Great is Thy Faithfulness!

i just received an email from Susette. The CT scan was clear and she is in COMPLETE REMISSION. Thank you Jesus!

First Follow-Up

Susette is in Southern California today for her first follow-up CAT scan. Please pray for her and that God would be glorified in her healing and recovery. Praise the Lord!

She's Home!

Did you hear our orphanage kids screaming at the top of their lungs? "Praise the Lord, Mama Susette is home!" It was an incredible homecoming -- nonstop praise, worshiop and prayer! Lifting up praises and thanksgiving to our awesome God for all he has done. "God is good! God is great!" The praises have not stopped.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, encouragement and love!

We love you!

The Manassero Family

Tube Removed

Today, September 11, at 11:00am, Susette had her food tube removed. (Susette loves those 11s) And all seemed to go well. It was not a very technical procedure. The doctor just grabbed the tube and jerked. Ouch! But that is apparently the best way to remove it and standard procedure for removal. Susette is now resting and we are praying that the holes in her abdomen wall and stomach will heal rapidly. For the next 24 hours she'll just rest and let the holes close up. The doctor reassured us that there should be no problems but we are prayerfully anticipating that she will do great! Please join us in prayer.

Lord willing, we are booked to fly back to Haiti on September 18th. Praise the Lord!

Doctor's Visit

We met with our new GI doctor yesterday and he said Susette's stomach feeding tube (G-tube) will be removed Sept 11. Praise God! She has not used the tube in at least the last two weeks and is eating well normally. We are so very excited. All of her doctors have said she can return to Haiti as soon as she wants. She is feeling great and can't wait to get back and see all the kids. When the children at the orphanage see her you will likely hear their shouts of praise all the way to the mainland! We will likely schedule our flight back to Haiti around mid-September, shortly after the G-tube is removed. Please pray that the G-tube removal goes smoothly.

God bless.

Praise God!

Susette has turned around 360 degrees. She is feeling great and eating all food through her mouth and does not use the stomach tube at all. Praise Jesus! This prompted us to move up our move back to Haiti. i just got back from dropping Ari and Vienna off in Haiti. i enrolled our kids in school and we are planning on moving back as soon as Susette has her stomach tube removed and we get a thumbs up from our doctor.

When i was in Haiti we joined with the children at the orphanage for a night of prayer, praise, adoration, worship and thanksgiving to the Lord for the miracle he has worked. We all wept for joy and felt His powerful presence. It was an unbelievable night!

Please keep praying! God bless you.

Doing Wonderfully!

There must be some big time praying going on out there! That's all i can say. Susette is doing incredibly well. She's been eating every day through her mouth. She's been smiling, walking around and i even have to stop her every now and then from wanting to clean-up here and there. We even went to a Mexican restaurant where she was able to eat a cheese enchilada lunch. It's a miracle. Don't stop praying!

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord! Susette is getting out of the hospital today! God is great! She did great last night, requiring no pain killers at all, and has been eating well (through her stomach tube) since yesterday.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers! We have heard from many of you who are praying big time for Susette and we can't thank you enough. i even got an email yesterday from Haiti that said the kids at the orphanage are praying and fasting nonstop for Susette. It looks like we stormed the gates of heaven on this one! Praise our mighty awesome God!

We are still going to postpone our flight to Haiti for tomorrow. We don't know for how long. Her health is our main priority.

We'll keep you informed as we learn more.

Please DON'T STOP praying! We are not completely out of the woods yet. Thanks.

God bless.

bill

Set-Back

It looked like Susette would be released from the hospital yesterday until she had trouble with one of her feedings. She had been receiving food through her stomach tube without any problems but on the "last feeding" before she checked out she had a major reaction and threw-up everything. This inflamed her throat and sent her into a fever. They stopped additional feedings. Her blood results also indicated low red blood cell counts and she had to have a blood transfusion. Therefore, they held her overnight for more tests (CT scan, blood, etc.). We're not sure at this point what the next move will be.

i was scheduled to fly to Haiti this Sunday with my children. That will not happen at this time.

Please keep praying.

Susette Still in Hospital

Susette's feeding tube was installed but is not adapting well with her body. She was only fed once through the tube. Every night she has had very high fevers and abdominal pains so the doctor said to stop feeding through the tube. One night, the pain was so bad she could barely talk. The doctors are holding her at the hospital to try to figure out what is wrong. They have had CT scans, x-rays, and have even released excess air from her stomach area, but they are still puzzled as to the cause. The good news is that her esophagus seems to be healing well and she has not spit up blood or had major pain in a while. She is even able to swallow small sips of water.

Please keep praying.

The Tube is Back

A quick update: Susette tried drinking Ensure but it still hurt. We even tried water and it hurt. After nine days without food Susette is now going to get the stomach feeding tube. It was not an easy decision but, after more discussions with the doctor, she felt the feeding tube would be the overall best route and allow her more flexibility. She's not excited about it but feels it is still the best choice for now. Please keep praying that her throat will heal well and rapidly and that she gets the proper nutrition to strengthen her body and help her quickly recover.

Good News and Bad News

When someone says they have good and bad news, i always ask for the bad news first, so here it goes. The bad news is that Susette has to have a PICC line installed again. This was definitely not good news. The good news, however, is that the doctor determined that she will not be getting the feeding tube in her stomach and food will be administered through the PICC line. And... more good news... Susette ate Jello and ice cream yesterday -- not exactly health food but she was able to EAT -- Alleluia! both items without pain. She tried Ensure but it hurt too much. Keep praying that she can swallow more nutritious items. Today, she will likely have the PICC line installed.

No Food Tube

Yesterday, Dr. Lee at Hoag Memorial in Newport Beach took Susette in to the procedure room to install a food tube. The first part of the procedure is to send a probe that goes all the way to her stomach to look for the best possible area inside of her stomach to do the incision. As the probe was descending her throat the monitor revealed a part of her throat/esophagus that was bleeding. He took photos of this area that he showed me later. This concerned him a great deal because the food tube procedure would seriously aggravate the inflamed area. He decided to inject the bleeding area with something that would make it stop bleeding and hopefully accelerate the healing. He also decided not to install the food tube at this time. His plan: to wait until Sunday, carefully monitor Susette and her throat and see if enough healing occurs to attempt food on Sunday. If this goes well, he will not install a food tube. If it doesn't go well, he will wait a week and a half, install the stomach feeding tube and she'll have to wait 6-8 weeks before it can be removed.

Please pray for miraculous healing of her throat so that she does not have to have the stomach tube. She has been so pumped full of stuff, poked, shot, prodded and put through such misery in the last 7 months i am just praying that she can finally get on with recovery and healing. Please join me in this prayer. God bless you.

Hospital

Just a quick note: Susette was spitting up blood today so she was taken to Hoag Memorial Emergency. The doctor took tests and said he wants her to be admitted to better follow and treat the problem. She is on pain killers and is feeling much better. PraiseGod! She will meet with a GI doctor tomorrow to determine if they will put a tube in her stomach for food.

i am blessed to be able to stay with her tonight at the hospital. i am leaving right now. We don't know how many days she will stay. Needless to say, please keep praying. Thank you.

Keep Praying!

Susette went to UCLA and had a probe of her throat. It was determined that the problem was not food but the damage caused by radiation. Apparently, the radiation fried her esophagus and that is why she has so much pain. The food was not the problem. The doctor said to stop all radiation until she is healed (1-3 weeks). We are praying to stop altogether.

We spoke to our radiologist and he couldn't understand what happened. He said that she had a very light dose (12) and that most treatments are more intense (60). Nonetheless, we are thinking we are done. Pray that God will give us clear confirmation.

As i write, Susette has not had solid food since Saturday. She is barely drinking water. PLEASE pray that she will be able to at least take in Ensure. The other option, if she doesn't, is to hook her up to an IV and/or food tube through the stomach.

Please Pray!

We had something that recently happened with Susette that requires prayer. She was at our daughter-in-law Cindy's baby shower on Saturday when something got lodged in her throat. She had increasing difficulty swallowing after the 6th radiation treatment so she has been very cautious. When she took a bite of the quiche, it was a very small bite. The food was not blocking air but felt like it is was just stuck. She said it felt like it was cutting the inside of her throat. After a short time she said she was o.k. and that she could drink and the food was working its way down her throat. It worked its way down in about 2-3 hours but there was a good degree of damage in her throat and in her chest. She said she was o.k. but later developed a fever and we immediately rushed her to Hoag Memorial emergency. Hoag could not figure out what was going on and just gave her pain killers. They said to go see our Radiologist on Monday. We did and he couldn't figure out what was happening. As it stands right now, we are trying to get in to see another doctor who is a specialist. She has not eaten since Saturday and can barely drink. We are giving her Ensure and Pedialyte which she can barely get down. Please pray for Susette and that we might get to a doctor who can better direct us. Thanks.

In Remission

We are half way through the radiation treatments (7 down, 7 to go!). Susette's throat is getting sore from the treatments and it is becoming increasingly difficult for her to swallow. Please pray that she can get through the radiation with minimal discomfort.

We met with Dr. deVos our oncologist yesterday. He looked at Susette's latest PET/CT scans and said that not only is Susette cancer free but she is now officially in remission. Praise the Lord! God is so great!

For you prayer warriors out there this is not new news. We all knew she was healed a long time ago however, for our doctor to make this proclamation is big news. The entire doctor's office was celebrating. People were even crying. One girl at the office who is completing her RN said she wants to come to Haiti on a missions trip and we don't think she is a believer. Another person in the office who is a part-time stand-up comedienne said she wanted to put on a fund raiser for the kids in Haiti.

It was an awesome day! Praise the Lord for He is good, faithful and mighty!

Radiation Begins

Yesterday, Susette had her first radiation treatment. Our appointment at UCLA was at 6:45, so we had to leave Orange County super early. The treatment only took 10-15 minutes and we were back on our way home.

Susette couldn't pin-point how she was feeling. She said, "I just feel kinda spacey." Then, i asked her, "Now, tell me something different that you are experiencing." After she hit me, we just laughed a lot. i was joking about her "chemo brain" reactions which she has been experiencing for the past 6 months.

When we got home, she went right to bed and didn't get up until the afternoon. She wasn't feeling pain but had lost her appetite, was very tired and was just feeling slow.

Please pray for her. We have 13 more of these treatments, every day, Monday though Friday. Today's treatment is also at 6:45am (it is now 4:11am).

Thank you for your prayers and love. We love you all so very much. God bless you!

Getting Ready for Radiation

Susette and i are both ecstatic that the chemo therapy is finally behind us. Praise the Lord! We have not stopped praising Jesus for the miracle He performed in her healing. One of Susette's biggest joys was having the pick line removed from her arm -- literally minutes minutes after her last chemo (and not soon enough). It was kinda like having a ball and chain removed. The next day, we had an informal Independence Day celebration with family and friends and Susette truly celebrated both her freedom as an American and as a chemo survivor.

She has been such an incredible inspiration for me throughout this whole process. She is a truly amazing woman! Her optimism is inspiring. She even shampooed her barely visible hair for the first time in nearly 6 months -- getting ready for their triumphal return... The only drawback to her wonderful enthusiasm is that by Sunday, three days after her last treatment, she was beat and not feeling good at all (tried, run down and nauseous) so she had to slow way down. By Tuesday, after resting and taking it easy, she was doing much better.

Well, on Monday we met with our "new" UCLA doctor, Dr. Selch - the oncology radiologist. He reviewed her case and determined that she should definitely conclude her chemo treatment with radiation -- even though there are no visible signs of cancer. What he will do is look at the earliest PET/CT scans and radiate the areas where the cancer was located (prior to God's miraculous removal of the disease).

On Tuesday, we went in to have a scan and marking of the area to be radiated. Yes, it's true, Susette has tattooed! (Eat your heart out Jasmine! lol) Well, it wasn't exactly a flower or beautiful landscape of Yosemite and Half Dome but it was a series of microscopic tattoos -- little marks on her chest and neck, barely the size of tiny moles, that will help the doctors pinpoint the radiation.

The next step is a dry run on Wednesday, July 16, followed by the first radiation treatment, 11:30am, Thursday, July 17. Then, we will come in to UCLA, Monday through Friday, for 13 days, for 10 minute treatments each day. That will be it!

After that, she will be free, except for periodic PET/CT scans and doctor follow-up visits. There is even a possibility that she may be able to return to Haiti with the rest of us on August 10th -- but only if she is ready. Keep praying that God's incredible miracle will continue!

Dear friends, thank you for your continuous prayers. Radiation today is a lot less devastating than it was in years past but it is still a risk. Instead of broad-brushing radiation throughout her body (as they would do in the past) it is very directed, with precision, avoiding vital organs and residual damage. However, radiation can also (theoretically) ignite cancer cells to return and she will have her already ailing thyroid radiated in this process, which is a further risk. So, please keep her in your prayers.

We'll try to give you updates once the radiation begins. God bless.

Finis!

Praise the Lord! Susette had her last chemo therapy treatment yesterday! We cannot believe it! Today (July 4th), we're celebrate two independence days! And we have nothing but praise and glory to offer up to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for getting us to this point. And for all of you, whose prayers of healing and comfort helped us through this difficult time, we humbly give you our deepest depth of gratitude. God bless you.

Our last day at the U.C.L.A. medical center was bitter sweet. We were excited that it was all over but, at the same time, will greatly miss some of our dear new friends we have made along the way. Nurses, doctors and staff, and fellow patients -- some of which still have a very long way to go before their treatments are over. Susette and i gave lots of hugs and some little gifts of appreciation.

Her treatment went very quickly and, when it was over, the nurse removed her pick line, her temporary medicine treatment line that consisted of two caps, attached to a thin line threaded up her vein to her heart. Susette was not sad to see that go!

When we got home, our kids had decorated our house with balloons and signs of congratulations. It was a joyous day to be sure.

Now what? Well, it's not completely over yet. We have a PET/CT scan yet to complete and a meeting with a radiologist on Monday to discuss the radiation treatment. We have no idea, at this point, what that will involve but will update the blog as soon as we know.

In the meantime, we're focused strongly on feeding her right and building up her immunity. Please keep praying. It isn't over yet.

Praise God! His love endures forever!

Only One Left!!!!!

Susette had her 11th chemo treatment yesterday. Can you believe it? It went by so fast! That means only one to go! Wow! We're almost done!

The last chemo is scheduled for July 3rd. Then, approximately one month after that, she will have radiation. After radiation, it's all downhill. Our focus, after the last treatment, will be on building her up through nutrition and immunity boosters. If she is well enough, she may return with us on August 10. If not, then she will come over when she's ready.

Yesterday's chemo went very smooth and we were out of there by 1:30pm. A record. We shared the treatment area with a lady with MS who was the same age as Susette. She had had MS for 18 years. She was a white lady born in Kenya and had an English (colonial) accent. She lives in Venice, California and was a bit of a hippie. You should have seen Susette's face when the lady asked her if she smoked marijuana to help her nausea. Susette was very polite and said she had survived 47 years never touching the stuff and didn't see much sense in starting now. lol. Besides, she gave up coffee right before chemo started and she is still having withdrawal symptoms from that.

We shared our faith with her and her Hollywood make-up artist friend and they were pretty quiet. We pray that there were seeds planted. We hope we can stay in touch. God can do anything.

Please keep praying as we are on home stretch! God is sooooooo good. God bless you.

Only Two to Go!

Susette had her 10th chemo treatment Friday. Only two left!!!! Can you believe it? Time has zipped by! This last one, however, hit her pretty hard and she has had less energy than in all previous treatments. PLEASE keep her in your prayers.

i can't believe how well she has done overall for the last six months. She's one strong little Cubana! That's why it grieves me so much to see her so worn out and tired. The only positive is that she is not in the least bit resistant to me (or others) waiting on her hand and foot. It's a true pleasure to serve her. i love her so very much.

We are actually looking at and planning our return to Haiti... i may have to take the kids back a little early for school. If she builds up her health soon, she can join us a month or so afterwards. Otherwise, i may have to return. There are a lot of uncertainties at this point. Her health is our number one priority. Please pray that she can build up her white blood cell count and restore her health.

We are already talking about how we are going to do things much differently when we return -- things like diet, our schedule, environment and other factors directly impacting health.

Well, gotta go. We just love you all so much for caring so much for Susette and including her in your daily prayers. You remain in our prayers, as well. God bless you.

Special Visit and Light at the End of the Tunnel

Susette is doing pretty well, considering what she has gone through. i am amazed at her upbeat attitude and how wonderful she looks. The chemo, unfortunately, has a cumulative effect that has reduced Susette's energy and stamina significantly. Those of you who know Susette know that she is a pretty active and high energy person. The treatments have made her slow down quite a bit.

Recently, our daughter Jasmine and her son Levi visited us from Virginia. It was wonderful and a true joy for Susette. Although Susette had great plans to take them all around Southern Cal, the reality of how she was feeling kept her home most of the time. But she made the most of it for sure. During the week, Susette's energy would re-emerge from time to time and i'd catch her in the midst of a competitive round of table tennis with Jasmine or praise dancing around the room to a favorite worship tune.

Seeing her grandson Levi was also a major blessing. She holds such a deep love for this special little guy. We all love Levi so very much. He is a cute, smart little boy and we have missed both Levi and Jasmine a great deal.

Jasmine and Levi's visit was a great distraction from the brutal cycle of chemo treatments, medications and daily efforts to avoid viruses and germs that could harm her dangerously volatile immune system. We hated to see them go.

By the way, did i mention -- WE ONLY HAVE 4 MORE CHEMO TREATMENTS TO GO! Praise the Lord!!!! The next one is scheduled for this Friday, June 23rd.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are so very grateful!

God bless you.

bill

Ups and Downs

Sorry it has been a while since my last posting but life has been a bit crazier than usual, including coordinating missions teams that recently went and whom are planning to go to Haiti, dealing with the riots and skyrocketing food prices and an attempted kidnapping in Haiti of our dear friends the Hojaras. Please keep our MDL kids and the Hojaras in your prayers and for the Lord's protection over the homes.

Even though i am here in Southern California, i still remain plugged in to what is happening over there (although the Hojaras are carrying the brunt of the burden). i try to keep Susette out of the loop when possible to avoid stress on her end but she's always asking, "What did you hear? How are our kids?" and many more questions -- those of you who know Susette know what i mean.

Overall, she is doing well. We are still praising God for her negative PET/CT scan! Susette just completed her 7th chemo treatment -- only 5 more to go! Praise the Lord!

Unfortunately, the chemo continues and with the treatments comes the horrible side effects and the constant wear and tear on Susette. The result is a general overall lack of energy, increased nausea, more aches and pains and, more recently, hot and cold flashes. We don't know if the hot and cold flashes are a result of what some literature says can occur with chermo therapy -- actual forced menopause. We will be asking our doctor on the next visit if this is the case.

i feel so blessed to have Susette as my wife. She continues to bless me as she handles these trying times so much better than i. Her attitude is excellent 99% of the time. And when she's alone and drawing close to the Lord, she's been known to turn up the worship music and dance praises to our Lord for hours. How can you not love her?

Since i'm on the subject of how incredible my wife is... i must also say that even without hair she remains more beautiful than ever. Those of you who have seen her know what i mean. She looks strikingly beautiful. Those big beautiful green eyes just hit me right over the head every time i see her. i really don't know if i even want her to grow her hair back now. i want to put a picture of her in the blog but she's not quite ready. i understand but wow! she's a knockout. Snead O'Connor can't hold a candle to little Suzy Manassero!

Sorry to get off track... that's just me...

So, overall, she's doing o.k. but we really need prayer for the new set of physical discomforts and challenges. Also, please pray that she does not catch any colds, etc. while her immunity is so low.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your continued prayers, blessings and encouragement. It means more than Susette and i could ever express. May God bless you abundantly.

Susette Standing Strong

It has been a while since i last posted. It's been pretty busy and hectic in the last few weeks. Her last chemo treatment was her 6th -- marking the official half-way point. We are excited, first for what God did at her last PET scan, and secondly, to know we are half way through treatments.

i was scheduled to be a plane today for Haiti to visit the children at the orphanage, to reassure and comfort them in light of the recent riots and just to love on them -- but decided it was better to stay with Susette. Even though she is doing very well, the chemo has a debilitating effect that is taking its toll. New aches and pains, increased nausea and a fair number of sleepless nights (and the Lord) told me to cancel and send others in my place. Darin Kruse, a great friend and member of the Child Hope board of directors, his daughter Jaime and a dear friend of Darin's and a Haiti vet, Quentin, all went in my place. They are dear friends. They will also meet up with a work team from Connecticut headed by Mark Tibbetts.

The doctor has prescribed a new drug to cut the nausea and help her sleep. It's a sedative, so she is being cautious and only taking it when she really has to due to the drug's addictive nature.

Susette has been experiencing nausea triggered merely by association. She gets nauseous when we drive into the underground parking lot at UCLA Medical Center where she receives her chemo therapy treatments. She gets nauseous when she smells a food she may have had for lunch while receiving therapy. It is goes on. We have heard of people who get nauseous when they see the color red because one of the drugs that is part of the treatment is bright red. Please pray for her to overcome the side effects.

Overall, she is doing incredible. Susette's inner strength, resolve and attitude are amazing. She walks strong with her Savior by her side and has used every moment possible, in her rest and times alone, to draw nearer to His glory and bask in his beautiful presence.

Please keep praying and lifting her up for God's mighty had to heal, move, comfort and transform. God bless you.

PRAISES FROM HAITI!

Here is a copy of an email from the family sitting in for us in Haiti (Ted & Lisa Hojara):

JESUS IS SO GOOD!!!

I WISH YOU COULD HAVE SEEN THE KIDS FACES AT NOON PRAYER WHEN WE SHARED WITH THEM ABOUT SUE.....WE DANCED AND SANG.....AND WORSHIPED FOR A LONG TIME.... IT WAS AWESOME!!!! THEY ARE SO HAPPY AND I KNOW THEIR FAITH HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A NEW LEVEL, AS ALL OF OURS HAS......

WE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND ARE SO ENCOURAGED BY GODS GOODNESS TO US ALL......

What a blessing! i wish we could have been there to celebrate with the kids!

GREAT NEWS! (CONFIRMED)

Just to let you know, i spoke to Susette's doctor and the news is confirmed -- the PET scan was negative!

Praise the Lord and keep on praying!

GREAT NEWS! (with reservations)

This may be a bit premature but i have to post it this exciting news nonetheless...

Susette had her PET scan today to determine the status of her cancer. Less than an hour ago, her doctor called me with the following "preliminary" results. He said, the technician reviewed her results and said that the PET scan "appears" to show no sign of the cancer anywhere. Yes, that's right -- NO SIGN OF CANCER! Is our God good or what!!!!

BUT... He followed his statement with the following: we will know for sure tomorrow morning. If he doesn't call me than that is good news and it means that the results are as he stated - NO DETECTABLE SIGNS OF CANCER. If he does call, then there is a different or varying result.

i asked him if this information is conclusive. He said, the PET scan is not the most comprehensive evaluation of all cancer cells. It is either black or white based only on what "it is able" to detect. Regardless of the results, he wants to continue the chemo to insure that any undetectable cancer be eliminated. The reason being is that undetected cells that survive chemo will come back at 10 times the fury of the original cells.

Well, that's it for now. i will post again tomorrow whether or not i hear from the doctor (i will probably call him regardless).

Don't stop praying! Our God is awesome and He is moving!

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:16

Chemo #4

Susette had her fourth chemo therapy treatment on Friday and is doing pretty well.

Before we had the treatment, however, she had to go in to have a "pick line" installed. A pick line is a temporary line that is inserted into her vein (with two little plugs hanging on the outside of her arm) that allows the nurses to draw blood or inject treatments without having to search for a vein each time. The pick line has a small tube that is threaded into her vein and that runs right to her heart to insure the treatment goes right into her blood system. The last two visits were difficult for the nurses to find good veins, therefore it was recommended that Susette have the pick line installed.

At the hospital, we shared out treatment area with two very nice people - Joseph and Victoria. Joseph come in every week to get a blood transfusion. He had cancer five years back and has a very low white cell count. The drugs that are supposed to boost white cell count are pretty much ineffective for him (he's 87) so he comes in to get new blood every week. He says, "It's a way of life." He shared that he just spends his life trying to avoid bacteria or infection because he knows that if he gets anything it will be fatal. Joseph and his wife were thankful that he had lived 5 years when doctors projected that 6 months would be a long time for him to survive.

Victoria and Susette really hit it off. She is a die hard Catholic but you could tell she has a heart for the Lord. She asked lots of questions about the orphanage, Haiti and the children. She said she would love to visit the orphanage and teach the children embroidery, music and English but that she couldn't leave Joseph. We all really connected and Susette feels it was one of those "divine appointments." It was so cute, before we left Victoria handed us some money and said she wants to sponsor one of the little girls at the orphanage. She wants to sponsor the one who whom no one else will sponsor. Then, she said to please send a photo as soon as possible so she could show her son the picture of his new "sister." Victoria is a new mom at 70!

Yesterday, we had a home health care nurse from UCLA show up to teach Susette how to flush and clean her new pick line. They gave us a huge box of supplies for the month. It is very important that Susette clean and flush the line daily because infection can be very serious and dangerous. Well, this was Susette's "divine appointment number two." The nurse was a young woman from Nigeria who turned out to be a spirit-filled Christian. She lives in Torrance (near by) and belongs to small church in the area. It just so happens that she owns a piece of land in Nigeria that she wants to one day build an orphanage, school and church. Wow! Talk about a "God thing!" Anyway, they exchanged contact info and i'm sure we'll be talking more to her.

So, in summary, God continues to work mightily in our circumstance. Susette, who is supposed to feel worse after each treatment, is actually feeling better after each treatment. She is strong and feeling God's presence and healing. Please continue your prayers, especially as she prepares for her next PET scan to happen sometime in the next week or so. God bless.

Trying to Boost White Cells

Because Susette's white blood cell count was abnormally low, she has had to go to UCLA for the last four days for daily shots of Nupagin, a drug that helps build white blood cells to fight off infection. The drug apparently generates new white cells through bone marrow, causing achey bones and joints. Susette had a particularly difficult time sleeping last night and said it felt like she had Denge fever (called the break bone disease) again -- a horrible disease we both had in Haiti.

Today we go in for tests and a consultation with her doctor to see if her white cell count is back up. Please pray for her. Thanks.

Chemo #3

Susette's third chemo therapy treatment went well with few problems. There was one issue, however, where the nurse forgot to dilute one of he chemo drugs with saline. Susette was sleeping when the nurse came over and added an IV of the final drug for her day's treatment. About a minute into the drug, Susette woke up saying, "my veins are burning." i ran and got the nurse who realized that she was supposed to dilute the drug with saline solution because it is too strong for direct IV. She didn't admit her mistake and fumbled about "suggesting" that saline would make it better. The nurse then grabbed a hot compress to put on her arm where the IV was going and the veins were hurting. That made it worse and she returned in a few minutes with a cold compress -- which felt better.

It just accentuated to me how easily problems can occur in this process. Way too often the suffering that occurs with cancer patients happens as a result of the misadministration of treatment.

Please keep her in prayer.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

I spent this week in Haiti - picking up Ariana and Vienna, working with the Hojaras, who are sitting in for us at the orphanage, and spending time, worship and prayer with the amazing staff and children af Maison de Lumiere. At first, I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to leave Susette. If it wasn’t for the fact that she would be in the care of our dear friends the Bohlingers, she encouraged me to go and the fact that she is doing so well, I would have never gone. I made sure that the trip was scheduled between chemo treatments.

It was an incredible week but I missed her tremendously, The children love her so much and their prayers and worship times – when they lifted her up – brought tears to my eyes.

Susette & I would talk on the phone, email or IM daily. The constant communication helped put me at ease as I got encouraging daily updates… “I’m feeling great.” “Better than ever.” “Drawing closer to the Lord each day” It made me so happy to hear from her. But the most incredible news came Friday, after she met with her doctor.

She was going to meet the doctor to question some of the treatment regimens that he was employing, that did not make a lot of sense. At the meeting, her questions were adequately answered and she ended up feeling better about the doctors approach. But here’s the amazing thing… the doctor looked for and tried to feel the original lumps in her neck (there were three). To his surprise, he saw and felt nothing. He was perplexed. After only 2 (out of 12 scheduled) treatments, the lumps in her neck were gone. He didn’t understand – but, of course, Susette did. She knows that this doctor is not the only physician working on her healing. Another Physician (being spurred on by the prayers of the saints) doesn’t need 12 treatments or chemo therapy at all for that matter. She has the Great Physician on her case.

"I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

When I received the news I was beside myself. I praised and thanked God for his faithfulness. And when i led worship at our little church in Haiti and shared the news, the church broke out in praise, worship and shouts of praise. For the next 45 minutes, the Spirit poured into the church for one of the most awesome worship times I’ve seen in the nearly 4 years we’ve been attending. Praise the Lord!

So here’s the deal… In one month, she is scheduled to go in for another PET scan that will detect traces of cancer. It is our prayer (and we invite you to make it your prayer) that the doctor will be totally blown away to find NO TRACE OF CANCER ANYWHERE! We know our God is capable and faithful and in Him we put our trust. Please join us in praying for total healing for Susette in the name of Jesus! Amen.

Haircut and Chemo Number Two

Yesterday, Susette cut her hair. It is the shortest haircut she has ever had. About an inch in length. She did it because it is already starting to fall out and she didn’t want to face waking up to big clumps on her pillow.

Susette is about as easy going as anyone; however, it was not easy to do. Susette’s hair is beautiful. She is known for her beautiful long full golden curls. If fact, I remember when we started at a new church many years ago. We would always sit up front and as we got to know more and more people i became known as the guy with “the girl with the hair” who sat up front. I was famous.

When we moved to Haiti, the heat and humidity made having long hair a challenge but she never cut it, even though I know she want to. I think she kept it because she knew I loved it.

Funny thing is, now that it’s short, I think she’s more beautiful than ever. She looks great with short hair. And when it all goes, she’s going to be even more beautiful. She is drop dead gorgeous! Sorry guys, but I have the most beautiful gal on this planet!

This morning, we had chemo treatment number two.

We were blessed to have our son Jordan join us who took the day off of work to share the time with his mom. Sweet kid, huh?

Even though it is only the second treatment, we were ready for it. It went much quicker than the first treatment because they didn’t have all the education and training. It went fairly smoothly although they did have some difficulty finding a vein. They are trying to encourage us to have a “lance line” installed (I think that’s what it’s called). The lance line is a permanent line that runs in a main vein to your heart. It is surgically implanted and has a soft end where they insert the needle. Whenever they want to draw blood or inject for treatment, they just plug in to the soft area just beneath your skin. I know it sounds gross but when can’t reach veins any more, it is a good alternative.

After her treatment, we went into a shop in UCLA hospital called Reflections. They specialize in items for cancer patients and have a great selection of cute caps and scarf. We almost bought the place out. Susette looks so pretty in her new hats, caps and scarves. If she’ll allow me, I may include a photo on this blog.

She’s feeling pretty good today (THANK YOU, JESUS!) and we’re praying that this will continue. She’s resting all weekend, drinking lots of juices, supplementary shakes and trying to keep the human contact to a minimum (she is very susceptible to infection and disease because her white cell count is very low.)

Please continue to keep her in your prayers for healing, strength and encouragement. Also, she is really missing our Haiti kids and the realization that she may be in the States for a while is just starting to hit her. Please pray that the Lord will comfort her and our kids at Maison de Lumiere.

God bless.

bill

Rod & Brittany's Wedding

We attended Rod & Brittany's wedding last weekend and it was beautiful! One of the most beautiful weddings we have ever seen. There were some incredible slide and video presentations highlighting Haiti that brought tears to our eyes. Susette and i saw lots of friends we had not seen in years. And, by the grace of God, Susette felt great the whole weekend. God is so good!

Congratulations to Rod & Brittany! See ya back in Haiti!

Good Days and Bad Days

Since we found out about Susette's condition, we have spoken with many cancer survivors or members of families who have experienced the chemotherapy treatment process. One thing that seemed to ring consistent with everyone we spoke with was that the chemotherapy patient has "good and bad days."

Well, yesterday we experienced our first "bad" day as Susette felt nauseous, weak, achy, lacked appetite, and just felt all around awful. It pained me so much to see her hurting knowing there was very little i could do to make her feel better. Knowing she had taken her medication, i continued trying to get her to eat and drink to keep her strength up (she's down to 110 pounds). i made sure she was able to rest and just tried to make her as comfortable as possible.

At one point, she regained her appetite and i was ecstatic. She was craving cheese and pasta. So, we broke her tight veggie/vegan diet to order Italian -- pizza and raviolis. It was so great to see her eat, even if it was only two raviolis and half a slice of pizza.

Please keep my precious flower in your prayers -- for more good days than bad.

(Her next chemo treatment is scheduled for February 15)

First Chemotherapy Treatment

First, the great news – the bone marrow biopsy returned negative! Susette’s bones have no signs of cancer. PRAISE GOD!

Today, we awoke before sunrise to make sure we could beat the traffic from Newport Beach to UCLA for our 8:00am appointment.

Susette was in pretty good spirits. On the way to the appointment, we prayed, read the Bible and excerpts from the book Christ the Healer by F.F. Bosworth. It is an incredible book. We were encouraged and optimistic. We also received a call from Elaine Simpson, a friend from Georgia, who had recently gone through chemo. She offered words of encouragement and inspiration and prayed with Susette.

We were scheduled for blood to be drawn at 8:00, followed by the chemo therapy at 9:00. Unfortunately, because of a misunderstanding with our new Medical coverage, they almost didn’t take us. I called our case worker and, by God’s grace, she took care of the problem and we were approved for treatment. The blood test was delayed about an hour and a half. (The blood has to be drawn first to assess the white cell count. If it is too low, there would be no chemo.)

After one hour, the blood results were in and the chemo was a go. They began administering the various “pre-treatment” drugs (Tylenol, Benedryl, antibiotics, anti-nausea and other drugs) before the actual chemotherapy treatment began.

We were assigned a nurse to be with us for the entire treatment. Her name was Sarah. She was very nice and took her time explaining the whole process and what to expect. Susette hit it off real well with her. (Of course, who doesn’t hit it off well with Susette?) The nurse was fascinated with her stories about Haiti and she kept asking all kinds of questions. We don’t think she is a believer but she sounded very interested to hearing more about Susette’s story and her motivation for living in Haiti.

When she was ready to administer the four chemo drugs, she came over in full protective gear -- face mask, rubber gloves, etc. She said she dressed like that to prevent contact with these dangerous drugs. And all I could think was, “in a few minutes, those dangerous drugs will be flowing through my wife’s veins.”

A friend of the family, Parker, a young man from Peter Bohlinger’s USC Bible class, came to help out, offer encouragement and pray with us.

The chemo administration was not as bad as we anticipated but the Benedryl and other pre-treatment drugs kicked in and Susette fell asleep through much of the chemo.

It was nearly 4pm by the time we were finished and Susette was pretty drowsy. We went to meet with our oncologist, Dr. deVos and then drove home. We prayed on the way home, thanking God for allowing us to receive this treatment, for having the first session go so well and for the very nice people at the hospital.

After three more treatments, they will do another PET scan to check her progress. It is our prayer that the doctor will be blown away by the total disappearance of Hodgkins from her body. Please join us in this prayer. God bless you.

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

Bone Marrow Biopsy

Yesterday, Susette and i went in for a bone marrow biopsy at UCLA. We had been through a number of tests (various blood tests, lymph note biopsy, PET/CT scan, echo cardiogram, lung scan/breath tests and an MRI) but this was definitely the most painful. This test involved sticking a probe into her hip bone marrow (within the bone) to extract a marrow sample. The purpose is to see if the cancer infiltrated the bones.

Susette gave (more) blood and was shot up with morphine before the biopsy. She then was given shots into each layer of skin and the outside of the bone to numb her for pain. They all helped but there was no numbing the inside of the bone. When the needle reached the inside of of her bone and the marrow a sharp strong pain ran right down her leg. i was holding her hand and my fingers were turning blue at that point.

The first attempt was not successful so, she had to repeat the procedure. My fingers at that point were turning a nice shade of magenta by then...

After the procedure was over, a nurse counseled her on her first chemotherapy appointment coming up on Friday. The nurses name was Kim and she was very nice and compassionate. But even with her nice demeanor, the facts were not wonderful to hear -- chemotherapy is still dangerous and Susette will be sitting for approximately 5 hours while they pump her with this lethal medicine. She will receive this outpatient treatment twice a month for six months. And there are the side effects -- she will be loosing her hair and will have to take anti-nausea medicine regularly, not to mention the many other potential risks. It was not a possitive message to hear.

By then, it was about 5:00pm and we glad the appointment was over but we weren't thrilled about jumping on the freeway to head for the South Bay, so, we decided to visit a Westwood veggie restaurant -- not the smartest idea. By the time we found a place to park, and walked to the restaurant, the morphine had kicked in big time. Susette was leaning on my arm and was staggering as we walked down the street. i wanted to go back but she said "no p-p-p-roooblem." i thought for sure we were going to be stopped by the police for "drunk and disorderly" behavior. Fortunately, we made to the restaurant without getting arrested.

After we sat down and ordered, i left briefly for the restroom. When i returned, Susette's head was face down on the table --- she was out. i had to wake her up because the food was about to arrive. Once the food arrived, i did all i could to keep her from diving head first into her cabbage soup. It was, needless to say, an adventure to be remembered.

Coming up...

Friday, at 8am, is her first chemotherapy appointment. Please keep her in your prayers. She is very apprehensive. Pray that God will give her peace and that the morning will go well.

Welcome!

Background
In November of 2007, Susette Manassero discovered a lump on her neck that over time seemed to be growing. Upon advice from a dear physician friend in Haiti, Susette immediately flew to Los Angeles on December 19th to have the lump checked out.

On December 24, 2007, Susette Manassero was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer that infiltrates the lymp nodes. This news turned her world upside down. One minute, Susette, with her husband Bill, were running the Maison de Lumiere Home for Homeless Children in Port Au Prince, Haiti. The next minute, they are in Southern California preparing for the journey of a lifetime.

This Blog
This blog was developed as a means to keep friends and family updated on all that is happening with Susette and her illness and to post prayer requests. We have been so incredibly blessed to have such an awesome church family, dear friends and relatives who are storming the gates of heaven on behalf of Susette. This is a true battle whereby the prayers of the saints and God's Word are our weapons of choice to defeat the onslaught of the enemy. We thank each and every one of you who has come along side us in this battle.

Our God is mighty and faithful and our full trust is in Him -- Jehovah Rapha (The Lord our Healer) to see us through. God bless you.