James' flu test came back negative but remains on the tamiflu until the culture comes in(3 days). As long as James doesn't spike another fever and his counts begin to recover they should get to come home in a couple of days. Your continued prayers are appreciated.

Update at 1:00pm
Latest on James...Still in the ER and hopefully in a room soon. They are giving him IV antibiotics and Tamiflu. I don't know if he has tested positive for the flu so I think Tamiflu is precautionary. I will let you know as I get more information. Please continue to pray for James and Greg and for me-i am having a hard time not being there.

Update:
James is going to admitted to MDA. His ANC is zero. As of right now Greg and James are still in the ER waiting for a bed to come open. Please pray for him. He has had the flu test, rsv test, and will have a chest x-ray done. We don't know the results of any of those right but I will keep you posted. Thanks

Please pray for James...It's 12:25am and he is on the way to MDA. His fever is up to around 102. Greg just left to take him. I am home with Adrianne. I went to the Dr today because of a sore throat and low grade fever. Please pray for our family!

Light the Night

2009-10-23T09:01:00.003-05:00

Info about Light the Night-Sunday October 25th

WALK LOCATION
Market Street-The Woodlands
TIME
5:30pm Festivities begin with music by The Kelley Peters Band
7:00pm Program & Balloon lighting ceremony-the walk will begin around 7:30

FOR THE KIDS
Check out the Kids area and meet our clowns, Dancer & Hugs, have your
face painted, grab a balloon animal and enjoy some popcorn. ***You are
welcome to bring strollers, wheelchairs and wagons to the Walk as well!

Clinic update

2009-10-21T12:54:00.001-05:00

We headed to the clinic today for our monthly visit. James checked out great but his blood wasn't so good. His ANC came back 80-normally his is around 1000-2000. So this means we are quarantined in our house until he gets rechecked on Nov 4th. Please pray for no fevers or infections (fevers mean automatic hospital trip). I also want to ask that you pray for me-I am nearing the end and really don't want to have Rachel early. Thanks for checking in and thanks for praying.

The Oil Ranch

2009-10-17T15:34:00.005-05:00

We went to the Oil Ranch today for a birthday party. The kids had so much fun! Enjoy the pictures.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-16T15:07:00.003-05:00

We had playgroup today at the pumpkin patch in Conroe. James and Adrianne had a blast!

A New Place to Play

2009-10-13T10:16:00.001-05:00

I walked into my room and found them getting into the pack n play. Adrianne was trying to hoist herself over when she said "Dames hold my hand" Poor Rachel will have nothing that is just hers:)

Fall is here!

2009-10-11T09:04:00.002-05:00

I love Fall!!!

Fun times

2009-10-06T11:19:00.002-05:00

Here is James

Here is Emma

Here is James chasing Emma with the grocery cart.

Have a good Tuesday!

Focused

2009-09-30T14:57:00.005-05:00

I gave James and Adrianne some playdoh to play with and I bet James sat there for an hour playing...so focused on what he was doing.

and then there is Adrianne who played with her playdoh for 10 minutes and then it was on to something else.

Finally.....

2009-09-28T06:34:00.002-05:00

After almost two weeks I am finally updating. Several things have been going on in the Ryan household. First and foremost, we have less than a year until treatment is over. Our official end date is September 19, 2010. Weekends like we just had, that date couldn't come quicker. James just finished his 5 day course of steroids. It has been the hardest 5 days we have had in a long time. He has woken up 3 to 4 times a night since Wednesday. Needless to say, we are all exhausted!

On a different note, we had our 32 week ultrasound on Friday and official confirmed its a girl. She is doing great and right on schedule.

Please continue to pray for us.....especially James that the steroids would get out of his system quickly!

Loco Legs

2009-09-15T16:27:00.003-05:00

I got,I got,I got,I got,You got,you got,You got,You got,We've got,We've got,We've got,We've got,
LOCO LEGS...

I wish my camera had action shots. They both stop whatever they are doing when this song comes on Noggin. James even holds onto the ottoman so he can get his legs moving!

We will see how long this last.....

2009-09-12T10:41:00.002-05:00

After changing Adrianne's diaper she announced she needed to go pee pee in the toilet. Greg sat her up there and she went. So we got her big girl panties out and let her wear them. Only time will tell...if she is serious or if we will be putting a diaper back on in 10 minutes. We will keep you posted.

She is certainly proud of herself!

Alas, the first day of school

2009-09-09T13:05:00.002-05:00

Yeah, its finally the first day of school. I was trying to get some good pics before we left home and I didn't get much cooperation. Both James and Adrianne went right into their classrooms and I suspect they are going to have a great time. I am glad we are getting back into a routine! Enjoy the pictures.

Adrianne's Dora party

2009-08-31T07:26:00.004-05:00

Last night we had a party for Adrianne. We celebrated with family and she had a blast and enjoyed ever minute of it. Enjoy the pictures of our big 2 year old!

An Explorer and an Animal Rescuer

2009-08-29T08:44:00.002-05:00

I got their costumes in the other day and they have been so excited. Adrianne is a little less excited about the picture and she refused to wear her backpack. I also didn't even bother buying the wig because it would have been a waste of money!!! Anyway enjoy your Saturday..only 3 more doses of steroids to go!

A Day at the Clinic

2009-08-26T15:45:00.007-05:00

Getting my cream on my button before I go to the clinic

At the clinic and getting my bracelet on with my name and medical record number

The pediatric outpatient clinic at MD Anderson

Playing in the playroom...my favorite place to be

Getting my weight

Getting my blood pressure taken

Nurse Sandy flushing my line

Getting hooked up to my IV chemo and antibiotic

Hanging out and getting my medicine

Out like a light...time for my lumbar puncture

In recovery

Today was quite a long day for James. Usually his procedure is one of the first things that happens but today it was almost 11am before they took him back. Keep in mind he has not had anything to eat or drink since 5pm the night before so he wasn't in the best mood. He even told his doctor "I am very sad, my friends(mom and nana) aren't listening to me." He kept telling us he was very very thirsty and very hungry and we kept having to put him off. But we made it and we are home and his belly is full. We started steroids so pray that he will get through them ok. Thanks for checking in.

Happy Birthday Adrianne!

2009-08-25T16:14:00.003-05:00

It is so hard to believe that you are 2 years old. We love you so much!!!

My two princesses

2009-08-17T21:11:00.004-05:00

James was playing with a tiara that Adrianne got from a birthday party last night and he said "I am the most beautiful princess ever..." I thought it was sweet and wanted to share with you.

Honored teammate

2009-08-13T13:37:00.002-05:00

James was asked to be the honored teammate for this winter season with Team in Training. Right now TNT has begun training for the Houston half and full marathon...the same one I participated in last year. Needless to say I wont be putting on my running shoes this time but we are thrilled to get to be a part of this season. The picture above is from the kickoff and we have already attended one of their first group trainings on Saturday. We are very grateful for Leukemia Lymphoma Society and all the team in training participants who are helping raise money to find a cure for blood cancers and to improve the quality of life for the patients and patient's families.

You can join us in another Leukemia Lymphoma Society venue by signing up to be on our team for Light the Night. We hope you will come and participate with us!

Our future is so bright.....

2009-08-08T14:33:00.003-05:00

We've got to wear shades!

Don't forget to sign up for our team and join us for Light the Night October 25th. You can just go to the link in the upper right hand corner!

Join our team

2009-08-05T12:42:00.004-05:00

Team Ryan 2008

It's that time again. Please join us as we walk in honor and in memory of those affected by blood cancers! We are now forming Team Ryan and would love to have you be a part of it with us. Just remember this event is for the whole family..strollers welcome! You can clink on the link below and follow the instructions for signing up. it will ask you about how much you want to fund raise and that will be up to you. All donations are 100% tax deductible. To get a an illuminated balloon the night of the walk you must have $25 in your account and to get a Light the Night t-shirt you must have $100 dollars in your account. As a team goal we have pledged to raise $1000 dollars so the more people on our team the easier that will be. Our family looks forward to walking with you. Light the Night is Sunday October 25th at Market Street.

http://pages.lightthenight.org/txg/Woodland09/TeamRyan

Going to School

2009-08-04T16:17:00.003-05:00

James and Adrianne have been going to a mothers day out program on Tuesdays this summer. Here are some pictures I took this morning before they went to school. We are gearing up to start Sonkids again in September and both kids are so excited! Adrianne is very proud of her backpack!

Family

2009-08-02T16:28:00.003-05:00

Just some pictures we snapped before church today. James takes his final dose of steroids tonight of this month...whew...we have seen some effects today. Please pray that they would exit his system quickly and he would begin to feel more himself.

5 years ago today....

2009-07-30T12:57:00.003-05:00

I married the most amazing man. I am lacking pictures because all our wedding stuff is at my parents house in TN and I keep forgetting to get them..so these will have to do.

Greg-thank you for being an incredible husband, father, provider, friend, partner, and soul mate. I love you!

The Great Squirrel Debate

2009-07-28T22:58:00.003-05:00

Well, we just couldn't resist sharing this video with you. I know, I know...it's 1 million times cuter to us than anyone else. It should put a smile on your face regardless. Who knew we would have a squirrel whisperer on our hands?

Our vacation wouldn't be a vacation......

2009-07-18T19:40:00.002-05:00

if it didn't involve an ER visit. Yes that's right only this time we didn't even get out of Texas. We left at 4:15am on Friday morning thinking we would be at my parents house by 5pm. About 2 hours into the trip James threw up which prompted me to take his temperature. It was 100.4. I called MDA and was waiting for a return call when 30 minutes later I took his temp again and it had spiked to 101.4. By this time we were past Nacadotches (sp?) and we turned the car around and headed to the Lufkin ER. After 6 and a half hours we got to leave and head on to TN. James is fine and his counts indicate he is fighting a virus.

Please pray for no more ER visits this vacation!!!

2 years ago today...

2009-07-12T07:17:00.004-05:00

We heard the words your son has leukemia. I can still remember how I felt...completely numb, no emotion. I remember sitting there at 12:30 at night and we had been at the hospital for 12 hours having no idea what was going on. It still hard at times to revisit that night, in fact when I talk about it I still tear up and cry. We have come so far, James has come so far in this journey-sometimes it I think-does he really have this?

No words can describe the gratitude and thankfulness we have for each one of you that have prayed and supported us through this journey. We feel truly blessed by friends and family who love us and who have been there for us. Thank you.

Here are some pictures from our journey....

James before diagnosis- 13 months old

James in the middle of steroids and some of his hardest treatment

Our big boy now!

My sunscreen babies!

2009-07-10T19:13:00.001-05:00

Greased up and ready to hit the pool!!!

Little Miss Into Everything

2009-07-07T19:36:00.002-05:00

That black stuff on her face is my mascara! The girl is into everything-so different from how James is!

James made through another round of steroids and he did great. We are coming up on our second anniversary since diagnosis this Sunday July 12th! God has definitely been faithful through this journey!

Ultrasound results.....

2009-07-03T15:28:00.002-05:00

a healthy baby! Unfortunately the baby is breech, sitting criss cross applesauce, and looks to be straddling the umbilical cord. Dr. Strong is not making a definitive guess...but he saw something that makes him think we are having a.........GIRL! Another ultrasound will be coming in the future to see if we can be sure. The most important thing is that the baby is healthy and is developing normally.

Bath time

2009-06-27T08:46:00.002-05:00

The kids decided to be "little hams" for the camera during bath time last night. Things are going good and James is feeling good and doing an excellent job with potty training this go round.

Please pray for us this week-Greg has knee surgery on Monday for torn meniscus and and James goes for a clinic appt. on Wednesday for all his meds and he starts steroids! We will definitely need your prayers this week!

James' new haircut

2009-06-20T13:34:00.003-05:00

I know..I know..I can't believe we cut it. After much thought we decided he needed something shorter because its hot and because he was developing a rat's nest in the back that he wouldn't let anyone comb out. We keep telling ourselves it will go back..after all a year and a half ago he was bald as an onion. So here is our big 3 year old who when you ask him how old he is he says "five"! Have a great weekend.

Arghhh..Matey

2009-06-17T19:04:00.001-05:00

A Summer Treat

2009-06-16T19:12:00.003-05:00

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We have been passing this shaved ice stand on 2978 and finally we decided to go tonight after dinner. The kids definitely enjoyed it. We started at the table outside but it was so hot we moved to the car with the air on full blast.

James continues to do well, enjoying his summer. We have geared back up for potty training again. It's almost been a week and he is really doing great. We head back to MDA in a couple of weeks for our regular appointment. Thanks for checking in!

Together again

2009-06-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

Well I am a little late in posting these pictures. Reid and Marks got here on Saturday and they left on Wednesday. From the time they were here until the time they left we were on the go. James had so much fun with all his cousins, aunts, and uncles, and of course Nana. We were sad to see them go.

On Wednesday, James went to the clinic for an LP and chemo. Because he is 3 now, they upped his does of intrathecal methotrexate. He seemed to tolerate that pretty well. He also got his vincristine and pentamidine and he started steroids. This has been a pretty challenging time on steroids. Thank goodness today is the last day. Greg is going out of town for a couple of days with work so things will be hard until the steroids get out of his system.

Please continue to pray for James-that he stays healthy and the steroids get out of his system quickly.

Happy Birthday James

2009-06-01T11:27:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday James! Daddy and I can't believe you are already 3 years old. What an eventful 3 years you have had. You still continue to be the bravest little boy we know. We love you so much and can't wait to see what this year holds for you!

Bucket head

2009-05-29T19:00:00.004-05:00

James and Adrianne are having so much fun with their cousins Taylor and Maddie. Their cousins, Reid and Marks, come in tomorrow night. Why you ask? James turns 3 on Monday and they are all coming to celebrate. I will post more pics when the second wave comes in!

James' last day at school

2009-05-20T20:02:00.003-05:00

James had a great last day of school. His sister got to join the class for lunch and she thought she was big time. Thank you Ms Lisa and Ms Shelley for a wonderful year.

I have a prayer request-Lately it has been a fight when it comes to medicine especially on Wednesday nights when he has to take methotrexate. Methotrexate is extremely important to his treatment protocol. Tonight was no different where I had to force him to take it and try to keep him from spitting it out. It is extremely upsetting to me and him. He went to bed crying and I was frustrated. Everyone is calm now and he is probably already asleep. Please pray for us--that I will be patient and that he will take his medicine. Thank you.

An ER visit

2009-05-20T09:41:00.002-05:00

That is what we had last night. For a couple of days, James has had a cough and runny nose. We were giving him Claritin to help with the allergies but yesterday afternoon he felt warm so I took his temperature. It went from 99.5 to 100.7 so I called MDA. It was after hours so I had to call the pediatric floor. In light of the temp, cough, and runny nose, the doctors wanted to see him. So around 6pm, I loaded both kids up, dropped off Adrianne with Aunt Steph at the ballpark, picked up Greg from his office and headed down there. When we got there, the place was a zoo. They were jam packed and so was the pediatric floor. After waiting an hour and half we got a room and they drew James' blood. Of course when we got to the ER his temp was normal! His blood work came back great and they sent us home. They swabbed him for several viruses so we will see. He is doing great today-no fever-and he wanted to go for his last day of school.

They don't want us to follow up unless he gets worse and his next appt. is in a couple of weeks. Please pray for his continued health. Thank you.

Summer is on its way!

2009-05-18T07:20:00.003-05:00

Some fun pics I wanted to share with you. James is nearing the end of school and we are gearing up for summer. We got pool passes this year so we are excited for summer. His next clinic visit is in a couple of weeks and he will have a lumbar puncture along with his other medicines. Thanks for checking in!

Clinic Update

2009-05-08T07:41:00.001-05:00

Wednesday was our clinic day and thankfully it was uneventful. James got his blood work done, saw the doctor, and got his chemo. His counts came back great-ANC 2000! James started steroids on Wednesday as well and so far so good. He is battling allergies so the doctor recommended Claritin-another med to add to the mix!

We are also finishing a 10 day course of peroxide drops in his left year. When I took him for his followup with the ENT about his tubes-the left one was blocked. So please pray that when we go back on the 21st that the tube would be working again. Thankfully James hasn't complained of any ear pain.

Things are going good right now-James and Adrianne are growing up and I am trying to get through the day without throwing up! Please pray that the nausea will so subside and I will feel more like myself. Also pray for James that we get through the weekend with little to no side effects from the steroids!

Thanks again!

Lazy Saturday

2009-05-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

I had to get a picture of this. It is rare that they will sit together and not fight! They are both interested in Dora!

James' Spring program

2009-04-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

James sang his little heart out on Thursday. Thank you Rachel for taking pictures. My pictures did not turn out!

New haircut???

2009-04-22T18:49:00.002-05:00

Today Greg and I decided that James needed a haircut-let me rephrase, a trim. So once we got done with MDA and ate lunch we went for a haircut. The lady did what we ask but the way she styled it made Greg and I laugh out loud when he got out of the chair. Greg wouldn't let him walk out looking that way so I recreated the hairstyle tonight after bath. Enjoy!

Can anyone say Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber?

Not much happening....

2009-04-17T20:42:00.003-05:00

I almost don't want to say that because inevitably something will. James made it through steroids OK without any major problems. When we went to the clinic last Wednesday his counts looked OK but his white count was a little low. We are going back this next week for a count recheck to make sure everything is OK.

James has his program for school coming up on Thursday and I will be sure to post some pics. Thank you for continuing to check in on us even when nothing is going on!!!

Also if you are a member of facebook, a lady who has heard about James has started a cause page for him. She is also getting bracelets with James' name on them so you can remember to pray. If your interested, check out the link below

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/267491?m=d0d281a2

It's Official

2009-04-09T10:56:00.005-05:00

I went for an ultrasound today and it confirmed that I am 6 weeks 6 days. Greg and I are excited and James and Adrianne can't wait to meet their new sibling.

1/2 Way 5K a HUGE Success!

2009-04-04T21:32:00.003-05:00

What an amazing turnout this morning! We feel quite blessed to have so many give of their Saturday morning to celebrate James and his courageous spirit. We feel immense gratitude to all those that gave of their time and provided gifts to aid in payment for James' medical treatment. Thank you for your generosity! We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Rachel Honeyman and Sarah Watson (and their husbands!) for making today a reality. You are wonderful friends and great examples of what is means to show the love of Christ - your actions speak louder than words! Overall, there were 137 Walkers/Runners (not including volunteers and those that cheered) that participated. From your generous gifts,over $3,300 was raised! We have posted the top 50 finishing times below:

1. Robert Simmons 22:20

2. Lane Barron 22:47

3. Jear Cardenas 22:49

4. Leslie Clinchard 22:58

5. Erin Williams 23:30

6. Jenny Worthington 23:38

7. Randy Barron 23:45

8. Lex Wildmon 24:09

9. Mandy Sand 24:23

10. Judith Clark 24:46

11. Lucretia Cardenas 24:51

12. Tara Kroger 24:53

13. Rachel Honeyman 25:23

14. Meaghan Hurtey 25:40

15. Hannah Barron 26:16

16. Sarah Watson 27:03

17. Rachel Guilbeau 27:27

18. Carolyn Barron 27:48

19. Elaina Palmer 28:05

20. Avery Harbison 28:25

21. Andy Parsons 28:32

22. Linda Novak 28:37

23. Meghan Powers 28:48

24. Michelle Keyes 28:52

25. Elizabeth Albert 29:00

26. Missing name 29:18

27. Becky Todd 30:06

28. Mary Mitchell 30:47

29. Loan Phan 30:47

30. George Brown 31:03

31. Julie Bargainer 31:14

32. Stacie Ildebrando 32:08

33. Katie Simcox 32:18

34. Cherity Simcox 32:21

35. Sabin Holland 32:33

36. Missing name 33:13

37. Kelly Foust 33:16

38. Sarah Micklos 33:16

39. Keri Queen 33:21

40. Christie Woodward 33:21

41. Missing name 33:38

42. Egan Harbison 33:50

43. Rachel Reavis 34:15

44. Linda Simmons 35:08

45. Beth Harbison 35:16

46. Mary Beth Nickerson 35:59

47. Carol Barry 36:18

48. Julie Graham 36:18

49. Missing name 36:51

50. Missing name 36:52

We ask for your continued prayer for James' healing. Much love and appreciation for you all.

Tubes were a success

2009-04-03T10:29:00.004-05:00

If he looks out of it, he is. They gave him some liquid Valium to calm him before the surgery. He was a champ, of course. When Dr Raney got in there to look he decided not to take out his adenoids. James had a little trouble coming out of anesthesia and he got sick several times. By lunchtime, he was eating and seemed to be feeling better. Please pray that the tubes stay clear and do what they are suppose to do. We head back to the clinic for our monthly visit on Wednesday and he starts steroids--yeah!!

James and Adrianne are getting excited because their Aunt Mary Beth and cousin Maddie are coming in for the 5K. Have a great weekend.

Donations

2009-04-02T08:46:00.003-05:00

Some of you have ask me about donations if you are unable to attend this weekend. All donations can be sent to

Sarah Watson
19 Wistful Vista Place
The Woodlands, TX 77382

Thank you.

Art Project

2009-03-31T15:52:00.003-05:00

There is James doing art.....
Then there is Adrianne.....

Woodlands Online Article

2009-03-30T17:20:00.001-05:00

http://www.woodlandsonline.com/npps/story.cfm?nppage=29978

This is a link to an article Amy Kelley wrote for the upcoming race!!!

And you can see some really cute pics of James and Adrianne at
http://honeyman4.blogspot.com

Tubes..........

2009-03-27T07:47:00.003-05:00

James has had his 5th or 6th ear drum rupture in about 6 months so we headed back to the ENT. Dr Raney agreed that it was time for tubes. When he looked at James' ears they both were infected. So next Wednesday, April 1st, James will have tubes put in and possible his adenoid taken out. Please pray for this procedure and Dr Raney--and of course James that he will finally get relief from his ears!!

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 5K to celebrate James!!!!

Spring Break

2009-03-23T21:36:00.003-05:00

The kids enjoyed some reading time with daddy

Then Greg got to work on the projects he had slated for his spring break. He worked the first 3 days and then redid our pantry on Thursday and mulched the yard on Friday.
Tonight we met some friends at Chick-Fil-A and a lady was there doing balloon animals and painting hands and faces. James was very proud of his shark until he got in the bath and completely forgot about it! Needless to say i am glad I got a picture before bath time. Today was hard for James and Adrianne because Greg returned to work but we made it--Chick-Fil-A always works:)

Have a great week!

1/2 Way 5K

2009-03-17T18:43:00.004-05:00

Some great friends of ours are putting together a 5K in honor of James and him being halfway through treatment. Below is the flyer....

'Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' James 1:2-4

JAMES GREGORY RYAN II IS OUR PRECIOUS BLONDE HAIRED, BLUE EYED, LITTLE MAN FULL OF LOVE, SMILES AND LAUGHTER. JAMES WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LEUKEMIA ON JULY 12, 2007 AT THE AGE OF 13 MONTHS. OUR JOURNEY WITH HIM THROUGH THIS TRIAL BEGAN 19 MONTHS AGO AND WILL CONTINUE FOR 19 MORE. HE HAS ENDURED FREQUENT NEEDLE STICKS, CONSTANT CHEMO, MULTIPLE HOSPITAL STAYS, AND HAS MANAGED TO FLASH A SMILE THROUGH IT ALL. HE IS AN INSPIRATION AND OUR HERO. MUCH LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO ALL.
The Ryan Family

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

½ Way 5K Fundraiser
Barbara Bush Elementary School
Parking Lot
7420 Crownridge Drive
The Woodlands, TX. 77382
Saturday, April 4th
Registration 7:30 am - 8:15 am
Race starts at 8:30 am

Light breakfast & water provided
Donation Fee: $5.00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All proceeds go the Ryan family for medical expenses associated with James.

Be a part of James’ story and read his updates at http://babyjamesgregoryryan.blogspot.com/

2 steps forward, 1 step back

2009-03-11T18:02:00.005-05:00

That is how I feel today. On the potty training front, James hasn't caught on as quickly as we would like. He is also taking a total of 6 medicines a day and I think it is making his tummy uneasy and we have had alot of accidents. So we are going to do pull ups for a while until we are off antibiotics.

Today was a record clinic day even with his LP. They accessed him at am, he got his pentamidine and vincristine at 8am, and his LP around 9:30. We were home by 1pm which is really good for a day when we have a procedure. Our ENT appt. went good and confirmed that James has fluid behind both his ears. The doctor decided to do another round of antibiotics and a decongestant. We will check again in 3 weeks.

So our daily regimen consists of....
steroids-am
decongestant-am
antibiotic-pm
steroids-pm
decongestant-pm
chemo-before bed
Is like Walgreens over here:)

Lucky for us, moist of the medicines will be finishing up at the same time-by the end of the weekend.

So now for the fun stuff....Today at MDA, Discovery toys was there with all their fun stuff and James was taken in. They were set up in the lobby as we were leaving and everything they sold they were giving a portion to The Children's Art Project. So in that moment we were weak and got a pop up playhouse and the kids love it!!!

Enjoy your day!!!!!

Save the Date

2009-03-08T13:49:00.003-05:00

We got a postcard this week with the date for the Light the Night Walk. It is going to be October 25, 2009 at Market Street. This year all of our focus is going to be with this walk and raising money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. I will be signing our team up in a couple of weeks and Greg and I want to have a "cool" team name. So I am issuing you a challenge. Post on this entry with a possible team name for us. We will gather all the selections and then put it to a vote. Once I get us signed up I will put a link so that you can join out team!

In other news, James goes to the ENT tomorrow about his ears. I didn't post this week but he had his 3rd ear infection and 3rd round of antibiotics. Please pray for wisdom of the doctor and for us as we proceed with the next step. James also has an LP on Wednesday and begins steroids. This is typically a very trying time in our house! We would appreciate your prayers for the upcoming ENT appointment and his procedure on Wednesday.

Our world now.....

2009-02-28T08:59:00.003-06:00

Sorry it has taken over a week for a post but I think the sickness is finally gone in the family. Greg is back to 100% and so is James(at least today) and Adrianne and I remained well. This week we have shifted our focus to potty training. We are not there yet but with your prayers and our persistence we will be victorious! Here is a funny picture with James and his Diego underwear!

As always, thanks for praying and keeping up with us!

Quick update

2009-02-18T08:02:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to give you a quick update on what is happening in our house. Thank you for your prayers concerning James and the flu/steroids. After Thursday night, James didn't run anymore fever. yesterday I had to take him back to MDA for them to draw blood because the culture they took last week grew some bacteria. Judging by the fact that he hasn't run fever, MDA thought the growth was from outside contamination but nonetheless they wanted more blood to make sure. Sometime between meeting friends for lunch and leaving to go to the hospital, James right eardrum ruptured again! So it was a good thing we were going there in the first place so they could check him out. They put us on antibiotics again and we are suppose to recheck in 2 weeks. Meanwhile Greg is feeling awful and has been in bed since last night. He tested negative for the flu but the doctor told him it could be the beginning. We could use your prayers--for James ear and continued health, for Greg to feel better soon, for Adrianne and I to stay well, and my middle sister who is having a baby today (health for her and the baby). Thanks for keeping up with us!

The NEW Normal

2009-02-12T21:44:00.002-06:00

Joy has been quite the trooper the last few days I have been out of town. It seems that when there is a holiday or one of us is out of town, the blessed fever pounces on us. Just today, MDA called to say that James tested positive for the flu. We are all on Tamiflu and will hopefully make it through relatively unscathed.

As Joy and I were talking today, this turn of events truly represents our "normal" at this stage of our life. I think that God has put on both of our hearts that things are not as they are intended to be. One, James has leukemia. Two, he's going to get sick more often than most kids because his immune system is compromised from all the poison we are pumping into his body. Three, we will have frequent trips to the hospital. This is our "normal." I am not sure why it took us 1.5 years to accept this "normal," but we are at a place of acceptance today. God is sovereign. God is love. God is always with us despite our crummy circumstances. There's a strange kind of peace in that. I know that we aren't immune from feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. That will come again in due time. TODAY, we feel the peace of the Lord. That is good. Thank you for continuing to pray for us and James' daily healing.

Spoke too soon..

2009-02-12T13:35:00.002-06:00

OK, so I spoke to soon. Yesterday was our clinic day and I got both kids ready and out the door to my sis and law's house to drop Adrianne and meet my father in law. Greg has been out of town for the last couple of days so yesterday was a challenge to get it all done. Anyway, for the last couple of days James has developed a cough and runny nose(shocker). So we are headed to the clinic at 7:45 and around 8:10 we get onto I45 and at the Rayford/Sawdust exit James throws up everywhere. Of Course, I hadn't packed a change of clothes or brought a towel. My father in law stops at the HEB, and we get wipes, trash bags, and paper towels. I call the clinic and tell them we are going to be late and then we head to the the Super Target at Cypresswood. I go in there and buy James 2 sets of clothes and a pair of shoes and I buy myself another jacket(b/c he threw up on me too). We finally get to the clinic and his counts look great and he seems to be feeling fine. We had to go for an anesthesia consult because he is getting an LP next month. We get to the place at 1:00 and we walk out to go get our car at 4:00. We get back to the house around 6:00. I tried to give him his 2nd dose of steroids and he spits it everywhere so needless to say I am at my wits end!

I put the kids to bed at 8 and James wakes up all night long. I go check on him at 12:30am and he is running fever. This morning his fever climbed to 102 and I called the clinic and they wanted to see him again. So James, Adrianne, I packed the car, we dropped Adrianne at my sis in law's, and we headed back to MDA. They took some more blood and gave him Tylenol and sent us home. They are going to call and let us know his counts and if there is an infection at his port site. I will keep you posted on how he is doing. Please continue to pray for us!