FUNDRAISER for JAKE

 ~~~FUNDRAISER ~~~ 
Silent Auction and Dinner 

 SATURDAY - October 20, 2012

5-8pm

Smithfield Lion's Lodge

102 N 380 E

Smithfield, UT 84335

We are seeking help with obtaining donations for the auction.
 Jake's profile sheet (to give to potential donors or vendors) is available to
 download on the top right column.

We are also seeking volunteers to help with the evening.

Donations must be NEW or for a particular SERVICE.  Please no used items.

Please call or text Katie @ (435) 881-8821 or Keri @ (435) 770-8893
to drop off donations, volunteer or for more information.

If you would like to donate, but cannot attend this fundraiser, an account has been set up at American First Credit Union under the name of "Jake Griggs Charitable Account."

Please pass along the word to family and friends!!

Fundraiser Planning

A fundraiser planning meeting is being held this week for anyone who would like to come and support Jake and the Griggs Family.

                               Date:            September 20, 2012  - Thursday

                          Time:            5pm

                          Location:      Elk Ridge Park Pavilion 

                                              1100 E 2500 N ~ North Logan

Surgery once again.....

Wednesday, Sept 5, 2012 - We are back at the PMC! I'm in the waiting room waiting for Jake to get done with surgery.  Since we have been home from the last visit to the primary children's hospital Jake ANC (absolute neutra fill count, his immune system) has been at a 0.  This means there is little to no healing and because of this he got an infection in his leg.  Dr. Scott wanted to cut out the dead tissue and then stitch it up again.  The surgery is suppose to take about 1 hour to 1 hour and a half.  After surgery - a couple hours for recovery - then we will get to go home.  Dr. Scott wants to heal another week before we go back for the next round of chemo.  I have mixed emotions about this.  I am so ready for this to be over, it is so hard to leave my two other kids.  I really wish Jake could have some normalcy in his life. 

A few pictures that are keepsakes

This is a fruit bouquet that I got the night before Jake went to surgery from Lorraine Nielson (my Relief Society President).  It was so yummy but it was really to hard to break it apart because it was so pretty.  We loved it!!!

The Priest (from Jake's ward) were going on high adventure and decided to take the long way around to Idaho through Salt Lake City (90 minutes out of the way!) to see Jake.  These are some of the most amazing Young Men around.  Love their smiles.  I couldn't get the Bishop to look at the camera though ;)  Paul Funk said this was the highlight of the high adventure.  I know that it was for sure a highlight for Jake!  As Jake's Mom, I am indebted to these young men.

This is a picture of the Priests when they went into Jake's room.  I asked them to give me a silly pose and this is what I got. :)  This is post surgery.

Kenna, Jakes sister, just chillin, waiting for Jake to come to his room

Grandma Griggs waiting for Jake to come in after surgery.

Grandpa Griggs waiting for Jake to come in after surgery.

Pathology Report - Disappointing News....

Wednesday, August 15, 2012 - On Friday Dr. Wright called and said they got the pathology report back on Jake's leg.  The tumor didn't respond like they had hoped.  Only 30% of the tumor had died.  They were hoping for more like 90%.  That means that the chemo he has been receiving wasn't doing a good job of killing the cancer.  Because of this outcome everything changes from here.  

We had the option of adding two additional chemo medications to the three he was already receiving or stop with the chemo and implement two brand new chemo medications.  The two new chemo medications are Ifosfamide and Etoposide.  The Etoposide has a greater chance of giving him leukemia.  Dr. Wright didn't really know where to go from here.  There is a study being done right now on which is better for the patient but as of right now there are no reports on it.  She was going purely off of how Jake reacted to the chemo.  She thought where he always gets really sick that she was leaning toward the two new infusions.  She wanted us to think about it and on Monday when we were to come back we would talk to her.  She was also going to email a couple of her associates and see what they recommended.  We fasted on Sunday and I felt we should rely on the Dr.'s advise  and Aaron was inspired to add the two new chemo medications to Jake's map. 

We left early on Monday (August 13th) and went to see Dr. Scott, Jake's surgeon, and he removed some of the stitches for the leg. Then we were leaving to go to Primary Children's Medical Center and went to the car - it wouldn't start. Uggg!!!  Luckily Aaron had followed us down to SLC and was able to take Jake and I to Primary's.  When we got here it was 1:00 and Jake went to the Audiologist to have his hearing checked. Not much has changed with the hearing just some higher pitches lost, ironically those tones lost in the early twenty's anyway.  Then to the cardiologist to have his heart checked as these two new medications are very hard on the heart and kidneys.  Dr. Wright came in and spoke with us and she explained that she really wasn't sure what to do yet.  She told us that the survival rate is lower due to the outcome of the tumor on the leg.   She gave us some more options and Aaron and I spoke about it and after some time we thought it be in Jake's best interest to add the two additional medications to his current treatment.  Dr. Wright thought that to be best as well.  So here we are,  Jake is getting the Doxorubicin and Cisplatin right now and the in two weeks they will do Methotrexate and then the very next week it will be the two new therapy's.  It will add 10 more weeks to his therapy.  Right now he is very nauseous trying not to lose it.  He is laying very still trying to get through the infusions. Hopefully we will be on home on Friday.

As far as school Jake will not be able to register for school this trimester.  He will be doing some online schooling and hopefully he will be getting back the first of next year. 

Pre-Post Surgery days......

Friday July 27, 2012 - on Tuesday night (July 24th) we got a call at 9:30 pm from Dr. Scott's office telling us that Dr. Scott had rearranged his surgery's for Wednesday and instead of checking in at 9:15 am and surgery at 11:15am we were suppose to be there at 5:30am and surgery would be at 7:30am on Wednesday.  We decided that the only way we would make it on time and get any sleep we would have to leave that night.  Jake had gone with friends to hang out and he got home at 10:00pm and we told he we had to leave.  By the time we got everything together it was 10:30pm.  Aaron's parents followed us down to SLC where we found a hotel pretty close to the hospital.  We drove up to the hotel just after midnight. By the time we got everyone settled it was 1:30 am, but none of really were able to get much sleep.  

 They took Jake back to surgery at 7:30am and he was done at 10:15am, but with the recovery he didn't get up to his room until 1:30pm.  He was awake but still groggy from the anesthesia and slept off and on for the next few hours.  They put a epidural in his back to be able to give him meds like fentanyl, which is a muscle relaxer with some pain killers.   The epidural is a constant flow with a button he can push every hour if he needs more.  He said that it hasn't work very well.  He has struggled with getting the pain under control.  His nurses on Wednesday day and night were not the best and when he called to get more pain meds they would take a very long time to get to him and by the time they came he was in such pain.  That didn't make me very happy.   Needless to said I was stressed because Jake was stressed and it made for a long night.  By the time the morning came we got a new nurse and she was a lot better and she was able to control Jake's pain.  Which was so good!  

At 4:30pm, Thursday we had a visit from the Quorum Priests, Bishop Walker, and Brother Funk.  They talked to Jake for a little bit . It was we so nice for them to come.  Landon and Tanner Shoemaker, Paul and Ryan Funk, Jared Walker, Taylor Thomas, Taylor Compton, Zac Olsen, Brian Geddes, and Michael Grover all came!  Thanks guys for making Jake's day a lot brighter!  You all are such great Young Men!

We will probably be here until Saturday or Sunday. They are going to get him up walking tomorrow.  I'm a little nervous for that.

Thank you for all the prayers and kindness!

Surgery is Complete

Just received an update from Leisa, Jake's Mom, that the surgery went well today. He's in quite a bit of pain and the medical team is doing what they can to help make him comfortable. He is awake and alert.   One day at a time at this point!  A thought that I shared with Leisa a week or so ago was the Serenity Prayer.  Although this prayer is used in various types of addiction recovery meetings throughout the country, it is something that we can all can use in our every day lives.  Jake's surgery will change his life forever, but we must remember that it also saved his life.  I have every confidence that Jake will find this courage.


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