Connor update

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 8:34 PM CDT
We made it safely back on the airplane Monday. Treatments have started again. Connor is hanging tough.

We are battling a couple new symptoms now, so we want to add them to our prayer requests. The tumor has been pressing on Connor´s diaghram for awhile now and it is making his oxygen levels a little lower than normal beacause his lungs are compressed. We have put him on oxygen at night - just a low amount blowing on his face. WE were concerned about how we would get that here, but God is good. No need to worry. Our new friend, Dominique, has contacts all over this town. She hooked us up with the fire dept on a temporary basis and they deliver oxygen to our room every day for free until we can get something permanent situated (most likely tomorrow). Can you believe it? In fact, Sebastian, the fireman (trained in Dallas) who delivers the oxygen just brought Connor his oxygen for tonight. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIS OXYGEN LEVELS TO RISE.

Also, Connor had a cold last week and because he lays down all the time, he's wheezing now. He can´t cough it all up. Dominique set us up an appt with a local doctor today. He was amazing. He brought us into his office as soon as we arrived. He told us it was a blessing to him to be able to help us. He gave us a prescription for a nebulizer and albuterol to get rid of the wheezing. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE WHEEZING TO GO AWAY. We told him we need to be able to check his blood counts regularly in case he needs another blood transfusion. He said someone could come to our hotel to draw Connor´s blood. Wow! That´s service. He prayed for Connor in his office and told us that he believed in miracles - (because that is what it is going to take). He said he is honored to be on our team to help Connor and the captain of the team is Jesus. Tait and I were blown away.

The compression of the tumor is causing his legs to retain water a little bit. What this means is that we are in a race against time. Dr. Rodriguez is seeing signs that the medicine is starting to work. The composition of the outside of the tumor sticking out is getting soft. If the outside starts to change, that means it is starting to work on the inside. We need this medicine to start shrinking the tumor as soon as possible. Our race is can we keep Connor well (manage all these symptoms) long enough for the medicine to wage its war on the cancer and shrink the tumors, which will start eliminating these symptoms one by one. He is still having back pain when he walks and sits up. It is excruciating for Tait and I to watch him in this kind of pain. The tumors shrinking will relieve this pain, also. We are still believing that God will provide for Connor what he needs in His perfect timing (NOW, ACCORDING TO ME).

I´m claiming the verse Psalm 118:17 for Connor. "I will not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord." Please pray this verse over Connor as you faithfully pray for him.

I also wanted to thank everyone who participated in the III Forks Golf Classic and Auction/Dinner benefiting TeamConnor. It was a wonderful event and we so appreciated everyone´s support. The memories from your support Sunday night have helped carry us this week.

Always believing,
Joy Cruse