Why Have You Chosen me by Brian Tan

Why have You chosen me out of millions Your child to be
You know all the wrongs that I have done.
Oh how could You pardon me, forgive my iniquities
To save me give Jesus Your son.


O  Lord help me be what You want me to be
Your word I will strive to obey.

My life I now give, for You I will live
And walk by Your side all the way
.

Brian's Essay about his dad

Yesterday Brian had an English assignment from school . He said," Mom , do you know anyone who is successful and working hard for it ?" And I answered him, " Yes, that person is your daddy." I shared with him the story how I met his dad soon after high school in Canada and what he told me his life's dream when we were still dating .
I told Brian that I always admire his dad who is independent , responsible, persistent and hard worker to achieve his dream. After listening to my short story, he worked on his short essay as I continued cooking for dinner.
My husband and I were very touched when we read it. It's lovely and cute :)

Thank you God for this child .... Thank you ...Brian for being a wonderful son . I shared the essay bellow.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

My family wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous  New Year ...
from Brian, Ridwan and Natalia
 

Brian Tan ,Piano Recital , November 18' 2012

Having through a lot of difficulties ,pain and troubles in my life ( not only relating to Brian's health but also other life's obstacles  ),  I learn to remain focus on my blessings instead of life's difficulties.

If I did them in reverse, I would have fallen apart. Well.. It happened few times, that I thought  these problems were all hopeless . I had my times of doubt . I didn't turn to any medication to solve my problems. My heart said medication was not an answer ( I didn't judge to others who really need them, pls don't misunderstand me) , so I turned to God. I believe He hears me. I also turned to my sisters and brothers in Christ for prayers, support and words of wisdom. To all  my brothers and sisters in Christ , I want you all to know that I am forever grateful.

Some days are more challenging than others . However my  faith, hope, and love remind me that  in Jesus Christ I am never alone.

I cling to God’s words in time of trouble :

Psalm 18 :2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Seeing Brian playing piano in Recital , It is amazing and a miracle.He didn't forget which keys he has to play :) his memory is fine, his motor function is fine and he looks fine, I don’t take this moment as granted, It is Priceless !

Learning to pray and trust His will is better than mine. And ask Him to take me to His side and not ask Him to be on my side.


Brian's Mom

Veggies Recipes

Lentil Soup

1 bag (16 oz.) lentils
2 celery stalks with leafy tops
2 carrots
1 medium onion
1 medium potato (optional)
2 large bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
2 teaspoons  balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Wash and pick through lentils as directed. Peel
and chop or thinly slice carrots and onion. Cut tops
off celery, chop or thinly slice stalks. Peel and
chop potato. In a large pot, add all
ingredients, including celery tops, except vinegar.
Add 8-10 cups water. Bring to boil, simmer about 1
or more hours until lentils and vegetables are tender.
Add additional water during cooking as necessary,
and/or more salt and pepper if desired. When
vegetables are tender, remove celery tops and bay
leaves, add vinegar.



Roasted Winter Vegetables



1 whole fennel cut into 6 wedges
2 medium turnips — peeled and
quartered
2 carrots — cut in 1" pieces
2 parsnips — cut in 1" pieces
2 medium potatoes — peeled and quartered
2 medium onions — peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic — peeled
olive oil
salt and pepper — to taste
Mix vegetables together and place in a single
layer, in a large roasting pan. Brush with olive oil;
sprinkle with salt and pepper; and roast for 1 hour
at 350 degrees F, turning the vegetables every 15
minutes.
Roasted Yellow Squash
1 yellow squash
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt
fresh dill

Directions:

Slice the squash into halves. Score the meat (not
the skin) horizontally and diagonally; drizzle with
oil.
Sprinkle with salt and herbs. Broil for 5-10 minutes
until edges of squash start to appear brown

Happy Bday Brian !



Pokemon B/W  bday just for you Brian !
perfect for 3 ^^

Special  lunch Box, Brian's fav cartoon
All Natural Pikachu rice ball are mixed with egg yolk to be yellow
 remember Brian  , you said it was your best Lunch :) lol 

To Brian , our beloved son

Life is precious, full of memories , filled with laughter, tears, hopes and dreams.

Today we pray that you may know Jesus's love, peace and grace as you walk wih Him through life together hand in hand.

 

 Happy 11th Birthday Brian

 

God bless you on your birthday and always

we love u much .. much ^^

 

 

Nausea and Vomiting during radiation and chemo

Brian vomited daily during radiation and chemotheraphy. His total treatment ( surgery, radiation and chemotherapy) was 15 months long.
I was heart broken to see him suffering and not be able to eat. So I prayed and asked God to heal him and asked Him to open ways and give Brian strength . I started looking for informations to help him to keep down his meals.

These were few things that worked for my son during nausea and vomiting :

Step 1:
I gave him the Nausea prescription from his doctor every morning when he waked up. I waited one hour before giving him any meal. It worked for him. I did this step 3 times daily before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Brian was snacking fruit and veggies soup in between meals. One small meal at the time through out the day. I made the schedule for eating too :) this way I didn't forget what and the time to feed him.

Step 2 :
His taste changed sometimes. I served him many different kinds of healthy snack to help him coped :

- Whole wheat crackers
- Ginger snap cookies
- Dry cereals enriched vitamins
- Apple sauce
- Vanilla ice cream
- Sherbet
- Fruit Pudding
- Jello

I didn't give him candies, not even once. Avoid all cooking with strong odors.

Step 3 :
Ginger Tea !!! It worked for him. There is evidence that when taken with standard anti-nausea medications, ginger can be helpful in further reducing or eliminating nausea and vomiting during and after chemotherapy treatments. I served Brian  the ginger tea warm with a bit of honey.
You may try Agave or Stevia. I didn't know about them at that time :) so I gave him honey instead.
Tea Ginger recipe:

• 4-10  thin slices raw organic ginger
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups water
• juice from 1/2 lime, or to taste
• 1-2 tbsp honey , stevia, agave nectar  to taste

How to :

Peel the ginger and slice thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea. Boil the ginger in water for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger. Remove from heat and add lime juice and honey to taste.

Step 4 :
Fresh air and loose clothing. I played board games , watched funny TV shows , sang Jesus songs , Veggie tales series DVD , just about any activities that made him laughed so that he horgot his nausea.
I keep tracked of all the foods that made him vomited.

Step 5 :
Clean Pure Water.
I prepared 1 L water bottle daily. He would finished it the entire water 2 hours before bedtime. Once he got controlled vomitting, try small amounts of water and gradually increasing the amount.

Note:

Thank God that Brian didn't have to use feeding tube. I told Brian if he didn't want to eat, the doctor must put the feeding tube through his nose or belly. It scared him, I guess the warning worked too :) he made himself eating eventhough he wasn't hungry.


I hope our experiences will help anyone with nausea and vomitting during the radiation and chemo.

Brian's mom