The M&M Story

Today on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner, M composed a song that went something like this... Jesus, my daddy is in heaven with you. I'm going to heaven, but not yet. Jesus, me, me, me, me, me, Jesususususus. Later that evening, I broke out into song and B looked at me and said, "No." I then chose a different song, and he responded with another, "No." I asked, "you don't want momma to sing?" B emphatically answered "No." I guess he prefers his brother's singing.

Now that a couple of weeks separate my glimpse of heaven, the Maynor blog needs some attention. I'm a bit overwhelmed by this endeavor, as I do not have the gift of pen that my husband had. But there continue to be stories that need to be told, and I'm sure Brian would be very proud of me. (Though he may comment on my use of very, as it is a very bad word.) Brian's entrance into heaven was by far the most glorious, most amazing, most humbling experience I've ever had. Over the last months, the thought of facing death terrified me, and Brian, too. But, in that moment, it felt as though I was standing on this side of heaven, in my earthly, sinful form, saying "Good-bye. Go Home. I'll see you soon," watching the gates of heaven swing open and my Brian, my sweet, brilliant, gentle Brian, fall into the arms of Jesus. I'm sure he was singing hymns with us as he passed from this life to the next. And I bet the first thing he did was dance and run, two things

Jones bees and Princess Originally uploaded by Maynor . Great minds.... Bekah submits this picture of the JOnes crew. Lots of bees out this year!

Maynor Cousins Originally uploaded by Melanie Maynor . The two bees are mine. The not two bees are beautiful cousins. M chose to be a bee and wanted his brother to be one, too--probably because the costume looked so inviting in the closet. M was a bee a couple years ago, too. Who knows what intrigue bees hold for the boy? Perhaps we've watched too much Winnie-the-Pooh--he's always masquerading as a bee. In real life, he's a little frightened of bees. Perhaps the costume helps him confront his fears. In any case, A good looking lot.

The prayer walk on Saturday was slightly chilly, but a beautiful morning overall. Brother Andy pushed me in the wheelchair, and people prayed and talked and sang. I would guess there were about 100 or so people there. Thanks to all those who showed up, and who prayed in their own homes. It's always good to see God's people come together in prayer, and such a visible picture on Saturday was inspiring.

This week represents cycle #2 of chemo. SO far, so good. Yesterday I was infused with adriamycin over 24 hours, and tomorrow is taxol. Steroids and super nausea drugs help out this week, and we've also got new strategies for the next few weeks. Last cycle I crashed pretty hard for the twwo weeks following treatment, partly due to dehydration and lack of nutrition. This time, we're starting with TPN tomorrow, which is intravenous nutrition and fluids. It's about a 10-12 hour infusion, I think, that I'll do overnight. That will take some of the pressure off eating, and will help me stop losing weight. I'll also get steroids twice a week on the off weeks. It's not good to take them constantly, but this regimen should help out with energy and appettite without doing harm. These are both things that we prayed about and were ready to argue for, and the doctor brought them up himself. He was very open to our concerns on Monday. So we're optimistic about my response

Here's information on the Prayer Walk this Saturday, put together for us by our friends. Come on out! If you can't come out, please pray with us at the same time: This Saturday, October 22 at 8:15 a.m. at Kircher Park, CTA Cares (an organization devoted to assisting with medical costs for those in medical crisis) will be sponsoring a walk to benefit the medical needs of Brian Maynor and family. For more information about how you can be involved, please contact Amy Darr at 314.578.2280. DIRECTIONS TO KIRCHER PARK: From Big Bend, take I-44W (go 13.9 mi)…Take exit 264 & turn left on MO-109…Take I-44E (go .7 mi)…Take exit 265 to Williams Rd…Kircher Park is at I-44 and Williams Rd.