Auctions worth bidding on!!! Help sam

Thanks Nick!!!! You are right this family surely could use all of our help!! please........check your walllet and your heart ............Sam didn't ask for these problems he was dealt them......Lets be thankful for our health and give to Sam as he is not as fortunate as us..........this money will help a family who is burdened with this disease....it is draining their finances daily not to mention their Hopes, dreams and future....lets make this a success story we can be proud of through our Industry......please think about donating towards this boy in one way or another!!

Thankyou Nick. Your additional efforts to get the word out for Sam is noted in my book. it says a lot about your character. God bless and THANK YOU again.

Follow Sam at



http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/Sambish



I will also keep updates on the forum

Nick

Thank You so much for reminding everybody how important this is...

Tom and Andy Thank-You...Something so little to you... can mean so much to Sam's Family.

Allen, Dennis, Mitch, and RockingH... Thank-you all

I want to thank you so much you don't know how much this means to Sam's mom...She was over whelmed when I told her that people put up donations for Sam

I have decided to run the auction for the straw of Magnus 'till 10/10/09--then it will end on the same date as Wisdoms package and allow a little more time for people to get involved with this.

To keep everyone up to date

1 straw of Magnus -durrent bid $500

Wisdom's package of 2 choice straws of Legend(240), Liberty (300), 6x6 235 typical, and Legacy (300) --current bid $600



Samuel Bish needs our help. I ask everyone to make this a huge success. Freely you have received, freely give.



Thanks to all for your generosity thus far.

Friday, October 2, 2009 6:20 PM, EDT

Hello to all. Just another quick update on Sam. He is doing pretty well but his white blood cell counts are still very low (commnon after chemo). His counts should come back up by early to mid next week (hopefully). So, this means he basically needs to be isolated this weekend at home, kept away from crowds. He has had a pretty good day but has been lethargic this afternoon and has a headache that he can't seem to shake. He does not have a temperature but it is something we need to keep an eye on. We are just praying he is able to rest as much as possible this weekend and that his counts come back up.

Samuel's surgery on his knees is scheduled for the end of October. This is all based on how he does for his 2 rounds of chemo and how strong he is at that point. The surgery date scheduled for October 30th may change depending on how he is doing. Samuel will be having the limb salvage surgery done on his right femur. He will be able to keep his leg (no amputation) but will have an internal prosthetic. The 1 tumor/spot that is on his left tibia will also be removed but this will not require a reconstructive surgery. We have been told that Samuel's limitations with his internal prosthetic will be that he will not be able to run and jump again. He should be able to lead a very normal life other than this but will just be limited with physical activity such as sports. Samuel does not play sports and does not seem to have an interest in them so we thought this would be the best possible surgery option for him allowing him to keep his leg. A friend gave me a scripture verse that has given me hope that with God all things are possible. We are hoping and praying that Sam will be able to run again someday. The verse is Isaiah 40:31 which says "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall RUN, and not be weary; and they shall WALK, and not faint." This is our prayer for our son.

Saturday, October 3, 2009 9:41 PM



Another update. Sam has had a pretty good day. He did wake up complaining of his mouth huring this morning. I did not see any sores but he said his mouth was really bothering him. I gave him some of the "magic mouthwash" that they gave me at the hospital. He only had to take it one time this morning and did not complain about anything hurting him the rest of the day.

Mike and I got to go out on our much needed date together tonight. We actually went and saw the movie FAME (good movie) and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Nice evening out and a great distraction for us to get our mind off of everything.

We are hoping to meet with our Orthopedic Surgeon sometime in the next week and a half while Sam is on his break from chemo. We would like to have a consultation with him while Sam is with us. There is only so much that we can shield Sam from and I would like for him to be told what to expect with the surgery on his knees. I would also like for our doctor to discuss the other surgery options with Sam. Even though we are leaning towards limb salvage surgery I still feel like Sam needs to be told all of the facts and options so he can help us make this decision. This is his life. This is his leg. I know he is only an 8 year old boy but this decision will impact him for the rest of his life. I want to do right by my son. For those of you that have chosen limb salvage surgery over amputation or vice versa, please sign our guestbook and give us some feedback on what led to this decision. Include your e-mail address so we can get back to you if we need to. We would really appreciate your input.

I have posted some new pictures of Sam in our photo album on this website. Check it out. Thanks for supporting our family and keep praying for Sam. If you don't mind please also pray for a little boy from our church named Garrett. He was involved in a car accident yesterday. He is only 6 years old. Last I heard he is currently at Children's Hospital with a skull fracture and swelling on his brain. He was also in and out of consciousness...not fully awake. I am sure his family would appreciate the prayers for their son.

In the 4th picture Sams family and friends buzzed there heads so Sam would not feel alone

UPDATE FROM SAM'S MOM



Monday, October 5, 2009 8:02 PM



Sam went for more blood work today. His WBC is going up but is still considered low. His mouth/sores were bothering him this weekend but did not seem to bother him much today. He ate pretty well today and for this we are thankful. For those that are praying for our friends son Garret...the latest update is that he is now conscious, out of PICU and appears to be doing better. My understanding is that they still do not know if damage has been done to his brain from the swelling. I promise to keep everyone updated. Thanks for praying for this little guy.

Our family has an appointment with our orthopedic surgeon for a pre surgery consult on Thursday. We will be taking Sam with us. We hope to come out of this meeting with a clear mind and a better idea of how to procede with Sam's leg surgery. We will also be meeting an Osteo survivor who is also an amputee on Wednesday. Joe is 20 years old and we are so thankful that he is willing to come to our home and speak with Sam and our family about his story. He will show Sam how his prosthetic leg works and how it can be taken off and on. Sam has never seen anything like this before and I think it will help him to have more of an open mind when we speak with our surgeon on Thursday.

I am sure many of you are wondering what our plans are for going to M.D. Anderson and meeting with Dr. Pete Anderson. Dr. Pete did not receive any of Sam's paperwork/scans until today. We only have a small window to travel before Sam goes back into the hospital next Thursday for more chemo. Due to Sam's WBC still being low, traveling on an airplane is not really an option for him at this point. What we are hoping for is that Dr. Pete will consult with our oncologist after reviewing Sam's scans. If we can get his opinion at this point w/out traveling to Texas then that is what we are going to do. If Sam's treatment gets to a point where his cancer is not reacting to the chemo, then that would be when we would fly to Texas for a second opinion from this specialist. At this point since we know the protocol that Sam is on for chemo is working we are hoping to just get guidance from Dr. Pete from afar. His opinion really matters to us and he has come very highly recommended by many. I know our oncologist has worked with him and consulted with him in the past and our hope is that they can consult together over Sam's case.

Thanks to all of you for the continued prayers, advice, suggtestions and support. It means so much to us. Always praying for Sam!! And, remembering Garret in prayer as well!

Donations can be sent to

Westerville Christian Church

C/O Sam Bish or The Bish Family

471 East College Ave

Westerville, Ohio

43081

(NOTE THAT IS FROM MEMBERS OF THE DEER FAMILY)

If It is a check it can be made out to Mike or Cindy Bish. I also have Their home # if someone needs something ...

I have his address if something needs sent directly to his house...But the church one will get them everything.

I have the address but they had a scary event when someone showed up at their house and have decide it best not to post it for their children's safety.

Thank-You all so much

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 9:28 PM

Sam's mom wrote

What a wonderful evening. Our family had the opportunity to meet a very special young man this evening named Joe. Joe also had Osteosarcoma but is now cancer free. Joe is 22 years old and is an amputee. He came to our home tonight to meet Sam and our family. What an incredible blessing to meet this young man and his father. Sam really took to Joe and enjoyed speaking with him. He really enjoyed playing video games with Joe tonight. Joe was kind enough to show Sam his prosthetic leg and how it works. He even took his leg off for Sam to see. He answered many questions that we had for him. We are so grateful for Joe and for his willingness to come and meet our family. Tonight was very important for Sam as he was able to see what a normal and active life Joe leads as an amputee. I am thankful that Sam was able to meet him before we go to speak with our surgeon tomorrow regarding surgery options for Sam's leg.

I want to also say a special thank you to my wonderful group of friends from MOPS (Mother's of Preschooler's). Several mom's from my MOPS group got me out of the house this morning for breakfast and for a wonderful pedicure. A dear friend also came and stayed with my children at home during this time. I am so thankful for my friends and for the wonderful morning they helped me to have. It was a much needed break and distraction for me. Thank you so very much ladies for being such a wonderful support system in my life.



An update on our friend Garrett. I spoke with his mother Wendy today. Garrett has been moved out of the PICU and is now in a regular room. He is anticipated to be in the hospital for the next 2-4 weeks and possibly longer. He is having to learn to do a lot of things over again. He is having many different kinds of therapy while at the hospital. He recognizes his parents but there are many people that have come to visit him that he does not remember or recognize. Please continue to keep this family and this young boy in your prayers.



Praying for a clear mind tomorrow as we speak with Sam's surgeon. Praying for continued healing on Sam's body. Expecting a miracle! Praying for Sam!

Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:57 PM



Good Evening Prayer Warriors:



Dad here to give todays update on Sam.



Late this morning Cindy, Sam and myself met with Sam's surgeon Dr. Mayerson. We also had a surprise impromptu with his Oncologist, Dr. Yeager. Dr. Yeager is encouraging us to go ahead with our trip to Houston. Sam's numbers look good (he had blood work done earlier today) and Dr. Yeager would like for us to go ahead and visit Dr. Anderson in Houston.



Dr. Mayerson gave better clarification of the surgery options for Sam today. Sam took the information well, and at a point or two in the conversation looked as if he was on overload. But he handled it all very well. Cindy and I have been speaking to Sam about the pros and cons and letting him know we need to make a decision soon. The surgery is scheduled for the end of October and really can't be delayed due to his chemo treatment.



We met our friend Joe yesterday, who is an Osteo survivor and is an amputee. Dr. Mayerson is going to put us in touch with someone who chose the limb salvage surgery. That way we can look at both options from people who are living with these options. That way we (including Sam) can make a decision that is best for him.



Joe and Sam really hit it off beautifully yesterday, and we look forward to his future visits. Thanks Joe for taking time out of your day to brighten Sam's day!



Thank you one and all for your prayers and support! You have been a tremendous blessing to our family, and we look forward everday to seeing your messages. May God bless everyone of you, and may he keep you safe and healthy! God is good all the time, all the time God is good.



God Bless and good night.

Michael A. Bish

Friday, October 9, 2009 6:58 PM



SAM'S MOM WROTE



I promise to write more of an update later but I just wanted to quickly fill everyone in on the happenings of today. Our family is heading to Texas on Monday morning to meet with Dr. Pete Anderson at MD Anderson Hospital. We feel so fortunate that he is able and willing to meet with our family on such short notice. We will meet with him on Tuesday and our appointment time is at 3:00PM. We will fly back home to Ohio on Wednesday and then Sam will be admitted into the hospital on Thursday for more chemo (Methotrexate).

A wonderful family outside of Houston has offered hospitality to our family by giving us a place to stay and providing transportation for us while in Texas. This is a huge blessing to our family. Thank you so very much Randy and Sandy and we look forward to meeting you on Monday. Please pray for our daughters as well as they will be in the care of other family members while we are gone. I know they will be fine but we really never leave our kids....especially to go out of state w/out them so my mother's heart just worries how they will do while we are gone.

Thanks for supporting our family on this journey. Praying for safe travels on Monday and Wednesday and for a wonderful meeting on Tuesday with Dr. Pete. Praying that Mike and I have peace of mind about everything after meeting with Dr. Pete. I know he comes very highly recommended and we are honored to meet him. We know that Samuel is getting wonderful care here in Columbus and we would like for his treatments to continue here. Just going for this consult and 2nd opinion for peace of mind and reassurance that we are on the right path of treatment for Sam. Expecting a miracle and always praying!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 10:47 PM



SAM'S MOM WROTE



Hello from Houston. Well, it is almost 10:00PM and we actually just got home about a half hour ago. It has been a very long but very good day. We left the house this morning around 10:00AM and actually went to a really nice mall called the Galleria with Sandy. Sandy wanted our family to at least see some sights before we went to the hospital today. We had a great time at the mall and we were even able to eat at a RainForest Cafe which Sam really loved. It was a very enjoyable morning. After lunch we were off to M.D. Anderson.

We had a great meeting with Dr. Pete Anderson. Our meeting with him provided much clarity for Mike and I about many things. We were able to see pictures of the scans that have been taken of Sam. The mass on Sam's right femur is quite large and it is by the grace of God that he did not break his leg before getting diagnosed. The radiology report from the latest pet scan that Sam had showed calcification of the nodules in Sam's lungs. This is a good thing because it shows that the chemo is working. The protocol that Sam is on is the standard protocol of patients that have Osteosarcoma. DR. Anderson agreed with everything that the doctors are doing for Sam in Columbus and that is all we can ask for at this point. We discussed surgery options for Sam's right leg. Even though Sam is a candidate for both amputation and also limb salvage, Dr. Anderson thought that Sam would be a better candidate for amputation. The chances for the cancer to reoccure is much less

with amputation than limb salvage. This is such a hard decision to make for our family but it did help to hear Dr. Andersons perspective on all of this. Mike and I felt encouraged leaving the meeting with Dr. Anderson. Sam has got a long way to go on this journey. Dr. Anderson said his treatment should last approximately 10 months if there are no delays and if the cancer does not appear in any other parts of his body. Mike and I are expecting great things from Sam and that God is going to do a might work in his life along the way.

Our day ended by going to an Aquarium in downtown Houston. Sam really enjoyed the aquarium. We went on a train ride that went through a tunnel that had a shark tank on all sides of us. Sam really enjoyed that. He enjoyed seeing the different fish. We had a wonderful dinner with Sandy and her husband Randy at a restaurant at the aquarium. The restaurant was really neat as there was a big fish tank going all the way around the restaurant and you were able to watch the fish while you were eating. It was the perfect end to a really good day. Thank you so much for lifting our family up in prayer today and during our visit to Houston. The Evans family have been wonderful to our family and we have had a very enjoyable time with them. We are so grateful for their hospitality. Please be in prayer as we travel home tomorrow and as Sam starts chemo again on Thursday morning. He will also be getting more detailed scans during this admittance at the hospital. Please pray that these updated scans show more positive results from the chemo. Expecting a miracle and always praying for Sam.

Thursday, October 15, 2009 1:27

What a busy few days it has been. We arrived home from Houston about 5:00PM yesterday. We had such a wonderful time with the Evans family and now we have made life long friends. We are so thankful for their hospitality. It was so wonderful to see our girls yesterday. Once they realized that we were leaving again the following day to take Sam back to the hospital, they had a very difficult time and started acting out. We are praying they have a good day today. I know this is hard on them but grandma and grandpa Bish are taking such good care of the girls. We are so thankful that family can be with the girls when Sam is in the hospital for chemo.

We are now at the hospital. Sam has had a busy morning already. He had a hearing test (chemo can affect your hearing). He also had a cat scan and will be going for a bone scan this afternoon. He will probably have an MRI on his spine this evening sometime and then another MRI on his legs sometime tomorrow. We are praying that all of these scans show positive changes in the tumors and that the chemo continues to work. We are also praying that no additional spots show up

Thank you for the continued prayers for our family....especially as we are seeking guidance on surgery options for Sam's right leg. This is such a very hard decision for us to make. We believe at this point we are leaning towards amputation after our meeting with Dr. Anderson but a final decision has not been made. Surgery is still scheduled for October 30th unless there is a delay from the chemotherapy side effects.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Expecting a miracle and praying always for Sam!

Thursday, October 15, 2009 11:06 PM

Many are asking for an address where they can send cards or gifts to Sam or our family. All mail for our family can be sent to our church and all of the items are given to our family. Our church address is:

Westerville Christian Church

c/o Sam Bish or Bish family

471 East College Avenue

Westerville, Ohio 43081



At the top of the CaringBridge page you will see a link that says My Story. There is a link for our church there. Click on that link to see the church website that our church has made for Sam. Many have also asked for our girls names and ages. Aubrey is 5 years old (birthday in January) and Caitlin is 2 years old (birthday in January). Sam will be 9 in January as well...busy month for our family.

Sam is currently sleeping peacefully while receiving chemo (Methotrexate). He will have 1 more long MRI done tomorrow on his legs. He had several scans or tests today and was a real trooper. I am so proud of him. I'll keep everyone posted on how he does over the next few days. We will be in the hospital until Sunday.

Friday, October 16, 2009 9:06 AM

Sam is currently sleeping peacefully but he had a rough night. He was given some medicine yesterday before his MRI on his spine to help relax him and make him sleepy...to help him get through the MRI. The medicine had some wierd effects on him last night. He was dizzy and had a very hard time waking up throughout the night...even to go to the bathroom. The nurses and I had to change his bed and his clothing several times last night because he was out of it from the meds and could not wake himself up. I believe the medicine has now worn off but he is still pretty sleepy since neither one of us slept well last night. His chemo also ran last night and now he is done with the Methotrexate for this hospital stay. We will still be here until 'Sunday though b/c he needs to clear his meds before they can send him home. Sam will have his last MRI today of his legs and it will be a long scan. He will be sedated for this and it won't take place until 5:00PM.

MIke and I will be trading shifts this afternoon so I can go home and spend some time with our girls and get some rest tonight. We will update this site when we get the results of all of his scans but I am not sure when that will be. Praying for no nausea today for Sam (he did get sick twice last night) and no mouth sores in the upcoming days. Thanks for the prayers. You are all an extended family to us now and you support means so very much to all of us.