Tuesday, January 29, 2013

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)


Thursday, January 24, 2013

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




Sunday, January 20, 2013

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.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

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!