you can do this!!

His mercies for today...the CT scan showed shrinkage and no new growth!  Her white blood cell counts are still low, but she received a shot to boost those numbers.  She has 2 more rounds of chemo to complete this 6 round treatment.  She will get her 5th treatment on Tuesday...hopefully!  And 3 weeks after that she will get her 6th.  Once that is accomplished, she will have a PET scan and they'll discuss a new regimen of treatment.  Dr. Savin is sending the scan results to Dr. Javle at MD Anderson and she will visit Houston once this current treatment plan is completed.

Dr. Savin was amazed at kelly's strength and energy with such low numbers. The fact that she feels so good, looks so good and has such high spirits is a miracle!  He was so encouraging and told her she is much stronger than she knows.  He told her the chemo she has been given knocks most people to their knees.  She has so much support and so many prayer warriors that her mental fight (that is so much of the battle) is carrying her through this harsh treatment.  He asked how the kids were.  He gave her a hug.  He told her she is the kind of patient that makes him an optimistic doctor.  

Yesterday on the CT table, she prayed.  She asked Him to heal her and make her whole...and she will be a positive spirit for Him.  She wants to give HOPE to others!  After making this "deal" with Him, we read our devotion yesterday...this verse being in the references...
I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; God, don't let me down!  I'll run the course you lay out for me if you'll just show me how.
~Psalm 119:31-32 The Message

So many cards, texts and calls everyday...she loves each and every one.  All these kids and close friends seeing His love and mercies...showing her SO much love.  It gives her great strength and encouragement and HOPE.  One friend leaves her with these words in a card every day...

YOU CAN DO THIS KELLY!!  

much love to you TEAM KELLY...thank you for all 

your love and prayers this week :)

CT scan tomorrow...

Hi TEAM KELLY...thank you for being present and keeping kelly in your prayers this weekend.  She is feeling great and is gearing up for a big week ahead.  Here are a few pics sent over the weekend.  

kelly, amy, erica and dawn at baylor sing

 mere warren powell in sacramento, california

with her 5th grade class cheering for TEAM KELLY!

 a teacher gift made while thinking of kelly

kelly got a text this week from a sweet friend reminding her that only when we are weak, do we turn to God.  So many have turned to God on her behalf that never would have done so before.  Praise Him for using kelly in such an amazing way.  As Christians, we often are only awake when we are in the fire.  And we often get sleepy in the sunshine.  Feeling so good these past few weeks has allowed us to get a little sleepy.  So here we are, anxiously anticipating the week to come...worry setting in as we think of...tuesday's scan...and wednesday's doctor appointment, and possible treatment...and thursday being the last day of school.  But so many of you are WIDE AWAKE for kelly and praying for her every day.  That gives us so much strength and HOPE for this week.  

from our devotion yesterday...
--the world is too much with you, My child.  Your mind leaps from problem to problem to problem, tangling your thoughts in anxious knots.  When you think like that, you leave Me out of your world-view and your mind becomes darkened.  Though I yearn to help, I will not violate your freedom.  I stand silently in the background of your mind, waiting for you to remember that I am with you.  When you turn from your problems to My Presence, your load is immediately lighter.  Circumstances may not have changed, but we carry your burdens together.  Your compulsion to "fix" everything gives way to deep, satisfying connection with Me.  Together we can handle whatever this day brings.


Isaiah 41:10; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 34:19


Prayers for this week:
1.  Pray for her anxiety over the scan tomorrow
2.  Pray the scan shows shrinkage and positive results
3.  Pray for her platelets and white blood cell counts to be up so she can receive treatment
4.  Pray for Dr. Savin and her nurses to be precise and not miss anything
5.  Thank Him for several weeks of feeling great
6.  Thank Him for new mercies every day

one hundred twenty three

Unfortunately, kelly did not get chemo today.  As frustrating as it is, her platelets and white blood cell counts are not in that safe zone of receiving treatment.  However, there was good news today...He gave us a huge heaping amount of HOPE today. The tumor marker test that has dropped from it's highest at 8800 to 435...has gone down to 123!  This tumor indicator number is falling even after several weeks of not having treatment.  Nurse tammy said these numbers are extraordinary.  God's love for kelly and all of you is extraordinary!  He hears our prayers and He answers them.  We asked for shrinking tumors and He gave us just that.

Here is just a glimpse of what kept her spirits high this past week and weekend~
-tons of texts today...to all of us
-baby lucia!!
-prayers with elizabeth and her parents in the front yard
-South Garland Baptist Church sending her flowers and cards and a princess wand :)
-a "warrior chicks" book in the mail from heather
-averi's crafty bead work
-visiting with monica all the way from Sweden
-a new pretty necklace from trisha
-time spent with close friends at trisha's birthday celebration
-new friends and prayer warriors mark and kay
-old friends and prayer warriors erin and bill
-field day
-tripp's speech
-TK t-shirts and bracelets seen all over town
-being at the ball fields with her mom friends and cheering on her kiddos
-melissa's sweet statue and note in the mail

This verse was sent to her by a friend this week...

--Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, "Oh, thank you, God!"  I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers.  And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it.  Kelly, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel, doubly so when I see your hospitality to fellow believers.--   Philemon 1:4-5  The Message

This passage is SO kelly.  It really describes how we all feel about her.  We, all of us, pray for her with great sincerity...because she is so good, loving and kind...and has been that way forever.  Monica reminded her of that this week, how in high school she was friends with everyone...not in any one particular group...but in everyone's groups.  Her friends today joke with her because everyone "thinks" they are kelly's best friend.  Let me tell you, that you don't have to just "think" that.  She actually does think of you that way.  How does a girl have that much room in her heart to share such a close friendship with so many?  God made my sweet sister unique and with a GIANT heart.  Thank you all for being her best friend, for being her constant and faithful prayer warriors, and for being on TEAM KELLY!

Her scan is still scheduled for next week so please continue to pray for positive results.  Also, please thank Him for hearing and answering our prayers!

One last thing...we are ordering more shirts!!!  We've lost track on many are out there now...it's well over a thousand!  So if you want one, email me size and quantity by the end of the week.  You can pay right here on the blog :)  ($10 per shirt)

the fight of her life...

colby and tyler

the McCurdy crew

and the lovely...aunt ellen (guy's wife...keri's aunt...not keri...this is only funny to a few i know, but

i hope you few forgive me for mistakes...being kelly's scribe is not all that easy 

with TEAM KELLY's population being as big as it is :)) 

ellen made and sent this beautiful blanket for kelly from

Pine, Colorado...Pike's peak in the background

shaggin' golf balls for TK

jill and high school helper

jennifer's reminder to pray each minute of every day

Wester soccer girls after their win wearing "we ♥ Team Kelly" purple headbands! 

OPI's new nail polish color should be called TEAM KELLY :)

chris wearing TEAM KELLY in China

TK at camey's family reunion

nan in North Carolina

 kelly and sam on field day

ella and sam...field day 2012!

a gift from mrs. youngblood

trisha's birthday

 kay, kelly and angela

A friend of will's, Tripp Owen, had to give a speech at school this week...

The Fight of Her Life

I stand here today to talk about Kelly Stewart and how she is fighting through pancreatic cancer.  Not many people get this, but when they do they have a horrific process.  Mrs. Stewart on the other hand is doing great and going through the work involved just fine.

Her son is Will Stewart and he is a seventh grader here at Wester Middle School.  I have been friends with Will since I was five.  We met in baseball and our friendship has continued on throughout our lives.  

When I heard about Will's mom I was devastated.  Mrs. Kelly is a great mom and she doesn't deserve this cancer.  But sadly she and her family have to persevere through this heartbreaking experience.

Considering the hard time Kelly is going through she seems to be doing fantastic!  We have found many ways to support her.  The main one is TEAM KELLY.  It is a group of anyone who helps and thinks about Mrs. Stewart.  Some things TEAM KELLY have created are T-shrits, which I'm wearing today, and bracelets, which I also have on right now.  The other ting many people do to support her is shaving your head.

The reason we do that is because she has to go through chemotherapy and she has lost her hair.  We have shaved our heads to make her feel better about this experience.  She has been wearing wigs on her head because she does not want to look bald.  Her wigs fit her personality and she has gotten many compliments on them.  Se is still very beautiful in all of them.  She loves that we have shaved our heads in support of her and her 3 boys.  She would not let her daughter shave her head though.  There are over 100 kids throughout Wester and other schools who have joined in and supported Ms. Kelly.

My baseball team was in a "Strikes against Cancer" tournament in support of many different cancers.  We all wore our TEAM KELLY shirts and she was there to cheer us on to victory.

As I finish this speech, I hope you will think about and pray for Ms. Kelly, Will and their family.  She is a great woman who deserves the best.  If you have any questions about Ms. Kelly or you want to order a bracelet or shirt go online to www.kellybridge.blogspot.com.  Thank you.

thanks tripp.  your speech gives us strength and hope to face tomorrow :)

It was a great week of feeling so good! She was thrilled she got to be at field day and ball games all weekend.  So many blessings this week...too many to list...another blog post is in the works!  Wear your TEAM KELLY shirts tomorrow to show your support!

Please pray this:

1.  For her anxiety anticipating treatment. 

2.  For her side effects to be minimal.

3.  For her counts to be UP, so she can actually get treatment tomorrow.

4.  Thank Him for a week full of blessings and feeling great.

5.  For TEAM KELLY loving and supporting her through cards, texts, visits, meals, hugs, facebook messages, etc!

6.   Pray we will be reminded that He is in control, and that timing it is up to Him, not us.

7.   For jason, will, ben, sam and ella...always.

No chemo again today.  Her counts are too low and it's too dangerous.  Her doctor and nurses assured us that this is very normal.  She just needs more time for her body to produce bone marrow and build itself back up.  The low numbers in her blood work mean the chemo is working.  Thank you for your support in wearing your shirts today...wash 'em and get 'em ready for next Monday.  The scan has also been moved back to May 29th.  Thank you for all the encourgaging texts and prayers today!

 TEAM KELLY 'round town :)

shara

callie and cade

 george and lisa (aka ms. dalton)

jackson, griffen and ruby in clifton, tx

team kelly at j. crew...purple is in this season

workin' at chili's

The care calendar on meals for the Stewart family has been extended through August.  Thank you all for making dinner time stress free for kelly and her family.  With four kids all in sports and jason being the head coach on one of those teams, kelly has been so grateful to put something other than a frozen dinner in her kids mouths.  Thank you all so very much...it has been an enormous help.

www.carecalendar.org
Calendar ID: 102912
Security Code: 1403

Have a great week and keep those pictures coming! Go TEAM KELLY!!