Jake's Page

Welcome to our website devoted to Jake and his updates. We appreciate the love and support so many have shown us over the past weeks. We hope to keep this site updated as often as possible. Please share the site with friends and family so we all can be in prayer for Jake and his recovery. If you would like to email us, please do, but understand that it may be a while before we can get back to you. My address is doctorcindyo@yahoo.com. Thanks again for your love and prayers. Brian, Cindy, Jake and Emma

Praise God, for miracles are still happening! Jake was seen on February 18 and his doctor was amazed because the tumor was gone! Also gone was the lipid that had been a complication and destroying Jake's retina. They also tested his vision and his vision was not impaired which was amazing to the doctors because they were sure he would have damage to his eyesight. They had advised us to contact the Braille Institute to start finding out about blindness and severe vision loss. What a miracle that God has performed on Jake.

Thursday 2/18 - WOW. The Olson family has some terrific news...Jake has been healed. Yesterday, when the doctors were testing Jake's vision (it had been deteriorating) and checking on the tumor, they were amazed to find that Jake's vision was 20/40, the same as it had been before the discovery of the tumor. This, alone, would have been a wonderful answer to prayer. But, as the doctors looked further at the condition of the tumor and the lipid, they joyfully reported that the tumor and the lipid were flat. In essence, they were gone. Praise God. He certainly answers our prayers.

Monday 2/2 - Jake had an exciting week. It began with a ski trip to Mammoth with his family. They had a great time. The skiing was fun and the snow was great, but on the last run of the trip, Jake fell and broke his leg. He is in a full leg cast on his left leg. This setback did not prevent him from taking a big step in his faith, as he was baptized on Sunday. Over 150 of his friends and family were on hand to watch him commit himself to Jesus and His ways. There was a big party afterward in Jake's honor.

The latest test results conclude the tumor has not spread to the optic nerve. This is terrific news. Please keep praying that the tumor does not spread, and that the treatment course will provide comfort and a complete recovery.

Thursday 11/13 - Jake came home yesterday and was treated to dinner at Don Jose's...his choice. The viral infection seems to be gone, but there are some tough choices ahead regarding treatment. Let's continue to pray for Jake's healing, as well as wisdom for Brian, Cindy, and Jake's doctors.

Monday 11/10 - Prayer Request: We need to pray for Jake as he was admitted to Children's Hospital LA over the weekend. He has been running a high fever and has some sort of an infection. Pray that his doctors can identify the best treatment for him and his body responds favorably.

Saturday 9/6- Jake has just completed 3 days at the hospital and the doctors indicated that the tumor is shrinking because of the chemotherapy. This is terrific news. Please pray the fluid behind the tumor absorbs into his system so his sight won't be affected. Also pray for a smooth beginning for school, which starts on Monday.

Jake had another round of chemo last Thursday and Friday. They did an evaluation under anesthesia and looked at the tumor. The doctor said it is responding slowly and there is a complication of the tumor giving off a lot of fluid which is putting pressure on his fovea.( the part of his eye that is his central

Friday 8/01/03 -Jake will not be getting his chemo treatments this week because his blood counts are too low. He will be getting them next Wed, Thurs, and Friday after the counts have had another week to recover. Jake is doing well, he has lost both of his front teeth and another one on the bottom. He is raking in the bucks from the tooth fairy! Emma is disappointed because she has not lost one tooth yet. We ask that our friends pray for Jake's counts to get stronger. We also ask God to keep him safe next week during all the procedures and for him to have had a good response to the last chemo treatment. Also pray for Brian because he will be traveling next week and won't be able to be with Jake at the hospital.

Friday 7/25/03 - Praise Report: We have so much to praise God for! Jake had his second round of Chemotherapy without a severe reaction. He was a little sick for a couple of days but he is doing fine now. God gave us a miracle and Jake has been able to take his daily injections without it being a traumatic event. One night he prayed for God to give him courage and the ability to be calm and the next morning he got his shot without even a tear. He has been able to get his shots and get his port accessed(get another shot in his chest) without crying and getting upset. He wants everyone to know that if anyone has something they are really afraid of they can call him and he will help them just like God helped him.

Monday 6/30/03 - Praise Report: We are praising God for answering our prayers by giving Jake a break from the daily injections. We have two weeks to help him try to cope with getting the daily shots. I spoke with his social worker and she suggested having him do some play therapy with a play doctor's bag and syringe. We went and bought him one and he and Emma have been examining their animals and giving them shots ever since. Jake has also been getting visits from the home nurse where she draws blood from his port. He is doing well with that and is very brave. Jake starts his Chemo again next week. Prayer Requests: That Jake has no reactions, no infections and no sickness from the drugs. As always we praise God for all his blessings and answers to our prayers. We also thank all of our friends and family who make us dinner, do special things for Jake and Emma and pray for us. We appreciate all the love and support.

Wednesday 6/25/03 - Jake is doing much better. A home-health nurse will come tomorrow to draw blood and we will see Jake's new oncologist (actually his old oncologist from when he was a baby) next week. The entire Olson family is so thankful that Jake is at home. We are also so thankful for the wonderful acts of kindness, hospitality, and support from so many family and friends. Lastly, and most importantly, we are so grateful to God for his goodness, providence, and sustenance.

Sunday 6/22/03 - Jake came home last night and was glad to be in a familiar and comfortable place. Emma was also gladdened by his return. He started receiving a daily shot to help keep his blood counts steady (given by Cindy). We hope to have information regarding blood donation very soon. Praise Report: Jake is home. The insurance company decided to pay for a very expensive chemo medication. There was no sign of cancer inside the optic nerve.

Friday 6/20/03 - Today was a rough day for Jake. His body is not responding well to the various medications and antibiotics. He had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics and his body is covered in blisters and a rash. The doctors are changing medications to avoid any future unpleasant reactions. Brian switched places with Cindy at the hospital, so she can get some rest. Prayer Requests: That the right combinations of medications produce the best outcome for Jake. That his body's reactions clear up soon, so he can get back on track with his chemo treatments and be free from pain. That Cindy get peaceful rest. That Emma be comforted and feel God's peace. That Jake has a complete recovery.

Thursday 6/19/03 - Jake started his chemo today and after 6 hours of receiving 3 different drugs, he developed an infection. The doctors stopped the treatments and admitted him to CHLA for the night. Cindy will stay with him tonight. Prayer Requests: That his infection goes away. That the side effects from the chemo don't make Jake feel worse. That Jake has a complete recovery.

Wednesday 6/18/03 – Today, Jake had a port placed under his skin on his chest, to facilitate the administration of chemotherapy. This will make things a lot more comfortable for Jake. Also, he was sedated for a spinal tap and bone marrow aspiration. This was done to check his system to see if any abnormal cells had spread. We should get the results from those procedures in a few days. Prayer Requests: That the MRI comes out clear. That the chemo treatment is kind to Jake’s body. That his blood counts don’t drop. That the bone marrow and spinal tests come back normal. That Jake stays healthy. That Jake has a complete recovery.

Tuesday 6/17/03 – Jake had an audio test and his hearing is perfect. Praise God.

Monday 6/16/03 – What a day. Jake and Emma had a terrific graduation ceremony in the morning. Jake sang a funny song about eating pie. His classmates and teacher were very supportive of him and his bravery. After the ceremony, Cindy and Jake went up to CHLA for a consultation with an oncology team. The plan is to have 6 rounds of chemotherapy, starting Thursday. If the progress is not encouraging to the doctors after 2 rounds, then they will proceed with radiation. This chemo and laser regimen would be a three day treatment that would repeat every 3 weeks.

Wednesday 6/11/2003 – While Jake was at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) for his yearly check up, the doctor’s discovered a tumor behind Jake’s right eye. Further tests and imaging revealed that a tumor was resting on his optic nerve and needed timely treatment.

History: When Jake was 8 months old, he was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. Both eyes had tumors and after intense treatments, his left eye was removed. He has been cancer free for 5 years.