Linda Austin - Jan 17, 2002

On Jan. 3rd. Somer had brain surgery for the second time, the first being May 2000. To undergo this type of surgery, two times in just 18 months, is unbelieveable. But, the reality is she did, and to see her laying on the gurney, and smiling and waving, WOW, she was wheeled into surgery for seems like forever, and then the great news that it was over and she was in recovery!!! In a couple of hours, we were summoned to the Neuro Trama Intensive care, where we could see Somer everytime the double doors were opened. Soon, someone said the nurses were checking her and Somer's lips were moving !!!! Vicki was asking, "can she speak, can she speak ??? Not long after this they were allowed a short visit, and they rushed thru the doors, while we all craned our necks to see or hear anything. Before long, they came to report that Somer had spoken and seemed to be much, much better than had been expected. We all gave a shout, and it was good to see big smiles on Gordon and Vicki's faces. Vicki had not smiled all day !!! We filled the halls with singing "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow". Somer came home in 3 days, and went to church and sang to her Lord on Sunday evening, the 13th. This Tues. the 15th. Somer and Fam went to Memphis for the staples to be removed, Gordon counted 41! WOW! Gordon said the scar is in the shape of a V for Victory! Next Monday, Somer and Fam will go to St. Judes to start her chemo and radiation. This will be extremely tough on Somer, but they must treat it very aggressively because her tumor is considered very aggressive, on a scale of 1 to 4-it is a 4. That doesn't compare to our Somer tho, we know she is a TEN!!! She must stay for 6 wks. on an outpatient basis. Plans are for Vicki to stay (Ronald McDondald House) and Gordon and Miss Abigail to return home for Miss Abigail's education and Gordons job. Barbara, Vic's mom will be at their home to help. Please continue to pray, Gordon reminds us of this: James v. 13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. v.14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church: and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: v. 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Amen.

God is good, in good times and bad!

			Vicki Hood - Dec 19, 2001 Categories: From Muscle Shoals
				Just wanted to let all of you know we go to Memphis Thursday, for analysis of tumor. Somer is not feeling well, so please continue to pray for her,(as I know ya'll are). Just pray that we will have the same peace that God gave us through this last surgery. I know God has Somer in his arms and will cradle her through these next few days and weeks, however being the momma, I want to fix this and unfortunately this is bigger than what I can fix. Pray for Abbi , that she will be understanding and in her little mind, she will know that Gordon and I still love her and that she will know that Grabby is going to take good care of her. Although this is hard to go through again, God is still in control and he is a good God, and He is merciful and mighty and I am trusting him for strength for Somer, Gordon, Abbi and myself. God Bless and will see everyone Saturday.

Categories: From Muscle Shoals Vicki Hood - Apr 13, 2001

I can't wait to see everyone Sunday. I have been dieting for days now, so I can enjoy the food Sunday. hehe! Easter is my favorite celebration of the year. We are FORGIVEN and have a wonderful inheritance waiting for us! Does that not just make you want to shout?! God is good all of the time, but I am so thankful that he has watched over Kathy over the past several weeks and that He chose to heal Somer of cancer. I think one of my favorite songs is " When He was on the cross, I was on His mind". Ok fam that was the end of my sermonett. See you Sunday! I love all of ya'll!

Vicki Hood - Apr 16, 2002 Categories: From Muscle Shoals
	Somer, Vicki & Gordon have arrived in Durham N.C. for Somers' Radiolabeled antibody treatment. We will be at the hospital early in the am for surgery on Thursday morning. Abbi is with Linda and Jackie they are so good to keep her and they spoil her almost as bad as us. (HAHA) Our Prayer is that the treatment will be completed(there is the possibility that is the tumor cavity has a blood supply the radiation may not be given) and is very effective. Praise God for what He has done and is doing. P.S. Somer recorded a album last week if you have not gotten a copy let Gordon know. at Hebrews620@aol.com In His Name Gordon, Abbi, Vicki

Vicki Hood - May 24, 2001

Hi Fam, Things are going great for us, but did want to give an update on the school situation. Looks like Somer is Florida bound. God is opening doors and Somer has arlready been given a small scholarship(every little bit helps!). We are all stepping out on faith that God is going to supply our needs. Just continue to pray, because Somer has to meet some quick deadlines for scholarship applications, letters of recomendations, etc. The school expense is quite a bit more but we all feel God's hand in this move and we are proceeding. Somer's surgery went well. She has those chipmunk cheeks, but the swelling should go down soon. It thrills Abbi to watch her sister drool on herself.(and she is there for every spill) Love all of ya'll!

Gordon, Somer, Vicki & Gordon have arrived in Durham N.C. for Somers' Radio labeled antibody treatment.

We will be at the hospital early in the am for surgery on Thursday morning.

Our Prayer is that the treatment will be completed (there is the possibility that is the tumor cavity has a blood supply the radiation may not be given) and is very effective.

Praise God for what He has done and is doing.

P.S. Somer recorded an album last week if you have not gotten a copy let Gordon know.

At Hebrews620@aol.com

In His Name, Gordon, Abby, Vicki

I know that many of you have called and could not find us or left messages but we have moved around so much that we have been difficult to find, thank you so much for ALL of your prayers and concern. However we hope to only be here until tomorrow evening (Saturday) we believe she will be dismissed soon.

Prayer request- Monday Somer will be having the test to see if the radio-labeled monoclonal anti body (pre test with dye) stays in the tumor cavity, if it does then they will proceed with the treatment currently scheduled for May 1st, also she has a full week of other test and procedures to the preformed all next week.

Again thanks for your PRAYERS.

If you want to email Somers address is  HYPERLINK "mailto:CRISA810@AOL.COM"
CRISA810@AOL.COM, also let me know if you want a copy of her CD.

God Bless,

Gordon, Vicki, Somer and Abbi

Duke Univ. Hosp.

Somer Hood room 4121

Erwin Rd. Durham, NC 27710

919-681-4121

I am doing extremely well. In the morning, we are going to the Duke chapel to worship. Today we were able to eat out some. The doctor encouraged me to get up and at ‘me as much as possible because if I do not, I will feel worse because of too much laying around. So anyway, keep up the prayers. I definitely feel them. Next week, at least once a day, I will have a series of tests, one being the "flow study" on Monday. This is where they will inject a dye into the cavity where this reservoir is to make sure it can stay within the cavity. As far as we’ve come, if it can get into the bloodstream, it cannot be done. I really feel it will work, though. Thanks again for your love and support. I feel so blessed to have such awesome Christians as family and friends!!

Love & Thankfulness,

Somer

The way I explain this is that we have cut the tree down (tumor recession) and now we are trying to kill the root.

She had 33 radiation treatments at st. Jude and this procedure is designed to but the radiation directly into the tumor cavity. Malignant cancer is so aggressive and resilient that it continues to grow even with these strong treatments. After this procedure Somer will undergo Chemotherapy for about a year with three different medicines (really stong chemicals designed to kill not heal) we are chasing microscopic cells that cannot be seen in surgery, but can rapidly grow into another tumor. Somers' Oncologist said that unless they keep changing the chemicals at a rapid pace that the tumor (cells) would develop its own enzymes to fight off the chemicals. Bottom line is this, malignant is so difficult to destroy that "man" does not have all the answers, so we go to the smartest and best on earth and at the same time trust God to finish the job.

Personally I believe that we must go through all that man can do to show that after all is done God will heal Somer in the end.

Thanks for your prayers, love and concern.

God Bless,

Gordon (glad and proud to be Somer earthly father)for you versus yesterday and last night.  I know that you are going something that is extremely difficult and hard to deal with.  I can only imagine the frustration that you are dealing with and the fact that you want this to all be over with.  I wish that I could fast forward life and show you the exact day that you would no longer have to deal with the surgeries, cancer, treatments, and extended hospital stays, but I can't do that and neither can you.  But I can tell you that no matter how tired you get, that God is their right beside you.  I know that at times you feel all alone, but I promise you that you are not!!!  God promises us that he will never put us through something that we can't handle.  That tells me two things; 1, you have God right beside you to go through this, and 2, that you are an incredibly strong to be able to defeat this.  Also, I know that at some point that you have thought "Why ME?"  Let me give

4/22/02 9:32:02 PM Central Daylight Time

RE Crumley TOCRISA810

I hope that today has been a better day

You the Hebrew answers....  I don't know...  There that proves that I am not as smart as you think I am.  Truthfully, I don't think that any of us understands why we go through the things that we are faced with, but I do know this.  If we ask WHY too much, then we will lose focus of How we are going to get through it.  Does that make any sense?  Anyway, I don't really know if I am helping, but please know this, that no matter if I have the answer, I will always be able to listen to you.  I will always be here for you to cry on my shoulder, or to complain to.  Hang in there, and remember that you don't have to answer all your questions in one day; you just have to walk the course. 

Love, Ryan

Today is the test to see if the surgery was successful. They will inject a dye into this shunt (Rickman) and test to see if it remains in her tumor cavity or seeps into her blood, this test will determine if they can continue with this treatment. If it leaks out slowly however they may wait a few weeks (at home) and try again. Also several procedures are being completed to prepare for the chemotherapy, so they have kept us very busy.

P.S. (when not at hospital Somer is now out patient)

Thanks for your prayers and concern,

May God our Father Bless you,

May He make His Face to shine upon you.

Gordon, Vicki, Somer & Abbi Hood

Somer and I arrived in Durham NC early this morning to start the Flow study again. Please PRAY that this treatment may be completed this time even though it will be such a large dose of radiation at one time, we believe this will help Kill this cancer.

Somer started the flow today and had two pet scan, MRI all this afternoon, she was tired but that was all. the process is one and a halh days behind but all is well.

The doctor told me this morning that there is still signs of VERY MINOR leakage. He is concerned and considering running another test on Monday. Please pray that the area will be completely healed so that Somer can receive this liquid radiation (brachytherapy). We still have great hopes of this being another step towards curing this brain cancer. Thank you in advance for your prayers. Dear Friends,

The flow study STILL shows some leakage into the blood stream and so she cannot receive this liquid radiation (brachytherapy), besides this she also already has re-growth of the (glioblastoma grade IV) tumor.

The oncologist is suggesting another (even newer) treatment called TP-38. This procedure is also injected directly into the brain but through two catheters (installed in surgery) and this protein-loaded toxin will be given very slowly over a 56-hour period in ICU.

Even though this treatment is very new it has shown great promise because it goes into the blood at the point of the tumor roots. We are hoping and praying that this treatment can be done within the next few days. First, because of the rapid growth of this malignant tumor and second since she is already in Durham, N.C. This treatment is only being offered here and in San Francisco, CA.

Please pray that (if this is Gods will) that the hospital can get this scheduled very soon! They will have to get several test scheduled as well as find time in Dr. John Sampons busy schedule.

Hi,My Daughter Crisa Somer Hood DUMC Patient number cv7191 is being referred to you (Dr. Sampson) for possible TP-38 treatment, we are currently at DUMC. Please give every consideration possible to add her to your protocol.

God Bless,

Thanks in advance.

Gordon Hood

Hebrews620@aol.com

256-710-9149

By now most of you know that Somer was not able to complete the monocolonal antibody treatment because of leakage from the tumor cavity into the blood stream.

Dr.John Sampson has a protocol called TP-38 and he just called and says Somer is an EXCELLENT candidate for this treatment. However, she cannot be scheduled for about two weeks. Time is of the essence sine she already has tumor growth since the last surgery (4/18/02). She on the way home, and feeling very good.

Today is our two- year anniversary of the first diagnosis of brain tumor.

God has been good and gracious to us each day, please pray that this new treatment can be scheduled and performed before the tumor can grow to large to be treated effectively.

We have arrived in Durham, NC for the TP-38 cancer treatment for Somer.

She will be admitted in Duke University hosp. On Monday and have surgery on Tuesday (if all goes as scheduled), for the treatment that will last for approx. Three days.

We are staying at Duke Towers our phone number is 919-682-0499, my personal cell phone number is 256-710-9149 you can leave a message on either if we are not available, and we will return your call.

Please pray that this treatment will have tremendous effect in killing this malignant brain cancer. Somer has been so patient but really want to get on with her education in the fall,

And just enjoy a normal life.

God Bless each of you that have prayed and supported Somer in so many ways,

P.S. If would like to have a copy of Somers CD please send me your mailing address.

At 3:45 this am Somer had a seizure (while receiving TP-38 treatment), she the had another about 45 minutes later. She was immediately taken for CT scan and nothing definite showed up. Seizures may be a side effect of this treatment but the reason is unknown. She is currently resting after being given Atavan? And they are changing her antic-seizure medicine from Neaurnton?, to Keptatol?, All of her motor skills seem ok, she is very confused, can state year but not month, knows her name but not Hospital name. She is resting at this time, and they have resumed the treatment. Dr. John Sampson says he cannot tell us all of the side effect of this procedure, we only know the side effects of Malignant (I hate that word) cancer (and that one too), we must understand that this valley may be deeper and wider than when we first thought. We will constantly monitor her and decide how much of this she can stand (that is also exactly what the Clinical trial she is under is trying to determine), but I must first consider Somers needs not the entire medical community.

Please pray for rest and recovery,

Gordon

 Personal notes, Somers’ ICP (internal cranium pressure went to 41 during the first seizure (normal is 0-15) it is currently at 9 at 7:00 am. All other vital appeared normal. The second seizure occurred during prep to transport to ct-scan so all of her lines were disconnected, so we have no record of vitals. The second seemed to last about a minute to minute and a half, it appeared severe to me.

Somer has pulled out of the seizures and regained her memory (except event of seizures) she doesn’t remember them at all. She does know about what happened and seems ok, but is sleeping a LOT.

Please continue to pray because this treatment ( )is so experiential that it is really scaring us,

(Especially Vicki) when we found a treatment that showed promise we proceeded with almost blind faith, but now we are seeing ALL the possible side effects listed in the consent form and information sheet.