Team Jasmine: Round Two

Greetings everyone. We would like to start off this blog by thanking everyone for their continued support, prayers and positive thoughts for Jasmine and our family! We have a brief update on Jasmine's condition.

We were recently admitted back to MUSC to what started off as a simple procedure Jasmine needed to have on her nephrostomy tube that is located in her right kidney. When we arrived they prepared her for surgery and thankfully took some labs before heading into surgery. This is when they discovered that Jasmine's calcium was extremely high. Now her calcium has been fluctuating up and down for the past couple of weeks but there was no worry because with medication it was controlled.

Our doctors here at MUSC did not want her to go through with this procedure until her calcium was controlled. They felt that admitting her to the ICU would be best because they can give her the best attention to get this controlled. While here they also decided to do a Cat Scan (CT Scan) of her belly because she has been suffering from constipation so they wanted to make sure we weren't missing anything.

The results came very sudden and surprising to us. It looks like her tumor has grown and the chemo protocol she has been on is not working anymore. The tumor has built an immunity to the chemo drugs. Also it has now spread to her lungs. So we have hit round two.

The game plan now is Jasmine will enter a experimental trial where they will take slides of her tumor and study them and decide on the best drug combination that will get rid of this particular tumor. While the trial is being done Jasmine will start radiation therapy to help shrink the tumor down as much as possible. If Jasmine happens to get really sick and we cannot wait for the results from the trial the doctors have 2 back up plans of chemo drug protocols we can start using and once they get her stable again then we can consider the experimental trial again.

But for right now we will continue with the experimental trial and radiation therapy. She will be having surgery biopsy on May 9th where they will take a piece of tumor to study. After she recovers from surgery they will proceed with the radiation therapy.

Right now Jasmine is stable. Though they found lung nodules her lungs are doing great. She is in no risk of needing a breathing tube or breathing device of any kind. She's on pain medication for her tummy cramps but she is still responsive, watching The Fresh Beat Band and drinking lots of water! We are certainly not where we were in the ICU back in DC. We definitely caught this in time!

We are not looking at this as bad news because 1) they have options 2) we caught this in time and the doctors are aggressively finding the best option for her and 3) bad news would be if the doctors told us there is nothing we can do....We have a game plan and we are not giving up! God has performed many miracles on Jasmine and I know he will continue to do so. This is all in the plans he has for her...her story does not end here...God has bigger plans for her in the future! Staying strong, keeping the faith and knowing God is always healing and protecting her!

Psalm 91:9-12 NIV
"If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

Team Jasmine: Beating Cancer 3/27/13

Greetings Everyone,

We know it has been a while since the last post but we wanted to share with everyone a Jasmine update.  We would first of all like to thank everyone for their continued support and prayers for our family! It has continued to give us strength and faith throughout this journey.

Jasmine is now back home and out of the hospital. We were officially discharged from Children's National Hospital in DC on March 7th and were on our way back to South Carolina that Saturday! It was a great feeling to be back home and Jasmine was super excited to be back with her toys and her doggy Brylee. It was a bittersweet moment leaving the hospital and the people who were with Jasmine from the beginning! We all connected and built a trusting bond with each other, but we know she is continuing to get the best care at the hospital she is in now.

For the people who work at Children's Medical Hospital we would like to give a big thanks for everything and all of you will be in our hearts! We promise to visit!!!

Jasmine is currently continuing her chemo treatments at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.  Due to a fever because Jasmine's counts were very low we were admitted on the 13th and then discharged on the 16th. We got to meet all her new doctors and nurses. Everyone is very nice and give her very good treatment.

As of March 20th we were admitted again to MUSC to begin her 5th cycle of chemo which is a 5 day treatment. That Wednesday Jasmine had a procedure where they replaced her right nephrostomy tube with new tubing to avoid any risk of infection. This will need to be done every 6 weeks. She was put under anesthesia and had a breathing tube placed only for precaution to protect her lungs. She did great during this procedure which only took about 15 mins. That Thursday we started the chemo treatments.

Jasmine did very well during her treatment. She did a lot better than last time she had the 5 day cycle. She still had her high spirits listening to music and as always singing along to her favorite band (The Fresh Beat Band). We were recently discharged on Tuesday the 26th and we are very happy to be back home.

Jasmine has improved right before our eyes and there isn't a moment we don't thank God for her improvements. She is crawling and walking all by herself. We are currently working on walking up and down the stairs! She is such an inspiration to all of us! Her birthday will be this Friday and we are very excited she will be able to spend it at home! She's a big 3 year old now :)

We will be back on the 3rd for her 6th cycle. This is an exciting one because they will be performing a Pet Scan where they will view her whole entire body to see how the tumor looks like now as well as the areas that spread. They will determine from their evaluation if she will need surgery or radiation therapy or a combination of both. We will keep everyone updated once we receive this information.

Many people are asking what they can do to help.  If you would like to donate, please visit any Wells Fargo location and tell them you would like to donate to the Team Jasmine: Beating Cancer fund.

Also there is a donate button on the upper right hand side of the blog (make sure to click view web version if the button is not visible) **Donations will be used to help cover costs associated with Jasmine's care that are not covered by insurance including travel, food, lodging, and missed work.

Thank you again for keeping us in your prayers and hearts!

Psalm 18:1, 2 NIV
"I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Team Jasmine Beating Cancer 2/24/13

Greetings everyone! We want to thank everyone for all the continued support, prayers and positive thoughts! It's absolutely amazing all the love our family has received! We tell Jasmine everyday that she has so many people praying for her recovery. She's only 2 years old but the way she looks at us we know she understands!

We have several updates to share on this blog with everyone! Jasmine started her 3rd cycle of chemo on 13th and it lasted for 5 days. The first two days of this cycle was definitely a tough one for her. She was very sleepy, tired, had nausea and vomiting and crankiness! On the third day she was back to her spirited ways!

Unfortunately she has a rash on her bottom from the chemicals of the chemo. The doctors consider this an open wound because it's very raw! She has not been able to participate in any type of physical therapy because of the pain. She can barley sit up but they started giving her morphine for the pain which calms her down and helps her rest!

That Tuesday after chemo she got both the peritoneal and left nephrostomy tubes taken out! She did great and the procedure went well! Her right nephrostomy tube had to stay in however. They performed a procedure where they inserted contrast into the tube and watched it through X-ray pictures if the contrast traveled from the kidney to the bladder. It turns out that the tumor has attached itself to the tube of the kidney. The kidney itself is working perfectly fine but until they can figure out what they will do whether surgery or radiation therapy with the tumor the tube must stay in the kidney!

The doctors actually decided that yesterday we were going to be able to get discharged! We were in the middle of receiving discharge papers when they checked Jasmine's temperature and she had a fever...so that meant that we have to stay 48hrs at the hospital without her getting another fever. Right now she is receiving antibiotics which should cover any infection she may have. Also her counts are very low. She received two blood transfusions. She's at her highest risk of infection so it was the best thing that we stayed at the hospital. Her next cycle of chemo will start once her counts come back up!

Ryan and I view every situation we go through as a positive learning experience. We would love to have our baby girl back at home but we know she's in the safest place and when she's ready she will let us know! We will stay strong and not be discouraged!!! Overall Jasmine is doing great...they took her off the monitor because her vitals are so stable! We thank God everyday for her continuous improvement!

Many people are asking what they can do to help.  If you would like to donate, please visit any Wells Fargo location and tell them you would like to donate to the Team Jasmine: Beating Cancer fund.  Also there is a donate button on the upper right hand side of the blog (make sure to click view web version if the button is not visible) **Donations will be used to help cover costs associated with Jasmine's care that are not covered by insurance including travel, food, lodging, and missed work.

Thank you again for keeping us in your prayers and hearts!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12 NIV)

Team Jasmine Beating Cancer 2/12/13

Greetings everyone

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and positive thoughts! We are all so grateful for all the support that everyone continues to show us! It helps us all stay strong during this time!

As you all know from the last blog Jasmine is out of the ICU and back on the regular floor. She is improving everyday! The nurses always say that she looks so much better each time they see her!

Yesterday they clamped her nephrostomy tubes that go up her kidneys as well as her peritoneal tube that was draining her stomach of extra fluids. They are monitoring her urine output in her diaper which she is doing very well. They are also measuring her stomach to make sure that by taking out the peritoneal tube it doesn't start to get bigger which it has not. By monitoring these conditions the tubes can officially come out on Friday!

With these tubes clamped Jasmine is able to do more with physical therapy! She is also not hooked up to any IV. The only thing she is hooked up to is her feeding tube! So today she was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair! Also she sat on a mat and worked on scooting, leaning, reaching and most importantly walking! She is not fully walking as of yet but we know with more practice she will gain more confidence and take more steps!

Her 5 day chemo cycle is coming up either tomorrow or Thursday! The doctors want to make sure all her counts are up before starting another round of chemo!

Many people are asking what they can do to help.  If you would like to donate, please visit any Wells Fargo location and tell them you would like to donate to the Team Jasmine: Beating Cancer fund.  Also there is a donate button on the upper right hand side of the blog (make sure to click view web version if the button is not visible) **Donations will be used to help cover costs associated with Jasmine's care that are not covered by insurance including travel, food, lodging, and missed work.

 Also, please continue to keep our daughter lifted in your prayers.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV)

Team Jasmine Beating Cancer 2/5/13

Greetings everyone

We want to start by thanking everyone for their continued support and prayers. We are truly blessed to have such a loving community of family and friends!

We have some exciting news...we are currently out of the ICU and back on the regular hematology and oncology floor! Jasmine is continually improving and never fails to amaze any of the nurses!

We are currently working on her physical therapy and sitting upright which she has proven she can do on her own! This will help her lungs open up and also get rid of secretions she has built up from having the breathing tube. The next step will be walking!

She still has the three tubes on her sides. The doctors will be clamping the two tubes that go to her kidneys soon to see if she can wet her diaper and if all goes well those tubes will be able to come on out!

She is also currently on a feeding tube that goes from her nose to her stomach. They are feeding her a formula that is similar to pediasure. She is also drinking water, apple juice and occasionally her favorite a Popsicle!

We thank you again for all the positive thoughts and prayers! We couldn't be any happier about Jasmine's progress and moving in the right direction!

We will continue to update everyone on her improvements! God bless!

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

Team Jasmine Beating Cancer 1/29/13

Greetings Everyone,

We have some exciting news to share with you all during this blog.  First of all, we would like to thank everyone for your continued support and prayers.  Jasmine is doing well and she continues to get better.

Last week, we blogged about the CT scan that she would be getting of her stomach.  We have some great news regarding the CT scan.  Based on the reviews from the Doctors, the size of the tumor that is located in her lower abdominal area has significantly shrunk.  She has been continuously having bowel movements and she has no longer been throwing up.

However the CT scan did show that she has a slight case of pneumonia in her right lung.  She is currently getting treatment for the pneumonia with a general anti-biotic.  She has continued to breathe well, so well that yesterday the Doctors decided to take her breathing tube out.  We cannot express how amazing it is to hear her voice again.  She has continued her favorite thing to do, watching Fresh Beat Band and singing along.  She still has a nasal canula that the nurses keep lowering the oxygen level on until she gets used to breathing again on her own, which she is doing.

The CT scan also showed that the tumor could have possibly built a fistula (connection) with her GI track or intestines.  She had a procedure today that required X-ray and contrast to see if the tumor was connected.  The study came out to look just fine so the Doctors are discussing whether they can begin feeding her through her feeding tube tomorrow.
Her next round of chemo begins tomorrow and we are hoping to continue to take steps in the right direction.  Hopefully by next week will be out of the PICU and back on the Hematology/Oncology floor.  Again, thank you so much for your positive thoughts and prayers.  Thank you and God Bless.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)

Jasmine Melvin: Beating Cancer 01-24-2013

Greetings everyone

We would like to start off by thanking everyone for all of your support, prayers and positive thoughts.We would like to update you on Jasmine's progress. These last few days have been a struggle. There have been a few ups and a few downs as well.

Jasmine is still in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and she is still on the breathing tube. Yesterday we were told that by Friday morning they would remove it, but this morning a few plans changed due to a concern for her right lung that has collapsed a few days ago. They plan on leaving the breathing tube in for a couple more days. Meanwhile her lung function is improving and she is using minimal oxygen ventilation to breathe. So hopefully in the next few days the breathing tube can come on out.

She has also been experiencing some nausea, vomiting and spikes in fever. They have performed an ultrasound and X-ray of her stomach to determine if there is something causing her nausea and vomiting. Both procedures came out clear of any concern. For her spikes in fever they have sent out a variety of different labs which have come out negative of any infection. They are planning to do a cat scan of her upper body to determine if she has any infection or if this is just a fever associated with her different medicines. They plan to do this tonight or tomorrow morning...will update on that as soon as we get the results.

They have also begun to ween her off sedation and she is quite alert. She continues to smile and give high fives and fist pumps to everyone (excluding the doctors) :) Her new thing to do now is blow kisses! She has also been working with occupational therapy and physical therapy on her legs and arms. She loves it when we read her books and occasionally likes us to let her turn the page.

We are continuing to remain strong and find the positive in everything that we are going through. We will leave you with this scripture that helps us remain strong in our faith.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."- Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

We believe strongly that God has a special plan for Jasmine. She is teaching all of us something very special! Thank you again for all your prayers, support and donations. #TeamJasmine #JasmineStrong

Team Jasmine: Beating Cancer 1/20/13

Update:

Greetings everyone.  We want to share with you an update of Jasmine's condition as of today.  As of January 10th 2013, Jasmine was admitted to the ICU where they placed her on a breathing tube to give her lungs a break.  She is still on the breathing tube as of today, but the Doctor's are currently working on getting her off the breathing tube in the next few days.  Jasmine also has two tubes placed in her kidneys that help her flush out any toxins.  Her kidneys are improving.

Her vitals are steadily improving.  Due to the chemotherapy her White Blood Cell count has dropped significantly but this was expected and the Team here in the ICU are replacing her fluids and blood and keeping her stable from any risk of infection.

We have a few good notes to share: As of today she pooped twice.  She has not had a bowel movement since December 31st right before her biopsy procedure.  We have never been so excited about poop :).  Also she smiled and winked her eye for the first time in a few weeks.  She is definitely responsive and expresses her emotions very well (mostly through the shaking of her head and facial expressions).

Her lungs are improving due to the breathing tube and her MRI of the brain came back negative of any tumors and infections.

We will continue to update everyone on Jasmine's status.  Please continue to keep Jasmine and our family in your prayers.

Introduction: Jasmine Melvin

Hi,

This is Zully and Ryan Melvin.  We are the proud parents of a brave little 2 year old named Jasmine Melvin.  Jasmine likes to a lot of things that 2 year olds like to do such as sing, dance, and chase our dog throughout the house.  Her favorite things to do are watch Dora, Fresh Beat Band, and play with her toys.

Jasmine is truly a blessing to her Family, Friends, and everyone who spends time with her.

On December 29th 2012 our family's lives changed.  After visiting family in Maryland and watching her health decline, we rushed her to Shady Grove Hospital in Maryland.  They ran tests on her including blood work, an ultra sound, and many other tests.  At that point, the Doctor comes in and tells us that our daughter has a large mass in her stomach that may be malignant and they are rushing us to the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC.  We are shocked and devastated but we continue to look for answers and continue on our Faith in God and know that he will get us through this.
After countless tests and talking with some of the best Doctors in the country, Jasmine was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, which is a rare cancer, almost a week later on January 11, 2013.  Jasmine has been through a number of procedures in the past few weeks and has constantly showed her strength through this process.  We continue to have Faith and we know that she will come out of this better than ever as God watches over her. 

As we watch our daughter Jasmine fight this fight against cancer.  We notice that she is not only strong but she is JASMINE STRONG! Please pray for Jasmine as well as Family and Friends as we continue this fight.

We will use this blog as an update to her condition and as a information portal regarding her treatment.

Many people are asking what they can do to help.  If you would like to donate, please visit any Wells Fargo location and tell them you would like to donate to the Team Jasmine: Beating Cancer fund.  **Donations will be used to help cover costs associated with Jasmine's care that are not covered by insurance including travel, food, lodging, and missed work.

 Also, please continue to keep our daughter lifted in your prayers.

Thanks so much and God Bless!