|
||||||||||||
Click here to go back to the main page.
Monday, December 25, 2006 10:16 PM CST
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
Sorry for the delay, but I am sure you are all busy like us! We are definitely enjoying being normal this year! It is like the first Christmas that both kids are so excited and really "get" the whole Christmas Eve stuff...
Bryant didn't sleep more than about 3 hours all night! He kept wanting to go in and check to see if Santa had come yet! He was standing outside my bedroom at 4 am beating his chest like a drum and saying, "I can't sleep because my legs are twitching!" LOL Needless to say, we almost didn't make it to 7 am!!
Colette was so excited, but she was a good girl about going to sleep. This morning she found out that both of them got bikes! She has been riding it around inside the house since it is so windy today!
I will update more pics, but I wanted to let everyone know that we are doing great, excited about being home and together this year and looking forward to more family and holiday celebration all the way into the new year!
Thank you for all the love, prayers, concern and encouragement throughout the past year! We couldn't have made it without each of you!
Love,
Tammy, Jason, Bryant & Colette
Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:27 PM CST
I just found out that Colette's special friend from Birmingham, Baby Jon, died yesterday. I don't know any details. I know that back in April or May I talked to his mom at the clinic, things were going fine, but he had relapsed. We were diagnosed on the same day. I think he had infant leukemia. We have the same dr, Dr. Buckley. Anyway, she had a lot of questions about stem cell transplant, so I talked to her a couple of times after that. This news just shocks me. Mainly because I haven't been in touch with them and his caringbridge page is no longer up. He has a big sister, Maggie who is younger than Bryant and his parents are Kevin and Anissa. Please pray for them as they bury him tomorrow in Haleyville, AL. Especially right here at Christmas.
Thanks!
**************************************
Sunday, December 17, 2006 11:02 PM CST
Man, I seem to be getting worse at keeping this site updated these days! It is just the holiday hassle, I guess!
Colette has the most unbelievably curly hair when it is freshly washed! I don't think the best hairdresser could set these curls! I just want to grab it and smush it in my hands every time she walks past (or should I say RUNS past!)
Colette and Bryant have been getting ready for Christmas...Colette has been trying to keep her room clean, if she doesn't she loses toys to the dungeon of mommy and daddy's room! First it was the Polly Pockets, then I nearly took her My Little Pony's away...that is when it hit her! She was saying, please don't take them, I love them! LOL I gave her a chance and she quickly cleaned her floor again. Thank goodness! I really didn't want to take them after that!!!
Wow! Only one week til the big day! I can't believe it! It is 70 degrees here! The kids played outside all day...Colette in a dress and no shoes and Bryant in shorts and no shirt. I ran to Walmart to get stuff for the week while Jason got them bathed and dressed for bed. I couldn't believe how much Christmas stuff was already clearanced. There won't be much to fight over on the 26th, it appears!
I am sure you are curious about our Christmas & finances. Well, thanks to some *very* generous and loving friends, our rent, power bills, phone, cable and Christmas is ALL TAKEN CARE OF! Thanks to R. in Mobile and her company, S. in California(!), Mrs. M. in Georgia, my sweetie MM in Indiana, GM and CP in Mobile, we were able to handle Christmas, bills and still have a little money to get something for Jason and myself! Thank you all so much for your generosity! I will be glad when some of us finally meet!
I think we are going caroling on Wednesday night with our church. I have to talk Jason into it! Bryant still has school until Friday...the school board does this on purpose...planning CRTs until the very last day of school! The poor kids only get a week and 2 days out for Christmas!!! ARGH!
Did I mention that Jason's parents are coming from South Carolina for the holidays? Yep - and we are having the big Pate Christmas/New Year's Extravaganza here at our house!! Jason and I have been busy trying to get things done that we have put off for a year or so...but things are looking better every day around here, so I am getting excited. I am also excited about finally getting a chance to use my Christmas china and my gold-plated flatware! Sure, it might be a little cramped, but we will be home home and all together. Colette will also get her first chance to go to the hunting camp in Millry. She never went because she was too little. Last year would have been the first time. So this year she is going to play hide and seek with us in the PITCH BLACK DARKNESS and make her animal sound. I bet she picks a kitty. Bryant always picked a wolf...I can still hear his little baby voice, "ah-woo!" LOL I am really looking forward to letting Colette and Bryant do the things they have missed!
Well, I am wiped out...and this is too long already! I will try to update new pics in the next day or so!
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Tammy & Family
Monday, December 11, 2006 2:48 PM CST
Sorry to move the videos! You can probably see them on the journal history page...I will check.
Colette is doing fine. She got a little cold, it got better, then it came back...but the recent warm weather will probably knock it on out. She was out running around today, not a cough in sight - I am not worried about it.
So we have been busy doing Christmas things - the church musical was last night, and yesterday we went to Papa's work Christmas party for the kids. Santa came out and saw Colette immediately and said, "Hey, there's Colette!" The kids were so shocked that he knew who she was! (He was one of the biggest contributors at my dad's plant to our Christmas last year - Thanks "Santa"!) Papa had fun taking pictures of all the grandkids and everyone who knew Colette enjoyed meeting her and seeing her in person.
Things are not doing so great on the mom and dad front. Our finances have taken a beating lately and we are definitely not ready for Christmas to be here. My recent medical issues have cost nearly $300 this month alone and now Bryant can't get his Singulair refill until after Christmas. We have insurance, but the prescription part requires you to pay up front. He isn't coughing that badly, so we will just watch and treat him with cough meds until we can get a refill.
About 3 weeks ago, Jason's company suddenly stopped ALL overtime for him, so we are not making it each week anymore. Even 5 hours was $100 extra each week. We are behind on the power bill, our phone has been disconnected and we haven't paid December's rent. And I have a nail in my tire (I haven't told Jason that part yet) Did I mention that it is Christmas???
Colette is pretty much taken care of since I bought her a couple of things along the way. But now she is suddenly telling every Santa that she meets that she wants a Dora BIKE for the front yard (meaning ride it with Bryant in the front yard). We took her shopping and she rode a 12 inch bike and she just took off! I didn't think she could do it, but she did! Pretty soon, she was driving up and down the aisles! So that is what we need for her for Christmas.
Bryant, on the other hand...we have one thing for him, but that is it. He too is asking for a bike. We found one that is around $88 at Sears that fits him. He needs an 18 inch, but there aren't that many out there. He tried one that was a 20 inch, but the seat is not so high and it worked great. Also, he has had kids questioning Santa's existence, and I am dying inside to think we won't have much for him this year! I am worried because they grow up so fast these days...I want him to believe in Santa FOREVER!!! He has a notebook paper FULL of things he wants! Mainly he is interested in "spy" gear, a safe, gadgets like that. He has a cheap compass for Boy Scouts and he carries it around with him. I haven't started looking for that stuff, but I know he would be happy with almost anything.
I have been counting on the bucket money lately for gas and groceries. God seems to lead people to leave extra money right when we need it. Sometimes we find a $20 bill in with the singles. That is a miracle in itself!
I am asking if you will pray with me for God to use those who He knows can help. I am not very afraid that nothing will come, but you know how I tend to worry. WOULD YOU BELIEVE that Satan was in my mind last night DURING THE PROGRAM making me question why Colette was so tired and whiny...was she going to relapse??? I was worried that she had black circles under her eyes...and I stopped myself, sitting there in the choir loft, and prayed for God to kick him OUT of my mind and to STOP him from stealing my joy of being in the one spot I am happiest - SINGING with my heart!! Of course, you know He did! Yep, not another thought about cancer! And today, she is just fine...she was just tired and had a full day with an usual schedule...she is bouncing off the walls and running in circles today! Ha!
Thank you for reading this long saga...but I had a week's worth of catching up to do! LOL
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, December 7, 2006 3:46 PM CST
This is my post from last year....
Wednesday, December 7, 2005 1:19 PM CST
Transplant Day at last! Colette has 3 bags of cells and she has already gotten 1/2 of them.
Mouth sores - horrible, mucousitis and pain - horrible
The t*be was the worst thing she has ever experienced at this hospital. She screamed for 40 minutes and then threw up when it was over. I thought her Daddy was going to punch out a couple of people. Apparently the opening into the intestine is very tight on her and the tube wouldn't turn into the opening. They tried and tried and that is what took so long. I almost broke down the door to get in there and stop them. Jason was in there with her and so was her friend, the activity lady. Still, I wanted to kill somebody.
She woke up in pain this morning and threw up again, so Jason got them to put a round the clock morphine schedule on so hopefully the pain will not come in waves like that.
Other than that, they said she is doing VERY well as far as her blood and all is concerned.
And a surprise! Mawmaw and Papa drove up from Mobile to surprise us around 1:00 today! Yay!
Love,
Tammy
----------
Who would have thought one year ago that today we would be at home with our Christmas tree and Colette watching movies in her bedroom, changing clothes every hour or so and generally just being happy at home? Or that she would be going to a 45 minute gymnastics class with her Daddy and brother?
I just can't express how important this day is to me. I know by no means does it mean that she is out of the woods, but the fact that she is back to being a normal, talkative, happy dancing girl really makes these days more special.
I wanted to leave these videos up a little while longer...I like replaying them!
**************************************
Monday, December 4, 2006 11:34 AM CST
Last night was the Christmas program at church! I will mainly just post the video and a lot of pics! Of course, you will see that Colette is the STAR of the show and Bryant is the best dressed "ornament"! Enjoy!
"There's Too Many People in the Manger"
Does the Baby need a blanket to keep him warm? I've got a blanket I'll share!
Does the Baby need a blanket so the hay won't itch? (Colette turns into the director and yells "LOUDER!" twice during this verse!) I've got a blanket I'll share!
Does the Baby need a blanket to help him sleep? I've got a blanket I'll share!
Before this song started, when the kids first went up, Colette walked up to the Baby Jesus doll and kissed him on the forehead, then kissed her hand and put it on him too. After this song, all the kids put their blankets on Baby Jesus, and Colette made sure his face wasn't covered up! LOL
Handsome dude! This is his first real black suit.
He's really getting into it!
These are the only still shots of him! LOL
I used my camera to video Colette, so Papa took pics of her too. I will get them from him and upload them here.
Also, check on www.walkerplace.org/colette for pics from the Christmas Parade!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, November 27, 2006 11:54 AM CST
****OK! The pics are up at www.walkerplace.org/colette****
Ok OK, I know I have been TERRIBLE about keeping you updated! But we have been so NORMAL and BUSY!!! Thank the Lord!!!
I am currently working on uploading a million new pics to the walkerplace website. Once I am finished, I will come back on here and let you know to go and look.
Colette is doing great. Right now, she is eating a hot dog and watching Nick Jr, saying, "I am going to tell Santa I need a Mickey toy," or whatever the current commercial is!
She had a great time this Thanksgiving...I think we ate turkey 4 different times! We got to see our new twin nieces who live in SC for the first time, plus Nana and Pappoo were here. Aunt Sherry's birthday was on Saturday (YAY) and also Joshua's birthday was that day - but his real birthday is today!
On Saturday night, I had 4 12/13 year olds who spent the night and scrapbooked until about 3:30 am! I made them hot chocolate around 2 am then I went to bed. I didn't scrapbook any! I helped them find what they needed...it was like teaching an art class! LOL
Jason made the "bomb" fried turkey and grilled shrimp on Saturday night!
Oh yeah, Nicole and Aunt Brandy were in a wreck on Friday night. They are very sore, but thankfully they are ok. The car is totalled. I will put some pics of it up on here later. Poor Nicole had to miss a lot of the party on Friday night because she had to go to the ER and get checked out. But she still had a lot of fun once she got there!
Well, Miss Bossy is needing something. I will post back here when I get the pics uploaded.
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 3:20 PM CST
OK sorry it's taking me so long! I have been pretty busy and Jason is back so things are back to a normal routine.
These are the important things to know about what is going on with us:
1) Colette has been given the green light for Christmas and we won't be going to Bham until January!!!
2) We now have to make holiday plans! But we know where the Christmas tree is going in our house this year LOL!
3) I finished another scrapbook page! Yay!
4) Colette's party was really fun for her and she had lots of kids and they played till they froze!
5) I recieved the paperwork to order Colette's BALLET RECITAL costume! I can't believe it! (I am sure the recital won't be til May or so)
6) Bryant made straight A's on his report card! Yay!
7) I got in touch with CRS in Mobile, which is the place that can handle all of Colette's hearing/speech needs, or anything else regarding her diagnosis in the years to come! Now she can get new molds made and her hearing rechecked!
8) I have 2 rehearsals this week and next week for the Christmas musical at our church! And I will be here for it all! Yay!!
9) Colette and Bryant are both singing in front of big church on Sunday night, December 3!! I will take LOTS of pics!
10) The Iron Bowl is on this weekend - I don't know if that is a Yay or an oh dear!
11) I am going to the Third Day/David Crowder Band concert this Saturday night, compliments of my sister! Yay!
12) Did I mention that Jason is home??
13) We have had 2 fires in our fireplace already this year! Yay!
14) I finally sang in front of the new music dude at church on Sunday night...I am curious what his thoughts were...he made me nervous, just sitting there on the first row!! LOL I know I am retarded! Here is a link to it: http://www.technoministries.org/fbtc/list_tables/0611.html
Go all the way to the bottom and you will see "Tammy Pate and Rick Green" - click on the medium or large file and it will play...does that make me a recording artist? lol
15) My little bro is coming to the orchestra rehearsals for Christmas this year (before he ships out to basic training). He plays trumpet.
So that is a little list of what is happening these days...sorry I haven't uploaded the pics off the camera yet...I will work on that!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, November 8, 2006 11:10 PM CST
BIRTHDAY PARTY INFO:
If you are planning to come to Colette's Birthday party this Saturday, please email me (tambabe1@hotmail.com) or leave a message in the guestbook. Since we had to change the date, I am afraid I don't really know who is coming. Thanks!
Now for the update:
After our morning appointment, Colette's dr said she looked fine - she hasn't run any fever since yesterday around 3 pm, so he said no blood, and we were done! He brought in the other dr, Dr. Castleberry, he is sorta over our Dr., and he said he wouldn't have recognized Colette if he didn't see me with her! He was amazed at her weight gain, strength and hair! He told me congratulations, and then he elbowed Dr. Buckley and said congratulations to him too! LOL
We made it back just in time to run in at church, head to the restrooms and everyone went to their classes! Colette slept the whole way home and she was READY to go to Cubbies and see Mr. Will and Wiley and Mrs. Sandra. She had a great time! Bryant went to Awanas and I made it to rehearsal with our new music dude. It was a great night. Then - Uncle Mike came for orchestra rehearsal!! He used to be in the orchestra when Wes was here those years ago, so he was happy to be able to come. He is going to play for Christmas!! Yippee!!
Which brings up the GOOD NEWS!!!
Colette's transplant anniversary is Dec 7. We are due to scan every 3 months, which would be in Dec. Since her dr will be out of town for a few weeks, he said we should schedule her scans for.....
THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY!!! AAAAAAHHHH!!
That means I have to go TWO WHOLE MONTHS without going to Bham!!!
But YAYAYAYAYAY!!! I can plan Thanksgiving and Christmas and I will be here for sure to sing in the Christmas program....It is still sinking in!! LOL
Pray that I won't have too many reasons to worry about the "c" word over the next 2 months and can enjoy being home and the holidays.
Love,
Tammy
****************************************
TUESDAY 7 PM UPDATE
Since we left the hospital this morning, I had to go home and get some stuff together for the trip to BHam this morning. We finally got to Bham at 3 pm. On the way, Colette's dr called me, worried that we weren't coming. I told him we were on the way and he was going to meet us at the clinic as soon as we got there.
Once he saw Colette and reviewed her labs from the past 2 blood draws, he said he really doesn't think she has anything more than just a bad ear infection. Of course, he knows what I am afraid of (he is too), but he said that all symptoms are infectious, not cancer related. It's just a normal kid sick! Of course, we haven't received the culture info from the first ones takes on Monday night, so he will find out before we get to clinic in the morning. He doesn't think he will draw labs again - yay for Colette! But he wrote for an antibiotic and I gave her a dose tonight. Unfortunately, she threw it up. I will tell him in the morning. I think he is going to try to get us back on the road home as soon as possible. But he did say he felt better after seeing her!
Hopefully my next update will be from home!!!
*************************************
What a night!
After coming back from the torrential downpour we received, we all hit the hay in order to get up for an early start.
Around 2 am, I felt Colette, checking for a fever, and instead she was COLD. Under the down comforter, she was cold. I freaked out. I made sure she was covered well, and felt her breathing and heartbeat. I laid awake for 2 hours, checking her, waking her up and seeing how she reacted, she would warm up a little, then cool back down. I took her temp and it was 95F - 96F!!! She had a 100.1F just at 8 pm! Around 4:30 am I decided to call the oncall ped and tell him what was going on. I was worried she was getting septic. Thank goodness we went ahead and got those cultures earlier! He said to keep a check on her temp. Well, I told him I couldn't sleep at all, I will be worrying, so I am taking her to the ER. He called ahead and things went smoothly getting in there. Colette's temp was normal, her BP was normal and her heart rate was higher. Finally in the back, they gave her an IV :((( and a bag of fluids and a dose of rocefin (antibiotic). Halfway through the bag of fluids, she was chatty and sitting up on the side of the bed with her legs out. She wanted to drink and was flirting with all the drs again. I guess that is what she needed. Sadly, they wouldn't let us keep the IV (I have never been told no before) and we are headed to Bham now. She feels better, I feel better and Mawmaw is driving!!!
I will try to update from the Harbor or clinic, wherever we end up.
Love,
Tammy
Also, if you are planning to come to Colette's Birthday party this Saturday, please email me or leave a message in the guestbook. Since we had to change the date, I am afraid I don't really know who is coming. Thanks!
Tuesday, November 7, 2006 9:04 AM CST
TUESDAY 7 PM UPDATE
Since we left the hospital this morning, I had to go home and get some stuff together for the trip to BHam this morning. We finally got to Bham at 3 pm. On the way, Colette's dr called me, worried that we weren't coming. I told him we were on the way and he was going to meet us at the clinic as soon as we got there.
Once he saw Colette and reviewed her labs from the past 2 blood draws, he said he really doesn't think she has anything more than just a bad ear infection. Of course, he knows what I am afraid of (he is too), but he said that all symptoms are infectious, not cancer related. It's just a normal kid sick! Of course, we haven't received the culture info from the first ones takes on Monday night, so he will find out before we get to clinic in the morning. He doesn't think he will draw labs again - yay for Colette! But he wrote for an antibiotic and I gave her a dose tonight. Unfortunately, she threw it up. I will tell him in the morning. I think he is going to try to get us back on the road home as soon as possible. But he did say he felt better after seeing her!
Hopefully my next update will be from home!!!
*************************************
What a night!
After coming back from the torrential downpour we received, we all hit the hay in order to get up for an early start.
Around 2 am, I felt Colette, checking for a fever, and instead she was COLD. Under the down comforter, she was cold. I freaked out. I made sure she was covered well, and felt her breathing and heartbeat. I laid awake for 2 hours, checking her, waking her up and seeing how she reacted, she would warm up a little, then cool back down. I took her temp and it was 95F - 96F!!! She had a 100.1F just at 8 pm! Around 4:30 am I decided to call the oncall ped and tell him what was going on. I was worried she was getting septic. Thank goodness we went ahead and got those cultures earlier! He said to keep a check on her temp. Well, I told him I couldn't sleep at all, I will be worrying, so I am taking her to the ER. He called ahead and things went smoothly getting in there. Colette's temp was normal, her BP was normal and her heart rate was higher. Finally in the back, they gave her an IV :((( and a bag of fluids and a dose of rocefin (antibiotic). Halfway through the bag of fluids, she was chatty and sitting up on the side of the bed with her legs out. She wanted to drink and was flirting with all the drs again. I guess that is what she needed. Sadly, they wouldn't let us keep the IV (I have never been told no before) and we are headed to Bham now. She feels better, I feel better and Mawmaw is driving!!!
I will try to update from the Harbor or clinic, wherever we end up.
Love,
Tammy
*************************************
Monday, November 6, 2006 9:10 PM CST
Well it has been an interesting several days...
The most important part is that Colette has been running a fever off and on since last Wednesday. Her dr in Mobile gave her an antibiotic since Bryant had an upper respiratory infection the week before. Then we found out that one of our cousins who went trick-or-treating with Colette had strep. Thankfully, the same antibiotic can treat that too. So she was ok with that!
I know there have been bugs going around with high fevers, several kids at Bryant's school and several kids at church have been sick, so I figured whatever she had was the same thing.
Yesterday her temp was up to 103.7 and then today it went up to 104!! So I called Bham and her dr here. I was ready to pack up and head north, but Bham wanted her dr here to do some bloodwork and check her again. So we did...
She was negative for flu, negative for strep, clear chest x-ray, but a SINUS INFECTION in her right sinus. Then her left ear was impacted with wax, after cleaning that, he found a FLAMING EAR INFECTION!! And THAT could cause a high temp!
He wrote the prescription for Omnicef, but when I went to get it filled tonight, the insurance computer was down and Medicaid won't pay for it since it is a namebrand. It costs $106 cash price. I didn't get it since we don't have the money, but I will take it to Bham tomorrow and usually their pharmacy will handle the insurance for us and just send us a bill. I sure hope that is the best thing to do! Her temp has been really good all day today (isn't that like a kid, they completely make you look like an idiot in front of the dr). She was at 98 when we were there, dancing around like a ballerina. So I am not too awful worried, especially now that we know she has an ear infection - SOMETHING NORMAL!!!
As for me, well, I didn't realize how stressful it has been coming back home. I had a close call last Wednesday and had to call 911 for myself. My bp was 190/105 - I had an anxiety attack. They said nothing really triggered it, but my body was not having fun anymore. I went to the dr the next day and got some nice meds to help me until I get my thyroid and sinus under control. Then I need to start clearing some stress out. I also noticed since I have been on my meds, Bryant hasn't been in so much trouble at school! Who knew?! Jason is still in PA, he will start driving home tomorrow morning. He said I am not yelling at him on the phone, so that is already better! Sure, this med makes me sleepy, but I need to take things slower anyway.
After searching online, I have found many website of parents who have tremendous anxiety and emotional stress when they get off-therapy. Some parents say it's worse than diagnosis!! You are without your constant updates on your child, you know every little detail, but then suddenly you go a WHOLE MONTH without getting counts, and you know from experience things can go way up or way down in a matter of days, so a month is like a lifetime! Plus, you have to rely on a local dr (who I really trust) but he doesn't necessarily do things the same way as the oncology clinic, so you are afraid something might be overlooked, etc etc. I could go on and on about this. In fact, I might start looking into this because I know several moms who are about to be off-treatment and it would be good to have some information for them to look at. To reassure themselves that they aren't crazy for not being ECSTATIC about coming home again, because home is not the same anymore! Your whole family is not the same anymore, since everyone deals with cancer treatment differently. But I will write more about that later!
I need to get to bed because we have a drive ahead of us in the morning. Mawmaw & I are taking Bryant with us since Jason is out of town and we don't have anyone he could spend the night with that could get him to school. Hopefully we will be coming right back on Tuesday night, but if not, we will probably head home on Wednesday morning. I am looking forward to getting to choir practice on Wednesday night with our NEW MUSIC MINISTER! Also, poor Colette keeps asking if we are going to church today...she missed Cubbies class last Wednesday, and then we didn't go to church on Sunday because of her fever, so she knows something is missing! LOL
Thanks for reading, and pray that Colette is just dealing with a normal childhood issue and that is all!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, November 3, 2006 12:51 PM CST
Just a quick reminder that we will NOT be having Colette's party tomorrow!!!
Jason is out of town and Colette is running a fever, so we moved her party to NEXT SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 at 11 am!!!
Please make sure everyone else you know gets this information! Thanks!
*************************************
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 9:12 AM CST
Well the BIG birthday and Halloween are both OVER! Whew!
I think I am going to just put up some pics and they speak for themselves.
Highlights:
Jason didn't have to leave as early as he thought, so he was able to get Bryant dressed and meet Colette & me at Aunt Lona's house. YAY!
Dorothy & the Witch! (Colette & Aunt Lona)
Colette went to the dr who originally found her tumor because I was afraid she was getting the same thing Bryant had. Of course, she didn't have any fever or sign of sickness when we got there, but that was good because the dr nearly CRIED when he watched her playing and talking...he kept thinking back to last year when he saw her last. He couldn't believe how great she looked! (update this morning: yep, she has a fever and I am going to get the antibiotics that he wrote for her yesterday - thank you to a doctor who believes mom's intuition!)
Birthday girls!!!
Colette ran and played and ran and played and, well you get the picture...Jason was "mooky" (according to Colette) My favorite part was when Colette ran saying "we're off to see the wizard!" as she left one house and ran after the other kids to the next house!
only pic and it's blurry!! boo hooooo!!
Who's your "mooky" Daddy?
She was READY for bed!!!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006 10:23 AM CST
Myspace Layouts
Happy birthday to my sweet girl! I can't believe it has been a whole year since your big party last year! I was so happy last year, but so nervous at the same time, since your transplant was still ahead of you. I am so glad this year has gone by quickly, because you look and feel better than ever and I am so very thankful for every day. When you are sleeping, sometimes I look at you and see how full your cheeks are, I rub your legs and feel those little leg hairs, your eyelashes are reaching down to your cheeks almost, your lips are pink and you have nothing attached to your little body. Your legs are hard little muscles and your hands are starting to get a little tougher, not so much like a baby! Your bruises are only there because you run everywhere you go, not from horrible shots and low platelets. Even your feet are getting tough spots on them, from always being on the go. Not to mention your hands and feet are getting bigger. It's hard to imagine that you are now one of those little kids I used to teach in choir! I had the 4-yr old class and now those kids are in 2nd grade...it seems like just yesterday they looked just like you do now!
I am so happy that we are home and you feel so good. You make friends everywhere you go, and you are not afraid to ask someone their name. You are happy to tell them your name and then mine. I still get nervous when you run on concrete, only because I don't want you to fall and scrape your knee. But I am happy that you usually don't. You are getting stronger in gymnastics and you are also getting more limber. I know you don't know what that means, but you are getting back to the way you were. I am looking forward to seeing you pull over the bar all by yourself. You are almost doing it! 
I love to see you walk over to your brother and hug him. I love it when Bryant leaves and you say, "aww, I don't have a boy anymore!" and you pout. Even though you two fight ALL THE TIME, I know you love each other to pieces and I am so happy you can play together (sometimes) and act silly together (sometimes).
I love watching you try to hula hoop. I think it's sweet when Bryant tries to tell you the rules of soccer (don't touch it) and you just want to kick the ball all over the yard. I am so happy you like being Dorothy this year, even though you have never seen the movie! Of course, you call it "Widow De Boz"!! I need to record your voice when you say it!
Thanks for telling me "You're my best prend" - I love you all day!
Love,
Momma
******************************
COLETTE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED!!
Unfortunately we have had to reschedule Colette's birthday party for one more week. Jason was sent out of town on a job that could not be moved. He won't be back until Sunday or Monday. So we had to move the birthday party to NOVEMBER 11, at 11 am - HEY - THAT IS A SPECIAL NUMBER!!
11/11/06 at 11:00 am!!
Ok, well that makes me feel a little better...but this date also works so that Aunt Sherry will be there also! I hope that weekend works for you all who planned to come, but if you can't make it, I totally understand and I am sorry that we had to do this at such late notice. Trust me, I am NOT happy about moving this party because this child has been inviting EVERYONE to her party and I hate doing this. But, thankfully she is still too young to understand times and dates, so it will just give her more time to be excited!
Thanks to everyone who called (Megan), came by (Manda & Mawmaw & Papa) and all those 50 people who were at Azteca's last night for Colette and also to see Uncle Jon before he left for basic training this morning. I have pics and video that I will post today!
Monday, October 23, 2006 7:11 PM CDT
So we are busy, doing normal things! Colette has ballet again tomorrow. She did great the first time, but the second time, it was the real teacher who had been sick the first week, so Colette wasn't crazy about going in. I spent 45 minutes of the class telling her that she had to be a big girl and go in there. She wanted to, but at the same time she was being "Colette". She finally decided she would cooperate when I threatened to throw away all her ballet clothes! She marched in and had fun for about 10 minutes until class was over! But she didn't win that battle! (mark one for the mom!)
Last week, she tried to act shy, but when the teacher came to her, she took her hand and went straight in! yay! I think she is looking forward to tomorrow now!
Can you believe it is going to frost in the morning?! We were just wearing SHORTS a few days ago and now we might need COATS! I can just hear the kleenex boxes flying off the shelves!
We carved our pumpkins on Friday night, took the kids to the fair on Saturday, and spent Sunday at church and at a birthday party with cousins. Very much fun in a small amount of time! Colette is finally adjusted again to going into her Sunday School class, she loves Mrs. Cathy & Mrs. Chappelle! Choir wasn't too bad, but the finale of her day was going to MR. TED'S class after choir! Yay for Mr. Ted!
I forgot my digital camera this weekend, so I have to go get film developed. I promise to get some pics online ASAP!
I left the info about Colette's birthday party down below the two poems!
*********************************************************
I found this while reading Jake Raborn's (www.caringbridge.com/la/jakeowen) website:
My Purpose
I have cancer. There isn't an explanation as to why I became sick. All I know is God has a plan for each of us, and for each plan there is a purpose. Some of us know what our purpose in life is, and others will never find it. Then there are those like me who accomplish it without ever realizing it.
My journey with cancer will not and has not been without purpose. It is through my illness that I have helped doctors understand this disease a little more so they may find a cure. It is through my illness that I have opened the eyes of those around me to how precious life really is. Something we all too often take for granted.
It is through my illness that some of those around me have realized that life is too short to be afraid of our feelings. My cancer has been beaten back by the power of love. It is the most powerful of emotions, one not to be afraid of, but to be embraced. To be loved by someone unconditionally and completely is to reach into your soul and feel warmth.
It is through my illness that I have shown there is no guarantee for the future -- only dreams for it. Whether the future is just another day or another 75 years, we should all dream big and live fully everyday.
It is through my illness that I have seen the strong cry, only to find more strength.
It is through my illness that some of us who haven't talked to God in a while have once again begun to pray.
It is through my illness that I have joined the hands of those familiar to those of strangers, to form one long chain. I have already accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, and each day I continue to touch the hearts of many.
That is my purpose.
****************************************
WHEN CHRIST COMES - - -
by Max Lucado
You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to
the game you want to see or meal you want to eat,
when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills
the air. The sound is high above you.
A trumpet?
A choir?
A choir of trumpets?
You don't know, but you want to know.
So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up.
As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The
roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are
open, and people are staring a t the sky. Shoppers are
racing out of the gr ocery store.
The Little League baseball game across the street
has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching
the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has
never before been seen.
As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the
atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the
earth. There are no shadows. None. From whence came
the light begins to tumble a river of color spiking
crystals of every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding
on the flow is an endless fleet
of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at
a time, until they occupy every square inch of the
sky.
North.
South.
East.
West.
Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison,
and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the
cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.
The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four
silver - bearded elders and a multitude of souls who
join the angels in worship.
Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are
silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: Holy,
holy, holy. Between each word is a pause. With each
word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join
in the chorus. You don't know why you say the words,
but you know you must.
Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet.
The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns
and there He is.
Jesus.
Through waves of light you see the silhouetted
figure of Christ the King.
He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is
atop a billowing cloud.
He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his
declaration:
I am the Alpha and the Omega.
The angels bow their heads.
The elders remove their crowns.
And before you is a Figure so consuming that you
know, instantly you know:
Nothing else matters.
Forget stock markets and school reports.
Sales meetings and football games.
No thing is newsworthy...
All that mattered, matters no more....
for Christ has come. . .
Did you get chills??? I did!
***********************************
COLETTE'S BIRTHDAY IS 1 WEEK AWAY!!!
We are planning her Princess Strawberry Shortcake party to be held on November 4, at our house, starting at 11 am. I think we are going to get a jumpy thing and we are going to let the kids play outside as long as possible!
We will also be doing hot dogs/hamburgers, etc, and hopefully the BAMA game will be on then too!!! (playing Miss State, if you need to know!)
Instead of toys, we are asking if anyone would like to donate towards getting the kids a swing set. Colette has received so many gifts, especially while in the hospital, and she really doesn't have room for anything anymore! I am constantly sorting and donating items, either to my church or to the hospital. But the kids really don't have anything to play on outside, and since Colette can't really ride a bike in the grass, poor Bryant doesn't want to do that alone. We have a fantastic fenced yard and I really want to give the kids some time to play before it gets too cold. So we decided we would save money by having a party at home and hopefully having the swing set by the time of the party!
BUT - if you really want to give her a present...she is into Barbie "12 Dancing Princesses" and anything ballerina or dance related!
Her address is:
Colette Pate
7040 Lake Rd N
Mobile AL 36605
If you would like directions, please email me or leave me a message in the guestbook and I will be happy to write you back.
I really hope we have a lot of people turn out for this party! It would mean a lot if you just come and bring your kids and some lawnchairs and visit with us! Looking forward to seeing you all!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, October 20, 2006 8:40 PM CDT
Wow! I just received this email from a friend and I just HAD TO SHARE IT! It is VERY exciting!!
WHEN CHRIST COMES - - -
by Max Lucado
You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to
the game you want to see or meal you want to eat,
when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills
the air. The sound is high above you.
A trumpet?
A choir?
A choir of trumpets?
You don't know, but you want to know.
So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up.
As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The
roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are
open, and people are staring a t the sky. Shoppers are
racing out of the gr ocery store.
The Little League baseball game across the street
has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching
the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has
never before been seen.
As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the
atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the
earth. There are no shadows. None. From whence came
the light begins to tumble a river of color spiking
crystals of every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding
on the flow is an endless fleet
of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at
a time, until they occupy every square inch of the
sky.
North.
South.
East.
West.
Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison,
and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the
cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.
The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four
silver - bearded elders and a multitude of souls who
join the angels in worship.
Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are
silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: Holy,
holy, holy. Between each word is a pause. With each
word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join
in the chorus. You don't know why you say the words,
but you know you must.
Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet.
The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns
and there He is.
Jesus.
Through waves of light you see the silhouetted
figure of Christ the King.
He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is
atop a billowing cloud.
He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his
declaration:
I am the Alpha and the Omega.
The angels bow their heads.
The elders remove their crowns.
And before you is a Figure so consuming that you
know, instantly you know:
Nothing else matters.
Forget stock markets and school reports.
Sales meetings and football games.
No thing is newsworthy...
All that mattered, matters no more....
for Christ has come. . .
Did you get chills??? I did!
***********************************
UPDATE!!!
I just received an email that we will be having a SPECIAL PRAYER TIME at our church on Sunday for ALL WHO HAVE DEALT WITH OR ARE DEALING WITH CANCER!!!
We have 2 services, one at 9 am and one at 10:30 am. It would be AWESOME for you to come and pray with us with thanksgiving for Colette's health and for the others still in the hospitals and on treatment (Kenzie, Kassidy, Morgan, Noah, Evan, Madison, Katie, Kahlilla, Lenzie and I could go on and on!) Let me know if you need more information!!!
Shopping at the Shrimp Festival!
Riding on Uncle Mike's shoulders
What a little TOOT! LOL
So the latest news is:
COLETTE'S BIRTHDAY IS 2 WEEKS AWAY!!!
We are planning her Princess Strawberry Shortcake party to be held on November 4, at our house, starting at 11 am. I think we are going to get a jumpy thing and we are going to let the kids play outside as long as possible!
We will also be doing hot dogs/hamburgers, etc, and hopefully the BAMA game will be on then too!!! (playing Miss State, if you need to know!)
Instead of toys, we are asking if anyone would like to donate towards getting the kids a swing set. Colette has received so many gifts, especially while in the hospital, and she really doesn't have room for anything anymore! I am constantly sorting and donating items, either to my church or to the hospital. But the kids really don't have anything to play on outside, and since Colette can't really ride a bike in the grass, poor Bryant doesn't want to do that alone. We have a fantastic fenced yard and I really want to give the kids some time to play before it gets too cold. So we decided we would save money by having a party at home and hopefully having the swing set by the time of the party!
BUT - if you really want to give her a present...she is into Barbie "12 Dancing Princesses" and anything ballerina or dance related!
Her address is:
Colette Pate
7040 Lake Rd N
Mobile AL 36605
If you would like directions, please email me or leave me a message in the guestbook and I will be happy to write you back.
I really hope we have a lot of people turn out for this party! It would mean a lot if you just come and bring your kids and some lawnchairs and visit with us! Looking forward to seeing you all!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, October 13, 2006 10:05 AM CDT
Hey everyone!
I have been asked for our mailing address so you can send Colette a birthday card or gift:
Colette Pate
7040 Lake Rd N
Mobile AL 36605
Everyone is doing great - this weather is wonderful! Colette wanted to play outside all night last night, I was afraid she would get a cough from it, so I made her come in. Today Colette, Mawmaw, Uncle Mike & I are going to the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores. I will bring along the camera!
Thanks for checking up on us!
Love,
Tammy
******************************************
Monday, October 9, 2006 9:05 PM CDT
The highlight of the weekend was the PUMPKIN PATCH!
The kids ran around and around picking up pumpkins and sitting on them too! Colette kept carrying around the little gourd pumpkins and cradling them, like babies! HAHA
Who's that handsome guy?
Our pumpkin is in this picture! I bought one of the "props"! :)
Saturday and Sunday we spent a lot of time at church, singing and having a great time. Jason's flight got in a lot earlier on Sunday than I expected, so I had to dash out to get him, then back to the church to get the kids. Then that night, our church voted to call a NEW MINISTER OF MUSIC! YAYAYAY! It has been 2 years since we had a music minister! YAY! We are all very excited! He won't be here until the day of Colette's checkup, November 8. You better believe I will try to get out of the clinic early that day so I can be at choir practice at 6:30pm in Mobile!
Once we do something cool, I will update again. Colette has a hoarse voice, sorta like I have had, and she can't talk, she says! LOL But it doesn't stop her! LOL
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, October 5, 2006 8:56 AM CDT
UPDATE ON PAPA: On Thursday, after the heart cath, the doctor came in and said there isn't much blockage at all, 10-20 percent, which is good for a man his age. They kept him until he recovered from his heart cath and then let him go home to my uncle's house. Apparently he has PVCs and he overdid it a few days ago. He is getting back on blood pressure meds and they will continue more tests until they have checked him out completely. Thanks for your prayers...once again, we have good news!!!
Sorry - not much new to update! yay for that!
Colette has been enjoying being home, it is very weird to look back at the pictures from this time last year!
I asked her if she remembered when her hair was all gone, but she just says, "my hair is curly and long", so I am not sure. When I show her the pictures, she just sorta looks and tries to figure out who is wearing her clothes! LOL
As you can see from the pics, she started her ballet classes this week. She blends in with all the other kids, and thankfully, she is a good student, not one to run around and disrupt the class. I think the gymnastics class has helped with that. She only has 2 other kids in gymnastics class, and in ballet there are 12 other kids! So she is a good girl. I was very proud of her!
Bryant has been doing good on his grades, but he is having issues with behavior. Unfortunately, the kids know which buttons to push with him and he is constantly getting in trouble by reacting when someone provokes him. Poor thing. And the whining! UgH! The teacher hasn't really complained, but I have called her a couple of times because we don't know how to discipline him based on his side of the story! She is being patient with him, expecting that things will get better as the year wears on, but in the meantime, we still have to handle these issues at home.
Jason is in Oklahoma this week for training for his job. He is getting certified in some kind of sprinkler work. Just one more notch on his belt. Thankfully, my church is having a Weekend of Worship, which means I am singing on Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night, having dinner on the grounds, and basically hanging out around the church all Sunday, then voting on a new prospective minister of music that night. (This is something I have been looking forward to since our minister of music - my very good friend - left back in 2004, so I am ready for someone to get in there and build the "creative ministries" department back up!)
I do have two prayer requests:
1) My little brother, Michael, has enlisted in the Air Force. We are excited that he has a huge future ahead of him, but we will miss him being near. We don't really know what his schedule will be, but I hope it is not too soon!
2) My 87-yr old grandpa (my dad's dad) was admitted to the hospital yesterday. He lives in Ellisville, MS, but has a home on the property next to my parents' house. He comes down and visits every couple of weeks. He was here, and my mom had gone over to visit, but he was complaining that his heart rate was fluctuating drastically. He was feeling really bad, so she convinced him to go to the ER. After being there for a few hours, he was admitted for a possible heart cath and/or pacemaker!!! I took the noisy kids to visit him, they love their Big Papa, and he looked a little peaked. But I think he enjoyed it when my kids would just walk over and lay their head on his shoulder or sit on his bed! I overheard him telling the nurse about Colette and he was bragging about how strong she has been. Awww! After a little time of noisiness, I got the kids out of the way. I think I am headed back up there this morning. He has already been taken back for the heart cath, so maybe they will be finished and they will have some good news for us.
He is the only grandpa left for me. My mom's dad died of a massive heart attack when I was 18. They would have loved Papa Bill and I know he would have loved them! That's why I have always wanted my kids to know my Papa James, even though he was always so very strict. My kids have been able to spend time with Big Papa and I have been able to see his softer side through them. Pray that the drs can do something to ease his discomfort and keep him here with us a little longer.
Well, that's about it. I will work on getting more pics up too!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:37 PM CDT
NEW PICS!
Here are a couple of videos from gymnastics yesterday!
She is learning to pull over the beam...but she gets freaked out sometimes! LOL
She's such a silly goober, she really wasn't concentrating but always has so much fun!
Finally home!
We left yesterday for Bham with Uncle Mike & Mawmaw. Once we checked in at the hotel, we went to Jim & Nick's for dinner. Colette always make an entrance and people can't help by smile when she prisses by in her little skirts and high heel shoes! (Just like her Nana!)
After we got a pink balloon, it was time to head to the hotel. She crashed after a nice hot bath and I was right behind her. They have the BEST beds at the Medical Center Inn (formerly Best Western)!!!
This morning we headed out for clinic. This was the busiest I have EVER seen the clinic. There was almost nowhere to sit! Miss Colette now weighs 35 lbs! She gained nearly 2 pounds in the last month! Wow! After that was "blood", meaning her arm poke. She tried to be brave for Uncle Mike, but it just hurts! She got over it really quick and then it was time for the echo of her heart. I asked about her heart/blood pressure last month, so Dr. Buckley ordered it for this visit. She laid on her side and let them put the "jelly" & the "remote control" all over her chest. I was a little nervous because the tech kept referring to the cardiologist and he was pointing to things on the screen, but it seemed like he was training her how to get certain measurements and stuff. He didn't say anything to me when we left either, so I was a little nervous. The echo took about 20 minutes, pretty long for a 3 yr old to be patient, but Colette was a STAR!
After that, I went in search of Mr. Paul, the chaplain. I wanted to ask him about some issues I have been curious about. Mainly, what do I say when I hear somebody question God and lash out at God when a child dies. We had a nice chat, lots to mull over, and we both shed tears. I LOVE MR. PAUL!!! He is such a sensitive and caring person. He understands when I get really deep, and he also understands when I get really paranoid! I am glad I know him.
Then it was back to clinic and we didn't have to wait long at all! We went back to a room and Dr. Buckley came in less than 10 minutes! Her counts totally look fine, her heart echo was completely normal! I looked at the report myself! Everything said, "No...., Nothing....., Normal....." (fill in the blanks for the technical terms)!!! We discussed the cruddy cough, suspecting allergies. She will now try a prescription for Zyrtec to see if it helps keep her from sinus drainage. He also told me that her urine catecholomines (sp?) were clear - no tumor cells, and her bone marrow biopsy was also clear!! YAY! (I figured I would have heard from him before now if not!)
So she will officially be at 10 months post transplant on Oct 7!! I am still nervous because of the odds that are out there. I have already begun to see NB kids diagnosed around the same time start to relapse. Not a good feeling. But I think to myself, I need to get used to it, since 80 percent relapse in less than 12 months, that is 8 in 10 who will relapse. I just pray that Colette is in the other 2!!!
Her birthday is this next month, also Halloween and the fair!! Lots to look forward to! She will be 4 when she goes back to the hospital on November 8! I am just enjoying being HOME for football and all of the other fall activities!!!
Bryant and Jason have started Boy Scouts. Jason was almost an Eagle Scout back in the old days, so he is excited about getting back into that. Bryant LOVES wearing his uniform and I think he is eating up all of the awards and competitions. I know it is definitely on Jason's mind a lot too! That is FINE WITH ME! Also, Colette will begin ballet on next Tuesday. Along with that and gymnastics, she will be an active kiddo!
I will work on getting some new pics in the next day or so. Thanks for checking on us still and thank you for praying for us. We are so thankful for all our many friends!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, September 25, 2006 7:14 PM CDT
So far, so good!
Not much to report these days regarding Colette...we do have an appointment in Birmingham on Wednesday morning, so we are going up tomorrow. I have to rent a car because my check engine light is on in the van, and I don't want to have a problem somewhere along I-65!!! My luck it would happen after 6 pm when all those little gas stations start closing!!
Thankfully it is pretty cheap to rent a car and bring it right back!
This dr visit is just a checkup and he is also going to test her thyroid levels and do an echo on her heart, since I asked about it last month. I just wanted to see where she stands re: blood pressure, etc. There are many things that could show up later after chemo and treatment, not related to cancer, but still needing meds or attention.
I am also hoping he can check out her cruddy cough that she still has! It's not soooo bad, but anything makes me nervous!
My friend that Mawmaw posted about is doing MUCH better. For a while, she was in ICU, sedated and on a vent, but now she is awake and they are moving her to a regular room! I think it has been about 24 hrs since they started her antibiotics for the bladder infection. She still has a kidney stone (that's what started all this!) and they won't address that until the infection is cleared up. So I think she will be in the hospital for a while longer. Better safe than sorry!
We are planning another crop soon, so I will still get to scrapbook in the very near future!!! YAY!
I will update on Wednesday after we see Dr. Buckley. I am also going to stop in and check on our friend Kenzie. She is starting to turn the corner on her counts, I think she is near Day 12 or so! Now her other "uncomfortableness" can start to clear up, thanks to white blood cells!! :) The dr thinks she will be getting out of stem cell within the week! Yay Kenzie!!
OK, well I have rambled enough. Jason & Bryant are at their Cub Scout meeting (Jason is the den leader). Bryant was dressed and ready for the meeting at 2 o'clock this afternoon! He was so proud of his uniform! Hope to get some pics of that soon!
Pray for our trip and that the dr says Colette looks great!
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, September 21, 2006 11:02 AM CDT
So not much going on, just normal stuff.
Colette had a blast last night at church. We have AWANAs for the kids, and she is a Cubbie this year. She REALLY has attached herself to one of her teachers, Mr. Will. At first, she didn't know his name, but he was wearing an orange shirt, so she called him the "Orange Boy". She kept telling me she was happy that her teachers were boys (uh oh Jason, get the shotgun ready!)
Now, every Wednesday night we go to supper at church and she already has her "Mr. Will Radar" on. Last night was no exception. She was ready to go to Cubbies and look for Mr. Will. Thankfully, Mr. Will came right out and asked Colette if she was ready to go to class. Momma only got a quick wave, no kiss, no, it was time to go with Mr. Will!!! (insert Handel's Hallelujah Chorus here)
I was going to pick her up after class and I hear that she had been upset earlier. What happened you ask? Well, it turns out that Mr. Will cannot go in the bathroom with Miss Colette and Miss Colette was NOT A HAPPY CAMPER!!! She did not understand why he couldn't go in the bathroom with her!!! LOL Now she knows that Mr. Will cannot go in the girls' potty because he is a boy. Whew! I don't remember Bryant ever caring about these things!
Today I am packing my scrapbook stuff to go to a weekend convention here in town. I will be staying there from tomorrow morning (Friday) until Sunday after lunch. I get to sleep in a hotel room with 3 other women - unless of course, we stay up and crop the whole night away - that's my plan!
Jason will be holding down the fort with both kids for the first time ever, I think. I think he is a little anxious about that!
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, September 17, 2006 9:39 AM CDT
OK, so I haven't updated in a week...sorry!
Everyone is great. Colette got over her sniffles early in the week, but then we have all got the allergy crud again :(
Colette has gotten better about wanting to wear her hearing aids. She is aware that she can't hear everything without them. I am even checking in to getting her and me into a sign language course. Our church has even started interpreting the 10:30 service, it all goes together! How about that?! It is just difficult in a noisy environment for her to focus on my voice and I think I would be less hoarse if I could give some simple signs and she could understand me!
She is still loving gymnastics, and now we will be starting fairytale ballet after Oct. 2! She only knows she is starting ballet - I haven't stressed it much because it is so far off and she will BUG ME TO DEATH about it! LOL I still have to buy her leotard and tights. Everything she has here has sparkles or a skirt attached, etc. It needs to be plain to match the other girls.
We will go back to Bham in a little over a week. It is just a checkup. I am not too worried about things. He is going to test her thyroid and also do an ultrasound of her heart. I mentioned to him last time that it has been a while, and he said he will schedule something.
Please check on our little friends.
Lenzie's mommy just had her baby Bryson and I know Lenzie and her big sister Tori have been on cloud 9!!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/lenziebutland
Kenzie (from Mobile) had her transplant on Friday. She is having some nausea issues and not feeling well. She had her TP tube put in and it wasn't fun either. She really needs some cheering up. This is her first long inpatient at Children's in Bham and she has not had enough time there to enjoy it before she was admitted for transplant. Does that make sense? In other words, she doesn't know anyone there and is used to a completely different hospital, plus the rules in stem cell are sooooo different! I know her mom has asked for cards and things to cheer up her room. I have to get a package together for mail tomorrow. You can mail it to the hospital and her room is 662 (Colette's stem cell room!)
www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckenziesmith
Jay is at Camp Quality in Australia. He was heartbroken over Steve Irwin's death, and then one of his favorite race car drivers also died in an accident. I hope the Camp cheers him up! He always has a great time when he goes and brings back lots of pics!
www.jaysjourney.org
I will update again before I go to my scrapbook weekend on Friday! I can't wait, but I have a LOT of work to do before I go!!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, September 8, 2006 10:52 AM CDT
Still not a whole lot going on medically! Yay!
These pics are from our front yard. I realized how shady and green it is in the morning, so Colette was dressed to go with Mawmaw & Papa today, so I grabbed the camera.
Also look under the View Photos section for a few more.
Colette got a new leotard last night at gymnastics. So far, she has been wearing ballet type things, but the bigger girls all wear real leotards, so I decided she deserved one too!
She basically RAN down the balance beam on her tippy toes and was so excited. She even pulled herself up and over on the bar (of course, her coach was helping her do it). But that was the first time, she has always been afraid. Once she did it, she loved it!
I think she could take gymnastics for hours! Poor thing always gets upset when it is over! (I do too!)
She and Bryant are both fighting this sinus crud that is going around. I think she is on the upswing though. Poor Bryant is coughing round the clock unless he gets his cough medicine on time.
Tonight we are going bowling. It is the last night of church league on Friday nights. Jason & Bryant have been going regularly, but I have been either scrapbooking or just out of town.
Tomorrow is another ALABAMA game, so you know where I will be! LOL
Then Sunday is Grandparents Day and also MAWMAW PENNY'S BIRTHDAY!! PLUS - I am back to singing with my women's ensemble, Vertical Praise. We are singing in both services. I haven't been able to sing with them in nearly a year! So I am sure Mawmaw will be happy for that too. Aunt Sherry's gang and us are taking her somewhere special to eat that day, but we aren't telling her where! (hahahaha I know she is going to see this!)
Please keep us in your prayers and pray that both Colette and Bryant get over this crud soon! Next week I plan to get some pics of Colette in her leotard at her gymnastics class.
Don't forget to check on our other Mobile girl, Kenzie. She was admitted yesterday for transplant and they started the chemo today. She is in the same room we were in too! She will be there for at least 3 weeks and her mom will probably keep her site updated a lot since the computer is available in her room at all times.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckenziesmith
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, September 5, 2006 6:04 PM CDT
Hello all!
Not much to report, except for a BIG ROLL TIDE! (that's from me)
Colette is running around like a crazy kid, playing, bouncing balls in the house(!) and playing with the whole Strawberry Shortcake collection.
Bryant is doing good in school and I am pressuring him to get busy with the Accelerated Reading program. I think he is on the verge of actually enjoying books, I hope!
Jason & I worked all day on Labor Day getting the house back in order from the past year! I went to Lowe's and bought the replacement filters for the 3 air cleaners in our house and also for the vacuum. Those things are NASTY if they aren't changed on time. But they are $60 each!
Colette still has a little cough and a slightly runny nose, but she sleeps fine and really only coughs when she starts climbing and jumping around. I am keeping an eye on it, though!
It's strange not to be worried about running off to get bloodwork done, or planning around a trip somewhere. Instead, we have a real schedule now!
OH YEAH! I forgot to tell you what happened about our trip to Birmingham. Remember how I was worried about the money we would need for gas and food? And remember I told you that I knew God would provide it because He is always JUST IN TIME? Well all the way until Monday morning, when we were getting the van packed, we STILL didn't have money for the trip. I decided to go around and pick up as many buckets in Theodore and Tillman's Corner to see how much we could accumulate.
Little did I know, but God had already provided by those donations! After going by 5 stores, we had over $250!! Enough for gas and food!! Then on Tuesday, the man who raffled off the grills at the 4 gas stations called my mom while we were in Bham and told her he had more than $600 and which bank did we want it deposited?! There was the return trip money too! Wow! Thankfully God gave us what we needed, and in fact, more than we needed at the time.
Well, Bryant is back from gymnastics, so I better head to the kitchen. Take care and have a great week!
Love,
Tammy
Saturday, September 2, 2006 10:37 AM CDT
Well my big healthy girl spent the night with her cousins last night! Waaaa! She didn't even miss me!
Mawmaw was staying with Aunt Sherry's kids while Aunt Sherry and Uncle Craig went out of town, and Colette was supposed to go visit while I was scrapbooking and Jason & Bryant were bowling. Well, Mawmaw ended up popping in at our house earlier in the day with Hannah & Matt, so Colette just hopped in the van and went with her! (yay for me!)
I called around midnight to make sure Colette wasn't upset and was asleep and Mawmaw said she was having a blast, her runny nose was a lot better and she took a nice bath and was playing dress up and gymnastics earlier in the evening. They were all in bed and I went home since she was happily dreaming.
This morning I called and Mawmaw said Colette and Hannah were dressed up in ballet outfits watching TV. She said Colette took her medicine like a big girl and was not missing me at all! YAY!
This is her first time to stay off at someone's house without me in well over a year!
We are headed to a big birthday party for Colette's great-grandma today and then, of course, drum roll please,
ROOOOOOLLLL
TIIIIIDE
ROLL!
We are going to watch the Bama game at Uncle Bill's house! I have been looking forward to this day for months! I know I am not alone because 92,000 people have tickets every Saturday from now til November to watch the VERY SAME THING that I look forward to!!! I can't wait!
I will have new pics to upload after today too. Thanks for keeping up and make sure to tell your churches about our answered prayers tomorrow!!!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, August 30, 2006 3:43 PM CDT
Around 3:00 Dr. Buckley made it to the clinic after he reviewed all Colette's scans. Apparently, one of the folks pulled up her very first MIBG scan and Dr. Buckley nearly had a heartattack!! LOL
But he never told me what I wanted to hear, and I gave him PLENTY of chances, so I finally asked him,
Will it officially be NO EVIDENCE of DISEASE when the bone marrow biopsies come back normal?
And he said, I don't SEE any evidence...I would be very surprised if there is anything in the biopsy.
So what does that mean?
Her CT scan looked normal, he is still waiting on the official report, but he looked really hard because of that dumb old MIBG report.
Her bone marrow aspirations were fine. He has to wait for the official on the biopsies, but they have been normal ever since last June.
Her MIBG didnt show ANY SPOTS like it did back in June!
Like our friend Jay says, Colette is KICKING the NB out the window!! Hooray!
Due to the lateness of the day, the hospital is kind enough to put us up at the Best Western tonight, so Mawmaw & Colette are going swimming and I am going scrapbook shopping!! I just hope I don't buy up the whole store!!
YEEEEEE HAW!! Feel free to leave happy comments on the guestbook so I know you know that Colette is CANCER FREE!!!!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, August 29, 2006 5:19 PM CDT
It has been really weird to think about what we were doing a year ago today! We were sitting in a room on 4 Tower watching CNN, Weather Channel, NBC, MSNBC, all showing pics of what was happening in Mobile! We weren't sure if our house would even still be there when we got home! Plus - we knew we wouldn't be able to go to Mobile as long as there was no power! So we were camping out, enjoying Colette getting us a sweet evacuation spot! LOL
So today didn't go so great :(
We had to be there early for her to get an IV since she has no central line or port. Finally, about 15 minutes before she was scheduled to be downstairs to get her MIBG injection for tomorrow, they called us back. Fortunately, Dr. Buckley had just walked in and Colette was VERY HAPPY to see him! We talked a little, then the mean IV lady came in. It was very difficult for Colette, she was very scared and afraid and nervous. Once the IV was in, the lady wasn't so sure about how it was placed, but they didn't want to traumatize Colette any more, so they let it go. It was flushing and giving blood return fine, so it was good enough. Well, we went for the injection and she got through that part just fine. We had to wait nearly 2 hours after that to go for her CT scan. She had to drink that contrast (in lemonade) and then we started the scan. When it was time for the injection for that test, she started screaming that her arm was hurting. Of course, the tech was still there so she stopped the flow, and they all came out to see her arm. It had lumped up under the skin at her wrist! AAAAA!!!
They were not going to be able to use it anymore, they couldn't get it to flush and it was really hurting Colette, so I told them I would just take her back to the clinic and let them take it out. That means we have to have it replaced in the morning! :(
She was much happier once it was out and she went ahead to get her skeletal survey, which is a series of about 20 xrays of each part of her body! Finally, around 2:30 we were heading OUT to eat!!!
Now we are back to the Hope Lodge and we are staying put for the evening. We are supposed to check out tomorrow morning, but we have to be at the hospital by 7 am for her bone marrow aspirations and her MIBG scan is at 10 am. Sometime around then, we also have to redo that CT scan with contrast that we didn't get. Grr.
The good news is, firstly, that Dr. Buckley said I AM NORMAL (no comments from the peanut gallery) and DON'T EXPECT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND MY FEAR ABOUT BEING OFF TREATMENT!!! YAY! He said it is very different and it is a big deal. He said most people expect that I would be excited, but they don't understand why I am not! Of course, I will be happy, relieved, etc, but it starts up all new worries!!!
And he also was very happy with the way Colette looks. He thought she looked great. Her counts were fantastic! Her hematocrit is up to 32.8, which normal begins at 34!!!! She hasn't had a blood transfusion since February (I think) and her white count is great and her platelets are also just below normal! Her little body is just chugging right along!
She was pretty anxious this morning, but once we were there for a while, she settled right in and was the princess we all know and love.
Also, we met Kenzie from Mobile last night too. We went to eat at OCharley's with her and her aunt and mom. They are both a lot alike, it was cute watching them. Kenzie also had a long day today at the hospital since she got her waterhose put back in this morning. Poor girls! Leave her a note at
www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckenziesmith
That's pretty much it for now. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little smoother!
Love,
Tammy
***************************************
Monday, August 28, 2006 8:28 AM CDT
Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to the Ham we go!
Bryant is at school, Jason is at work and Mawmaw and I are getting the van loaded to head to Birmingham. :(
I am packing lightly in the anticipation of coming home on Wednesday afternoon with GOOD NEWS!
This time has been a challenge...it seems I am a little rusty at "not worrying". I was pretty emotional all day at church yesterday! Sorry Lori! I even went down and asked Bro. Greg to pray for strength for me to get through these few days. I told him, "I know what I have to do, I know HOW to do it! I just don't have the strength!"
I slept well after having conversations with Jesus and Satan. Satan was spending some time in my head, and I had to sic my Savior on him! I know I may sound like a kook, but that is just the truth! Once I said those words, "Satan, get out of here in Jesus' name!" I immediately could feel my forehead relax and I drifted off to sleep. No bad dreams, no constant waking....how many sleep aids can promise that, huh? LOL
We never did get any information about the benefit money or the raffle money. So we are winging it to Bham - literally! We have some quarters rolled that I am taking to the bank and that will give us gas money and food money for at least tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully by Wednesday, there will be enough bucket money around town that my dad can pick it up and deposit it into our account here. We are planning to return home on Wednesday. Of course, that could change according to the results. But I am not going to entertain those ideas now.
Pray for Bryant and Jason as they are on their own. They did this for so many months, and I promised Bryant it is NOTHING like before...this is just a visit! He was still worried, though. He also gets his conduct and test grades for last week today. I hope that goes well!
I should be able to keep you updated each day. There is a computer at the Hope Lodge where we are staying. Please keep us in your prayers each day!
Love,
Tammy, Colette & Mawmaw
Friday, August 25, 2006 6:11 PM CDT
Well, we are getting ready to take a trip to Bham to have scans done.
We are leaving on Monday, will scan on Tuesday and Wednesday and see Dr. Buckley on Wednesday after her MIBG scan. Pray for stable disease or no evidence! I am really very nervous about these scans. I shouldn't be, I know, but it has been 2 months or so since we looked inside the last time.
Since this beast is known to come back after a while, and I have known kids who made it to "10 months post transplant" or other months, and knowing that we are at 9 months post transplant as of Sept 7, I am getting anxious!!!
Colette is feeling wonderful, acting wonderful, sometimes scaring me with her "my belly hurts", but it turns out she just wants me to hold her, or she is just in a mood.
If anything shows up this time, I think it will be a complete surprise because of how she is acting these days!
On the other side of this, we are also waiting to receive the money from the benefits. The car show people had so many car clubs from different cities involved, they are still trying to work out the details on collecting ALL of the money. We were originally told it would be this weekend, so we have told the people we owe (rent, phone, power) that we would have their money by the first of next week. But now I am told that it will be September before that money is all together. :( It wouldn't be so bad, but we had to renew our car tags and that was a CHUNK of money all at once. (one more thing we were hoping to use the benefit money for)
The other thing, with the raffle for the grill, we are still trying to find out when they want to have Colette there to receive that check. We were told tomorrow, so hopefully that will happen. We are going to need money just to DRIVE to Birmingham on Monday! It will take $60 to fill up our van just to make the drive up, then another $60 to drive home on Wednesday. Thankfully we are staying at Hope Lodge, which is free for those 2 nights. We will only need money for meals and such.
I know, I know, I always tell yall how money comes in just in time, and I know it will this time, but I can still get a little worried, can't I? I know the answer to this one too...."don't worry about tomorrow, tomorrow has enough trouble on its own," didn't I tell you that before? LOL - at myself!
Oh yeah, did I mention we have a Tropical Storm out there? Yep. Same time as Katrina last year! I will be in Bham by the time they figure out where it goes..I hope we will be able to come home, but if not, at least half of my family will already be evacuated! LOL
Love,
Tammy
Monday, August 21, 2006 1:56 PM CDT
Whew! What a day we had yesterday! Brandy & Cole: my feet are KILLING me!
After church we went home, as I told you yesterday. Then Bryant & I went to TCBY and picked out a vanilla cake with strawberries on top! We left it there to try to surprise Jason later.
We went to Granddad's and saw all the cousins we haven't seen in a while. I realized Colette had not been to Granddad's since the Christmas before diagnosis! That was in 2004! Wow! But she remembered where everything was, including the magic laundry chute - Bryant said she was too afraid to go down it - Thank the Lord for that! It is from the upstairs bathroom to downstairs! They had a great time playing with their cousins and running around. I am sure Granddad enjoyed hearing all those little feet too - these are his great grands!
Granddad & Aunt Toni loving on Colette
Then it was off to church...Colette was very happy to see Mr. Ted in her class!
Oh, yeah, Jason had to find out about the cake before hand - we were late to church and I had to run back to Walmart to pick it up :( oh well - he was still happy!
After church they set up the volleyball net in the gym and laid out the food - my taco dip was GONE before half of the kids - next time I am bringing 2!!!
Daddy & His Girl
The singing of Happy Birthday was pretty bad, thanks to some goobers!
We stayed late, until nearly 10:30! The kids had a good time and I was laughing my head off at those guys! Everyone eventually left and by the end, it was 5 diehard volleyball guys - they were so tired, they ended up chasing the ball more than they were hitting it! LOL
So it was a pretty good day and I am glad Bryant was excited about going to school this morning! Back to the laundry...yay!
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, August 20, 2005 12:58 PM CDT
Happy Birthday to Jason! This birthday is a completely different one than last year's! Colette & I were in Bham (getting chemo and meeting Miss PattyCake), but Jason and Bryant were in Mobile.
We are having a good weekend. We found a Chinese restaurant with a good health rating and no buffet, so Jason finally was able to eat some General Chicken! After cutting the grass and watching the kids splashing in the wading pool, we had another candlelight dinner with the kids and watched TV.
This morning we went to church and now we are resting at home before we go to Granddad's house for the joint family celebration. Jason and his Granddad have the same birthday and his cousin's is also within a couple of days. So we are having a party for all 3 of them!
Then, as if we couldn't stand ANYMORE fun...our Students are having a SNAC after church tonight and will be playing volleyball! For those who don't know, Jason used to be a beach volleyball player - he actually played in tournaments and won! That is what he was doing when I met him on the beach way back in 1992!
He doesn't know this (and won't because he doesn't get online) but I am going to bring a cake tonight to the SNAC and all the youth are going to sing to him! Tee hee!
OK, gotta run - lots to do!
Love,
Tammy
***************************************
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 1:06 PM CDT
Not a whole lot to talk about these days - YAY!
Colette is enjoying having me all to herself these days while Bryant is at school. I think he is really enjoying himself this year. I hope so!
His teacher is really sweet, but I think she is pretty strict. That is just what he needs. He has several friends from last year in this class. In fact, all 3 of the honor roll kids from last year are AT THE SAME TABLE! Bryant, Jacob and Savannah are all at Table 1. He said it is the table closest to her hand! LOL
I picked him up from Boys & Girls Club around 5 yesterday, but he wasn't ready to go. Apparently he enjoyed being there! I told him I would have to pick him up earlier tonight since we are eating supper at church. He didn't want to get picked up any earlier than necessary, and said he would wear his uniform to church so he wouldn't have to come home and change first! Crazy!
Colette did AWESOME at gymnastics yesterday! She loves the beam and she walked down it a few times, then she was told to hop down it. That was pretty scary for me, and pretty funny for her! She was determined to do it though! She would hop, but one of her feet would slip off the side and she would catch herself on her hands - she spent most of the class with her heiney in the air and laughing at herself! It was wonderful! She did everything the teacher told her to without any problem. In fact, she was going too fast so the teacher made her rest for a second! Girl was having FUN! I LOVED looking at her chunky legs - remembering how skinny they have been in the past. She just looks so strong. Makes me nervous but glad!
The craputane is OFFICIALLY OVER! She took her last dose on Monday night. Yay! No more medicine! I keep thinking I am forgetting something!
This Sunday is Jason's birthday, so hopefully we can do something for him. He certainly deserves it!
Well, I have to get back to the mountains of laundry. It is mostly folded, but I can't figure how to make it magically walk to the drawers and hang itself in the closet! Any tips? LOL
Love,
Tammy
Here are 2 pics from Disney World:
I like this pic because she is looking at us like, "Look! It's Mickey!"
My kids are officially "Girl Mickey" fans!
Sunday, August 13, 2006 10:12 PM CDT
So the weekend is finally coming to a close. Whew!
I will update at length tomorrow, but Colette stole the show, once again! She rode in almost any hot car she wanted, hugged men & blew kisses, curtsied for the crowds...I thought I was the mother of MISS AMERICA!!!
I wanted to thank everyone who had a part this weekend. There are too many to name without possibly leaving someone out. If anyone has any pictures, I would like to get a copy of them also.
Papa took pics for us so once he sends them to me, I will upload them to walkerplace. I also have the DISNEYWORLD pics to upload as well.
Tomorrow if our first (and only) test run for school which starts on Tuesday. I am going to wake everyone up around 8 or so and try to get Bryant's haircut at some point. He's not crazy about that...oh well....I am still the MOM!
The kids both had a good time in choir tonight. Colette wasn't really happy at first (because she never had a nap this afternoon), but she got settled in and by the time we picked her up after church, she was telling us about singing Miss PattyCake songs! YAY! I think she was ready to go back in her class too! I am sure she is going to ask me every day, "Are we going to church today?" Thankfully Wednesday is not too far off!
I think Bryant is "secretly" looking forward to school. He says, "No, I don't wanna go," but I noticed a little smile today when he didn't think I was looking! Maybe it is the new school shoes he is looking forward to wearing finally! Boys!
Well, it is time to get him in the bed. This is the hardest part about going back to school - readjusting your body clock!
We will be back online tomorrow, which is Colette's VERY LAST TREATMENT of ACCUTANE, that is the end of her treatment protocol. All that's left will be the scans Aug 28-29.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, August 11, 2006 1:06 PM CDT
Happy Anniversary to Mawmaw & Papa!
Glad you are in the same city this year!
***************************************
We are getting ready for the big car show this weekend! It looks like the weather may be pretty good!
I _finally_ get to go scrapbook with my friends tonight. I haven't been since before the beach vacation in June! Jason will have the kids all to himself all night! He can do it! I hope to do all our beach vacation pics in one night. I will definitely be up for the Starbucks run tonight!
Tomorrow is the car show, then on Sunday, our church is trying to have 999 in attendance. There is a little joke about how they tried to have 1000 last year, since they didn't reach that goal, they made a slight adjustment to something more reachable! LOL It is the beginning of the new Sunday School year, so Colette & Bryant will both be meeting their new teachers! Pray that Colette instantly likes whoever is her teacher and we won't have to struggle with getting her dropped off each morning! Then in the afternoon, Colette is finally old enough to be in children's choir! yay! So she is coming to see Ms. Susie! I hope she is excited about it! (of course, you know Bryant is happy - anytime he can make "a cheerful" noise and not get in trouble is a good thing)
I am sure we will manage a little drop-in here on the site over the weekend. Maybe even put up some new pics?!
If you are local, Colette will be there on Saturday around 10 am and we will stay until she is tuckered out (probably 2 or so). Email me and I will send you my cell # if you want to meet us there.
Please continue to check on Kenzie. She is home for the weekend, then she has to go to Bham on Aug 21 to see Dr. Crawford. Then she will have another week off, then it is back to the Ham for TRANSPLANT workup & admit. In fact, we are going for Colette's scans on the same days as Kenzie!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckenziesmith
Love,
Tammy
*************************************
Here is the info from the newspaper about the car show:
"It's All About Kids," a car show and arts and crafts festival, will take place Aug. 12 and 13 on the north campus of Hankins Middle School at 5750 Katherine Hankins Drive in Theodore.
This affair is set for 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 12 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13.
The event's purpose to raise funds to benefit two area youngsters with cancer. Mason Barksdale, 10, the son of Bill Barksdale, lives in Tillman's Corner. Colette Michele Pate is the 3 ½-year-old daughter of Jason and Tammy Pate of Hollinger's Island and the granddaughter of Fowl River residents David and Penny Crocker. Colette's Web site is www.caringbridge.orgslashal/colette.
On Saturday, several automobile clubs from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will line up their Model Ts and Mustangs, antique trucks and motorcycles, and even old tractors for visitors to examine.
Games and activities presented by members of the Old South Auto Club, Past Time Cruisers, and Mustang Club of Mobile, the Auto and Antique Engine Club of Mississippi, the Calahoula Club of Mississippi, the Model T Ford Club of Ocean Springs and other organizations.
Local DJ JoJo Johnson will play hits from the 1950s and'60s all day long.
On Sunday, there'll be a display and demonstration of antique farm wagons.
An arts and crafts show is scheduled on both days at the Callahan Boys & Girls Club, also at 5750 Hankins Drive.
Admission to the above events will be free, and there will be no charge for parking.
There will be activities for children -- a petting zoo, a face-painting booth and a pony ride -- and there will be a small fee to participate in these.
For information concerning the arts and crafts show, call Marie Mathis at 367-8646 or e-mail mariemathis1@yahoo.com; A booth will cost $20.
Display space in Saturday's auto display also will cost $20. Call Ray Harper at 661-5017 for information pertaining to the auto exhibit.
Thursday, August 10, 2006 4:25 PM CDT
Happy Anniversary to Mawmaw & Papa!
Glad you are in the same city this year!
***************************************
Tuesday, August 8, 2006 11:11 PM CDT
Hey - not too much is going on...it's a little weird!
Colette is still taking craputane...we went and had her calcium checked today. They never called me from Bham, so I guess I will hear from them first thing in the am.
We stayed home from gymnastics today since the kids were really bad at registration today. Bryant was totally acting out and Colette was just plain loud and getting into everything. One of the teachers told her to put the basketballs back in the box (in the room we were in) and she about lost it. I was a little miffed that the lady talked to her in that tone, but I guess it worked, Colette put it back.
Hopefully they will call and say her calcium looks ok and if they want to check it again before next week.
Please continue to pray for Jay and his mom. Some people have decided to get together and try to get him to the States for better treatment. He DOES have pneumonia and they did NOT give him any medicine, just sent him home and said his body will have to fight it off. I am sorry, that is not acceptable to me. There are about 10 people who are trying to get him in to a hospital in the US and also working on getting plane tickets. It will cost $2300 to $4100 roundtrip for the 2 of them from Melbourne. That is if they can handle the 13 hr flight! I think his mom could bear the pain because she would have the hope that he is going to get good treatment. I will update everyone and let you know if he does end up coming to the states.
Also, please continue to check on Kenzie. She is hopefully getting out of Children's & Women's any day now, she is still on antibiotics, but she had an air pocket in her abdomen and they wanted to make sure she could eat and everything was working before they sent her home. She is supposed to be in Bham next week for transplant workup.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckenziesmith
Well, that is about it. I have cleaned out about 8 boxes from the apartment so we can finally walk through our house without kicking something! It was that bad! Pray that the rain holds off for our benefit this weekend (the arts & crafts will be held inside, but those car owners won't bring their "babies" out if there is a dark cloud anywhere in the sky!). We are really needing that financial help now. We didn't get our tags done in July since we were gone most of the month, but now they are overdue. So the benefit is coming in at just the right time! No question how that happened - I keep telling people, there is no such thing as coincidence!
Love,
Tammy
*************************************
Here is the info from the newspaper about the car show:
"It's All About Kids," a car show and arts and crafts festival, will take place Aug. 12 and 13 on the north campus of Hankins Middle School at 5750 Katherine Hankins Drive in Theodore.
This affair is set for 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 12 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13.
The event's purpose to raise funds to benefit two area youngsters with cancer. Mason Barksdale, 10, the son of Bill Barksdale, lives in Tillman's Corner. Colette Michele Pate is the 3 ½-year-old daughter of Jason and Tammy Pate of Hollinger's Island and the granddaughter of Fowl River residents David and Penny Crocker. Colette's Web site is www.caringbridge.orgslashal/colette.
On Saturday, several automobile clubs from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will line up their Model Ts and Mustangs, antique trucks and motorcycles, and even old tractors for visitors to examine.
Games and activities presented by members of the Old South Auto Club, Past Time Cruisers, and Mustang Club of Mobile, the Auto and Antique Engine Club of Mississippi, the Calahoula Club of Mississippi, the Model T Ford Club of Ocean Springs and other organizations.
Local DJ JoJo Johnson will play hits from the 1950s and'60s all day long.
On Sunday, there'll be a display and demonstration of antique farm wagons.
An arts and crafts show is scheduled on both days at the Callahan Boys & Girls Club, also at 5750 Hankins Drive.
Admission to the above events will be free, and there will be no charge for parking.
There will be activities for children -- a petting zoo, a face-painting booth and a pony ride -- and there will be a small fee to participate in these.
For information concerning the arts and crafts show, call Marie Mathis at 367-8646 or e-mail mariemathis1@yahoo.com; A booth will cost $20.
Display space in Saturday's auto display also will cost $20. Call Ray Harper at 661-5017 for information pertaining to the auto exhibit.
Monday, August 7, 2006 9:41 AM CDT
NEW PRAYER REQUEST:
You have all seen my friend Jay from Australia signing Colette's guestbook? Well he is an NB survivor, but still gets sick with unexplained headaches and nosebleeds from time to time.
He only has his mom and she has cared for him as a single parent for years. Recently she had to have a spinal fusion...the pics of the staples in her back were painful to look at!
Since she was recovering, Jay would stay with her in the hospital there in Australia during the day and she was finally released to go home, though she was in much pain.
Apparently Jay picked up a bug that has developed into BRONCHITIS and now it is trying to become PNEUMONIA. Bron, his mom, has also developed BRONCHITIS, while she is still recovering from her back surgery.
Long story short, pneumonia is VERY DEADLY for a cancer kid. They have been to see the dr, but apparently things in Australia are very different than things in America, as far as getting medical attention. If my child developed pneumonia, they would admit her immediately and begin all kids of antibiotics. Jay was sent home with only some medicines!!!
Please pray that this pneumonia can be conquered by Jay. He is such a survivor and he stops by all the kids' sites and leaves 'koala hugs' for us all. He is truly an inspiration and to see him suffering is really troubling. He has had some mean people visit his sites and leave mean messages, so I won't be posting his website address. If you email me, I will be happy to get it for you. But I mainly wanted you to pray for him and his mom. All they have are each other and they have fought many years to beat cancer. I wish I could just fly down and scoop them up in the plane and bring him to the US where he could get better treatment and then take them to DisneyWorld, one of his wish places.
As far as Colette, everything is going as expected. The craputane has started taking effect and causing her to be whiny. But she had a great time at church yesterday. Apparently my whole church gets the paper on Friday, because almost everyone I spoke to had read the article! Wow! It was pretty cool to feel like a celebrity! Colette has to get bloodwork done today to check those calcium levels.
Bryant has to register for school tomorrow, so that is a big day for him! I think he is secretly excited, but just for the friend part, not for the homework part! LOL
Thanks again for checking on us and please make sure to visit Kenzie. She may be going home for a few days until her dr visit in Bham with Dr. Crawford next week, I told them they will really like him - I do!
Love,
Tammy
Here are some pics from gymnastics on Saturday:
Bryant is just basically walking on the beam! No fear!
One day he is going to be able to do these without help! He is determined!
*****************************************
OOPS: I accidentally moved part of the page to the journal.
Please go by and visit my new friend, Kenzie. She has stage IV neuroblastoma (just like Colette) and is from Mobile (just like Colette). She is going to Children's Hospital in Birmingham in a few weeks (just like Colette) to start her stuff to get a stem cell transplant in September (just like Colette). One more thing, she and her mom will be living in OUR TRANSPLANT APARTMENT!!! How cool is that???!!!
Please lend her some encouraging words of support. I am glad to know I can share with her what we have been through and maybe it will help her be prepared. Her mom is pretty nervous about it all, but I told her once she gets to Bham, she will really feel very safe and confident.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckenziesmith
*****************************************
Friday, August 4, 2006 5:13 PM CDT
OK! I got a couple of copies of the paper today....
For you out-of-towners, here is a link...
http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/neighbors.ssf?/base/community/1154682964296400.xml&coll=3
So it was pretty cool to have a HUGE pic of Colette on the first page of the "Good Neighbors" section of the Mobile Press Register. The article was pretty good, but there are a couple of things that weren't exactly correct...like the company who helped us at Christmas was American TANK & Vessel, not Truck & Vessel, and the Chevron who has been helping us with the hearts, and hot dogs, and grill raffle, is the RANGELINE Chevron...I am not sure there is a Belle Fontaine Chevron.
A couple of the other things I said didn't come across as I meant them, but the rest of the article was pretty cool.
After I picked up the paper today, I decided to take the kids to the mall so I could get Bryant's school shorts and maybe another pair of shoes. Well, I didn't know it was going to be a mini-Christmas shopping day! This is the first time Alabama has had a sales tax holiday on school supplies & clothes, and TONS of people were taking advantage!
I saw a sign that said Blood Drive while we were there, so I thought I would go there to tell the volunteers thank you and to introduce them to Colette. Let me tell you what----that was a BIG setup! It is an annual thing they do. Well, while I talked to the people at the registration table, someone suggested that I talk to Dan from KSJ - but he was getting a massage at the moment...LOL. So after finally getting the shorts at Target, we came back out and I actually spoke on the radio through his cellphone! AAAHH!! Thank goodness it wasn't on TV - I looked awful! LOL
(BTW I told the listeners thank you for those who have donated blood in the past because Colette needed it to survive)
We also got to visit with some Azalea Trail Maids and we met Amber, one of my myspace friends. Colette loves their dresses and calls them all the Disney Princess names (blue is Cinderella, yellow is Belle, etc) We also saw Ms. Ashley, one of the nurses from Childrens & Womens and several other people we know.
Also the article about the car show came out today too, so we were mentioned about 20 times in the paper today! LOL Little Miss Celebrity is wiped out and snoozing as I type this. She had a big day!
Thanks for checking in on us!
Love,
Tammy
***************************************************
Here is the info from the newspaper about the car show:
"It's All About Kids," a car show and arts and crafts festival, will take place Aug. 12 and 13 on the north campus of Hankins Middle School at 5750 Katherine Hankins Drive in Theodore.
This affair is set for 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 12 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13.
The event's purpose to raise funds to benefit two area youngsters with cancer. Mason Barksdale, 10, the son of Bill Barksdale, lives in Tillman's Corner. Colette Michele Pate is the 3 ½-year-old daughter of Jason and Tammy Pate of Hollinger's Island and the granddaughter of Fowl River residents David and Penny Crocker. Colette's Web site is www.caringbridge.orgslashal/colette.
On Saturday, several automobile clubs from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will line up their Model Ts and Mustangs, antique trucks and motorcycles, and even old tractors for visitors to examine.
Games and activities presented by members of the Old South Auto Club, Past Time Cruisers, and Mustang Club of Mobile, the Auto and Antique Engine Club of Mississippi, the Calahoula Club of Mississippi, the Model T Ford Club of Ocean Springs and other organizations.
Local DJ JoJo Johnson will play hits from the 1950s and'60s all day long.
On Sunday, there'll be a display and demonstration of antique farm wagons.
An arts and crafts show is scheduled on both days at the Callahan Boys & Girls Club, also at 5750 Hankins Drive.
Admission to the above events will be free, and there will be no charge for parking.
There will be activities for children -- a petting zoo, a face-painting booth and a pony ride -- and there will be a small fee to participate in these.
For information concerning the arts and crafts show, call Marie Mathis at 367-8646 or e-mail mariemathis1@yahoo.com; A booth will cost $20.
Display space in Saturday's auto display also will cost $20. Call Ray Harper at 661-5017 for information pertaining to the auto exhibit.
Friday, August 4, 2006 10:16 AM CDT
Obviously I need to get a newspaper! I didn't know when the article was going to be released.
Yesterday Colette and I went to Gulf Islands Water Park in Gulfport with some friends. We had to wait about 2 hours for the storm to pass, but once we got it in there it was so nice! She swam and went down the slides (with me of course), but it was so neat to watch her look like all the other kids! She would just get in the middle of them and do what she wanted to do.
Her favorite part was riding in the tube with me down the lazy river. Easy for me too! HAHA
We are on Day 4 of 14 of the last accutane treatment. So far so good (of course, that means no tea, but she is managing with lots of koolaid and bug juice).
I wanted to share with you another friend of ours. McKenzie Smith is another Mobile girl with Neuroblastoma IV. She is currently in the hospital in Mobile while she gets treatment for an infection. After that is cleared up, she will also be going to Children's in Birmingham to start her work up for stem cell transplant. Her mom has also found that they are getting our transplant apartment! Yep, they will be staying at Eagle Ridge just like us! Cool, huh?!
So I have met Hope (her mom) and we have been talking, she has been concerned about what to expect when they go to Birmingham. It has been good for me to talk to her, because finally I feel like I can help someone who is going through the same thing. I wish I could go to Birmingham with her and walk her through the steps (procedures, directions, introductions) - I could do it all in my sleep! LOL
Anyway, please visit her at:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckenziesmith
I am sure they would like to have more visitors, especially with this big part coming up.
I am working on getting another pic on here...check back in a little while!
Thanks for letting me know about the paper! I need to run to the store and get one.
Love,
Tammy
****************************************
Tuesday, August 1, 2006 12:106 PM CDT
It really aggravates me that people are saying negative things about us behind our backs.
This is the horse talking and you are hearing it from its mouth:
COLETTE STILL HAD CANCER CELLS LIGHTING UP ON HER LAST SCANS TWO MONTHS AGO.
SHE IS NOT IN REMISSION, SHE STILL SHOWS EVIDENCE OF DISEASE.
SHE IS SCHEDULED TO SCAN AGAIN AT THE END OF AUGUST TO SEE IF:
a) THE CANCER IS COMPLETELY GONE;
b) THE CANCER HAS SPREAD; or
c) THE CANCER IS STILL THERE BUT NOT SPREAD.
I will be happy with either a) or c) - because b) will mean more chemo and we start all over.
I haven't been on here specifically asking for money lately because it has been coming in "just in time". Those of you have been giving when you have felt led and it has been just when we needed it most. I trust that anytime we need financial help, God has those He will touch. Over and over, I have seen it happen so I am not worried about that need. It is always taken care of.
Yes, things are easier on us. We are togther as a family, trying to live a normal life after the worst year of our lives. However, the money that has been donated is needed just like last year! Bryant needs school uniforms, shoes and supplies - thanks to the bucket money, I have been able to buy most all of it, except for the pants/shorts (getting those this weekend). I didn't want to sign up for school supplies at our church because God has provided a way for us to get them ourselves. And I have everything he needs ready to go.
I didn't think I needed to explain where the money goes, but I can. Here is an example of what we face this month:
Now we have to travel to Birmingham and stay in a hotel if there is no room at Hope Lodge. That is roughly $55 a night, that is the "special" patient rate. We will be going on August 27 through 29. Two or three nights will cost us up to $165. The gas is usually $60 one way, so we are looking at $120 in gas, easy. Plus meals at least $20 a pop for the 4 of us. Wow. That is really depressing to look at.
However, I will not stand by and allow strangers to make diagnoses about whether my child is "cured" and that she has no need for any more assistance. I would give up everything I own if that is what it would take to heal my child from this cancer. I don't suppose these folks making these comments even know me at all. That is sad. Thankfully, I know it is satan trying to steal our happy time with Colette these days. You know from reading the recent journals that I have a newfound "fear" since we are nearing the end of treatment. From what I have read and been told, what I am feeling is normal. Because of Colette's diagnosed status of stage IV - her chances of surviving 5 years from diagnosis is only 45-55 percent. Well, we have had her one of those five years, and I feel like I have a ticking timebomb in my mind.
At the same time, I am dealing with my spiritual mind. I know God is the Healer and can allow my child to live until He comes or a long life, whichever comes first. I have no doubt about this. What I am unsure of is whether that is His plan. And I don't expect He is going to share with me His reasoning on that either. And that is okay with me, I probably couldn't understand His process. But I can certainly try to bend His ear and beg for her to be healthy!
Here you see the mind of a mother who wants to set a Christ-like example: trusting, peaceful, calm. But I am still flesh and blood, I get mad, scared, sad, I cry and I laugh. I want to get excited because the simple things you might think are annoying, I actually look forward to! Remember, I spent probably 300 days of the 365 since her diagnosis in the hospitals in Mobile and Birmingham. All of the hurricanes and holidays we were in the hospital or stuck in Bham! I was able to squeeze in being present for Bryant's first day of first grade last year, but I had to leave for Birmingham that same day. Poor Bryant, he never even had a birthday party for his 7th birthday because I was still in Bham with Colette (she had just finished radiation and was getting ready to scan). We had a cake for him the weekend he was there and bought him a new scooter. Not the 7 year old birthday party I wanted to give him. :(
It is easy to think she is in the clear now, since she is finally at home. But neuroblastoma is a dark cloud hanging over your child. Each time she gets blood drawn, it is a reason to be concerned. Did her transplant take? Is her bone marrow making the cells she needs or will we have to do it again? Is her bellyache another tumor growing and we don't know it yet? When she falls down, is it because the cancer is now in her bones? Or is it the dancing shoes she was wearing? Does she have bruises from low platelets or because she just fell on the sidewalk?
Please forgive me for venting like this, but I feel that I need to speak up and defend our family. I am going to pray that God will shelter us from satan as he tries to steal our joy. Especially when I got some fantastic news from her labs on yesterday: Her hematocrit is the highest ever (which means her marrow is producing red cells), her white count is over 6000 (which means her marrow is producing white cells) and her platelets are up to 96000 (which means, yep, her marrow is producing platelets)!!! This is all on her own - her little body is working well. So yes, the bruises are from falling, the stomachache was a little bit of "too much cheese" and was remedied by a trip to the potty, and we are able to stay home for the next few weeks. Whoever thought "normal" would be this awesome!
Love,
Tammy
***************************************
Monday, July 31, 2006 11:18 PM CDT
Not much to mention today. Had to go to the hospital for some blood work, that required an arm stick...but my poor baby was so brave. She had emla cream on her arm but I didn't have a tegaderm, so she held her arm still for the whole 45 minutes! She is such a good patient! Once that bad part was over, she was instantly back to herself, trying to help the nurses clean up! LOL
She starts her last round of crap-utane tomorrow, for 2 weeks, then that is it. She will scan Aug 28-29 - which will require an IV :( and we will see how things look. If all is well, she will officially be "off treatment". You would think that is a good thing, but really, it just makes you worry more!
A reporter with the newspaper came by on Saturday and interviewed us (me and the kids) and she is going to let me know when they are running the article. That is exciting!
Don't forget the "It's All About Kids" antique car show and arts/crafts show here in town. It will be held on Aug 11-13 at Hankins Middle School in the Boys & Girls Club building. All proceeds will be split between Colette and Mason, another child with cancer.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, July 28, 2006 10:08 AM CDT
Not much to tell these days. That is awesome, in my opinion!
Things are starting to settle down. Jason has been home now and we feel like we are moving in all over again. Making room for some things, getting rid of others.
Colette & Bryant have a slip-n-slide and a blue plastic pool that they have been playing in. Colette still won't go on the slip-n-slide because it squirts her in the face...but maybe eventually she will figure it out!
I have been watching for Bryant's uniforms all summer long, last year it was really hard to find red polos after Christmas. So I bought him several when we were at the outlets this summer. Thinking I was prepared for the school year, yesterday I went through his closet to clean out whatever doesn't fit my growing boy. I found a brand new pair of school shoes still in the box. Yay! I thought. Alas, they are almost 2 sizes too small!! Yes - my son needs a size 2 now!!! He was in 13 last year!
So in a frantic rush I went to Academy and found some new white shoes with velcro (I hate seeing his dirty shoestrings). I only found one pair in his size and bought them. He has been enjoying gymnastics so much that we have decided to skip football one more year since our schedule is still too hectic to commit to daily practice and weekly games. I was able to return the football equipment I bought at Academy and that paid for his new shoes! Thank you Lord!
Unfortunately, that dig through the closet didn't turn up good news in the pants department either. I think I am going to wait until the taxfree weekend and buy his shorts then. I am not too worried, khaki shorts/pants are always around.
As far as Colette goes, since she doesn't sleep alone anymore (either with us or Bryant), I have decided to donate her bed/mattress to our church. They help people in the community who need it (including us). I am also giving them her dresser & chest-of-drawers. I have been using those wide clear plastic storage chests in Bham and she likes them. So she will have 2 of those for her clothes and more room for Dora's kitchen, the Barbie vanity and other large things in her room! She always has the inflatable Care Bears bed that she slept on in Birmingham if she wants to sleep in her room.
I hope no one minds, but we were given so many toys last Christmas, they are still packaged, so I have decided to give them to our church as well. We always do a Christmas Store, which is sorta like the Salvation Army angel tree, where each child has a list and a wish gift and our church donates money and gifts to provide for these families. I think they will enjoy having these gifts to share with these children who might not have such a great life. My kids have more than they need...even more than they want I think! These toys were given to us with such a sense of love and compassion, and I want to spread that feeling around. I hope no one considers this to be rude, (I could never thank each person who gave to us), but I would be selfish to keep all these things for my children who really don't need them. My kids are just happy to be home and have things "normal" again. But we will never forget the generosity that has been shown to us.
Well I have been on here long enough...my timers are going off (dryer buzzer, dishwasher is done...etc) LOL Thanks for keeping up with us.
Bryant with his first fishing bounty!
Don't forget, you local folks, the "It's All About Kids" antique car show and arts/crafts show here in town. It will be held on Aug 11-13 at Hankins Middle School in the Boys & Girls Club building. All proceeds will be split between Colette and Mason, another child with cancer. The newspaper is also writing an article on Colette, along with one for the car show. She is already famous, you know!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, July 24, 2006 3:49 PM CDT
***SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR A NEW PIC***
Finally all moved back home.
Wonderful Uncle Bill & Aunt Lona and Nicholas and Christopher came over and had the uhaul unloaded in less than 30 minutes! I took me ALL DAY to load it!
We turned it in without paying extra to keep it and it really isn't as cluttered in my house as I expected! yay!
Jason did get home in time to visit with Bill & Lona for a little bit. Then Bryant remembered he wanted to spend the night with Mawmaw, so we dropped him off and got to see my grandpa who was down for the weekend.
When we got home, Jason was exhausted, hungry, etc. As we drove up our street, we saw the POWER LINES were across the road!!! Then we realized all the lights were out! This was around 8 pm. The power company had been called, so we went back into town to get some dinner for hungry Jason and Colette. When we got back, AL Power was driving around looking at the poles...turns out, the line had broken in 2 places!
We went in and ate by candlelight, which could have been romantic under different circumstances...even though Colette thought it was pretty cool. We tried to sleep - around 2:30 am, decided to try to sleep in the van. But the gas light was on, so THEN we thought we would ride back to the nearest gas station just in case. As we drove down the street, the power company had their big trucks COMPLETELY blocking the way. But they said it was going to be less than 30 mins, so we just went back home and waited until our lights came on. It was right at 30 mins and we ran inside! Finally went to sleep in a cooling house.
Poor Jason had to get up for work around 7, expecting to do some basic office stuff then come home. But no. They had a days worth of work arranged for him. :(
It is now 4 pm and he is still not home yet. Poor him! It has been pretty peaceful with just Colette and me...I think I am going to get her to sleep and I might just get to scrapbook a little! I am pretty excited about that! I am already planning to make Jason his fave - chicken quesadillas for dinner and then I am sure he will want to hit the hay pretty early! Bryant is having a great time with Mawmaw and wants to stay there again, so that works out perfectly!
Thank you for still checking on us even though things are a little calmer these days. We still have lots of things going on, there is a GIGANTIC sign of Colette in several gas stations around Tillman's Corner/Belle Fontaine/Theodore areas. Let me know if you see one!
Love,
Tammy
Here is a pic from last Father's Day in Childrens & Womens in Mobile. She weighed 11k (24 lbs) in this pic.
Now here is today - she weighs 15.2k (33 lbs)!!!
Thank you Lord!
Saturday, July 22, 2006 7:54 PM CDT
Well we finally rolled in to Mobile this evening. I am too pooped to unload more than just my toothbrush and diapers & wipes!
I ended up renting a 14 ft Uhaul truck, because we just had too much for a trailer. You have to remember, we have LIVED there for 9 months! LIVED, not just slept. So we had winter clothes, spring clothes, TONS OF Christmas presents, BIG toys like the Dora kitchen, etc, but the truck is loaded. My mom can't lift things or go up and down stairs, so I loaded the entire thing by myself - with the help of Bryant! He had more energy than I did after a while!
Jason is driving back from PA today but he won't get back in until probably Sunday night. I think I am just going to have to keep the truck another night ($40) so he can help me unload it when he gets in and on Monday. I know that is just what he is looking forward to after driving 20 hours!! But I can only do so much! In fact, I don't know how women in the old days did farm work, cooked and raised the young uns! Thank goodness this is only temporary!
Colette saw Dr. Buckley yesterday and he said she looked great. We don't have to come back to see him until August 28 & 29 - which will be her final scans and the end of the study. Her last round of accutane starts a week from next Tuesday and as long as we keep her away from the sweet tea, she shouldn't need any special attention. After these scans, if everything is the same or better, she will officially be OFF TREATMENT. Then we will scan again 2 months later. The scary part is that 80% of these kids relapse within 12 months after transplant. That is December for us. So I am going to be especially nervous until I get the all clear from the scans!!!
Also I have to register Bryant for football this week. We registered him last year, it was his 2nd year at that park, but with the hassle of the chemo and traveling and hurricanes, he never finished. So I am excited about getting him back in the groove. They start conditioning practices on the 31st!! Even though he has his own shoulder pads and helmet, it is still going to cost $85...I am sure they will let us work out something.
Speaking of finances, there is going to be a benefit car show / arts & crafts show / auction in Theodore on August 11-13. It is called "It's All About The Kids" - and several car clubs are involved. The proceeds will be split between Colette and another boy with cancer. I am not sure of his name, but I think he lives in South MS. Anyway, as I get more info, I will let you know. The man who manages the Pecan Festival is handling the arts/crafts part, and the car show folks are registering cars. They are the groups who meet at the Steak and Shake on Saturday nights. Anyway, they are doing a lot that I really don't know about - it is pretty weird to have someone helping you and you don't have to do much but show up.. we are definitely going to be there each day and volunteer doing whatever they need help with! This was scheduled back in April, but to me I thought we really wouldn't be needing a whole lot of help by then....haha - little did I know we were going to be completely tapped out! But God knew and I am thankful He is providing for us again. This will definitely help with traveling back to Bham when we need to. It takes $60 one way to Bham with my van. Of course, that usually includes whatever driving we do once we are there, then we fill up before we head back and we aren't on empty when we get home.
Well, I need to go take care of some kids. Yay for staying home for a month! Yay for being here when Bryant starts 2nd grade and football! Yay for normal! Yay for going scrapbooking again soon!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, July 21, 2006 8:52 PM CDT
A plea for help!
Tammy just called me from Birmingham. They have been requested to move out of the apartment because another family needs it, so she has emptied the apartment and loaded a U-haul. She's coming back to Mobile on tomorrow, Saturday, and she needs help getting it unloaded. (Remember Jason is not in town, he is working out of state.)
She can't do this by herself, and my husband is on a mission trip, so we are short handed and need some muscle. It's not really anything big but it's a lot (remember, they had about three times the normal amount of Christmas presents this year and they are in the u-haul now.)
Tammy is hoping to unload tomorrow afternoon/evening, so if you are able to help her please give her a call. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED, even if you are only able to help for fifteen minutes! Remember she has Colette and Bryant following her around in and out of the truck, too.
Thanks for your help, you folks always come through and we appreciate you.
Love,
Sherry
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 9:31 PM CDT
Well we have been doing as much as possible these days!
Today was Colette and Bryant's first day at gymnastics.
Colette has a mommy and me class (where I help keep her focused on the coach and keep her off the balance beam in between stations!) for 30 minutes today. There are only 2 other girls who come on this day, and neither one showed up by 6, so we had a "private" class! She loved it - I loved watching her little chunky legs and that cute little leotard. She could have stayed in that room for hours running and climbing, etc.
Bryant had an hour long boys class out in the big gym. The coach told me he worked really hard and there is no A/C out there, so that was really good for his first day! I got to watch him do springboard stuff and poor child had to attempt cartwheels....my WORST ability back when I used to take. But he loved it.
We are leaving tomorrow to go to Bham. Colette has an appt on Friday, but we have to move out of the apartment this week. Yay - we are done with being away so much, but Boo - now we will have to hotel it when we go up.
I figured we could go up early, pack up and let the kids swim in the pool until we come back to Mobile. Jason is still in Philadelphia (since we got back from DisneyWorld) and doesn't know WHEN he is coming home. Of course, you know I am NOT happy about that. We should be at the beach, relaxing at home from our vacations, etc. I will be glad when we are all at home together!
I took Bryant to get a new lunchbox and some school supplies. I have watched for sales at Old Navy and other places, so I have him most everything he will need for school! It starts Aug 15 here in Mobile. Thankfully, he wants to keep the same backpack - fine with me!
Also, I took him to Academy and bought some new football practice pants, new pads, new mouthpiece and replacement straps for his shoulder pads. I was really glad I am here to do those things! We will need to get him registered by the end of July. But his coach already knows he is coming.
It looks like we have a lot to look forward to, still! Pray for us as we drive up tomorrow. Mawmaw is going with us, as I am not comfortable driving a U-Haul trailer. We will get loaded up and then probably come home either Friday or Saturday morning. Jason is going to try to meet us in Bham on his way back from PA.
Also, pray that Colette's bloodwork looks good. She really should be totally fine - her dr hasn't seen her in almost a month, so this is our regular visit. Yay!
Love,
Tammy
PS: One of Colette's little friends (she calls him Baby Jon) was basically finished with his treatment when they found out that he has relapsed and will need a transplant in Sept. We were inpatient with him a lot last year. He is such a cutie! Please stop by their website and let them know you are praying for him. www.caringbridge.com/al/jon
Friday, July 14, 2006 7:44 PM CDT
Oh yeah - I forgot to tell you something very important.. I registered Colette and Bryant for gymnastics!!! They start on Tuesday!
Colette is going to a Mommy & Me 30-minute class and Bryant will be in an all boys hour class! Yippee! They are both super excited! I am looking forward to Colette getting some lessons and Bryant using up his energy! I hope they learn something! (It costs $96 for the both of them each month. They are going to Amazing Grace Gymnastics, which is right by our house)
Also, the gym sponsors a Children's Miracle Network "Cart-Wheel-Athon" the first weekend in August. They said they wanted to get some media coverage. I told them they could use Colette, since it is benefitting Childrens & Womens and she still gets some treatment there. Sounds like it might just work out great!
Also, I don't know if many of you are aware that Colette is still on a restricted post transplant diet...Here is an article that will explain a little bit about why she can't have LETTUCE!!! Thanks Beth!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12536902/
Yay! We made it through a WHOLE WEEK of VBS!! The kids (and I) all had a blast! It was fun to go to church every day, since we have missed going for so many weeks!
Colette is going to be upset in the morning when she realizes we aren't going back! But Sunday morning should be pretty easy for her to get up and dressed!
Bryant is finally old enough to be in the VBS Musical on Sunday night and he is totally pumped! (They only let the 1st grade and up do that musical.)
I added a couple of pics from today to Colette's VIEW PHOTOS page. We still don't have our Disney pics from Jason. He is still in Philadelphia, so we are without those pics. :(
We are going to try to recuperate from the past 3=4 weeks this weekend and try to rest!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 9:38 PM CDT
OK, so it's time for a little deep thinking.
It has been so wonderful with Colette feeling as great as she has. She has been running, laughing, playing, acting as normal as possible! She is even going to Vacation Bible School this week and we didn't know ahead of time, but she has her all time favorite Sunday School teacher, Mr. Ted, as her teacher in VBS! Yippee! She has been talking about going to her class, not crying, being a big girl and playing with all her friends. She keeps singing the songs they learn in class and talking about Wiley, her little friend (they are one month apart in age).
So I haven't been online much lately, with all the traveling and whatnot. Plus, we have been just enjoying being home and doing stuff together, like normal people. I have been checking on all our friends (Madison, Jay, Morgan, Kadin, Noah, Ethan) but I haven't really posted because everybody seems to be doing pretty well. That is what is scary. It seems like something is right around the corner when it gets quiet in the world of childhood cancer. Of course, most cancer moms are probably telling me to shut up right about now, nobody wants to actually vocalize these feelings! Me either!
I thought I could do this, so I went to a site that lists NED kids (remission). I thought it would be interesting. Instead, the 2nd one I look at has recently relapsed after a couple of years. Ugh. That was NOT what I needed to hear.
So I went into a funk. I had to go to the store and my parents were here with the kids. When I kissed Colette bye bye, I almost started crying! Why???? Because I was thinking about how those parents enjoyed the same time I am enjoying right now but their normal time is over again. I was in a zone while I pumped my gas and thought about what it will be like if (when) Colette relapses. It is a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. You don't hear anything, you don't see anything, you just go through the motions.
After I got back in the van, a wave came over me. Wait a minute. Just because she relapses, that doesn't mean it's over! That just means more treatment, more time to try to kill this thing. Why worry about what is not right now? That child that I read about is NOT my child. My child is doing well and I am enjoying her immensely. Why should I spend the days with her in a funk? I might miss it all! Suddenly I felt my brow relax. I didn't even realize I was frowning. It felt much better for my face to lighten up. Then I thought, if it is God's will, He will overcome all the odds and let my baby survive! I know this! Why did I let myself go down that road? I know it is because I am human, but, why do that to myself? Then I noticed the song playing on the radio (I think by Twila Paris)
"God is in control...
He has never let you down
Why start to worry now?
He is still the Lord of all we see
And He is still the loving Father
Watching over you and me"
Hmmm... that really applies here, huh! Well, of course, He may have other plans, but I don't know what they are, so why worry about them? So I am no longer in a funk. Those facts, statistics, calendars are always in the back of my mind. But I never let them to the front. I really believe your mind can control your situation. Ever heard of the saying, "worry yourself sick"? Well, you can! So why not, "think yourself happy" or "think yourself positive"? (sorta sounds like Yoda, I know!)
I may not be able to control everything that is going on these days, but I can control how I handle it. So for now, I am going to relax, enjoy Colette and Bryant and Jason and just being home. I am going to enjoy bible school this week (I am helping in the kindergarten class) and get a kick out of spying on my littlest one doing the hand motions to "Arctic Edge" and sliding down the slide beside another 3 year old. Even though she has a sniffly nose, and had to have blood drawn from her arm today, at least we are not suffering through chemo, neutropenia, or nausea/vomiting. We did plenty of that last summer! Thank you God for letting us have more time to live and enjoy your wonderful creations, people included!
Love,
Tammy
**********************************
UPDATE WEDNESDAY: Thanks for all the positive comments gals! I hope you all understood that I am not in that "place" anymore! I called and talked to our nurse today - Colette's counts are absolutely perfect! No calcium problem, no creatinine, nothing is wrong! Yay! Her white count is 7.3, her HCT is up to 27 and her platelets are still hanging out around 73K. But her ANC is over 4000!! Whoo hoo!
So I can really dig in and relax and enjoy being at home, even though I just found out that Jason won't be back from Philly for ANOTHER WEEK. UGHHHHHH! I am tired of being the only parent! Colette even shocked me in the van today, reciting our VBS motto: Be Strong, Be Courageous, Follow Jesus! It is amazing what a sponge she is! She is having a great time and so is Bryant. He finally is old enough to be in the VBS program on Sunday night. I can't wait!
Friday, July 7, 2006 11:22 AM CDT
Wow. Where do I start?
We are home, sorta. As we were turning on to our street last night, Jason realized he left all his keys needed for work in Birmingham. We didn't go back to the apartment last night because the airport was on the opposite side of town and right on I-65.
He left this morning to go back to Bham to pick up his keys and anything else we left there.
I can't upload the pics because he has my thumbdrive on my keychain.
Anyway, we are all glad to be home and relaxing. I know our dogs are glad we are home. I am still battling a sinus infection, but my dr. moved away while I was in Bham so I don't have anyone to call for a z-pack. Also, my contacts are just not working. My eyes are too dry, so I am going back to the glasses. That's ok. Maybe one day I will try the eye laser.
I will work on our daily journal of Disney and post it when I get the pics on my computer. We did so much in such a short period of time. But I need to get things unpacked, Colette is eating honey butter out of the container... Bryant is watching Sky High. So normal!
We don't have to go back to the dr in Bham until July 21! Wow! Oh yeah, we have some of our family portraits online from our photo shoot at the Gulf.
www.PhotographybyAandM.com
the images are under "Recent Events." Just choose Pate Family
Sunday, July 2, 2006 10:00 AM CDT
Hello from Orlando!!!
I just wanted to stop by really quick (Colette is too busy to stay inside for too long) to tell you about our trip.
Everything is wonderful, hot and humid. Our trip from Bham was delayed...we were at the airport from 1 pm until our plane left at 4:40!!! UGH! The kids loved flying, but we will definitely be splitting them up on the flight home! LOL
We missed a lot by being so late on Friday night, so we had our orientation meeting at 9 am on Sat. We decided we owed Colette her trip to the castle, so we left and got there at the park around 12:30.
I have TONS of pics, but the major points are:
Colette had a SPECIAL AUDIENCE with CINDERELLA, SLEEPING BEAUTY (twice), JASMINE, SNOW WHITE, MINNIE MOUSE, CHIP AND DALE, GOOFY, FAIRY GODMOTHER, PLUTO and the big duck dude.
We were in line in Toontown waiting for character greets, and a guy walked up after about 20 minutes and said, are you with Give Kids the World? and we were like, YES!, and he said, we have some princesses who want to meet you...WHOO HOO! I felt like I was backstage at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert!!!! We went back behind all the lines and slipped in, only us. WOW!
Also, Colette is the daredevil in the family - she rode Goofy's Barnstormer TWO TIMES in a row and didn't want to get off!!! That and meeting Cinderella and going in her castle were the best parts! She also loved It's a Small World = AND PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN IS OPEN!! WITH CAPT. JACK SPARROW!!! It is the "soft run" - the ride doesn't officially open until FRIDAY!
We watched Cinderellabration, and when Cinderella came out in front of the castle, Colette was sitting on top of her stroller in her Cinderella dress - Cinderella waved at her and blew her a kiss! It has been awesome!
I wish we could just take her there over and over, but Jason and Bryant want to do some fun stuff...like Universal, etc. Colette would be happy just walking around in it's a small world - she did her princess hands and walked all the way up the ramp saying this was her castle! TOO CUTE!
Anyway, there is so much more to tell, but I am watching her over my shoulder while I type this. So I need to go. We don't know what we are doing today, but I do know staying to watch the Spectromagic parade and Wishes wore us ALL OUT! Jason and Bryant are still in bed!! I have to get them up and going! LOL
Love to you all!!!
Tammy & Princess Coletterella (that's how Cinderella wrote her name in her autograph book!)
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 5:04 PM CDT
The time has finally come! We are headed to the Ham for a last checkup with our fave Dr. tomorrow, then spend the afternoon together, planning where we are going to play first! Friday afternoon we are flying from the Ham to Orlando, where a rep from Give Kids The World (www.gktw.com) will meet us, escort us to the rental car and give us directions to the resort. They want us to come straight there for surprises and more! Yahoo!! We will be able to swim, play, shop, whatever we want! Then on Saturday, I am SURE we will be headed STRAIGHT TO CINDERELLA'S CASTLE! I don't know if there will be any internet access - I will do my best to find some (you know me!) If not, I will call Aunt Brandy or Aunt Sherry to give you all updates. Thanks to all of you who have prayed us to this point! Time for a sing-along..."God is Good, All the Time, He put a song of praise in this heart of mine! God is Good, All the time, through the darkest night, HIS LIGHT WILL SHINE, God is Good, God is Good ALL THE TIME!!!" Thank you!
Love,
Tammy & Family
****************************************
Monday, June 26, 2006 10:20 PM CDT
Wow. I am still tired from last week's vacation! I just uploaded a ton of pics to the www.walkerplace.org/colette website. Go to the first album - Gulf Shores Vacation - and you will find a recap of all of the activities from last week.
We are in the middle of unpacking, repacking and will be headed back to the Ham on Wednesday night. She has an early morning appointment on Thursday to see Dr. Buckley and he will check to see if she needs any blood. I am not expecting she will, but you never can tell!!
Colette feels the best she has in forever. She is running everywhere she goes. Playing, laughing, acting silly and winning hearts all around. It is a little scary, because if she is doing this great right now, what is around the corner? I know that is a little paranoid, but when you know the "statistics" out there, you never really are safe.
But we have a TON of exciting things to look forward to, NUMBER ONE - DISNEY WORLD is THIS FRIDAY!!! We received our plane tickets and spending money from Magic Moments today! Yippee! I am excited about flying, not driving! That will be awesome. (even though we have to drive to Bham first)
Go check out the pics from the Gulf. There are more pics of the whole family, not just Colette. I will update before we leave on Wednesday!
Love,
Tammy
Saturday, June 24, 2006 11:34 PM CDT
we're back!
sorry, but I am exhausted and am headed to bed. I plan to upload the TONS of pics that we took sometime tomorrow.
Colette had a blast and it was a 180 degree trip from last year. She played in the water, swam, searched for sand crabs, danced everywhere, ran in the sand in the pitch dark...anything and everything, she did it!
hope you all had a good week and I will update more tomorrow.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, June 16, 2006 4:24 PM CDT
We have landed at home, only for about 18 hours, then it is off to VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!
I could just head on over there, if it wasn't for the sleeping-in-the-van-with-the-kids deal. LOL
Thought you would like an updated picture, since my camera card was left in Mobile, and I didn't have internet access anyway!!!
This is what the big deal was all about...
I had NO idea that it looked like that at the end. If someone had told me 9 months ago what the tip of this thing looked like, I would have missed out on a TON of stress!!! I envisioned that it was sutured to a vein, and that if they pulled it, it would tear a vein and blood would go everywhere! I spent many a night worrying if I had pulled it too hard and if anything was wrong!! I had no idea it was just a little strawlike tip! AAAHHH!! It just slipped out of her vein, just like when you get blood drawn from your vein and the needle slides back out and your vein closes back up...duh! All you moms who are getting a double-lumen, Hickman cathether, CVL, central line, whatever you call it - this is it! Surprise!!!
Anyway, gotta run - lots to do before I crash into MY OWN KINGSIZE PILLOWTOP MATTRESS tonight!!!
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, June 15, 2006 11:55 AM CDT
It is finished. The battle is over.
LOL the waterhose is in a CUP and Colette only has a little piece of tape and gauze on her. WHOO HOO!
She doesn't realize how exciting this is! She is a little cranky due to being hungry and not able to eat until after the sedation.
everything else looks ok. We really have to get her to drink as much as possible this week to avoid any dehydration while at the beach.
I am updating from the clinic really quickly. We have to get out of here soon because we are done, but they wanted to keep an eye on her for a while after the sedation. I am headed to get lunch, swing by my scrapbook store, then we are going to the apartment to pack up. We will be going home tomorrow morning. I will give everyone the full details then.
By the way, yes, 3 more of Colette's buckets were stolen and apparently this guy is only around 14 years old. :(
I was really disappointed this time because we are trying to gather all our resources because of the vacations coming up and I also worry that these stores might not want to keep the buckets anymore. I understand it is a risk for them to have that money sitting out there, but I am not going to worry about that right now. Right now I am going to plan for the next week and worry about having fun and trying to RELAX.
Hope to talk to you again soon!
Tammy
Monday, June 12, 2006 11:53 AM CDT
This just in:
The waterhose still belongs to Colette.
Her ionized calcium was up a tiny bit - 1.31 (normal is 1.20-1.30) and her calcium was 9.9 (normal is 8.7-9.8), so she needed a dose of fluids today, but just a bolus. He thinks that will be enough because tonight's dose is the last one.
So I opted to wait until Wednesday to check one more time and make sure her calcium is back to normal. Unfortunately, the surgeon might not be available until Thursday. That means we will be stuck in the Ham until FRIDAY. I will have to drive home on Friday with both kids, then pack for the week at the Gulf that night and then we are headed to the Gulf on Saturday. Whew. I am tired just thinking about that!!!
That also means I can't get online! Ugh! I am hanging out at the Harbor just to type this update. Bryant has been acting up this morning, so he is forced to sit here with me as punishment while I do this. I am getting out of here before I go crazy!!!
Sorry to all my friends who I have not been able to visit. I haven't caught up on Madison, Jay, Lenzie, Caelan, Morgan, Katie...I am sorry I haven't seen you lately! I miss you all! I will be there soon.
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, June 8, 2006 2:18 PM CDT
You are not going to believe this...
Colette's calcium is STILL NORMAL!!!
I, in all of my "medical knowledge" have deduced that SWEET TEA has been the culprit!
Someone mentioned to me that caffeine causes the body to leach calcium into the blood but I figured, hey, we only drink decaffenated tea! BUT then I realized, the bottled tea (Red Diamond) is NOT decaf!
She has not had any sweet tea in over a week and her bloodwork is completely normal! I can't believe it! Yay!
So we are still in Bham but are going to SC tomorrow for the whole weekend. We will come back to Bham on Sunday and Colette will have her WATERHOSE REMOVED ON MONDAY AT 11:00 AM!!!
We have been able to locate another Mobile family that we knew from the hospital in Mobile last summer...Ethan & Gabby are here... Ethan is a leukemia kid and he is having a rough time right now, but he is improving slowly! yay!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/super_ethan
Please stop by and let them know you are praying for him. We are planning to go to the McWane Science Center (like the Exploreum, only better) this afternoon with Gabby and her mom or aunt.
Thanks for continuing to check on us, even though we haven't been online much lately. That will be normal again soon!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, June 5, 2006 2:31 PM CDT
As you can tell from Mawmaw's guestbook entry, we did not go to Bham this weekend... it is a long story, but it boils down to we didn't HAVE to go to Bham and things are fine.
So we are here at the hospital today and saw Dr. Buckley for the first time in a month. Colette's calcium is perfect! What in the world???!!! It is almost scary to me! We don't have to come back to clinic until THURSDAY. Normally we are getting fluids today, tomorrow & Thurs. Instead, everything is normal, her white count is almost 7000 (!) and everything else is fine. We are leaving here and headed to get some dinner. (we missed lunch)
I am going to try to get the kids to the McWane Center either Tues or Wed.
That is all for the update! Thank you for your prayers and concern. Thanks again to Tom Russell's Sunday School class. I was able to get Colette a new car seat (with extra cushioning in the seat part for her) and gas to get to Bham with your gift. Just in time!! We love you all!
Love,
Tammy & kids
****************************************
Thursday, June 1, 2006 9:31 AM CDT
Well, it's time to go back to the Ham.
Colette is NOT happy about that either! She is actually crying because she wants to stay in Mobile.
Aunt Sherry, Josh, Matt, Hannah and Mawmaw all spent the night last night and the kids were up late! Bryant has his last day of school today and then we will be headed north. She has a clinic appointment tomorrow and that is all we have scheduled! Jason is out of town, so we are going to just stay in Bham. I think we will go to the McWane center this weekend, if I can get the kids to cooperate. We WON'T be going to the Zoo again, though! (unless it is just to the butterfly
patch)
My computer never got fixed, so I am going to be stuck updating from the computer in the clinic, if I can get it. That is going to drive me crazy!!!
Just know that we are doing the craputane thing, (every day fluids or so) and then we are going to take Colette's first trip to South Carolina next weekend. She has never been there. That is where Jason's mom and dad live and Jason and I moved there for a couple of years when Bryant was 6 mos old. We figured it would be closer to go from Bham (5 hrs) versus Mobile (8 hrs). And I think Colie is going with us too!
Lots of plans ahead, so we will may be a little busy. Remember this, no news is good news! I will definitely let you know if there is anything wrong!
Please keep our travels in your prayers. We will be driving a pretty good bit, but thanks to Colette's benefit fund, I was able to get 2 new tires for my van.
Also pray that Colette handles this round at least as good as last month (but minus any vomiting). And pray that I keep my mind with both kids in an apartment! alalalalalalla
Love,
Tammy
***************************************
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 8:31 AM CDT
PRAISE THE LORD PRAISE THE LORD LET THE EARTH HEAR HIS VOICE...
Colette's scans are unchanged from those in February. That means no neuroblastoma cells anywhere showing in her body except for a tiny spot in the original tumor site! Even though it is not the ALL CLEAR or NED, that spot could be matured cells and everything really is clean! Her doctor called this morning and said he looked at all her scans and everything looked good, unchanged, which means NOT SPREAD, and good.
The results of the bone marrow biopsy are not back yet, but the initial bone marrow aspirates looked fine. He also said she no longer has to wear a mask at the beach...nowhere!
We will start the craptuane today and go to Bham on Thursday. She will get her fluids in Bham through the next week and HAVE HER LINE REMOVED on JUNE 12. WHOO HOO! Then it is off to the beach where she CAN SWIM IN THE WATER. AAAAHHHH!! I am scared to death! LOL
After we get back from the beach, it is off to DisneyWorld to see the Princesses! Can you tell I am excited! Haha!
So that is the news for today. No scans until 2 months from now, when her craputane will be DONE. I am too anxious to go back to bed this morning, I guess I need to let it sink in for a while. Since we have gone through this for a year, getting tests and waiting for news, I learned to stay in the middle of emotions - no highs or lows. Even though this is great news, it has not really hit me that things are A-OK. I am still thinking about how her right leg is turning in a little more, or when she last complained of belly pain (that was a while back).
She is still not cancer free, but if this is all we have to live with, Hallelujah!
PS: She also gets to stop one of her daily medicines! Yippee!
I guess I will post again before we go to Bham on Thursday. Have a good week everyone! We sure will!
Love,
Tammy
************************************
Monday, May 29, 2006 10:31 PM CDT
Well, it is the ninth hour. Meaning we will probably hear from the hospital tomorrow.
It is very freaky to remember last Memorial Day. We were inpatient in a place called 4 Tower. I met some sad people. I met some mad people. I met some caring people. I met some smart people. And I met some dumb people. All of these people were on 4 Tower between May 26 & May 31 - Diagnosis Day.
If this were a year ago, I would be typing this from the parent lounge on their computer. Jason would be sleeping in room 443 while Colette is also sleeping. She would be recovering from having a port put in and a tumor biopsy done. She would have all her hair. ALL THE LONG HAIR that I had never cut. She would have red lips and strawberry blond hair. She would have a room full of balloons and stuffed animals.
I would run into a mom that would scare me to death. I would also run into a mom who would become a very dear friend. Then we would wait all day long tomorrow, watching 2 other families get their diagnoses in that conference room across from the parent lounge. We would not go into that room until 6 pm tomorrow night. We would see a "roadmap" for the first time. We would be told, "it is treatable, it is just very difficult to treat" and that the entire treatment, including the "craputane" would give her a 45-55hance of survival. The words "resection", "induction", "consolidation", "stem cell transplant" would all be new terms for us. And they all seemed so far off in the future!
We would also find out that Colette has been randomized to have her stem cells purged - what ever that means! LOL
If we were living this a year ago, we _wouldn't_ know the following:
*how to give a subcutaneous injection
*how they insert a tp tube :(
*there are lots of cancer kids in Alabama
*if you need to use the dryer, you can fold the other person's laundry for them and leave them on the table
*don't try to sleep through a Code T
*250 motorcycles take up the WHOLE front circle and most of the 5 blocks of 7th Ave S in front of the hospital
*motorcycle dudes are VERY sweet
*avoid ERs at all cost
*some nurses go above the call of duty and they will be your lifeline at some point
*there is almost always food in the Children's Harbor
*you can only get Coke products during cafeteria hours or (thank heavens) the new Go cafe
*the wagons are always by the cashier's desk at night, make sure to grab one and pull it in your room
*the dungeon is actually pretty nice and quiet
*Saturday you can get GREAT fried pork chops and yams
*Wal-Mart at Lakeshore is very scary at night
*the menu book on 4 Tower was decorated and organized by ME
*the conference room table is great for scrapbooking AND you can get online in there if kids are playing games on the computer in the parent lounge
*if you think your child is scared to death, tell them to come back for whatever test they want to do in a few minutes when you have calmed your child down. They will _almost_ always wait.
*complete strangers pray for you and your child every day. They read your journal even though they don't leave a message. They know your husband's name, they know your vacation plans, everything you tell them, they remember. And they actually care.
*CT contrast goes down best in sweet tea
*always make your child pee before their bone/MIBG scan - saves time!
*there are exactly 6.75 oz in a kool-aid kool burst
*blue kool-aid looks the same when it comes out as when it went in
*there are instant dissolve nausea meds and rubon nausea creams
*your child will not know how to react with other kids her own age unless they are in your family
*bruises are just going to happen with platelets below 150K
*$10 digital thermometers work just as well (or better) than the real expensive ones, just buy more than one
*EMLA cream takes MORE THAN 30 minutes to work!!! Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise!
*that we would have a whole storage chest of medical supplies (feeding tubes, syringes of every size, tegaderms, gauze pads, enough betadine and alcohol wipes to stretch from Mobile to Birmingham) and nothing to do with them
Wow...I could keep this list going on and on! Those are just some of the things we would learn in the next year. And those are just the lighthearted things!
Tonight I am typing in my own living room while my kids are watching King of the Hill - Bryant, tan from the Gulf, with his toy gun and Colette in her t-shirt eating ham from the package. Somehow, all that stuff I just wrote seems like so long ago. I constantly find myself feeling Colette's forehead and neck, checking for fever. Or watching her diaper, making sure nothing is unusual in there. And watching how many chicken nuggets she actually eats.
As Colette always says, "I so happy I at Mobile" and "I happy I back to my castle". That sums it all up for me.
Love,
Tammy
Saturday, May 27, 2006 5:41 PM CDT
Hi everyone!
We are home in Mobile, and things are wonderful. We have NOT heard from any of Colette's scans since her doctor is not back from Africa yet and we are not able to do anything about it anyway!!
So I may hear from him on Monday, but probably Tuesday. Bryant finishes school on Thursday, and we will be headed up to Bham that day. We plan to stay in Bham until the following weekend.
Once we get some more pics, I will upload them and change them.
Colette is very happy to be back in Mobile. She has been playing in her room ALL DAY. She is napping on the couch right now. We are going to Aunt Brandy's tonight and she will get some good time with Colie.
OH YEAH - Colette can say her hard C sounds now, so she can officially say her own name!! YAY! Now she says "C" words every chance she can! LOL
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, May 25, 2006 2:12 PM CDT
Good Afternoon Everyone!
Just wanted to let you all know that I just spoke with Tammy. Things are going good. Day 2 of "stuff" is over with. Colette got her MIBG Scan today and Her Bone Marrow Aspirations. Tomorrow she will go for her CT Scan and then head back home to Mobile, AL!!!!!! YEAH!
Tammy said things are going good and no results yet. She hopes to hear something by phone tomorrow evening. I am sure she will update as soon as she does.
They will have another normal weekend at home, Get Bryant through his last week of school next week, then head back to Bham.
God Bless them! You know the trips get shorter each time...but are probably still sooo long!
Anyways, I just wanted to let you all know how things were going. Continue to keep the princess in your prayers.
*******Love Aunt Brandy ********
Tuesday - May 23, 2006
Argh! I can't get through to vote to Taylor!!!
We are headed to Bham tomorrow morning. Pray for our trip and that Colette has good counts tomorrow. They should be!
She will have her bone scan tomorrow and get her MIBG injection in preparation for Thursday. We are going to try to watch the American Idol finale somewhere in Birmingham. That should be awesome, especially if Taylor wins!!! She loves dancing when he is on!
We _SHOULD_ be headed back to Mobile on Friday after her CT scan in the am. I won't have a computer for the next couple of days since our modem died. I will update by Friday at the latest!
Love,
Tammy
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Go check out www.walkerplace.org/colette to see what we have been up to!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
We left on Friday morning, Jason & I, in the yellow convertible. After driving around, lazily, we stopped and ate some crab legs (well, I did), and we drove all the way past the Flora-Bama. Jason INSISTED on getting us a beachfront condo, and there was NO convincing him otherwise! :)
We checked in at a nice condo with a pool, and knew something was missing. Comments like, "The kids would LOVE this," and, "Colette would love swinging on those swings," kept coming out of our mouths! A quick phone call and the kids, along with Mawmaw & Papa, were headed to the Gulf! We are sad....! ;0
Jason & I went out to Lulu's (which I highly recommend!!!) for our dinner and had a fabulous time. By the time we made it back to the condo, everyone was sound asleep. We spent the whole next day playing on the beach and in the pool with the kids. Bryant got a cool tattoo on his back and Colette loved going barefoot, walking in the sand. They hunted for sand crabs last night, but it was too cold for me and my SUNBURN. Yep, I GOT SUNBURNED. Bryant and Jason are nice and tan, Colette had 50 SPF on, and I had 15 SPF and got burned. Ugh!
We are going to eat at Colie's Nana's house (if you remember, they came to Bham with us around Thanksgiving and took the picture of Colette with the pink fuzzy hat). We aren't going back to Bham until Wednesday morning. She will have counts, see the dr and have her bone scan done. She will also have her MIBG scan and bone marrow aspirates/biopsy done on Thursday and her CT will be on Friday. We hope to come back on Friday and stay until the following Friday. That is also Bryant's last week of school. I sure hope I remember all these dates and end up in the right place at the right time!!! LOL
Please be in prayer for our travels, but most importantly, COLETTE'S SCANS. We want them to be CLEAR!!!! Oh, and we just found out that she can LOSE THE MASK! YAYYAYAY!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 9:15 PM CDT
Argh! I can't get through to vote to Taylor!!!
We are headed to Bham tomorrow morning. Pray for our trip and that Colette has good counts tomorrow. They should be!
She will have her bone scan tomorrow and get her MIBG injection in preparation for Thursday. We are going to try to watch the American Idol finale somewhere in Birmingham. That should be awesome, especially if Taylor wins!!! She loves dancing when he is on!
We _SHOULD_ be headed back to Mobile on Friday after her CT scan in the am. I won't have a computer for the next couple of days since our modem died. I will update by Friday at the latest!
Love,
Tammy
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Sunday, May 21, 2006 4:03 PM CDT
Monday UPDATE: Channel 3 (WEAR) in Pensacola is running a 3-part special about childhood cancer at 10 PM tonight. They emphasized that it will be a POSITIVE story! I plan to watch it tonight. I don't know if it will be tomorrow or Wednesday for the next part.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Go check out www.walkerplace.org/colette to see what we have been up to!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
We left on Friday morning, Jason & I, in the yellow convertible. After driving around, lazily, we stopped and ate some crab legs (well, I did), and we drove all the way past the Flora-Bama. Jason INSISTED on getting us a beachfront condo, and there was NO convincing him otherwise! :)
We checked in at a nice condo with a pool, and knew something was missing. Comments like, "The kids would LOVE this," and, "Colette would love swinging on those swings," kept coming out of our mouths! A quick phone call and the kids, along with Mawmaw & Papa, were headed to the Gulf! We are sad....! ;0
Jason & I went out to Lulu's (which I highly recommend!!!) for our dinner and had a fabulous time. By the time we made it back to the condo, everyone was sound asleep. We spent the whole next day playing on the beach and in the pool with the kids. Bryant got a cool tattoo on his back and Colette loved going barefoot, walking in the sand. They hunted for sand crabs last night, but it was too cold for me and my SUNBURN. Yep, I GOT SUNBURNED. Bryant and Jason are nice and tan, Colette had 50 SPF on, and I had 15 SPF and got burned. Ugh!
We are going to eat at Colie's Nana's house (if you remember, they came to Bham with us around Thanksgiving and took the picture of Colette with the pink fuzzy hat). We aren't going back to Bham until Wednesday morning. She will have counts, see the dr and have her bone scan done. She will also have her MIBG scan and bone marrow aspirates/biopsy done on Thursday and her CT will be on Friday. We hope to come back on Friday and stay until the following Friday. That is also Bryant's last week of school. I sure hope I remember all these dates and end up in the right place at the right time!!! LOL
Please be in prayer for our travels, but most importantly, COLETTE'S SCANS. We want them to be CLEAR!!!! Oh, and we just found out that she can LOSE THE MASK! YAYYAYAY!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 12:06 AM CDT
Today has been pretty good so far!
We got here to the hospital in Mobile around 8:45 - I never even stopped for a traffic light - SO MUCH BETTER THAN 280!!!
We came in to the Hope and Colette was settled in around 10. She started her fluids and her labs were sent. Today her platelets are higher (yay!), her hematocrit is higher (yay!) and her white count is higher (yay!) - oh and her calcium is lower (yay!)
She is still having higher blood pressure, so we are going to watch that closely. I have asked the drs repeatedly about that and they don't seem super worried because it usually levels out in between rounds of craputane.
Ms. Michelle from the Treehouse came down to see us. She is a special friend to Colette (and me!). She is a good listener and has had her own cancer battles. She is good at encouraging us too. She had a special surprise for Colette - a NEW Tinkerbell outfit, a Princess blanket (I am going to steal it), a Princess bathrobe and a Cinderella dress. All new stuff and just in time to take it to Disneyworld!! Thank you so much Ms. Michelle!
It looks like I may be able to go to choir tonight! Thanks to Mawmaw staying with Colette. Wednesday nights, Jason, Bryant & I all have our own things we do and Colette is not able to go to the nursery and she can't tag along with any of us, so Mawmaw to the rescue - again!!
Colette says every night (and morning for that matter) "I'm so happy I'm back to Mobile." We ALL are!
Tomorrow is my and Jason's 10th wedding anniversary. It also marks one year since I left my home in Laurel MS to take Colette to Mobile to the ER and get some answers to her illness.
Jason recently got a small convertible RX-7 and has been fixing it up. We are going to take it to the Gulf this weekend, just me and him, like the old days, and stay over there one night. I just got a new bathing suit and I need a tan in a BAD WAY! These flourescent lights just don't cut it!!
I will update again either later tonight or tomorrow. Keep those prayers coming!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, May 15, 2006 10:26 PM CDT
As I expected, today was frustrating.
I called Dr. Wilson's office first thing in the am and it took a while for them to call us back and tell us exactly where we needed to go. I got to the hospital at 11 am. I still had to go through the hospital admitting office and that took a while because they didn't have Dr. Wilson's orders. After a few phone calls, that was straightened out. Then we went to the USS Hope. Now I have to admit, you know I am VERY anxious about going back to USA C&W , but the Hope was just what I needed to see. It is set up similar to Clinic 8, with 8 recliners and 8 flat screen computers and a very cute ocean motif. Colette really liked the circular aquarium with Dory and the bubble pipes in there. I liked the cool blue and purple colors - very beachy but modern. There was only one nurse for the beginning of the day, but there was only one other patient. I told the nurse I was not used to having full attention from one nurse. That was kinda nice - except....
Dr. Wilson's office faxed over the type of labs Colette needed drawn. HOWEVER, after I asked several times, I was told up until 2 pm "that there were no lab orders from Dr. Wilson" and that we would have to wait for her to come to the Hope before she would write them. Well, you know how that went over! LOL
Finally Dr. Wilson herself appeared after 2 pm. She saw the other patient first, then came over to Colette. She asked, "Are her results back yet?" and I took the opportunity to tell her that NO LABS HAD BEEN DRAWN YET. She looked at me like "WHAT?" She started calling around and realized the fax was not there or something. I really don't care what the malfunction was, but she quickly wrote for labs and a bolus. While the labs were sent off, we got everything caught up on Colette's history. Dr. Wilson said that she told the team last Friday at the meeting that Colette Pate was coming back. She said there were several people who wanted to see Colette. A couple of the nurses came down to see her today. Ms. Michelle from the TreeHouse is on vacation this week, so we missed her.
Once her labs came back it showed her electrolytes were all ok and the bolus was all we could squeeze in to the day. They close at 5 pm no matter what. If Colette needed to stay longer, they would have sent her up to the floor. Well, I made sure that was not going to happen. Somehow Dr. Wilson already knew I was not going to stick around for that!
After getting unhooked, we headed home with plans to return on Wednesday. Dr. Wilson already wrote all the orders for that morning so we can go in, get labs first thing, then start fluids. Then whatever the labs are, she can just call in other orders or let us go with the same treatment (4 hours of fluids).
I am glad this first day is over with! I am glad the Hope is so much like what we are used to. I am glad to have chemo nurses. Oh, and the other thing is this - I LOVE MOBILE TRAFFIC! I thought, oh great, we are getting out around 5:30 pm, we will be sitting on Springhill Ave for a while! But guess what? There were less cars on Springhill at 5:30 than there were at 11 am!!! I zoomed right on to the interstate! There was NO TRAFFIC at all! If we were in Bham, it would have taken me over an hour to get back home!
Oh, the small things!
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, May 14, 2006 10:14 PM CDT
Happy Mother's Day!
I hope everyone had a great day today. We had perfect weather, not super hot, and no rain. It was wonderful.
I hope to get some pics soon - the batteries are dead in the camera.
Colette wasn't feeling great last night, but after some Zofran and some sweet tea, she woke up this morning much better. We headed out to church this morning. She loves going to church! She got to see Ms. Karen and Mr. Ted (her old SS teacher). Then it was off to big church - I make her go sit with us at the end of the balcony away from everyone. She doesn't seem to miss playing in her class. I think she prefers the music in big church anyway! We got to see Ms. Lori, Ms. Laci, Gracie & her mommy, oh - and of course, MAWMAW!! And Unc Mike showed up to surprise Mawmaw, which made us happy too!
Jason made me and my mom a corsage out of the gardenias blooming in our front yard. Colette insisted on having her own flower, and she carried that thing all the way through church! It was brown and mushy when she was done! She kept smelling it over and over. I thought she would have been sick of the smell, but no! We went to eat at The Mariner on Dog River. She loves eating there. She likes to look out the windows at the river and the boats passing by. Everybody else wanted to eat outside, and they looked like they were getting blown away! LOL I was glad we had to eat inside.
After lunch, we headed home where Colette & Daddy took a nap, Bryant watched TV and I GOT TO SCRAPBOOK!! YAYYAY! Then it was time for Bryant to go to choir practice, and afterwards, I hit the grocery store. After an easy supper, we are headed to bed. I can't believe I am sitting here writing word for word what we did today, but it really sounds NORMAL! I can't tell you how awesome it is to just be at your own house and not have to rush off to another appointment or drive for hours.
We do have to see Dr. Wilson tomorrow. I hope things go smoothly. I have all her clinic records, especially last week's numbers and treatment (fluids), so I think it should be easy for her to deal with whatever the numbers are tomorrow. I also hope their infusion room is comfortable. We are spoiled now because the one in Bham is fairly new and cost a couple of million $$. Very cozy and nice.
I will udpate tomorrow after we get back home. Pray that things will be ok and we can manage to stay here through next week.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, May 12, 2006 11:50 AM CDT
Well today is Taylor Hicks Day here! LOL He has been on the TV all morning. All the news talked about yesterday was his schedule! They have him running all over Birmingham & Montgomery today! Poor thing! He is probably thinking these people are CRAZY! Anyway..
Colette's calcium is HIGHER still! She still has to take the CRAPUTANE through the weekend, so we are in the clinic getting fluids until this afternoon. :(
We are planning to go home today however! She will go to the clinic in Mobile on Monday and get her levels checked there as well. Hopefully Dr. Wilson will be able to just do what we have been doing (I am bringing her records in my hand!)
I will update tonight from home (hopefully!)
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 4:11 PM CDT
One more day in the hospital getting fluids. Her calcium is still up there, but I had a lot of questions answered today by Dr. Castleberry, our Nurse Practictioner Pat and others.
Everyone agrees with keeping this high dose of calcium. Dr. C is the one who is heading up the study here and I actually got to ask him specifically about our situation. He said as long as we can do the fluids and get through these 2 weeks things, it will be the best for her outcome. He said her organs (heart, kidneys) will be fine when it is through because they are staying on top of it and it is not just out of control. We don't have to come back until Friday (yay!) and hopefully we will get fluids tanked up and then we can go to Mobile for the next week.
Also, we got her scans and tests scheduled for the week before Memorial Day and we will meet with Dr. Castleberry/Buckley ON MAY 31. Ring a bell? Colette's Diagnosis Day. It will be wonderful to get GOOD NEWS on our one year anniversary!!! That is what I am praying for!
Then we will start the next round of accutane and the Gulf Shores vacation is in full effect! YAHOOOOOOO!
We are hanging in there. BTW, while you are praying for us, how about praying for the gas prices to come down before Friday?! LOL Our trip home is going to cost $60 one-way! I remember in high school, gas was $.87 a gallon! That was 16 years ago!!! LOL
Love,
Tammy
****************************************
Tuesday, May 9, 2006 1:11 PM CDT
well, we aren't coming home today :(
Colette's calcium is up enough to need some fluids. But she is nauseous and vomiting - more than I am happy with, so they are giving her some meds and fluids for a couple of hours and we will come back tomorrow. We will keep the nausea med going round the clock and hope it passes.
We will still shoot for going home each day until she is OK and can go without the hospital for a few days. Then she completes her meds on Monday and things will definitely pick back up to speed.
My computer's modem is dead at the apartment, so I am updating at the hospital for now. I will be back tomorrow with the latest!
Love,
Tammy
Saturday, May 6, 2006 7:22 PM CDT
Hi all. We are back in the "Ham" as they call it here.
Colette got to see Dr. Buckley one more time before he goes to Zambia for the month of May. He said she looked fine, all her counts were a little effected by the "crap-utane" (thanks Kim) and there was no need for any fluids on Friday. He wants to see if she can make it until Tuesday before she gets checked again. If so, he thinks her body will get used to the med and handle it well enough to make it through the whole 2 weeks.
After this cycle ends, she will have about 2 weeks off and then he returns from his trip. She will have bone marrow aspirations/biopsy, MIBG scan, CT scans and bone scans. It is very likely that she will have her waterhose removed during the sedation for the bone marrows. This brings mixed feelings for me. I will be SO happy it is gone for many reasons - it means she is not getting very much treatment anymore, the dangers associated with it (infections, pulling, bleeding) will be gone too. She will finally be able to lay down in the bathtub for the first time since September. She now has hair, you know, and we need to wash it! Also, of course, she can go swimming and play in the sprinkler, etc. The biggest downside is there will now be pain involved in these visits to the dr for bloodwork. If they have to give her fluids, it will be through an IV. I HATE IVS. I HATE NEEDLES. Of course, we can use emla cream, but I just dread going back to that. If she continues to need fluids, they will just have a surgery later and put in a port. But the risk associated with surgery is greater now, so we will not do it unless it is really necessary and only if it will really benefit her.
After all these scans/tests, they will see if there are any more cancer cells in her body. Then we will proceed with her treatment - hopefully continuing with the "crap-utane" and that's all.
The good news out of all of this - Dr. Buckley said if we can find a doctor in Mobile where she can go for counts and calcium checks, and they can give her fluids if she needs it, then we can be doing all this FROM MOBILE!!!! WHOO HOO! So, we are going to check her out on Tuesday, then depending on what she looks like (bloodwork wise) we might be going home again! He said we could plan to be home for Mother's Day (depending on her blood)! WOOOOOO! I guess I shouldn't be getting my hopes up, but we just really enjoyed being home last week and it was painful to leave. So pray that her body will get the med absorbed good and leave her blood alone so we can go back home with our boys!
Love,
Tammy
Zoo Pics are up at walkerplace.org/colette!
Friday, May 5, 2006 0:39 AM CDT
Colette has an appointment in Birmingham today around noon. We are leaving as soon as Bryant goes to school this morning. Pray that we will have a safe trip and the weather holds off until we get there!
Colette has had a fabulous time (I have too) and we are dreading leaving. :(
Hopefully we will be able to come back home in 2 weeks when this accutane round is finished and her calcium stays normal. Her dr seems to think it won't hit her as hard this time (maybe because her counts are so much better).
Remember that she has her scans around Memorial Day (I should get exact dates tomorrow). Then we have 2 big vacations coming after that - Gulf Shores & DisneyWorld! Whoo hoo! Lots to look forward to.
Please also remember our friend Madison - she is BACK in the hospital with a blood infection. If you remember, Colette had 2 infections last summer in the hospital in Mobile and she ended up having her port removed in September because of it. Her mom is really scared right now because her temp is going up around 103. It is very scary when your child is shaking uncontrollably with a fever and trying to cover up because they are cold! And all you can do is give them Tylenol and hope it works! At least since there is an infection, they will be able to get the right antibiotic ASAP and she should get better quickly. www.caringbridge.org/visit/madisonbeck
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, May 2, 2006 9:58 AM CDT
Our sweet buddy Kadin ZOOMED into Heaven this morning at 2:55 am! I can just see his satin red cape with a BIG K on it! (Of course, there were some wings under there too!)
He left peacefully and surrounded by a TON of special family & friends. Pray for his mom Emily & his dad Billy - I don't really want to know what they are going through right now - it is very discouraging to me. I just know they have lots of people with them who love them very much and they just need God to give them His peace and grace and that will be enough.
Thanks to all of you who have been checking on him and praying for their family!
*********************************************************
Colette, on the other hand, is waiting to hear if she can go in public places without her mask! Her doctor is going to call us when he gets the results back in Birmingham. (I am waiting by the phone for him, Brandy!)
We are staying in Mobile until Friday morning. After I get Bryant off to school, we are headed to Bham for an appointment. Today is the day we start that dreaded accutane. :(
Colette's scans are around Memorial Day and we will get a chance to know if the cancer is gone for now. We will find out more specific dates this weekend.
Colette spent the WHOLE day playing with her cousin Hannah. This is the first time Colette has played with another little girl in MONTHS without bossing her around or being "shy" or just being a pain. They dressed up in princess dresses and played all day. It was flashbacks of Nicole & Kristin! I even bought them matching pink & blue sundresses and shoes. They were both WIPED OUT when we went to Sherry's around 5:00. So cute!
Love,
Tammy
Colette & Cole's Blood Drive will be sometime this summer - Colette's accutane is determining our schedule right now. alabamablooddrive@comcast.net is the email address for any questions & information
*******************************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed (especially when we get to make trips back and forth to home):
Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Regions Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
*******************************************************
Monday, May 1, 2006 10:46 AM CDT
This is Colette and Jason with our friend Cole! We went to a benefit for St. Jude's this weekend in Mobile.
I will put up more pics from that day and from the day we went to the zoo later.
Tammy
****************************************
Sunday, April 30, 2006 5:46 PM CDT
Once again, we are in danger of losing one of our little friends. You all know how I have asked for prayer for Kadin, but today things have gotten worse. Sweet boy thinks he has done something wrong because his parents are upset, he is only 4 years old! (He is very smart.) On his website, his parents told us that they have decided to try one last time to get his lungs to quit bleeding, but that they now suspect an air leak from his lungs too and they are afraid his lungs will collapse. They have even signed an Do Not Resuscitate form so that when he decides to go home, he can.
Even if you don't wish to visit his website, please stop right now and pray that the Lord's will be done and that Kadin will easily slip away if it is his time. If not, please pray for his body's strength to recover. And last of all, pray for his parents, either way, they are emotionally exhausted from this fight. This is a relapse, which means he has already been cancer once, only to have it come back now.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
*************************************
Saturday, April 29, 2006 8:02 AM CDT
Surprise! We are home!
Colette has been doing fantastic, her dr yesterday just walked in to see her and the first thing he said was, "You look great!" She does. Her counts are the best ever, he said. He sent off more lymph markers, and he should be calling me back on Monday to say if she can go out to eat and take her mask off. Yay!
We left straight from the hospital and came home. We try to see so many people when we come, but we this time we are going to stick around the house and spend some time together.
Pray that Colette doesn't pick up anything while we are home that will cut our visit short. She doesn't have to be back in Birmingham until next Friday, but she is also restarting that nasty Accutane on Tuesday (that's why we have to go back). Pray that it won't knock her down so hard this time and we can make short time in Birmingham.
Also, it's not too early to start praying for her scans. She will scan around Memorial Day. This will be another opportunity to be declared in remission or not. Personally, it makes me very nervous and I don't want to let my guard down. Most of you know, "statistics" say this cancer will come back by December, and probably in her bones. That sent chills through by spine just typing that. So for now, that is one of those thoughts I can't spend time with. I have a fantastic looking, "healthy" happy child who is very happy to be home in her castle with her daddy and buddy! I am going to enjoy it!
When I get more info about our newest little friend, I will post it. He had his surgery yesterday, and I heard it went well and the doctors were happy with their results. But I haven't heard more yet.
Also, Kadin had a worldwide prayer time on Thursday. Ever since Wednesday, he has been doing really well. He has been standing in his vertical bed and he is willing to participate in ball throwing. He is still very sick, but the past couple of days have been pretty good, all things considering. That is why I ask for you all to encourage these parents and kids. Just because you get some bad news or a setback doesn't mean it's the end of the road! Sometimes it is only that - a setback. We NEVER GIVE UP, even against the odds! Thanks for the notes you have left on his site!
Oh yeah, we are going to Cottage Hill Park today for a walk in honor of Noah Jackson - he is a little boy from Mobile who was treated at St. Jude's. They are raising money for St. Jude's. This will be the first cancer fundraiser Colette has been well enough to attend since her diagnosis. She is just happy about going to the "play park"!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 10:31 PM CDT
UPDATE: Please pray for our little friend Kadin. His latest tests show his lungs are deteriorating. Poor little guy has been in the hospital for over 2 months. They have decided to try a new treatment that is somewhat experimental, meaning they don't know if it will work. I know some of you avoid going to the websites of kids who are really sick, but if you feel like it, please go by and let his parents know you are praying for them & him. He is their only child. His parents are very much like Jason & me, I have really enjoyed talking to them when I see them.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
Thanks!
***********************************
Monday, April 24, 2006 6:48 PM CDT
After another long day at the hospital, there is some good news!
Colette's white count is in a NORMAL range!!!! Normal for people is 4-10K, and she is 4.85K!!! Whoo hoo! Plus her red blood count is in the 30's for the first time since her surgery!! (thanks to that transfusion last week)
The not-so-hot news is that her dr is not wanting to lower the dose for the next month, which starts next Tuesday, which means we will have to go through the same process, going to the hospital every other day or so and getting 2 hours of fluids to keep the calcium from building up. Not real happy about that. But he wants to make sure she gets the full benefit of the medicine to fight off the NB monster (as Jay calls it).
Hopefully things will be a little better this time and the next treatment won't interfere with our beach vacation in June. That is the big thing I am worried about! I NEED A VACATION!! I know some of you are probably thinking I am being selfish about a silly vacation, but in my mind, I also see COLETTE having fun with her aunts, uncles & cousins (and grandparents)! Our whole family needs a vacation! (is that better? LOL)
It is time to remind you about some of our friends in the hospital:
Madison - She is waiting for her counts to improve and she will be transferring to Vanderbilt in Nashville. Her mom and dad have met with the drs here in Bham and they recommended she go there for more intensive searches to get to the bottom of her pain issues. www.caringbridge.org/visit/madisonbeck
Kadin - Tough Superman is still in the hospital! He is on stem cell where Colette was in December and he is working to get out of there! It is slow, but he is strong! www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
Morgan - Mighty Miss Morgan from IN is about a month ahead of Colette (same cancer) but she is getting the antibody. She will have to be in the hospital for 3 weeks in May and that is also when her birthday is! YUCK! www.caringbridge.org/visit/morganrosedeckard
Tommy - I saw him and his mom & dad today. They are our friends from last summer when we spent so much time in the hospital there. Tommy is looking good and doing great on his treatment. Drop by his site and leave him a note please! www.caringbridge.com/al/tommy
I also met a new family today from Montgomery. Their son's name is Caelan (which means the same as Colette!) and they are going to do a surgery on this Friday to remove a tumor in his chest and then they will biopsy it. The drs are still unsure of what type of cancer it may be. They are at the beginning like we were last May. Please remember this family in your prayers, especially between now & Friday morning. There is always the possibility that they will get good news as a result!
Love,
Tammy
*************************************
Sunday, April 23, 2006 12:25 AM CDT
What a busy weekend!
It is Sunday, Bryant, Mawmaw & Papa went back to Mobile a while ago. We were both sad to see our buddy go, but he has school tomorrow.
Yesterday was fun at the Zoo. It was a little cool in the am, but the forecast said it would clear up and it did. It was actually perfect weather to be outside.
Bryant has only been to the Bham zoo once so it was like seeing it all new again. We watched the sea lion feeding (my favorite), rode the train, then saw the monkeys. They had scheduled a picnic lunch, so we headed out there and Colette & Bryant both got face painting & tattoos.
We also went in the Lorikeet area, which I have never done before. You walk in and you are surrounded by lorikeets, which will sit on you if they think you have nectar (you can buy it). They zoom past your hair and it is pretty freaky until you get used to it.
Back inside, we went straight to the butterflies. As soon as we walked in, a butterfly landed on Mawmaw's finger! Colette was so excited, she stopped right at the first patch of flowers and talked to the butterflies. She didn't want to walk through it, she was too busy looking at them up close! She called it the "Butterfly Patch"! Cutie!
She would have been happy to stay in there the whole time! We headed up to the "savanah" and saw the giraffes, etc. Colette has developed a sensitive nose, so she and I ran past all that while Mawmaw & Bryant took longer. By the time we got to the lion, she was tired. I sat under the beautiful wisteria arbor and rocked her to sleep. She slept for almost 2 hours! Meanwhile Bryant got to see the predators. That was good for all of us! I bought a wagon for Colette but didn't realize the benefit - the back of the seats fold down and make a flat surface. Perfect for a bed!
Bryant played in the fountains, rode the carousel with me and saw the white alligator. He also played in the barn area and petted the animals. I am sure he had a good time. Colette slept for so long, she woke up long enough to play for a few minutes, ride the carousel and then she was DONE. Me too!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, April 21, 2006 6:27 PM CDT
Two more days of outpatient fluids and blood are behind us!
Colette's calcium is slowly coming back down to a normal range. She is not quite there yet, but she is getting there.
We are just super tired of being at the hospital every day!
Tomorrow is the Zoo Day for the clinic 8 kids with the Junior League. There will be lots of cancer kids so I think that will be cool. They said there will be 500 people there for this! The good news for Colette is that the butterflies are back! So she can walk around and let the butterflies float around her! Yay!
Bryant is doing fine, his scrape is looking good. Papa is coming up tomorrow and will take Bryant & Mawmaw back to Mobile on Sunday. Bryant's spring break is almost over.
Colette is scheduled to see her regular Dr. on Monday, he will be back in town. Hopefully by then everything will be back to normal. I hope so!!!
Love,
Tammy
PS: Here is one more picture from Easter of my little brother & sister:
***************************************
Wednesday, April 19, 2006 6:27 PM CDT
Back to the hospital we went...
Tuesday, Colette had an appointment with Dr. Hilliard to check her calcium (since Dr. Buckley is on vacation).
Her calcium was sky high, as was her ionized calcium, and her creatinine. What does that mean? Colette needed FLUIDS, lots of them, to get the blood cleaned from so much calcium floating around in there. She got a dose of Lasix, then 2.5 hours of fluids. We were there until 5:30 pm.
Back today, her calcium, creatinine, etc was still high, just a little change, so MORE fluids. We just got home at 6:15 pm. And guess what? We are going back tomorrow! Yippee. (Notice the period, not an exclamation!)
Also today, her hematocrit is finally low enough that they have ordered blood for her tomorrow morning. That is good news, because she has been cruising at a low point for a couple of months! She is moody, tired and cranky, plus her legs seem a little weak today. The dr expects the blood to make all of these things feel better. I hope so!
We had a wonderful time at home, but it is also nice to get back to the routines we have developed over the past months. That way, if something seems wrong with Colette, I will be able to eliminate the circumstances. I don't know if you will understand that. Sorry! My brain is thinking in one speed, and my hands are typing in another! LOL
Looks like we are having some bad weather tonight. I wish it was raining in Mobile. They are in a drought right now. It is really bad on my allergies, my nephew's asthma, and the dirt road we live on!
I will update more tomorrow night after we get back. Getting the blood will take more than 4 hours, plus all the waiting for labwork, etc. It will be an all day thing.
Oh, one more thing. Bryant was playing (like all boys do) and fell of a brick retaining wall. He has huge scrapes under his right arm from his underarm all the way down to his wrist. Then on his left leg, a BIG bloody scrape on his calf and another on his ankle & foot. Poor guy! I am sad I wasn't here to take care of him, Mawmaw did a good job, though. She was doctoring him when I walked in. Pray that his arm will feel better. I am headed to the store to find some type of bandage that won't pull all the hairs on his leg! LOL
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, April 16, 2006 9:28 PM CDT
Happy Easter!
We have had a full (and fulfilling) weekend! 
Friday - Drove home and then played with Aunt Brandy, Unc Todd & Colie at our house. Colie & Kristin spent the night and stayed up late!
Saturday - Went to gas station where they are selling the hearts for Colette. Super sweet people there! Then we went to the Easter Egg Hunt at church. Colette was so happy to be there. She wanted to go to all the places she usually does (playground, her classroom, etc) That was fun and it took up most of the morning. Bryant also had a big kids egg hunt & games. Kristin & Colie ALSO had BIG BIG kids egg games then they watched the Youth Car Wash for a while. After visiting at Unc Todd's house, Colette & I came home for quiet time. Then Nana & Pappoo & Mawmaw came over and we had a great big cookout! We were ALL EXHAUSTED!
Sunday - The Easter Bunny came early, then we headed to church. Colette went in big church with us, but not before stopping to see Mr. Ted & Ms. Karen in the children's building. Colette clapped and sang in big church then sat like a big girl throughout the WHOLE service! I couldn't believe it! She was so pretty in her gloves and hat! After church we went to Aunt Debbie's house and Colette got to see Big Papa and Nanny Reta. She played with her 2nd cousins and got to swing on the swingset. After that, we went back home and Unc Mike, the Other Mike, Miss Lauren, Unc John, Manda & Joe came over! Colette was napping most of the time, but she did get up in time to do a big egg hunt in the yard. When we started hiding the eggs, guess who pulled up? Unc Craig, Aunt Sherry, Josh, Matt & Hannah!!! Whoo hoo! All five kids found eggs, then hid the eggs for the grown ups. The Other Mike kept eating the eggs, so each time there were less and less to hide! LOL The night ended with Mawmaw offering to babysit all 5 kids while me, Jason, Sherry & Craig went out to eat! How awesome is that? I couldn't wait to get in the car! LOL
Now everybody is gone home and me & the kids are going to watch Narnia. Jason is in bed because he has to work tomorrow. Hopefully the kids will want to sleep in with me! LOL
I hope you all had as great a weekend as we did!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, April 14, 2006 7:11 PM CDT
We are HOME! We had a squealing contest from Bel Air Mall to home. She was recognized places as we went! She is soooo smart!
Will update sometime tomorrow after Egg Hunts and family time.
Happy Easter to all!
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
COLETTE & COLE'S BLOOD DRIVE:
QUESTIONS/SIGN UP TO GIVE BLOOD: We now have an email address for the blood drive: alabamablooddrive@comcast.net
You can email if you are able to donate blood, or if you want to volunteer to work at the event.
DATE: I still don't have a date, since we are waiting on Colette's release. Just a little longer and we will know.
WHERE: The location is not nailed down yet, but we want to focus on Tillman's Corner area, or Cottage Hill/Schillinger's. Working on those 2 areas.
ADVERTISEMENT: We have a couple of posters already! We will still be working on more advertising (Manda!).
BLOOD DONORS: We need to start getting ideas of who might be able to donate blood near mid-late May. I know the date will be a big factor in this. But you or they can email the alabamablooddrive@comcast.net address if they can leave their name & number, we will let them know as soon as a date is picked.
WHAT ELSE?: I still need some of your networking power to find balloons, anyone who is good with kids to just play with them while the parents are either volunteering (like me) or giving blood. Also face painting, clowning, etc.
We have to get 35 commitments before the day of the drive. That is why I am telling you about this now. If you can talk it up, mention it to family members, fellow employees, etc., to help us reach a goal of 35 commitments.
We want to call it the Colette & Cole Blood Drive. Cole is also 3 years old from Mobile and a medulloblastoma patient who was treated at St. Jude. He is doing great, one year since getting into St. Jude!
Please email me at alabamablooddrive@comcast.net if you have any other ideas or information concerning this.
Thanks!
Tammy
**********************************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed to help with transportation to/from Birmingham, also with household bills while we are away.
Regions Bank & Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
Thursday, April 13, 2006 2:37 PM CDT
Still waiting for the final word about going home. I have emailed her dr and I hope he will call me this afternoon. That is going to be our yes or no answer. Either way, we have a good Easter weekend planned. We have learned that your family and being together is most important when it comes to celebrating holidays. That can be done in a hospital (Christmas) or a different city (Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's/Valentine's/Birthdays)!!!
For anyone interested, I have put up some scrapbook pages that I made (and a couple of Aunt Kristin's!) at the http://www.walkerplace.org/colette website.
The girls are playing Dance Dance Revolution (the jumping to techno dance music game) on playstation and being silly. Colette is very happy that Aunt Kristin is here! (me too!)
We will update as soon as we know more about going home!
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
COLETTE & COLE'S BLOOD DRIVE:
QUESTIONS/SIGN UP TO GIVE BLOOD: We now have an email address for the blood drive: alabamablooddrive@comcast.net
You can email if you are able to donate blood, or if you want to volunteer to work at the event.
DATE: I still don't have a date, since we are waiting on Colette's release. Just a little longer and we will know.
WHERE: The location is not nailed down yet, but we want to focus on Tillman's Corner area, or Cottage Hill/Schillinger's. Working on those 2 areas.
ADVERTISEMENT: We have a couple of posters already! We will still be working on more advertising (Manda!).
BLOOD DONORS: We need to start getting ideas of who might be able to donate blood near mid-late May. I know the date will be a big factor in this. But you or they can email the alabamablooddrive@comcast.net address if they can leave their name & number, we will let them know as soon as a date is picked.
WHAT ELSE?: I still need some of your networking power to find balloons, anyone who is good with kids to just play with them while the parents are either volunteering (like me) or giving blood. Also face painting, clowning, etc.
We have to get 35 commitments before the day of the drive. That is why I am telling you about this now. If you can talk it up, mention it to family members, fellow employees, etc., to help us reach a goal of 35 commitments.
We want to call it the Colette & Cole Blood Drive. Cole is also 3 years old from Mobile and a medulloblastoma patient who was treated at St. Jude. He is doing great, one year since getting into St. Jude!
Please email me at alabamablooddrive@comcast.net if you have any other ideas or information concerning this.
Thanks!
Tammy
**********************************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed to help with transportation to/from Birmingham, also with household bills while we are away.
Regions Bank & Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
Wednesday, April 12, 2006 3:22 PM CDT
Happy Birthday Michael (Unc Mike)! The BIG 21!!!
Colette is having a great time playing with Aunt Kristin. Poor Aunt Kristin has been at the hospital with us for 2 different days and we will all be going back on Friday again. Colette is very independent, which is hard for other people to get used to. She likes to do it by herself, and that sometimes gets her in trouble too! LOL
We made a trip to the zoo yesterday (picture above). Colette had fun seeing the monkeys, giraffes & zebra. But now her favorite is the water squirter area. She walked around the squirters and got her feet wet. She had a blast running from them. She will get to go back on the 22nd when the cancer clinic has a party for the kids at the zoo. I will be sure to get some good pics.
We are still waiting on the final word about going home. A lab result that we need is still not in the computer, but her dr will call me as soon as he knows. That is going to be our yes or no answer. We should know for sure by Friday at the latest. Either way, we have a good Easter weekend planned. We have learned that your family and being together is most important when it comes to celebrating holidays. That can be done in a hospital (Christmas) or a different city (Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's/Valentine's/Birthdays)!!!
We will update as soon as we know more information!
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
COLETTE & COLE'S BLOOD DRIVE:
QUESTIONS/SIGN UP TO GIVE BLOOD: We now have an email address for the blood drive: alabamablooddrive@comcast.net
You can email if you are able to donate blood, or if you want to volunteer to work at the event.
DATE: I still don't have a date, since we are waiting on Colette's release. Just a little longer and we will know.
WHERE: The location is not nailed down yet, but we want to focus on Tillman's Corner area, or Cottage Hill/Schillinger's. Working on those 2 areas.
ADVERTISEMENT: We have a couple of posters already! We will still be working on more advertising (Manda!).
BLOOD DONORS: We need to start getting ideas of who might be able to donate blood near mid-late May. I know the date will be a big factor in this. But you or they can email the alabamablooddrive@comcast.net address if they can leave their name & number, we will let them know as soon as a date is picked.
WHAT ELSE?: I still need some of your networking power to find balloons, anyone who is good with kids to just play with them while the parents are either volunteering (like me) or giving blood. Also face painting, clowning, etc.
We have to get 35 commitments before the day of the drive. That is why I am telling you about this now. If you can talk it up, mention it to family members, fellow employees, etc., to help us reach a goal of 35 commitments.
We want to call it the Colette & Cole Blood Drive. Cole is also 3 years old from Mobile and a medulloblastoma patient who was treated at St. Jude. He is doing great, one year since getting into St. Jude!
Please email me at alabamablooddrive@comcast.net if you have any other ideas or information concerning this.
Thanks!
Tammy
**********************************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed to help with transportation to/from Birmingham, also with household bills while we are away.
Regions Bank & Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
Sunday, April 9, 2006 12:09 PM CDT
Today is Palm Sunday. Look outside and see the beautiful spring LIFE that is all around us. How can someone NOT believe that there is a GOD who loves us and gives us such beauty and blessing??!!! It is such an invigorating time for me, it is my favorite time of year!!! Plus being born on Easter Sunday might have something to do with it! ;)
At the same time, I feel a sadness approaching with next weekend. If this were Jesus' last week on earth, how did He keep a smile on His face as He rode into town? He knew what was coming. I just realized, all of us in this world of hospitals and ER visits and ICU waiting hours, we know what is probably coming, but we have to keep a smile on our faces too. Maybe because we have HOPE. HOPE that our child will be cured, HOPE that the side effects won't last or be permanent, HOPE that they will outlive us, and at the end, HOPE that we will see them again in Heaven. That is probably why He was able to smile and wave at the children with the palm branches, HE WAS the HOPE. YAY!!!! YAY!!! YAY!!!
I ended up taking Colette to the stem cell outpatient clinic yesterday. Her hypercalcemia symptoms seem to be coming back (in my opinion). They did her labs and ended up giving her about 2 hours of fluids, just to help since her nausea was keeping her from eating/drinking. She ended up vomiting last night around 11 pm, then she slept great through the night. Dr. Buckley called this morning to check on her and he wants to see her tomorrow instead of Tuesday (!) This might be something we have to deal with each month just so that she can handle this treatment that is so important to the "big picture". She feels pretty good today though!
Aunt Kristin, Nana & Pappoo are on their way here from South Carolina! We are looking forward to seeing them.
Pray that Colette can continue to take this medicine that she needs and it won't make her too sick and miserable.
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
COLETTE & COLE'S BLOOD DRIVE UPDATE:
QUESTIONS/SIGN UP TO GIVE BLOOD: We now have an email address for the blood drive: alabamablooddrive@comcast.net
You can email if you are able to donate blood, or if you want to volunteer to work at the event.
DATE: I still don't have a date, since we are waiting on Colette's release. Just a little longer and we will know.
WHERE: The location is not nailed down yet, but we want to focus on Tillman's Corner area, or Cottage Hill/Schillinger's. Working on those 2 areas.
ADVERTISEMENT: We have a couple of posters already! My cousin-in-law's hubby Tony got right on it! But we will still be working on more advertising (Manda!).
BLOOD DONORS: We need to start getting ideas of who might be able to donate blood near mid-late May. I know the date will be a big factor in this. But you or they can email the alabamablooddrive@comcast.net address if they can leave their name & number, we will let them know as soon as a date is picked.
WHAT ELSE?: I still need some of your networking power to find balloons, anyone who is good with kids to just play with them while the parents are either volunteering (like me) or giving blood. Also face painting, clowning, etc.
We have to get 35 commitments before the day of the drive. That is why I am telling you about this now. If you can talk it up, mention it to family members, fellow employees, etc., to help us reach a goal of 35 commitments.
We want to call it the Colette & Cole Blood Drive. Cole is also 3 years old from Mobile and a medulloblastoma patient who was treated at St. Jude. He is doing great, one year since getting into St. Jude!
Please email me at alabamablooddrive@comcast.net if you have any other ideas or information concerning this.
Thanks!
Tammy
**********************************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed to help with transportation to/from Birmingham, also with household bills while we are away.
Regions Bank & Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
Monday, April 3, 2006 2:29 PM CST
Happy April! It is SO nice to finally have SPRING days! Warm sunny - fabulous!
Colette is doing just fine. She is playing right now, just being a 3 yr old. She starts back on the accutane tomorrow, with blood checks every 3 days to prevent that hypercalcemia from coming back.
Colette's Aunt Kristin (Jason's little sister) is coming from South Carolina next weekend to spend her spring break with Colette (and me)! We are so excited to have her come! She is going to scrapbook with me (I kinda got her addicted, along with my niece Nicole) and probably play dress-up and dance with Colette. We haven't seen her since last summer! (She was my first "little girl", Jason & I were engaged when his mom had her! She will be a teenager this November!)
Our Disney trip is scheduled for June 30-July 6. That is the earliest time that we could get, but I figured we wanted to avoid Hurricane season & July/August/Sept heat. Also, Bryant will be back in school on Aug 15! And I heard they have the best fireworks displays! We scheduled it so that we won't have to get up to leave the next morning!
FUNDRAISER COMING UP = UPDATE
****These folks are going at it full speed! Apparently there are enough hearts in that store to cover most of the walls! They are gearing up for a big weekend next Sat & Sun, with hopefully a radio station out there and more! They have contacted vendors with letters with Colette's pictures and I hear some good things are coming! I am so excited! I wish she could be there! Jason and Bryant will be there helping...make sure you find them.***
The Chevron in Tillman's Corner (right next to Golden Corral) wants to sell hot dogs & drinks next Sat & Sun - April 8 & 9 - to help raise money for the water purification system we have to buy for our house (we are on a well and cannot get county water due to our location & neighbors)
Please tell as many people as you can that they need to eat hot dogs next weekend!
*******************************************
April 1, 2006
Wow - today was definitely a fun day! We went to Tuscaloosa (in the rain) and by the time the game started, it was HOT and SUNNY! I don't think there is a more beautiful sight than the sun bouncing off of crimson helmets and the green green grass, and the sound of "Yea Alabama" bouncing off the empty seats....aaaahhh.....
Anyway, back to reality.
We must have walked about 20 miles all total today! I have lots of pics - you can see them at rolltide.photosite.com (there aren't any of us, since it is a public site linked to al.com)
*************************************
***************************************
Check out http://www.walkerplace.org/colette for ALL NEW PICS!
Our Other Friends:
Kadin - Has been released from ICU back to him room and is sitting up and waking up and listening to dinosaurs books and trying to smile! Whoo hoo! His dad even got him out of bed!
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
Jay - our friend from Down Under has been the target of some nasty hate e-mail. So much so that his mom is taking him off the caringbridge site. Please, you have one last chance to visit him and leave him some encouraging notes. He is a super kid and is so encouraging to us with sick kids. He goes out of his way to write notes to them and he has many of his own struggles. He has the same cancer that Colette does and he has had it for almost 10 years!!! And he is still fighting and growing! Tell him you are friends with Colette.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/jay
*********************************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed to help with transportation to/from Birmingham, also with household bills while we are away.
Regions Bank & Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
Sunday, March 26, 2006 6:10 PM CST
Hi everyone!
Colette is still in Bham with Mawmaw. I am in Mobile with my boys. I was so happy to be back at church today. I must have smiled all my makeup off!
We had a good dinner with Aunt Brandy, Unc Todd & Colie, plus Ms. Lori from church.
We are heading back to church tonight and we will get to stay and visit afterwards.
Hopefully Miss Colette won't miss me too much and I can stay a couple more days. I actually cooked in my own kitchen for the first time since November! I can't believe I missed my dishes. And my dishwasher is so quiet! Wow!
Well, I gotta go get Bryant off the karaoke machine and head out the door.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, March 24, 2006 10:25 PM CST
First, the sad news:
Cassidy got her angel wings tonight. They stopped treatment around midnight last night because it was not going to help save her. They tried to make her comfortable and let her mom and dad spend time with her.
Please go by and let them know you are thinking about them:
http://www.caringbridge.com/al/cassidytierce
Now, the good news:
Colette's appointment went well today, all her numbers are back in a normal range, of course her WBC, RBC, and platelets are still low, but all of the side effects of the hypercalcemia are over. So I decided to head to Mobile while Mawmaw stayed with Colette in Bham.
I met my 2 boys tonight at Olive Garden and it was very nice to sit and love on them. I felt like I was a stranger in my house when I got home! Everything is all fixed up, clean, organized, not at all like when I left back in November! LOL
We will be checking in on our friends this weekend on my NEW COMPUTER WHOO HOO! I think Jason & I are going on a date tomorrow night and then I get to go to church on Sunday!
Pray for Colette that she won't miss me too much, and pray for Mawmaw that she doesn't lose her mind (what's left of it - LOL) and call me back really quick!
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, March 23, 2006 4:26 PM CST
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST NEEDED!!!
One of our transplant kids is in really bad shape right now. She has been fighting for a while (since Colette was discharged in December) with RSV, VOD and adenovirus. She has been in ICU for a couple of weeks (I think) and things have been up and down, but they are on a downward trend right now. Please stop and pray for CASSIDY TIERCE and her mom and dad, SEAN AND SUSIE TIERCE and her little brother, CADE TIERCE. Pray that they make the right decisions and they have peace about what is happening with their baby girl. Please go by and encourage them:
www.caringbridge.com/al/cassidytierce
Thanks!
***************************************
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:03 PM CST
Yippee!
Colette answered a phone call earlier, I thought it was my niece, but it was Holly from MAGIC MOMENTS telling Colette that her wish trip to Disney World has been APPROVED!! WHOO HOO! Everything will be arranged, we just have to tell them when and they will send us! Colette is super excited, but I don't think she has any idea! Bryant was spazzing out too! Unfortunately, we have to wait for school to be out, but it will give us enough time to get Colette's waterhose out and heal up enough to swim, and we will also be well into the adjusted Accutane treatments by then too!
So all you moms who have been to Disney/Give Kids the World, let me know a list of what we REALLY need to see. I think we are going to stay a little more than one week, why not? That will be good so we don't have to rush to see everything.
I am so excited! I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight!
Colette was fine at clinic today, she is still taking the medicine and her numbers are improving on their own, so she is out of danger right now. She has to go back on Friday for counts and make sure everything is leveling out.
Tammy
****************************************
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 6:33 PM CST
Well well well!
We finally have some answers about Colette.
First of all, her urine test showed some wbc's, so her dr suspects a urinary tract infection. It happens to be common in potty training kids because they are "holding it" so long at times. That would explain the fever, the nausea/vomiting...
Then, later this afternoon, we got a call that she also tested positive for c diff. Yay :( That is very contagious. She could have picked it up just about anywhere - especially at the hospital! I told the nurse, "I told you potty training was not a good idea for a cancer patient! LOL" But she could have picked it up from playing with the toys in the lobby, even sitting on the chair in the lobby. So tomorrow when we have to go back yet again to the clinic, we get to go straight back to a room!
Her wbc is still above 3000, but her platelets are the same and her hematocrit is a little low, probably due to all the fluids she has been getting. He wants to check her one more time to make sure her calcium is still on its way down (it was today) so that is why we have to go back tomorrow.
She has to take a new antibiotic for the UTI and she has to take Flagelles (sp?) for the c-diff. And we have to wear gloves to change her diaper or whatever she is wearing and use lots of soap and water.
Pray that this will help her feel better. She is around 75-80 percent of her normal self, this should perk her right up.
Will update after tomorrow's visit.
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
Monday, March 20, 2006 4:55 PM CST
Back from clinic finally!
Colette started out the morning with a fever. :(
Since we were already going just to check her calcium, I called ahead and told them she was sick. She acted nauseous, but she made it to the hospital parking lot before she got sick.
Once inside, they hurried us to the back and checked her temp, her heart rate was up and they started her on some fluids. They also drew cultures because her mouth temp was 101.5!!! He also checked her lipase levels and some other stuff.
The good news is, her temp came down and she was her perky self after a while. All her lab work came back normal, except her calcium is just above where they want it, and her potassium was low, which they gave her. Her hematocrit is up to 24 from 22 on Friday, but her white count is up to 5000, when it was 2000 on Friday...so we are not sure what that means. There is a stomach bug with fever going around. If she has picked up a bug, then that is good news that her body is kicking those wbc's into gear! But we still have to wait and see. If her wbc stayed up until friday, then we may have finally reached her goal. It is not considered a trend for your wbc to be higher until it has happened for several days in a row. Your wbc usually goes up and down, depending on your health. (Normal is 4000 to 11000)
We have to go back tomorrow morning just to be checked out and look at that calcium deal.
Our dr was super great today. He spent a long time in our room answering questions and basically just observing Colette. She loves him, anyway!
***********************************************************
Something has come to mind for me to do when I get back to Mobile. Before Colette had cancer, I must say, I have never realized that little babies and children need blood! Children RIGHT HERE in ALABAMA!!! In fact, 95 percent of the kids in Alabama who have cancer are being treated HERE AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL in BIRMINGHAM!! The rest go to St. Jude's I suppose.
Now I have seen plenty of blood drives, especially during Iron Bowl season, but I never thought about children.
I am going to make it a mission to get involved when I get home with the Red Cross to try to have a blood drive in HONOR of COLETTE right there in Tillmans Corner. A whole big to-do, with balloons and pictures with Colette, the works! Maybe even face painting, who knows! I will contact everyone I know to get them out and draw attention to this situation! I have a big mouth, you know! LOL
************************************************************
Another thing is the Curing Childhood Cancer tags. You may have seen my van, my sister's or a couple of others around town. These tags are in support of childhood cancer research. In fact, they support the Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UAB - essentially, Colette's dr.'s office! Of the $50 fee, $41.25 goes straight to Colette's drs to research how to stop this monster from taking our babies! In fact, they have been able to learn things to help Colette herself due to recent research! I want to do anything I can to help these people who have devoted their lives to saving children. St. Jude's has lots of celebrity support, and that is why they have so much more available for the families. But UAB - Children's Hospital is my St. Jude's! They have provided us with a place to live, things to do with my family, unbelievable support and friendship, most of all, HOPE! And all of this has been free to us. I know it is the start of the new tag season, so I hope some of you will think of Colette when you go stand in line with your number, almost the whole additional tag fee goes to her drs to help make her well! We have our tags - honk if you see us! www.curingchildhoodcancer.org
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, March 19, 2006 5:30 PM CST
Today we spent a few hours back in SCTU for fluids and more lasix. Her potassium was down too, from the lasix, so they tweaked that.
We will follow up with Dr. Buckley in our regular clinic in the morning. Her calcium came down, but not quite enough for it to be safe. So we will check it again tomorrow.
She felt better today, her appetite is returning. My mom is on her way here and I think Colette will perk up when she gets here.
Will update more tomorrow!
Love,
Tammy
PS: They told me somebody directly donated platelets for Kadin from Mobile. Anybody we know??? :)
***************************************************
Information about donating platelets for Kadin (www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway):
This is from Kadin's mom, Emily:
If you are in the Birmingham area, you can call 918-1000 to set up an appointment to donate. The first time there is a lot of paperwork and questions, then the first donation takes one hour, after that it takes about 2 hours total. One donation is usually enough for 2 transfusions, if that makes sense. So we need to set up a schedule for every Monday and Thursday. Billy and I will find out if we are CMV (cytomegalovirus) negative early next week. If we are, then we will probably only need one person every week to donate, just to help us out a little. A person can donate platelets every 48-72 hours. If you are not in the Birmingham area, but in the state of Alabama (Mobile) you can call 1-888-905-3344 to set up an appintment to donate there. It is very important to tell them you are donating directly for John Kadin Gazzaway. Thank you so much to those that have already donated on Kadin's behalf. Though he got platelets yesterday, he needed and recieved them again already today. They are trying to keep his level above 75,000 now. If you have never donated before and don't know if you are CMV negative, don't worry. They will let you know sometime shortly after your first donation. And don't worry, if you are CMV positive, your donation can go to someone else who needs it. It won't be wasted, it just can't go to Kadin. If you do not live in Alabama and want to try to doante for Kadin, please call your local donation center and ask about directed apheresis donation for a child in another state. If you need any paperwork from us to accomplish this, let us know. Just to give you an idea of the shortage...last night, Kadin's platelets were flown in from Gainsville, Florida.
Saturday, March 18, 2006 10:33 PM CST
Just a quick update...
Colette went back to SCTU for calcium check. She was still very high, the treatment yesterday only helped a little, so we were there for a few hours while she got a higher dose of med and 2 hrs of fluids. We have to return in the am for another check, and possibly another round of fluids & med. Pray that this comes down quickly. It is a little scary, but I think if it was super bad, they would have admitted her. It was very peaceful there today, since the clinic is not very busy on weekends. I had a chance to chat with Kadin's mom and also Cassidy's mom. I even bought one of Cassidy's t-shirts! I will probably wear it tomorrow.
My mom is coming up tomorrow afternoon. Pray that the rain will hold off until she gets here, because it is supposed to come in sometime tomorrow afternoon and be really bad tomorrow night.
That's it for now...off to bed.
Love,
Tammy
***************************************
Friday, March 17, 2006 4:57 PM CST
I know a lot of you have been waiting for me to update today.
I don't really have any good news.
Colette's calcium is sky-high - due entirely to the retinoic acid. She is stopping this cycle of treatment.
She had to get a bolus of saline and a dose of Lasix (she will be pottying A TON). She is scheduled to be back at Stem Cell Clinic in the morning (Stem Cell because it is the weekend) and they will check her calcium again. If it is still high, they will give her more fluids and more lasix. And on the way out to the parking deck, Colette was very nauseous, so she decided to throw up right there in the hallway! We went back down to Clinic 8 and they helped her get cleaned up and we are waiting out the traffic in the Children's Harbor just in case she feels sick again.
Monday we have an appt to see Dr. Buckley to see if this is resolved. She will not take the retinoic acid until the next month (April 4) and will be taking a lower dose. If it happens again, they will make more adjustments. However, during that 2 weeks in April, she will be checked every 2-3 days to see if the calcium is going up again. Know what that means?
Yep - we are staying in Bham, not able to go home until hopefully (prayerfully) April 14, Good Friday. He said he will check her numbers and the calcium at that point and if everything is OK, we can go home on Good Friday and stay throughout Spring Break!!
Unfortunately, that makes almost another ENTIRE MONTH for us to be here. I will not be able to be in the Franklin Graham conference choir in April, since I can't make the practices. I will be in Birmingham for my birthday, April 2. I will also miss my little bro's birthday at Olive Garden (April 12). BUT - I am going to the A-Day game on April 1!!!! And I would give it all up to be home in time for Easter Egg Hunts (anyone know I was born on Easter Sunday??) and special music at church and family get-togethers that weekend!!! Plus, I will be home while my buddy is on Spring Break!
We will try to stay happy and at least she is not in the hospital at this point! I hope this one dose of med helped bring down her calcium, we will know tomorrow.
Love,
Tammy
Information about donating platelets for Kadin (www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway):
This is from Kadin's mom, Emily:
If you are in the Birmingham area, you can call 918-1000 to set up an appointment to donate. The first time there is a lot of paperwork and questions, then the first donation takes one hour, after that it takes about 2 hours total. One donation is usually enough for 2 transfusions, if that makes sense. So we need to set up a schedule for every Monday and Thursday. Billy and I will find out if we are CMV (cytomegalovirus) negative early next week. If we are, then we will probably only need one person every week to donate, just to help us out a little. A person can donate platelets every 48-72 hours. If you are not in the Birmingham area, but in the state of Alabama (Mobile) you can call 1-888-905-3344 to set up an appintment to donate there. It is very important to tell them you are donating directly for John Kadin Gazzaway. Thank you so much to those that have already donated on Kadin's behalf. Though he got platelets yesterday, he needed and recieved them again already today. They are trying to keep his level above 75,000 now. If you have never donated before and don't know if you are CMV negative, don't worry. They will let you know sometime shortly after your first donation. And don't worry, if you are CMV positive, your donation can go to someone else who needs it. It won't be wasted, it just can't go to Kadin. If you do not live in Alabama and want to try to doante for Kadin, please call your local donation center and ask about directed apheresis donation for a child in another state. If you need any paperwork from us to accomplish this, let us know. Just to give you an idea of the shortage...last night, Kadin's platelets were flown in from Gainsville, Florida.
Thursday, March 16, 2006 8:34 PM CST
Today was a nice day.
Colette had speech this morning with Ms. Wendy. It was our first real speech session. Colette enjoyed playing the games and she really likes Ms. Wendy. Things were interesting!
It was a lazy day around the "jail cell" here - Colette is serious about this potty business. I am looking forward to going to clinic tomorrow and sharing this milestone with the dr!
Speaking of which, we will hopefully get a timeframe as to when we can expect to go home for a visit. I am about to my wits' end if he says, "check back next Friday"! I am telling you now, I can not be held responsible for my actions after that! LOL
Our little friend Kadin is still bleeding in his lungs. From what I understand, when he tries to breathe on his own (along with the machine), it aggravates whatever clots are there, and sets him back. His parents are setting up a directed donor form with the Red Cross, just like Colette had. As soon as she gives me the info tomorrow, I will update Colette's site. I am also going to work on them being able to receive from Mobile also. Colette did it, why can't they?! But he is a different blood type from Colette & I don't know about his CMV status. Just check tomorrow and I should have more info. I think it would AWESOME if someone who loves Colette could donate blood for this little guy!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
I don't believe Colette will be needing platelets or blood any time soon. I will know that for sure tomorrow. I think he would have already given her some, but I think she is above that point now. We will see tomorrow!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 4:37 PM CST
Guess who decided to potty train herself????
WHOO HOO!!!
They told us not to expect too much in that department, since she was just at the point where she was ready one year ago, but then, well, you know...
But now she wants to wear panties and be a big girl like Mommy. (Finally!) It has been actually a blessing in disguise since public bathrooms are so nasty, the diapers have been clean. But now I am going to have to invest in lots of small hand sanitizer bottles, and those cute little Dora potty seat covers. I have a pack of them, but haven't needed them until now. This is exciting! Now we will be buying some panties and being prepared for "accidents".
Just thought I would share!
Somebody needs some sweet tea, so I will sign off for now.
Check on Kadin & Cassidy for new updates:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
www.caringbridge.com/al/cassidytierce
Love,
Tammy & Colette
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 5:16 PM CST
*****Check out walkerplace.org/colette for some pics from the zoo!*****
Today was just a regular day, except we got to go somewhere.
Colette had a follow-up appointment with radiation oncology. She liked seeing some of her nurses from before and she entertained everyone. Ms. Lesley blew bubbles and drew pictures with her while we waited for Dr. Jahrus.
Everything is fine with her, they just needed to make notes concerning what has happened since then. It is hard to believe it has been a month since she finished radiation!
After that, we needed to pick up a refill at the hospital pharmacy, so while we were there we stopped by and gave Madison (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/madisonbeck) some play doh and tattoo stickers, we missed Brittney - I guess her and her mom are back at Hope Lodge.
On the way back down we stopped at ICU to see Kadin's mom and dad. They looked like they were feeling good. Kadin (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway) hasn't gotten worse, even though they had to put him back on the paralyzing meds because he is such a fighter, he was fighting the vent tube! BUT, they have taken him off TPN feeds completely, just getting nutrition through a tp tube into his gut. That is GREAT! TPN is really tough on their livers, and they already have a great demand on their livers at this point due to chemo. I also got to see Cassidy's mom and dad (www.caringbridge.com/al/cassidytierce) after they got to visit her. Unfortunately, she is going to get dialysis this afternoon, since she is not peeing and the fluid is building up. They both looked really sad. I can't imagine being in their shoes right now. Thankfully, Colette has never been in ICU and I can't put myself in that place right now. I just know it would be horrible!
When we got the elevator, guess who was in there? Dr. SANDE! She said, "What are you doing on this floor?" I told her we were visiting a mommy and daddy. Colette didn't talk to her, but I asked her who she was, and she said "Dr. TANDY"! LOL Thankfully we always wear our mask, so Dr. Sande should not be worried. Besides, they said the only places she could go was home and the hospital! They never said only certain floors and rooms! (All joking aside, I have only gone to 3rd floor twice and Colette was always at least 3 ft away from anyone, and wearing her mask, and it was never near anybody who was sick!)
Ran down to the basement and got her meds, and we were off again to the parking deck!
Thank you to a special couple who have helped us get the rest of our rent, and thank you to Mr. Murphy - that was more than we expected, to have the donation bucket money replaced all at once like that! Just in time, too!
Much love,
Tammy & Colette
Monday, March 13, 2006 11:06 PM CST
Yay! It must have been a stomach bug. Colette wasn't sick again after 10 pm last night and today was back to her old self! She ate probably a cup of mashed potatoes and corn today! She was hungry! Plus she was hitting the sweet tea - I used to call her a "Sweet Tea-aholic" LOL!
We had some "adventurous" weather tonight (I missed WifeSwap) but none of it actually made to our part of town. Yay!
Colette has a follow up appointment with radiation tomorrow. There is nothing to tell them and nothing to show them, the radiation didn't really affect her skin or anything thankfully. So we will just be going for a visit. I might stop by the hospital so we can check on a couple of >>non-contagious<< friends. I also have to pick up some refills of meds.
Will update tomorrow night. It's weird not to have anything to talk about! But that is GOOD NEWS, right?!
Love,
Tammy & Colette
Sunday, March 12, 2006 10:05 PM CST
We are still hanging out here. We spent most of the day being lazy. Colette is learning how to put the clothes from the dryer into the hamper!
I almost finished a new scrapbook page of Colette & Bryant. I will put it up when I am done.
Colette was complaining about her belly hurting, like she was trying to cough-start a vomit episode. After waking up early from her nap, she was very complain-y and whiny. Finally at 6:30 PM, she threw up. Everything she had ALL DAY.
I called the nurse on call before the vomit, because I was worried about any side effects since she has been on this medicine nearly one week. I called her back when Colette actually threw up too! She said she had checked with the hospital pharmacist and they said GI problems are not usually symptoms of this med. So it is possible that she picked up a stomach bug! You have to be kidding me! A normal sickness??? AAAHH!
I gave her the nausea med that melts under your tongue and she slept for over an hour on the couch. Then she eventually moved around and wanted to go watch a movie and sleep in her Care Bear bed. We are now at the 3-hour mark since the last vomit! Hooray! Pray that it is over!
I probably won't sleep that great since I will be waking up to feel her for a fever or every time she rolls over! LOL
I will call her dr tomorrow and update him and see what he says. I pray it is just a normal thing and not a side effect of this new med. Pray!
Love,
Tammy
PS: There will be new zoo pictures on the walkerplace.org/colette website sometime tomorrow afternoon!
Friday, March 10, 2006 6:45 PM CST
Well, thanks for the prayers for good news. Apparently the good news vibe was probably for Kadin!
Colette is still staying in Birmingham until at least one week from next Tuesday. Her dr wants to check her counts next Friday and then he wants to "think" about it. He wants to watch her while she finishes these 2 weeks of accutane and that last dose will be on Tuesday morning. He also has to take a little blood at the end of the 2 weeks to check levels of medicine in her blood. So, we are still stuck here. :(
Her platelets came up a little more, so that is really good. Everything else is about the same.
GOOD NEWS is that she can go to the zoo (maybe tomorrow) as long as she wears her mask (duh!), she doesn't touch anything (no animals - duh!) and "don't play in the hay" - AS IF! I have turned into a complete germophobe, so do you actually THINK I would let her touch obvious GERMS???? YUCK!
So if it is not rainy or windy or cold in the am, I might take her for the morning. I know she will have a blast getting to go somewhere! (And I will take lots of pics!)
As far as news on our other friends:
Kadin - I saw his mom, Emily, today while at the hospital. She said he was doing a lot better. His swelling has gone down and his kidneys have been working. YAY! www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
Cassidy - She was in stem cell next door to where Colette was. Her lungs have been having problems and she actually stopped breathing today. They gave her CPR and started everything back. Now she is downstairs right next to Kadin. The drs are not very optimistic (she has medulloblastoma and had a transplant too, but she has developed lots of complications since transplant). They are basically watching her minute by minute. Please encourage her parents - www.caringbridge.com/al/cassidytierce
That's really all of the news for now. I am keeping watch on these 2 in ICU and I will update Colette's page if anything significant happens. You don't know how great it was to be walking out of the hospital with my baby running down the hallway towards the parking deck!!!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, March 10, 2006 9:35 AM CST
"Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's off the Clinic 8 we go...."
We are leaving to go to see Dr. Buckley. I wanted to let you know about the answered prayers for Kadin!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
Things have really improved for him yesterday!!! Thank you Lord!
Also, go see Mighty Miss Morgan.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/morganrosedeckard
She has the same thing Colette does, except she still had several spots with live tumors, so she automatically got the antibody. She has just finished yesterday the first treatment in Indiana. Tell her Colette sent you.
By the way, Colette still has her waterhose. Her platelets have been too low to take it out for fear of bleeding. Also, they wanted to make sure she could tolerate the retinoic acid treatment before they remove it, so she should have it another couple of weeks.
It feels like a PATTY CAKE PRAISE DAY!!! Look out the window!!! Colette is shown above with her favorite, flowers, but these are the only kind she can have for a while (germs).
Pray for something good to happen today!
Love,
Tammy & Colette
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 11:20 AM CST
I woke up early to call my sweetie buddy to sing Happy Birthday to him!!! I am SOOO SAD that I am not with him on this special day! He seems to be ok with it though. I think he is so tough - and you know the meaning of his name is "STRONG" - we got that right!
Mawmaw & Papa are at school to eat lunch with him and then they will have cupcakes in his class. I think Daddy is taking him somewhere special tonight (movie & arcade) and they will have fun celebrating!! I MISS MY TWO BOYS!!!
Email Bryant at bigpoppn@hotmail.com and tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY 7 YEAR OLD!!!
*******************************************
Tuesday, March 7, 2006 10:58 PM CST
PRAYER REQUEST NEEDED!!!
One of our little friends at Childrens' had a bone marrow transplant a couple of weeks ago and has developed complications in the past couple of days.
Today I found from another friend's site that his situation is worse.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kadingazzaway
He has a bleeding disorder due to his transplant. His lungs are bleeding and they medicines they are trying to treat it with are very strong and weaken his immune system even more! Pray for this very sweet family. They are from the Florida Panhandle area and I heard that some of their family has come up. Pray that this little fighter will pull through each night a little stronger and his parents will have hope a little longer. (sorry for the rhyme!)
"I will praise you in this storm,
And I will lift my hands,
For you are who you are,
No matter where I am,
And every tear I've cried,
You hold in your hand,
You've never left my side,
And though my heart is torn,
I will praise you in this storm."
Casting Crowns
*****************************************
Tuesday, March 7, 2006 9:21 AM CST
Even more news:
Remember the guy who stole the money from Colette's jugs? He had a court date today and my mom was there.
Apparently he was living in a FEMA hotel at the time, misplaced from MS, has his own kids and is in Rehab. His mom came to the court with him. He seemed VERY remorseful and humbled.
He told the judge he only stole ONE jug, which is not true, and that the amount he stole was $90. There has never been $90 in ONE jug! That is what we would get in at least 3 jugs (which there are videos of)!
He received ONE year probation, which means he must stay in AL, 100 hours community service with the children's cancer hospital (I am assuming that is USA Children's & Womens) and he has to repay $90. The judge had some pictures of Colette and asked him HOW he could steal from her?! (She was pretty upset) He said he never saw the picture (which I don't believe, how else would he have spotted the buckets?)
Momma gave him a handprint card from Colette that said, "I forgive you and Jesus does too" and "Jesus died on the cross to make me all well and He can make you all well too!"
After Momma called me and told me that, I had a heavy heart about the money. What if he just doesn't have that kind of money? Knowing that he has been suffering from hurricane loss and probably lost his job, I just feel guilty for demanding that money. He probably would have to pay it in $10 increments each week, and even though we don't even have March's rent, I told Momma to call the attorney back and tell them he doesn't have to pay the money. I just feel that he has enough to deal with and the money was never ours to begin with anyways! Some of you will think I am crazy (probably even my husband) but I am trying to send out the right message - I wanted an apology and I got it. Colette is not suffering from what this man did! And there were several donations in the week following the newscast that amounted to more than $90. In my opinion, that money has already been replaced.
He will have another court date since some of the buckets were in Mobile County and one was City of Mobile. I am not sure which was today, but he will go back to court for the other location.
I guess my sleeping in for today is cancelled. :( LOL
Love,
Tammy
PS: However, we DO need prayers that we can meet our rent payment this week. ;)
****************************************
Monday, March 6, 2006 2:33 PM CST
Back from the clinic:
The verdict is in - Colette will NOT being receiving the antibody treatment!
Both arms had pros & cons (the antibody had LOTS of cons with only one BIG pro)
Now that the other shoe has fallen, we can finally make normal plans like we would have a year ago!
Colette is starting the retinoic acid tomorrow and she will take it 2x a day for 2 weeks. At the end of that, she will have blood drawn again (no biggie) and then she will be off that med for 2 weeks.
The good news is:
She will have her central line removed (magic milk sedation) and she will NOT have a port or anything else in her body! Whoo hoo!! I am VERY excited about that! No more dressing changes and she will be able to swim and fully bathe!
Once we get the permanent release to go home to stay, we will only have to come to Bham ONCE A MONTH for a doctor visit and to pick up the next month's med. YAY!
They will continue to scan her at regular dates and watch for any regrowth, but she doesn't have to be hospitalized anymore! Yay yay yay!
I don't want to be a downer, because we feel very relieved, BUT - this does not mean she has beaten NB yet. She still had that little spot and she will be closely watched because NB is still in her body. There is a possibility that we could get down the road a few months and something show up on a scan or something. I am just saying this so that everyone won't get the idea that everything is all over.
Now that I threw that little bit of reality in, YAY! We will be able to take a vacation, spend time at home, have cookouts at our house, have friends & family over, I can't wait to get home! We know we will be here at least until next Friday and probably longer, but we are so much closer now!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, March 3, 2006 7:04 PM CST
Another LONG day at the clinic!
I won't gripe about the 2 hours I spent in a 6x6 office with my 2 stir crazy kids, but I was glad to leave after being there for a total of 4 1/2 hrs!!!
The bone marrow biopsy wasn't completed until after 4 pm today due to "extra special attention", so Colette's information won't be sent to the "randomizing" computer until MONDAY. (Oh yeah, it was completely NORMAL! PTL!)
Colette & I will be at the hospital on Monday at 9 am. He said we should have an answer within half an hour of actually submitting her information whether she is antibody + retinoic acid arm or retinoic acid only arm.
If she is antibody arm, she will be admitted to the hospital on Tuesday or Wednesday for that treatment to start. It will be a 4 day process (a little every day, sorta like chemo).
If she is retinoic acid arm, she will receive that on Monday for the first treatment. That is daily for 2 weeks.
Her counts are still SLOWLY climbing, so we are still not released. She just isn't quite there yet and it is better to have her in a controlled environment for now.
Daddy & Mawmaw are coming tonight, and Bryant is going back home with them on Sunday. I am going to miss my buddy (and hubby), I hope it is soon that we can go home with them!
Probably won't update much this weekend. I am not really thinking about next week. I found this verse mentioned in a book I have really leaned on, "Loving God With All Your Mind", by Elizabeth George.
"For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life,
as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink;
nor for your body, as to what you shall put on.
Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they?
And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?
And why are you anxious about clothing?
Observe how the lilies of the field grow;
they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.
But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith?
Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?'
For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
-(Matthew 6:25-34)
The last part is embedded into the tracks of my thoughts! When I start thinking about what is ahead, those words ring over and over in my mind!
God knows just what I need and He will provide it. He says to trust Him, that if He takes care of the wild flowers who are completely helpless, even when they will die the next day, how much more does He care for US???? It is hard to even compare the two! If He sent His ONLY SON to die for us, how much more love is that?? So why wouldn't I trust my daughter's life in His hands?? We are sooo fortunate to have someone like HIM to care for us and about us!!! And guess what?? HE WANTS US TO LOVE HIM BACK! Whoo hoo!!! (I could really use some church right now! LOL!)
Love,
Tammy
***********************************************************
Donations are really needed at this time. Since Jason missed a couple of days of work last week to be here for Colette's scans and tests and treatment options, his check was shorter than usual. Then we found out that she is getting only a third of the disability payment we were expecting. I only know of one benefit that will be scheduled in August, that is the only upcoming income we know of. Please pray that someone will feel in their heart to make a donation to Colette's fund. Thank you!
Regions Bank & Bay Bank: Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
************************************************************
Thursday, March 2, 2006 2:16 PM CST
Hey all!
Tammy asked that I give you a quick update.
She has been at clinic all morning and it seems they will not results for the randomization until Monday. They were finishing up the last few things today and hoping for results but will probably not know until Monday.
Either way next week she will begin the next phase.
If she gets randomized and chosen for the study she will be admitted on Tuesday to begin getting the antibodies.
If she doesn't get randomized she will begin the next step of treament on Monday.
Tammy said the 3 of them were stuck in a small room for a couple of hours and ready to grab a bite to eat.
I am sure she will update us as soon as she knows more.
Pray Jason and mawmaw have a safe trip to Birmingham.
Love Aunt Brandy
********FINALLY! NEW PHOTOS @ walkerplace.org/colette ********
Colette's pathology report was not back in the computer yet, so her dr said just to keep the original plan of coming to the clinic tomorrow.
So it will be Friday before we know anything about the antibody. They will also do an echo on her heart too, per the study rules. That is simple and painless.
Daddy & Mawmaw are coming back tomorrow so we can celebrate Bryant's birthday this weekend.
Thanks Aunt Brandy, Colie & Unc Todd! Colette hasn't seen her package (sleeping) but she will be super happy to open it, I am sure!
I got the pics and I know she is going to love those ballerina beads! Those are too cute and they suit Cole & Brianna perfectly! And I didn't know Tori got braces! Looks like MG was BEAUTIFUL and a BLAST! Waaa! Waaa! Waaa!
Both of my kids are WILD this week - sorta Spring Fever & Cabin Fever combined, as you can tell from the pic above! LOL
Love,
Tammy
**********************************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed:
Regions Bank & Bay Bank: Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
**********************************************************
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 6:03 PM CST
Hello! We had a long morning at the Speech & Hearing center. Colette had fun playing with the two ladies and answering their questions. Bryant had fun playing on the floor and constantly checking to see what Colette was doing!
Colette got new earmolds made that fit a little more snugly, and they are clear pink, which I like better because they are harder to see than the white and pink swirl.
She is definitely eligible for speech therapy due to the damage from the chemo. She is average to above average for language development, but she scored 79 out of 100 on speech. The speech therapy, along with the aids, should help her get her words pronounced correctly and that will help her scores go up. Did you know that Colette, even though she is 3, is eligible for speech assistance through the Mobile County Public School System?? Yay!
I did hear from her Dr. today. He took her scans to the tumor board that meets every Wednesday, and they agreed with him, that they didn't expect to be able to get to the few small live cells because of where they are, or they would have gotten it all out to begin with back in October. So tomorrow I will be going to see him at 1:00 pm to sign the papers to enter Colette into the antibody study, and either tomorrow night or Friday, we will know what is coming in the next 6 months!
I have 2 very demanding children right now and I need to go. Don't forget Bryant's birthday is next Wednesday! I won't be there in Mobile with him :( But we are celebrating this weekend here in Bham with Daddy & Mawmaw. We will have the big party when Colette is able to be there.
Love,
Tammy
Monday, February 27, 2006 5:01 PM CST
We spent the whole day in clinic today!
Colette had a bone marrow aspirate scheduled, plus regular counts.
Her white count is going up slowly (good) and her others are the same (ok).
Her bone marrows "looked" good, nothing suspicious, but they have to wait for the final word of the bone marrow biopsy which will take a few days. Also, her urine test showed normal, they were looking for tumor markers (or something like that). Whatever, it is good news!
Dr. Buckley is taking her scans to the Tumor Board meeting on Wednesday and will talk to them to get a general concensus on the next step (whether surgery will be able to even get the cells to biopsy since they are in the small area). He will call me on Wednesday evening. We are scheduled to go back on Friday for regular clinic.
Jason is coming back on the weekend so we can celebrate Bryant's birthday here in Bham. Of course, Colette won't be able to go anywhere with us, so we will have to stick with a cake at the apartment, just us. :( But we will be able to plan a big birthday party when Colette can be there at home!
Love,
Tammy
*************************************************************
DONATIONS ARE NEEDED!
Regions Bank and Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
*************************************************************
Friday, February 24, 2006 5:09 PM CST
So the news is...
Only a few small spots showed up on the MIBG scan today - in the original tumor tissue, on her renal artery where they had to leave it back in October. The best news is NO OTHER CELLS LIT UP ANYWHERE ELSE IN HER BODY! Whoo hoo!
The bone scan from Wed was normal
The CT from yesterday just showed that little area and the small calcifications from before (dead)
The MIBG showed smaller glowing area than in November (pre=transplant)
I told Chris Tomlin last night that my new motto is
--All Will See, How Great Is Our God!!!--
Dr. Buckley doesn't think the surgeons will want to go back in and try to biopsy that area, since they weren't able to get it to begin with, so since there is no biopsy, she does not automatically get the antibody. SO she will be signed up next week for the randomization part and they will let us know within 24 hours of submitting her whether she will get it.
If she does get randomized to receive the antibody, he said she will have a surgery before hand to take out her "waterhose" (central line/Hickman) and they will replace it with a port (under skin). She will get the first dose of antibody inpatient so they can manage her pain and watch for any problems.
If she does NOT get randomized to receive it, she will get the Accutane treatment only and that will make her peel like a banana! She will have to be monitored for the first dose of that to make sure she can handle it. But - she will have just magic milk and they will take out her central line totally, no port! She will have to have her blood drawn from her arm anyway even with a port but it would be AWESOME not to have any kind of uncomfortable stuff in her body - she could go completely underwater again, after we take out the hearing aids! LOL
Randomized for means a LOT of time spent in Bham each month (up to 2 weeks) and lots of pain issues while she is in the hospital, along with several side effects. But the antibody is supposed to prolong her life and improve her chances of beating NB, so what do you think I am going to do??!!
I feel relieved, more than anything else. I have been unable to have high or low emotions throughout all of this. I think it is a defense mechanism of some kind, but it keeps me sane. Plus, it helps me take the bad with the good.
I do look forward to when we might get the chance to say, NOTHING SHOWED UP on her scan, we will keep working and praying for that end.
I told a lady at church today - you would not believe the witness Colette has been to people! She sits and sings Miss Patty Cake songs (I have to translate of course) and she always see crosses, whether it is just a cross hairs on a scan machine or a sideways X, but she ALWAYS blurts out, "Jesus died on the cross!" and that is usually followed by, "And He's making me all well!" Never mind the constant singing of "For the Joy of the Lord is our strength!" as we are walking around the hospital wearing butterfly wings!
I know this is a long update, but I wanted to keep the Chris Tomlin stuff on there for anybody who hasn't seen it. I also have several pics that are going to be on walkerplace when I can get this computer to cooperate.
Sherry is here, so I am getting off the computer. Thank you for your prayers and love. I really didn't feel anxious at all today (except for a moment now and then)! SO I know that was peace and grace holding me steady. Thank you!
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
Thursday, February 23, 2006 11:00 PM CST
Wow - I guess many people don't get online at night...LOL
So this past Tuesday I called the Church at Brook Hills and asked about the Chris Tomlin "Indescribable" concert. They gave me some names and numbers, so I called the promoter and ended up finding out today that we would be able to see his sound check, since Colette technically can't go to the concert (plus it was sold out).
We got there at 3:45 and there really weren't many people there. Just the crew doing sound and light stuff. So a few people stopped by and introduced themselves - of course we stuck out in the empty auditorium.
Colette was herself and chatted with everyone. Someone asked her if she wanted to see Chris Tomlin and she was like, "who?" and I said, "the real guy who sings 'you have my heart', and she said, 'Yes!'"
We saw Matt Redman warm up and then Chris came out. He looked a little different since I saw him in Mobile in Nov 04. As soon as he started playing, "Holy Is the Lord", Colette's jaw dropped! She was SINGING AS LOUD AS SHE COULD and you still couldn't hear her! LOL He sang a little bit, then he played it and just picked up a few verses here and there, but we just sang all the way through. He sang "Unfailing Love" (that's 'you have my heart') a little, then "How Great Is Our God" on the piano and "Indescribable" - All the songs she loves to replay over and over! It was really a mini-concert for us!
His road manager introduced himself and I was happy because that meant Chris actually knew about Colette. A little while later, the road manager brought out the smallest tour tshirt they had, an adult small, and it was grey with pink writing - she said, "Awww, thank you very much!" and then she wanted to wear it. It was tooo cute!
We had a handprint card that she made with Mawmaw this week, so I had that for her to give the manager, and he said, "Here, just give it to Chris himself!" and there he was, right there! He got down on his knees and said, "Hey!" and Colette said, "hey!" in her non-star struck way! She told him the card was for him and it was a handprint. And she told him what it said. It was so awesome - I really don't remember all of the conversation, but he was very focused on listening to her. She chickened out on singing but she did tell him about her MIss Patty Cake doll she was carrying. He seemed so friendly and genuine, like somebody you would know. I knew he was busy, but I did show him a picture of her in transplant with her pink CD player that had his Arriving CD in it. I asked him to sign her CD and he did, then he asked somebody to go get us some CDs because he has a new one LIVE out. We took a bunch of pics and then we tried to get out of the way, since they were busy. He did want to know about her treatment and what kind of cancer, etc. That was super sweet. And he seemed to be listening to everything we said, very focused, I tell you, I felt like I had always known him. (Probably because I have heard his voice IN MY SLEEP! LOL)
So we floated out of there and Colette kept telling us how much fun she had going to church! Poor thing, she hasn't been in church since November, I didn't realize she would miss it that much.
That was an awesome day and we will not forget it for a LONG TIME! Especially now that we can retire the old CD and open a new one! PLUS, we have the LIVE CD we have to memorize now!
Night-night! We won't be back home tomorrow until after lunchtime with news.
Keep praying for good news and peace with bad news!
Love,
Tammy & the Gang
****************************************
Wednesday, February 22, 2006 2:48 PM CST
Well, one scan down, two to go.
We were a little late this morning due to traffic :P and then there was ABSOLUTELY no where to park in the parking deck! I forgot about the seminar they were having today for parents, so I guess they took up the spaces. I drove through that parking deck for 12 minutes before I found a space! UGH!
She has lost another 1/2 kilo so we have to work on drinking the Ensure and getting more calories in her. She is just tired of eating at home (me too) and she loves going to restaurants. Chicken nuggets just don't cut it anymore. She ate tuna fish salad one day and then 1/2 can of black olives another time. So her taste buds are a little more mature for her age! She had a Meximelt with no "pomate-as" (tomatoes) and dug in!
The dr is not in on Weds, so the receptionists and I were trying to figure out what that was about. He specifically said, "I will see you on Wed before her scan", so they set the appt with his on writing! Whatever...we waited in the waiting room where we are comfortable and talked about American Idol with some of the moms there.
Poor thing is trying to potty train without realizing it. She holds it and is staying dry when we are at home. But today her bladder had to be empty, and she was NOT going to wet her pull-up. So I ran in and wiped the seat off with soap and paper towels (YUCK) then I made LAYERS of paper towels for her to sit on, but no luck. She ended up getting a catheter :( to empty her bladder. But now, the urine sample is done too!
I told the tech that I didn't want to see the bone scan because I don't know what I am looking at and I don't want to be worried over something that I don't understand. She was very nice about it and said she understood. I know they are not allowed to tell us what it shows since they are not the dr, so I figured it's better if I just don't look. Call me scaredy-cat, I don't care! I have to be able to sleep at night!
To clear up the questions about the tests:
the bone scan (today) looks for suspicious areas within her bones only (whole body) - I think they have been clean in the past
the CT scan (tomorrow) will look for lumps, possible tumors and anything else not normal, I think it can also look at her central line insertion points (chest, neck, abdomen, pelvis) - they recently did this same scan the week before her radiation started, Dr said nothing suspicious
the MIBG scan (Friday) will show cancer (tumor) cells anywhere in her body - I don't know if the naked eye can see them, but if there is something there, I would think there would also be something else showing up in one of the other tests in the same spot - pre=transplant (November) - some spots lit up in the original tumor site and that is where the radiation was aimed
We will be in Clinic on Friday after the scan and Dr. Buckley will put everything together, review them, and come in and tell us the results. Then we will go over the next steps in treatment. We still have MONTHS of treatment ahead of us, either way...
So we are now waiting for Daddy & Bubba to come up tonight. I need to clean up so I will stop for now.
Thank you for all the prayers! I made it through today!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, February 20, 2006 7:37 PM CST
Lisa was right! I found this article about the girl that the song was written about named Colette! Go to this link and then scroll to the bottom of the article. Thanks for the tip Lisa!
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20051224/ASPENWEEKLY/112250019
Trying to upload new pics at:
walkerplace.org/colette
Check back Tues night or Wednesday for new pics at walkerplace
***********************
Saturday, February 18, 2006 1:21 PM CST
Did you know your body gets on a schedule and you can wake up without an alarm clock????!
This morning at 5:30 am I woke up! Not Colette, just me! I went back to sleep and at 7 am guess who was standing beside my bed smiling at me? That's a good way to wake up, until you look at the alarm clock! LOL She climbed in bed with me and I rubbed her back until she went to sleep. She was ready to play, though. We actually slept until 9! Yay!
So it is rainy here and cold, not much to do but watch the tube. It's not quite cold enough for snow, but it's not fair to be that cold and not get something in return!
Colette did finish up with radiation yesterday and she had a good time walking around in her Sleeping Beauty dress and Sleeping Beauty hair (you can get the wigs at Party City). She passed out thank you notes and pictures of her with the different people who she met these past 2 weeks there. After that we went and got the PINK hearing aids. She wore them for a few hours, and then we took them out for her nap in the afternoon.
Last night she was in bed watching her movie and she came to me and said, "I need my earrings on. I can't hear Charlie & the Chocolate Factory!" So I put them on and at some point, she fell asleep. I took them out and she stayed snoozing. This morning, she was ready to put them on again. Wow! The only problem we are having with them is she gets feedback when she lays on the side of her head. So she can't lay sideways and watch TV or lay her head on your shoulder a certain way. That is really the only bad part of it.
We went to clinic after the hearing center and had bloodwork done. Her dr saw her and said we could leave without the results of her counts. He would call me later in the day and let me know the results. Everything else was fine. He was impressed with her not fooling with the aids.
I also met with the lady from Magic Moments. Apparently, Colette is not old enough for them to give her a wish. Their cutoff is 4!!! And she is almost 3 1/2!!! I was very unhappy to hear that, but she said she would work on getting it approved. I told her she could contact ANY dr or nurse at Children's and they could vouch for Colette. She said the reason for the age limit is they want to be sure it is her wish (and not ours), and she has to be old enough to do the stuff. But I checked out Give Kids The World and their minimum age is 3. She said they have a board meeting in March and she will try to get it approved. She said they may also want us to wait 6 months. Ugh! I was already expecting 3-4 months, but then you are in hurricane season, and also, she might not feel so great then! We don't know what's ahead of us! Oh well, I will make sure she gets to go see the Princesses one way or another!
Well, that was a lot of talking. I will probably update again mid-week. We don't have anything coming up except the scans next week. Oh yeah, they changed the times for that.
Wednesday, 10 am - Bone scan injection, 12 pm - bone scan
Thursday, 10 am - MIBG injection, 11 am - CT scan
Friday, 9 am - MIBG scan, meet with dr to read results
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, February 16, 2006 3:38 PM CST
Well it is down to the last day of radiation tomorrow! Whoo-hoo! I am looking forward to sleeping past 6 am again!
They have something planned for her "graduation", then we go to the speech & hearing place and GET HER AIDS FITTED! They are in and they had an 8:30 appointment tomorrow! Yippee! I will be able to hear my baby sing her favorite songs with the right words! I am excited! Of course, I know it will take some days of practice with the aids before her speech is corrected, but I am glad to be getting it started.
After that, we will be off to Clinic for counts and verify her test dates. I just heard from the nurse and she gave me the dates and times.
Wednesday, Feb 22 - Bone Scan 10 am & 12 pm and MIBG injection
Thursday, Feb 23 - MIBG scan 10 am & CT scan 11 am
I am going to tell her dr that I expect to hear from them that same day. He is really good usually about that, but he is not in on Thursdays. I will "remind" him tomorrow.
I think Jason & Bryant will be here for Thursday's scans. Also, Bryant is out of school the entire next week for Mardi Gras and Teacher Workdays, so he will be staying with us the whole week! Colette will be happy (and aggravated) to feel normal with her buddy here! :)
I keep forgetting to tell everyone, but BRYANT'S birthday is March 8. He will be 7 years old! I can't believe it! We don't have any idea when we will have his party since that is close to the time of release (we hope) and also Colette's treatment might be starting around then. Keep checking on the site and I will let you know when we decide something. I know we want to have a big cookout in our backyard at home.
Love,
Tammy
Monday, February 13, 2006 9:56 PM CST
Happy Valentine's Day to my two Valentines - Jason & Bryant!! I love you and miss you! Be sure to watch for your Valentine Surprise!
NEW PHOTOS - CLICK VIEW PHOTOS ABOVE!
Wow - it's hard to believe only 4 more days and we are FINISHED with radiation! I think the worst part has been getting up in the mornings (5:30 am) and getting out in the freezing cold traffic!
Colette has gotten used to the sedation each morning, she is more cooperative when it comes to actually going into the room where they do it. And she doesn't cry really anymore. That's good.
So we will go to Clinic on Friday and get her counts done again and her dr should have her CT, MIBG & bone scan scheduled for the following Wed/Thurs/Fri. That is going to be the BIG answer we are waiting to see. Our whole future is riding on the results of these tests. These are the tests that actually pick up cancer cells throughout her body.
If there are still suspicious cells - the area will be biopsied to determine if they are cancer. If yes, she will automatically receive antibody treatment (4 days of IV infusion - very painful, then 2 weeks of retinoic acid and other meds, then a week off) that will happen for 6 months.
If there are no suspicious cells - we will sign her up for the antibody study and she will be randomized (50/50 chance she will get it). If she does, then we will follow the 6 month plan above. If she doesn't, she will still have meds for 6 months (retinoic acid) and pray that the cancer will not come back.
Either way, after the results from the test next week, she will have a surgery scheduled to:
1) remove her hickman catheter and replace it with a underskin port (like she had before the line infection this past summer)
2) bone marrow biopsies
3) biopsy any suspicious cells (if needed)
I hope she will have all of this done within the next few weeks and that she is able to heal after the surgery. That is always VERY scary for her to be under and away from us like that.
THEN - after we get the release to go home, I don't think she will still be 100 ble to do just anything she wants. I think we will still have to limit her visitors and watch her counts while she is on the medicines. I have to clear that up with her dr. But the goal is for her to get her Make A Wish Trip to Disney World this summer! She is very excited about seeing Cinderella's castle!
Pray that the tests don't show any suspicious areas. This is going to be a big milestone for Colette. As you might know, there is an 80 hance that the neuroblastoma will come back within the next year, which also means there is a 20 hance IT WON'T! :) They told us going into this that it is very difficult to treat. If it does come back, she will have to go through different treatments because she will not be able to get much more of the chemo she already got since she got so much. But her dr is optimistic because of the way things have been going and how well it responded initially. And to look at her, you would never know she has "cancer"!
Oh yeah, HER HAIR IS GROWING BACK! It is growing really fast! It is dark right now - I really don't remember what it looked like when she was a baby because she had some to begin with, but I don't remember what color it was and all that. I just remember the recent color and length before she was diagnosed. But it is definitely growing back fast! I am so excited to see her with hair again! Whoo hoo!
Thank you for remembering us in your prayers. It is so wonderful to know people back home are missing us. Thank you to Tom Russell's Sunday School class for the notes. It is so comforting to get something from my church! Thank you to the Moulton's in Georgia - sometimes it feels like nobody is checking in on us, but your emails remind me that LOTS of folks are and we don't even know it! LOL
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, February 7, 2006 8:26 PM CST
Here is our first picture of our new puppy Coach! Jason & Bryant picked him out a few weeks ago and they brought him home today! He is actually our grand-puppy, his daddy is our longtime "child" Rajah. Rajah is a solid white German Shepherd who will be 9 on April 15. You can see his color in Coach's markings. SOOOO CUTE! Bryant and Jason, you did a good job picking out a pretty boy!
So Colette finished Day 4 of radiation. We are officially 1/3 of the way finished with radiation now. Whooppee! It was FREEZING here this morning. There were several wrecks in Bham due to icy roads. Colette had a hand in keeping us off the roads this morning - she is not supposed to drink after 1 am due to the sedation at 7 am. It was 6 am and I went out of the room to get her clothes and when I came back, she had helped herself to her cup from the night before and drank about 4 ozs of root beer! AAAAAHHH!! So I tried to call the dr to tell them we would not be there at 7, but there was nobody in the office yet. So I laid down and waited until 7 to call. Unfortunately, when the called at 7:45, they said to come in anyway and they could still do it :(
So I told them we would be there at 9 instead. Colette missed the puppy at the hospital (we passed them when they were leaving) and she was upset. But we were later than usual. Her treatment went fine and then we grabbed some HOT Krispy Kremes (fresh off the line, taken with new gloves).
Jason & Bryant are headed up this weekend - we are taking Bryant to Lightning Strikes in Trussville (he has his own bowling ball) and we are also going to World of Wheels this weekend. I am looking forward to having some time with my boys too!
Love,
Tammy
******************************************************
We ALWAYS need help financially
Donations made to the link on this page go to Caring Bridge, NOT Colette!
Bay Bank & Regions Bank: Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
*******************************************************
Friday, February 3, 2006 3:07 PM CST
We are TIRED!!!
6 AM: Woke up a tired Miss Booty to dress her and go see the puppy at the new "washing machine" (radiation)
7:30ish AM: Colette is HILARIOUS when she is coming out of sedation! It is like she is "drunk" and today she was sitting up on the couch and says, "whoa..I NEKKID!" laughing about her shirt being off and she was so woozy from the stuff. It was so funny!
8:30 AM: Check in at Clinic to get counts.
9:30 AM: Headed to the back to wait for the Dr. Saw the Dr. GOOD NEWS! Colette's white count is almost 4,000! Whoo hoo! (A normal non-sick kid is 4,000-10,000) Of course, her platelets are slowly coming up, but they were still up a little more than last week and her hematocrit was 25, which is low, but okay and not lower. Given the situation with Morgan's news, I wanted to check with him one more time so I asked him if there may have been a mass of some kind growing somewhere else in Colette's body and he said he looked over every square inch of her CT scan and was looking for something that didn't belong. He said he would have definitely let us know if something was bothering him about her scans. So that was a relief to hear from himself! But of course, certainly no guarantee. The MIBG and bone scans will be the true tests and that won't happen until late February (after radiation). Oh yeah, her kidney & liver function is PERFECT! PTL!
10:30 AM: Went to Park Place for audiology testing. By this time, Colette was trying to sleep in the waiting room. She just couldn't make the listening game work, so I talked to the audiologist and we discussed what will happen in the scheme of things and the basics about hearing aids. Colette decided she wanted pink ones, (who knew?) I wanted clear (not so obvious), but you know who wins! She had to make molds of Colette's outer ear and that was slightly uncomfortable (like putting those squishy earplugs in really snug) but once it was pressed in, Colette started to drift off to sleep. It will be about 2-3 weeks before her ear molds come back. They will be pink & white swirly and her hearing aids themselves will be a baby pink. She was wearing the aids (just the back part) all around the office, she just loves to accessorize!
They told me that her speech should rapidly improve with the aids. After she gets the aids, she will have a speech evaluation so we can see if she needs any therapy. They are digital, so they can turn up quiet sounds, slightly turn up normal sounds, and NOT turn up loud sounds. They sound pretty magical!
Now the princess is snoozing on the couch, while Mawmaw is crashed in her room. I am typing this with one eye closed...nighty night!
Love,
Tammy
******************************************************
We ALWAYS need help financially
Donations made to the link on this page go to Caring Bridge, NOT Colette!
Bay Bank & Regions Bank: Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
*******************************************************
Wednesday, February 1, 2006 10:07 PM CST
Sorry for the lack of update...not much going on!
We are scheduled to be at radiation at 7 am in the morning. That means a drive in the wonderful Bham traffic and we will need to leave at 6:15 am! UGH!
Mawmaw & Papa came up today and surprised us. Papa has to go back home tomorrow, but now Mawmaw can help take care of Miss Booty.
Colette is looking forward to seeing the puppy at the "new hospital" - there are pet volunteers who sit with the kids when they are sedated and then are there when they wake up. She loves animals!
Colette rode her tricycle with the handle on the back (for me) all the way to the apartment office today (pretty nice ride) and then back to the tennis courts. She loved running and doing butterfly wings on her shadow on the asphalt. It was a nice day to be outside, unlike what is coming up tomorrow! (90% chance of t-storms).
My USB card reader is acting up - but I do have new pictures to put up soon.
Pray that Colette will be able to do it tomorrow and not need magic milk. Also, I haven't heard from Miss Morgan's MIBG scan, that is THE scan that shows tumor cells throughout the body. She is about a month or so ahead of us, so keep her in your thoughts & prayers too.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/morganrosedeckard
Love,
Tammy
******************************************************
We ALWAYS need help financially
Donations made to the link on this page go to Caring Bridge, NOT Colette!
Bay Bank & Regions Bank: Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
*******************************************************
Monday, January 30, 2006 11:51 AM CST
If you don't know, I try to scrapbook when I have time. This is the first page I have completed THIS YEAR! AAH! I should have done about 4-5 more than that!
*****PHOTOS UPDATED AT walkerplace.org/colette - Bryant went "hunting" this weekend with Jason and there are some pics there of them!*****
Well, this was a pretty event-less weekend. Except for a temperature scare on Saturday.
Colette woke up with a temp of 99.? axillary (meaning one degree less than actual), so I was slightly freaking out. She also had a runny congested nose. AAH!
I gave her a dose of med (I haven't been the greatest at the oral med part) and watched her. Everything was pretty normal. Her appetite, her activity, etc. I called the hospital on-call and the nurse told me I could give her some benadryl for the runny nose if it was possibly allergy/sinus. So I called Walgreen's pharmacy and they were nice enough to get the Benadryl plus I bought a new thermometer just in case. I was able to pull through the drive thru and get it. Yay!
So we got home and I gave her some med. She slept for 2.5 hrs without sniffling and then woke up hungry and in a decent mood. But her temp was still up in the 99s. She normally runs in the 97s. After bath & dressing change, I gave her Bactrim, which is the "weekend med" that she is supposed to take each weekend.
Well, at 1:45 am, she woke up needing a drink. I felt her head and it was SWEATY!! ALl night long I kept feeling her head and it was COOL ALL NIGHT LONG! That morning I took her temp and it was 97.3 !!! YAY!!
The part I left out of that story is this:
If she picked up something and needed antibiotics, she would not be able to start radiation this week! Then, when she finally does finish radiation, it would be later than the date required to enter the study! So we would possibly miss our chance to enter the study for the antibody therapy! AAAHHH! That means a WHOLE LOT was riding on a temperature!
Plus, I made a promise to Jesus that night that I would tell everyone how He broke Colette's fever and kept her from getting something serious. Which means I had to admit that I wasn't giving her meds properly. A scary lesson. Everybody sing with me, "Thank you, thank you Jesus, thank you, thank you...."
Love,
Tammy
PS: I think we are going for radiation tomorrow, I have to get off the phone line in case they call.
******************************************************
We ALWAYS need help financially
Donations made to the link on this page go to Caring Bridge, NOT Colette!
Bay Bank & Regions Bank: Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
*******************************************************
Friday, January 27, 2006 1:52 PM CST
UPDATE:
*** It will air tonight at 5pm & 10pm. The shorter version will probably be the 10pm. It will also be on the air again at 7am tomorrow morning!***
Apparently the guy was caught while stealing from someone else's bucket. From what I have heard, he is in jail right now. Channel 5 wanted to do an update story, so they are at my house interviewing Jason as I type this! Cool! I am missing the action!!! AAAAHH!
So watch again tonight on Channel 5 for the "update to the story we told you about last night"...After they finish the interview, I will get back on here and confirm when it will air. Oh yeah, for those of you who watched last night at 6, it was the very first story, so you might have missed it. I think the video is at the wkrg.com website (my dinosaur won't pull it up)
The dr visited with Colette today and we are back home waiting to hear if her counts are still high enough. If not, we might need to run back for a small dose of medicine.
Check back later when I will confirm when the story will air.
Love,
Tammy
*************************************
Thursday, January 26, 2006 6:16 PM CST
I can't believe it was the "exclusive" first story! I guess they liked the parts of the interview when my mom was so emotional! Can anyone say "ratings"? LOL
Here is a link to the story:
http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG/MGArticle/KRG_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833675851&path=!news!local
OH - and she is not "cancer-free", we hope she is of course, but we have no testing to confirm that at this point. I hope they can edit that part before it airs again.
Today was Colette's CT/radiation simulation. She was doing fine until we were escorted into an old style operating room-like place with hoses and big machinery and noise - she was upset! Plus there were about 8 people standing around looking at her. She does NOT like that kind of attention. So I asked them all to leave and they did. I explained some things to her and she calmed down. There was something that we did not expect though. They had her lay on a bag that had a liquid in it that swelled and hardened into a form. BUT - the chemical reaction inside the bag got EXTREMELY HOT and she had to lay still during the whole thing. That did not happen! She was scared and was crying, "my hiney is hot!", so then the Dr came in and asked if we could go ahead with the sedation. I understand it has to be perfectly lined up and she tried, but it didn't work. So I had to let her go to sleep with the Magic Milk (which freaks me out!). They got the rest of it done in about 30 mins and then I came back while they were waking her up. She was relieved when it was over. She was talking to everybody and was not shy anymore! LOL
So there is a little confusion as to when the protocol states her radiation is to start. They will decide that with her Hem/Onc dr (Dr. Buckley) and schedule her first visit. I did get the Dr to agree that after her first radiation treatment (sedated), he will give her the opportunity to do it without sedation. That is because the actual radiation is like getting an xray and it should only take about 20 mins tops. It will take much longer if she is sedated, plus she is not able to eat or drink 6 hrs prior - she is VERY UNHAPPY about that!
We will go back to clinic tomorrow for counts and hopefully they will have a hearing appointment scheduled too.
Will update more later!
Tammy
***************************************
****************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed:
The donation links on this site go to the Caring Bridge organization, NOT Colette!
Colette Pate Benefit Fund - Any REGIONS Bank branch
Colette Pate Benefit Fund - Bay Bank, Theodore, AL (next to new License Commissioner Branch)
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
***************************************
***
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 9:53 PM CST
Today was really a wasted trip. We got to the Tumor Center at 1:30, signed in, talked to a resident, discussed most everything, then waited an hour to talk to the attending for about 20 mins, then got an appointment to go back in the morning at 8 AM!!!! UGH! Plus Colette can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight. That is a pain because she is waking up at 1 am, 5 am, & 7 am every night (morning) and always requires a drink to go back to sleep! So I might not be getting much sleep tonight!
The Drs there could not believe that Colette has never been sedated for her scans. She always lays still and sometimes even falls asleep. They said it was "rare" for someone her age to be able to do that. I told them she is very cooperative as long as things are explained to her and she understands what is going on. The thing that I am concerned about is that she will have to be in the room alone for the few minutes they do the radiation. I am usually right beside her, holding her hands or at least in her view. So we will have the CT tomorrow and she will have the first dry run and maybe she will be comfortable enough so that the first time she really does get it, she will know I will be right back in the room in a minute. They said we should only be there for about 20 minutes each time. She does have to have 12 days, weekends off, so that works out to about 2.5 weeks. Oh, and they also informed me that they will not be starting this until Feb 3!!! That is a WHOLE WEEK AWAY! But it takes them that long to get the computer images and simulation mumbo-jumbo prepared. Whatever!
The nurses and drs, even the parking valets were completely overwhelmed with Colette's presence. That is the only way I can explain it. People just flock to her and usually she puts on a great conversation. Miss Personality, plus she is just so doggone cute! And she talks to people that I think most people overlook - the older seniors sitting alone in the wheelchair, people who have some obvious physical disability, and of course, these bigtime highly educated doctors who usually don't converse with 3 year olds! LOL It's always an experience with Colette!
Will update more tomorrow - wish us luck!
Love,
Tammy & Colette
Tuesday, January 24, 2006 3:09 PM CST
Busy day today. We just got back from Dr. The CT scans she had today didn't show anything new, just some thickening at the original site that he said was calcifications. YAY! That means DEAD! Her lungs looked good, so YAY! We have an appointment tomorrow with Radiation Oncology to start her radiation workup. Hopefully she will start radiation treatment on Thurs. She only has to have it right there on her left abdomen. I will have more info tomorrow, but it shouldn't be nearly as bad as a lot of the things she has already been through.
As far as the buckets go....
The investigator has been comparing notes and statements from all the thefts and said it is the same person, same car, etc. He said it will be on Crimestoppers next Thursday night - not the 26th (watch the news). The media will be contacting my mom and she will have some pictures for them. So maybe God has something good planned to come out of this! Otherwise, how would the media even know about Colette?
Remember, Every Day Is A Patty Cake Praise Day!
Love,
Tammy & Colette
****************************************
Monday, January 23, 2006 0:31 AM CST
UPDATE: 3:17 PM
I just found out that 3 more of Colette's fund raiser buckets have been stolen!
That makes 5 total and I don't think there are many others. They have the guy on video at 3 of the stores. He is asking for cigarettes, and when the cashier turns around to get them, he grabs the bucket and runs out. Right now my parents are talking to the investigator from one of the gas stations.
You know, the first time this happened, it really didn't bother me. I figured he was really bad off if he needed to steal from a sick baby. But now I feel like he is picking on us and stalking the places where people generously care for us. Of course, we are only talking about less than $200 total for the week for ALL the buckets combined, but that is still gas money (mainly) and cash in our pockets! Ugh! I just feel ill about this.
I guess we are going to have to rethink how to get some cash flow in a safer way.
******************************************
If you get a chance, visit...www.caringbridge.org/visit/jay
He is a 10 yr old NB survivor and has been receiving some nasty and threatening emails from a certain person. He is such a cheerful encourager, he is fascinated that so many people care about him. It is always nice for people to leave him a note and mention that you know Colette. He posts on our site too.
Love,
Tammy
****************************************
Donations are ALWAYS needed:
Colette Pate Benefit Fund - Any REGIONS Bank branch
Colette Pate Benefit Fund - Bay Bank, Theodore, AL (next to new License Commissioner Branch)
Paypal: tambabe1@hotmail.com
****************************************
Friday, January 20, 2006 5:43 PM CST
Wow - what a DAY we had!
We had an appointment scheduled for 9 AM and we were there on time. However, our Dr. had us on HIS schedule for 11 AM. He said he wanted to give us a whole hour because of all of the discussion we need to have about what's coming up. So we left around 10:45. We went to a nearby drivethru for lunch and called back at our appt time. He still had 3 patients ahead of us so they told me 12:30. We hung out and wasted time until 12:30ish.
When we got to the clinic they told us he was in with a patient and had one ahead of us. Then a really sick kid came in so he needed to see them. He finally got in the room around 2 PM. But I did get my hour's worth!
The GREAT news is that the study that we might be putting her on is now being done HERE at UAB and we will not have to go to NEW YORK!!! Whoo hoo!
Colette will have a CT done on Tuesday and then we will talk to Radiation people hopefully the same day. He wants to start radiation on Wed or Thurs. She only has to have radiation for 6 days, weekends off, and it is only going to be at the tumor site. He said after the first time, it will be like getting an xray, really quick. After that is when we find out about the study. Either way, Colette will have to take medicines for 6 months to help with her treatment. She will have to chew a capsule (similar to Vitamin E - yuck) everyday for 2 weeks, then be off for 2 weeks. IF she is on the study, she will also have to be in Bham at least once a month to get that treatment. Hey, I can handle that!!!
Jason, Bryant & Nicole are headed here tonight for the weekend. It is supposed to rain, but we don't care!
I should have some good pictures from this weekend!
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, January 19, 2006 4:05 PM CST
Well, we need some help.
Most of you know I am in Birmingham with Colette until at least mid-March.
Jason is at home with Bryant. Jason works a full time job and Bryant is in first grade at Hollinger's Island.
Jason is struggling with getting Bryant to school each morning (he has to get to work late every day) and leave early every day to pick him up from school.
The need is to find someone who can pick Bryant up EVERY day at 3:00 pm and help him get his homework done EVERY day and LOVE him until Jason can pick him up.
Jason works service, so his days end at different times each day. Usually he can work around and get to the school in time, but it is becoming very difficult due to some things going on at his office. Also, we are missing the extra money we could get from a couple of hours of overtime every week.
Please pray that someone can find a way to help us in this situation. I know people have offered to help, but I don't want to play a scheduling game and I need someone who won't mind hugging him each afternoon. He is having some difficulty this time around. I guess it has been good so far, since he really hasn't had much trouble. His teacher (who was MY 1st grade teacher) has been holding back from complaining about Bryant because she is concerned about our situation. But today and yesterday he was antsy in class and did sloppy work. Poor Jason was overbooked at work and he was late to get Bryant from school, then Bryant had a bad note from yesterday & today, they are stressed tonight!
So since he won't ask for help, I am.
Email me at tambabe1@hotmail.com if you have any suggestions. I can give you Jason's number and hopefully things can be worked out to give him a break. I hate it because I feel like "I" am the missing link and I could make a difference. At least I could hug my baby!
Colette is doing great - we go back to our regular clinic tomorrow for the first time since November. They will be SHOCKED to see her weight gain and her "talky-talky".
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 9:45 PM CST
Well here we are on a rainy cold night!
Colette went to Stem Cell Clinic today for the last time. We are officially clear from there to go back to our regular oncology clinic. One more step in the right direction.
Her counts were still low (1.98 WBC) but her platelets were higher than on Friday (19000 up to 33000) and her red blood cells were hanging in high enough to be fine. She might need another dose of GCSF on Friday in clinic, they will tell us if she does and they can give it to her then. That is going to work the same as it did in stem cell.
We will probably go over the radiation and schedule the scans she needs to get ready for that.
I am looking forward to when she is recovered enough to go to the audiology center and get some hearing aids fitted. Most of you don't know, but her hearing is damaged from chemo, also her speech is hard to understand sometimes. She is not very bad off, but I am sure it will help tremendously if she gets some help. She tries to sing ALL THE TIME and it is frustrating for ME because she doesn't hear the words clearly enough to repeat them. She hits the syllables and tune and not the words. Ugh - oh well, I am glad her speech was already developed so well before this happened. I think that will help her maintain what she already knew.
I will try to get some cute pics up. Maybe she will want to pose for a fashion shoot here in the apartment!
I will update again tomorrow.
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, January 15, 2006 10:29 PM CST
Whoo hoo! I finally have Internet access at the apartment! Jason brought my computer to me and it is now connected! Yay!
So I am doing a sorta small update tonight and then I need to go check on our other cancer friends.
Colette is doing very well. She goes to the dr every Tues and Fri, but this Fri we might be released to go back downstairs to our oncology dr, released from the stem cell unit. Yay!
Next is radiation, and when we get back to our dr, he will explain the testing that comes next and what to expect from radiation. I am not looking forward to that because right now I really don't know what to expect. But I really think Colette has been through the worst of this protocol. She is almost at the end of the study she started on and is getting ready to go to the next phase (maybe). We still have to talk to the drs about that.
So she is not allowed to shop and she HATES that! I can't believe I have created such a shopping fiend! She wants to go in any store and she can't. It kills me because I want to take her there! She cries when we come back to the apartment each day after we go to the hospital. She wants to go eat at a "place" (meaning restaurant) -especially Azteca's!
So we are at Day +39 of 100 - closing in on halfway!
I will get some more pics up tomorrow. She is sleeping now and Jason & Bryant are watching a movie.
Thanks for all your concern and prayers. I feel like we are not being forgotten!
Love,
Tammy
**************************************************
Donations are accepted at Regions Bank & Bay Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Also, I have a Paypal account: tambabe1@hotmail.com
You can also contact my church
First Baptist Tillman's Corner
251-661-0114
***************************************************
Thursday, January 12, 2006 3:32 PM CST
Day +36
Good Afternoon Princess Fans!
I spoke to Tammy a little while ago, and the little princess….She sounded GREAT!
They both did. Mommy was getting a little rest and Colette was watching Dora.
She sounded just like she did a month ago, when I visited. She was excited that Daddy and Bryant were coming to Bham this weekend! And as usual she had plenty of kisses for the phone. Anyone that hasn't spoke to her on the phone - she is adorable, when you tell her bye, she hugs the phone (literally) and give you kisses.
Anyways.
Tammy said things are good. They of course are tired of being "contained" in the apartment, but at least they are there, and not in the hospital. They can at least visit drive ins and get out and about in the car for a little change of scenery. Tammy did say she didn't know how long Colette was going to believe that McDonald's was "CLOSED"!!!! That must be difficult for her little mind to understand that she can't go in and play. Tammy said Colette is ready to go shoppin.
As far as treatment goes, things are good. They were released to go back to her oncologist next Friday. This is good, this means she is through with stem cell. That, however does not mean that they are coming back to Mobile. They will be in Bham the full "100" days. They should be back in Mobile around April. But things are moving forward and only having doctor visits twice a week or so.
The next step, within the next month or so, will be radiation. That will be a twelve day process. It will be a lot like chemo, but hopefully not as strong as far as causing nausea and vomitting. She will probably be weak, and her counts will probably go down as they did with chemo.
Then, if they are randomized (that was Tammy's word, I think it means chosen) by the study, they will go to New York for antibodies. This seems like it worries Tammy, so say a prayer that God will make things go the way he wants them to! If he will have Colette go to NewYork, we know he will be there the entire time.
Well I will update again when Tammy gives me more news.
Oh Yeah Tammy, said that her cellphone died and so she has lost all of your phone numbers. She hasn't been ignoring calls or anything. She said, Please contact her to give her your phone number or you can leave it in the guestbook and I will give it to her. The apartment in Bham phone number is 205-991-8127.
Sorry - one more thing - Colette received her package from the Moulton's, Tammy said she loved it and Thanks! Colette had a blast going through the package and playing with all of the new stuff.
Love You all!
Love, Aunt Brandy
Friday, January 6, 2006 3:55 PM CST
Tammy just called. I was swamped with work but I did have time for her to tell me that they went for another dr visit today and everything is good!
They are going to start some physical therapy since Colette is a little "stiff". That will get her back up and going full speed again quickly, I am sure!
Also her white blood counts were a little low, nothing to worry about, they gave her a little meds to fix that.
They don't have to go back to the doctor until Tuesday, I am sure it is great to have a break from there!
Tammy said this morning they were suprised with a few snow flurries. Wouldn't that be awesome for the princess to get to see the snow!!?!?!?!
Well I will call Tammy again in this weekend and if I find out any more I will update!
Have a great weekend.
Continue to keep all of those fighting this battle in your prayers!
Love Aunt Brandy
Thursday, January 5, 2006 9:13 AM CST
Just wanted to let you all know that I spoke with Tammy yesterday. Things were going good!
She said they went to clinic and Colette's white and red blood counts were good. She did have to recieve some platelets, but that is expected. Those are the last to begin coming up in number. We continue to see that prayer works! She is doing great through all of this phase and doctors are happy with the way she is handling it all!
Tammy said Bryant and Colette are now at wits end with each other and ready for a break! I am sure it will come soon. Being in an apartment with little outside activity can be trying on anyone!
Tammy also said they are trying to take her off of the pain meds. She said that will allow Colette to be awake alot more. Also they are hoping to stop the night time feed...or at least reduce it some. Colette is eating on her own and drinking too! Tammy said she hasn't lost any weight.
She said around Day +50 they will begin discussing radiation and will find out what and when that will come.
Keep our princess in your prayers!
I will update as I speak to TAmmy.
Love Aunt Brandy
Friday, December 30, 2005 8:37 AM CST
Just wanted to quickly update everyone. I spoke to Tammy yesterday. She said they got home (Bham apt) around 7pm on Wednesday.
THey were happy to be there and glad for a little normalcy!
She said Colette was good so far and Bryant was ready to play, but Colette really wasn't. She hopes she will be ready to play befor Bubba has to come back to Mobile.
Colette went to clinic on Thursday and everything was "fine". She will go each morning for counts check and such.
Tammy said Colette will need blood and platelets probably today and alot over the next month.
So if you can donate blood, NOW is the time!
There were a few people that were a match for Colette and that is great! Platelets are hard to get!!!!! and sometimes require a wait.
Well, Tammy will keep me informed so that I can update for her. Have a Great and Blessed New Year! Lets bring it in with prayer for our Princess and resolutions to have a greater appreciation for Everything!
Lots of love to you all!
Love Aunt Brandy
*****************************************************
It's official - we are going home! (not home-home, but apartment-home)
Colette finally slept SOUNDLY last night and that was a little freaky, honestly! LOL
So I am packing up the room today and we have to wait until the home health people get here around 3 PM :( - they have to show me the TPN instructions...blugh!
This will be my last post for a while too, because I don't have computer access. I will try to keep everyone updated the rest of this week, but once Mawmaw & Jason leave to go back to Mobile next week, it will be just me & Colette and we won't be able to go ANYWHERE, just the hospital and back to the apartment. I have to learn how to stock up on supplies for at least a week without going to any stores! How am I going to do that??!!! LOL
Love,
Tammy
************************************
***NEW PHOTOS AT walkerplace.com/colette***
Wednesday, December 28, 2005 11:02 AM CST
It's official - we are going home! (not home-home, but apartment-home)
Colette finally slept SOUNDLY last night and that was a little freaky, honestly! LOL
So I am packing up the room today and we have to wait until the home health people get here around 3 PM :( - they have to show me the TPN instructions...blugh!
This will be my last post for a while too, because I don't have computer access. I will try to keep everyone updated the rest of this week, but once Mawmaw & Jason leave to go back to Mobile next week, it will be just me & Colette and we won't be able to go ANYWHERE, just the hospital and back to the apartment. I have to learn how to stock up on supplies for at least a week without going to any stores! How am I going to do that??!!! LOL
Love,
Tammy
************************************
***NEW PHOTOS AT walkerplace.com/colette***
********************
Tuesday, December 27, 2005 1:44 PM CST
Good news - Colette is going back to the apartment tomorrow! Yay! She is having morphine withdrawal so they have given her another med that she can take by mouth to help. I think it is already working because she drank 5.5 oz of yoo hoo a while after she took the med. And she is VERY hungry! She cries because she wants to eat, but she can't bear to taste anything. They explained it like her taste buds were basically burned away and she has none. So now they are saying very spicy foods are actually fine and she might even enjoy them! So we will try that next!
Well, Home Health is here to show me how to do the tpn feeds that we are going home with tomorrow. That will keep her from losing hydration and minerals etc that will effect her health.
Will update more later!
Tammy
*********************************
Sunday, December 25, 2005 3:09 PM CST
Merry Christmas!!
Colette won't be going home yet, because she is not eating or drinking. She has to drink at least 1 liter a day to go home. She is not even drinking 6 ounces. She is off the morphine completely, YAY, and she is only hooked up to the pole overnight. That means she can move around freely during the day and she is staying up more because she is not sedated.
Jason is staying with her tonight and then he and Uncle Mike are driving back to Mobile tomorrow. Mawmaw is staying at the apartment with Bryant this week because he is out of school. Jason will come back this weekend when he is off work.
Pray that Colette will feel like drinking (the eating is not sooo important, but the drinking is key). I don't want to get her out of the hospital just to have her get dehydrated and have to start all over.
We will still have MORE Christmas pictures as soon as Colette gets home because Santa brought TOO many toys for her to open at the hospital! Besides, Bryant has more gifts under the tree too!
This Christmas could not have been better as far as the gifts are concerned. People have sent lots of goodies and the kids have really enjoyed opening the packages to see what's inside.
I had a thought today as I was driving to the hospital. The Christian radio station here in Bham (93.7) is playing Christmas music until midnight tonight. Then I guess they will go back to playing regular stuff. And I thought, "Well, I listen to Steven Curtis Chapman's Christmas CD all year long!" Isn't the message of Christ's birth a year long gift???!! Who says we have to celebrate only a few days in the winter???
People are so generous and giving, and the spot on the radio said, "Some people call it the 'Christmas spirit', but we believers call it the 'Holy Spirit'..." when they said that, I thought, "WAIT A MINUTE! We have the Holy Spirit ALL YEAR LONG!!!" So why CAN'T we be generous and giving and loving and peaceable ALL YEAR, not just in December?? Besides, from all that I have been hearing, we really DON'T have the right time of the year to celebrate the birth of Jesus ANYWAY, someone back in history decided to make Christmas during another celebration period in their country, so who's to say we can only do good in Jesus' name between November and December? What about in April, a time they think is closer to the actual birthday of our Savior? Or in July, just for NO reason?
I have always felt I am a generous person all the time, even though I don't have much, I like to give away clothes, food and toys that my children don't really need and that someone else can use. Imagine if people would take one day a month and do something nice for complete strangers, how that would help people out? I know lots of people make donations and give other financial support - we have been the recipients MANY times these past 6 months. We would not be able to do the things we need it otherwise. But thankfully our situation is temporary and we will eventually get past this spot in our lives and be able to help others in return. But what about those who have NO end in sight to their lack of resources? People who are homeless, jobless, permanently sick/disabled. People who have been abandoned, left without help or LOVE??
Please, let Colette's experience change your way of looking at things. I know a TON of you have already expressed how thankful you are for your healthy children and secure lifestyle. But you NEVER KNOW what is around the next turn, we didn't! A new way of thinking that I have adopted is to live and make decisions where I won't have any regrets. I want to look back on this experience and remember the good things that happened, not just the sad and bad. I think we as Christians are all called to live like that!
Wow - I feel like I just made up for not making it to church today! LOL Take some time and think about what I said. Maybe you can find a way to do something in your own life and experience what I am talking about. Maybe you already do! Let me know!
Love and Merry Christmas - Happy Birthday Jesus!
Tammy
Friday, December 23, 2005 2:35 PM CST
Check out the "View Photos" link and scroll to the last picture for a BIG surprise (it might take a few seconds to pull it up, but it's worth it!)
*********************************
Day 16
Do you notice something missing in the picture?
Today is another day of trying to eat and walk around more. They have come down off morphine a little more and plan to have her pole free for the daytime tomorrow midday!!! Whoo hoo! Santa comes to see the stem cell kids first tomorrow night before he goes and delivers all the rest of the presents, so she will be able to see him and move around freely to see her presents! Yay!
So Bryant & Mawmaw should be on their way by now and Daddy will be coming later this evening. Colette wants to chase Bryant around the unit when he gets here! Good inspiration to move around! LOL
*************************************
Day 15
Yay! Today is the first day of engrafting!! Meaning the white cells are growing!! She could technically get out of the hospital if this had been a regular round of chemo! But we are buckled in through the weekend, which is ok because they have lots planned for when Santa comes!
Colette was up and about today and they finally saw her moving and not sleeping! All she has to do is eat, which we all know she can do (when she is ready) and we can get the tube out of her nose! But now she doesn't like that news because she doesn't want anyone fooling with it! LOL
She is watching Dora for the 78th time. She is off all antibiotics except for one low dose kind and they are backing off the morphine each day, so we are awake more and that is good!
Pray that Jason can get through work early tomorrow and he and Bryant can come early enough to miss the traffic. I miss my 2 boys! I miss Mawmaw too! She is coming to have Christmas with us this weekend since Papa has to work.
Love,
Tammy
******************************
Please visit Colette's friends and leave them a note in their guestbook. It really makes our day when we see a new note!
neuroblastoma fighters:
www.caringbridge.com/visit/jay
www.savingmissmorgan.com
www.caringbridge.com/me/dylanhartung
www.caringbridge.com/visit/lenziebutland
www.caringbridge.com/al/cole (FROM MOBILE)
www.caringbridge.com/visit/tarabara
www.caringbridge.com/al/jon
************************************
Yes, we do have a paypal account for donations...tambabe1@hotmail.com is the email address.
*************************************
Our mailing address for the apartment is
818 Eagle Ridge Dr
Birmingham AL 35242
Our phone # there is 205-991-8127 and we do have an answering machine.
Colette's address is the same hospital address in room 662. Her phone # is 205-212-7662, if anyone wants to call her. If you want to send her a gift, it must be brand new and still in the original packaging. Also, she can't have stuffed animals or latex balloons or flowers.
Love,
Tammy
Monday, December 19, 2005 6:29 PM CST
Day 12
Today has been even better! Colette started trying to talk last night, she wanted something to drink and eat, even though she hasn't had anything by mouth for almost 2 weeks. She wanted to play games and color, but she ended up snoozing around midnight.
Today she sat up in the couch and DRANK 4 OUNCES of water! She also stood up for a while too. Her counts are still low but they are higher than yesterday! They are starting to back down on the morphine too. Eventually they will start weaning her off the antibiotics when her counts are higher.
Jason will be going back to Mobile tomorrow until Friday. Bryant has to go to school until Friday because the hurricane schedule. But when they come back it will be CHRISTMAS TIME! We have already resolved that Colette will be in the hospital still, so we are working around that. Mawmaw will stay in the hospital with Colette on Christmas Eve so Jason & I can be at the apartment with Bryant when Santa comes. After he opens some gifts, then we will bring Colette's to her in the hospital. I hear Santa visits the kids on Christmas morning too!
Please continue to pray for Colette's healing. Things have changed greatly since the night of the concert, where I asked for prayer for her. It was that night that she spoke her first sentence asking for "batteries"! That was also the last night of 104 fever.
Also, please tell everyone you know about what God is doing in our lives. I feel it is my responsibility to tell what He is doing to heal my child and help us through this most difficult time in our lives. I think if you read this website, you can help me spread the word that:
God gives HOPE to those who need it JUST WHEN WE NEED IT!! I have plenty of reason to HOPE, and I want you to have HOPE too!
Love in Christ,
Tammy
***************CHRISTMAS INFO**************
To answer some questions about Christmas wishes:
Colette - Loves Dora but has ALL the movies, Barbie Fairytopia, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and of course Disney Princesses - clothes are size 3T, socks would be good and shoes are size 7.
Bryant - Likes Hot Wheels, action figures, (NOT POKEMON) and legos/building things. Just started reading REALLY well (like 3rd grade level), like Adventures in Odyssey (Family Christian Stores) - clothes are size 6/7, mainly long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and winter wear (beanies, gloves, etc)
Tammy - I scrapbook and there are several good scrapbook stores (Michael's, A. C. Moore, Hobby Lobby) I also spend lots of time at Family Christian & Lifeway.
Jason - He plays video games to pass the time. There is a GameStop here (he has a membership there) and I think he wants the America's Army game on XBOX. He has a Playstation 2 that he plays here in Bham. There is also a Blockbuster right across the street from the apartment.
As far as food places, there is almost ANY restaurant you can imagine here. Chick-Fil-A, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, McD, Burger King, Arby's, Krispy Kreme. And of course, Wal Mart is a good place to spend money! LOL
I hope this helps to give some information about what we could use the most. I am sure the kids will have a FABULOUS Christmas this year and we will not have to worry about it AT ALL thanks to you all!
Love,
Tammy & Family
***********************************
Yes, we do have a paypal account for donations...tambabe1@hotmail.com is the email address.
*************************************
Our mailing address for the apartment is
818 Eagle Ridge Dr
Birmingham AL 35242
Our phone # there is 205-991-8127 and we do have an answering machine.
Colette's address is the same hospital address in room 662. Her phone # is 205-212-7662, if anyone wants to call her. If you want to send her a gift, it must be brand new and still in the original packaging. I know she has crayons and paints and a Candy Land game. Also, she can't have stuffed animals or latex balloons or flowers. She does need some nightgowns or pajamas.
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, December 18, 2005 10:35 PM CST
Day 11
Today was a little better day. Last night Colette developed a bloody nose and the tube in her nose just made it worse. Her fever was 104 when I got back from the concert, but it came down after Tylenol. She got platelets this morning because they were a little low, but they are fine now.
She has tried to talk a couple of times today. When she does, the spit makes a gargling sound and she practically yells to get sound out. She is moody today too, I hope that means she is starting to feel like expressing herself, rather than just sleeping and being out of it. She has asked for root beer and pink lemonade, I hope drinking is right around the corner!
Today we had a special treat. Uncle Dean from American Tank & Vessel came by with a Santa's Bag FULL OF GIFTS for Bryant & Colette (and a little something for mom and dad too!)!!! She perked right up when she saw presents! She sat up and starting opening them. She got a little sad because we only gave her 2 presents to open, she said she was sad because there weren't any more to open! She didn't know we had only given her a couple! So of course, we let her open almost all of the others too! We couldn't help ourselves!!! The picture above is one of the toys she got. I will put more pictures on the walkerplace website of Uncle Dean & Colette opening gifts.
Hopefully her counts will be up tomorrow (they didn't change today) and she will be well on her way to feeling better and getting out of here!!!
Love,
Tammy
*************************************
Saturday, December 17, 2005 4:23 PM CST
Day 10
Well, last night was a little better than the night before. Colette is still spiking a temp every 24 hrs or so, but nothing is growing in her cultures, which means she probably does not have an infection. She does, however, have a high heart rate and her blood pressure is acting up, but I think the mucousitis is going to get better soon. She has to move around more to keep the fluid from building up in her lungs. I took her to the movie cabinet for the second time today, but the key was LOST for the second time! So poor thing has not been able to "shop" for a new movie to watch!
She listened to Aunt Sherry, Mawmaw & Papa on the phone today, and nodded her head when they talked to her. When Bryant got on the phone, she tried to say, "Know what.." but the spit got caught in her throat, so she reached for the sucker thing (like at the dentist), then tried again to say, "know what..." but spit collected in her mouth and throat and she couldn't get the words out! UGH! She was so frustrated and decided she wanted to rest right then and there. Poor Bryant, he didn't know what she was trying to say, but hey, he is the first person she tried to talk to since this started! Her nurse thinks she will be feeling better any day now. She sat up today and played with stickers for about 20 mins, and I colored her a picture and she watched while she sat up for about 30 mins.
Sorry about the picture. I know it is sad, but that is the reality of what is going on. If I put happy smiley faces on here, I am afraid someone will not realize the seriousness of what is going on. She is sicker than she has ever been but hopefully this is the last time for all of this!
Tonight Jason is staying while I go to the STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN & MERCY ME CONCERT!!!! I have had my ticket since September! Fourth row! It has been hard to look forward to it, but I am getting very very excited! Just 2 hrs from now! WHoo hoo! I hope to have some pics to put up afterward.
Love,
Tammy
************************************
Back from the concert! Whoo, my ears are still ringing! But it was worth it!!! I had no idea that Mercy Me was so rockin' - I think Bryant will like their CD for Christmas! Of course, the highlight for me was SCC - you couldn't tell that he was at the end of this tour by his voice. It sounded FABULOUS! And at the end of the show for the encore, little bits of foam fell like snow! It lasted about as long as snow does here in AL - long enough to hit the ground, or your hair, whichever comes first!
I saw signs outside that said no cameras, so I didn't bring mine in. I had awesome seats (again). I enjoyed it so much, but I couldn't get Colette off my mind, especially when Bart was talking about the way Joseph must have felt looking at Jesus sleeping in his bed, knowing something was going to happen to him and that he really didn't belong to Joseph and Mary. Ugh! That was the only part that I really was upset about!
***************CHRISTMAS INFO**************
To answer some questions about Christmas wishes:
Colette - Loves Dora but has ALL the movies, Barbie Fairytopia, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and of course Disney Princesses - clothes are size 3T, socks would be good and shoes are size 7.
Bryant - Likes Hot Wheels, action figures, (NOT POKEMON) and legos/building things. Just started reading REALLY well (like 3rd grade level), like Adventures in Odyssey (Family Christian Stores) - clothes are size 6/7, mainly long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and winter wear (beanies, gloves, etc)
Tammy - I scrapbook and there are several good scrapbook stores (Michael's, A. C. Moore, Hobby Lobby) I also spend lots of time at Family Christian & Lifeway.
Jason - He plays video games to pass the time. There is a GameStop here (he has a membership there) and I think he wants the America's Army game on XBOX. He has a Playstation 2 that he plays here in Bham. There is also a Blockbuster right across the street from the apartment.
As far as food places, there is almost ANY restaurant you can imagine here. Chick-Fil-A, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, McD, Burger King, Arby's, Krispy Kreme. And of course, Wal Mart is a good place to spend money! LOL
I hope this helps to give some information about what we could use the most. I am sure the kids will have a FABULOUS Christmas this year and we will not have to worry about it AT ALL thanks to you all!
Love,
Tammy & Family
***********************************
Yes, we do have a paypal account for donations...tambabe1@hotmail.com is the email address.
*************************************
Our mailing address for the apartment is
818 Eagle Ridge Dr
Birmingham AL 35242
Our phone # there is 205-991-8127 and we do have an answering machine.
Colette's address is the same hospital address in room 662. Her phone # is 205-212-7662, if anyone wants to call her. If you want to send her a gift, it must be brand new and still in the original packaging. I know she has crayons and paints and a Candy Land game. Also, she can't have stuffed animals or latex balloons or flowers. She does need some nightgowns or pajamas.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, December 16, 2005 2:13 PM CST
Day 9
Colette has been having a rough time since yesterday. Her blood pressure was low and they are suspecting she has some sort of bacterial infection, although we don't have any culture results yet. They take days to grow where you can see. She got platelets yesterday and red cells today. Her mucousitis is REALLY bad, her tongue was lightly bleeding when we cleaned her mouth and she cried for 10 minutes from it. And we were only using numbing stuff!
I was up the entire night before because of her heart rate and her blood pressure and her fever that she spiked. So I was wiped out yesterday when Jason got here. He stayed until midnight, I intended to stay overnight, but he had rested well that night (and day) before so he stayed last night while I went home. Somebody was praying for me because I was able to get home safely (at midnight) and went right to sleep - no dreams, no bad thoughts...until around 9 am this morning! I called Jason first thing and he said her blood pressure had been low, but ok, and she was already getting her blood, and her heart rate was a little lower and her white count was HIGHER! YAY! He also told me they were going to do a CT scan, just to see if they could find the source of infection that way, this is something they have done in the past for Colette, so I am not scared because of it. They changed antibiotics yesterday morning, so I am thinking that is what has made the difference in her temp, heart rate, etc. They are also starting a second different antibiotic today so they have all the bases covered. She didn't vomit the liquid they put down her tube (which was about as much as a can of coke) and that was 2 hours ago. The nurse said that's a good sign that her belly is trying to heal.
The dr will look over the scans, but I am glad Colette is feeling better. She even reached up and hugged me when I came back today, more reaction than yesterday, and she is pinker of course. She just looks good to me today!
UPDATE: 5 PM = Dr came in and said the scans looked good, nothing suspicious, they checked head (sinus), chest & abdomen. So we will continue to see how these new antibiotics work.
Love,
Tammy
***************CHRISTMAS INFO**************
To answer some questions about Christmas wishes:
Colette - Loves Dora but has ALL the movies, Barbie Fairytopia, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and of course Disney Princesses - clothes are size 3T, socks would be good and shoes are size 7.
Bryant - Likes Hot Wheels, action figures, (NOT POKEMON) and legos/building things. Just started reading REALLY well (like 3rd grade level), like Adventures in Odyssey (Family Christian Stores) - clothes are size 6/7, mainly long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and winter wear (beanies, gloves, etc)
Tammy - I scrapbook and there are several good scrapbook stores (Michael's, A. C. Moore, Hobby Lobby) I also spend lots of time at Family Christian & Lifeway.
Jason - He plays video games to pass the time. There is a GameStop here (he has a membership there) and I think he wants the America's Army game on XBOX. He has a Playstation 2 that he plays here in Bham. There is also a Blockbuster right across the street from the apartment.
As far as food places, there is almost ANY restaurant you can imagine here. Chick-Fil-A, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, McD, Burger King, Arby's, Krispy Kreme. And of course, Wal Mart is a good place to spend money! LOL
I hope this helps to give some information about what we could use the most. I am sure the kids will have a FABULOUS Christmas this year and we will not have to worry about it AT ALL thanks to you all!
Love,
Tammy & Family
***********************************
Yes, we do have a paypal account for donations...tambabe1@hotmail.com is the email address.
*************************************
Our mailing address for the apartment is
818 Eagle Ridge Dr
Birmingham AL 35242
Our phone # there is 205-991-8127 and we do have an answering machine.
Colette's address is the same hospital address in room 662. Her phone # is 205-212-7662, if anyone wants to call her. If you want to send her a gift, it must be brand new and still in the original packaging. I know she has crayons and paints and a Candy Land game. Also, she can't have stuffed animals or latex balloons or flowers. She does need some nightgowns or pajamas.
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, December 14, 2005 5:13 PM CST
Day +7 (means 7 days since transplant)
So far, Colette is handling things well, but she is still very sick. She sleeps a lot and really isn't interested in too many visitors or activities. She is on a constant morphine pump and gets nausea meds every few hours. She is still getting feeds through her tube since she can't swallow. The mucous is VERY thick and she can't cough it up without gagging on it. We can use the sucker thing to help get it out and she can breathe easier that way.
She did get out of bed today and walk to her Christmas tree. But that caused her to be sick again. Daddy is doing a really good job of cleaning her up and taking care of everything. It is sorta weird to be "in the way" when I am there!
Bryant is staying with my mom at least until the weekend. Jason is not sure when he will go back to work. It will all depend on Colette's counts and when she starts to feel better. Hopefully that will be this weekend sometime.
Thank you to the folks at church who sent gifts for Colette and Bryant. Thank you to Amanda for the coat - it fits me perfectly! I wouldn't have picked out something like that but I actually like it! Thank you to Susie for all the love and thought you put into the gifts for us. Bryant was very excited about the pajamas! Thank you to those who have started sending cards and stickers, we love to get mail!
I will get back on and update more later.
Love,
Tammy
***************CHRISTMAS INFO**************
To answer some questions about Christmas wishes:
Colette - Loves Dora but has ALL the movies, Barbie Fairytopia, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and of course Disney Princesses - clothes are size 3T, socks would be good and shoes are size 7.
Bryant - Likes Hot Wheels, action figures, (NOT POKEMON) and legos/building things. Just started reading REALLY well (like 3rd grade level), like Adventures in Odyssey (Family Christian Stores) - clothes are size 6/7, mainly long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and winter wear (beanies, gloves, etc)
Tammy - I scrapbook and there are several good scrapbook stores (Michael's, A. C. Moore, Hobby Lobby) I also spend lots of time at Family Christian & Lifeway.
Jason - He plays video games to pass the time. There is a GameStop here (he has a membership there) and I think he wants the America's Army game on XBOX. He has a Playstation 2 that he plays here in Bham. There is also a Blockbuster right across the street from the apartment.
As far as food places, there is almost ANY restaurant you can imagine here. Chick-Fil-A, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, McD, Burger King, Arby's, Krispy Kreme. And of course, Wal Mart is a good place to spend money! LOL
I hope this helps to give some information about what we could use the most. I am sure the kids will have a FABULOUS Christmas this year and we will not have to worry about it AT ALL thanks to you all!
Love,
Tammy & Family
***********************************
Yes, we do have a paypal account for donations...tambabe1@hotmail.com is the email address.
*************************************
Our mailing address for the apartment is
818 Eagle Ridge Dr
Birmingham AL 35242
Our phone # there is 205-991-8127 and we do have an answering machine.
Colette's address is the same hospital address in room 662. Her phone # is 205-212-7662, if anyone wants to call her. If you want to send her a gift, it must be brand new and still in the original packaging. I know she has crayons and paints and a Candy Land game. Also, she can't have stuffed animals or latex balloons or flowers. She does need some nightgowns or pajamas.
Love,
Tammy
Monday, December 12, 2005 10:46 AM CST
I put the Christmas information at the bottom of this page....
What an EMOTIONAL weekend! I am still in Mobile, I am going to stay until tomorrow. Bryant is back in school today, I think he was looking forward to it slightly.
Colette's mucousitis is getting thicker and worse, I'm afraid. Plus there is some problem with her feeds. The staff usually bumps the feeds up every 8 hrs, but Colette's tube was never far enough down for that kind of volume. So Jason has been arguing with the "weekend" nurses who don't know that we have already established with her dr that she is going to stay on a low feed until she improves. FINALLY last night a nurse went to the "trouble" to read the chart and saw where the dr wrote NOT to exceed a certain number. Thank GOODNESS Jason was persistent! The reason for the aggravation is that it is causing very loose stools that are very messy and it is causing Colette's diaper to be irritated and that is BAD when it comes to this stage in the game. As little discomfort and irritation as possible is more important. When her counts start to take effect (which won't be until next weekend), these things will subside, thankfully.
I did make it on Saturday night to see the last 3 songs of the Christmas concert. Plus I did get to see my friends! On Sunday, my youth minister had a going away reception. He was the first person I called when I found out about Colette. He was also the one I called anytime I was scared and needed prayer. I even called him on vacation one time (oops)! He is going to NC to head up a church there and he is very excited. I just love his whole family and will miss them greatly. I am glad I got to see them once again!
I also did get to address the choir, however, I did get a "little" emotional! I didn't intend to lose it, but I wanted them to know how proud I was when I walked in that night and heard them without me. Next thing I know, they are all wiping their eyes and telling me I messed up their makeup! SORRY! And of course, the show was beautiful. I miss them SOOO MUCH! So today, I am doing normal things, which are actually enjoyable! Washing clothes for Bryant, taking the garbage out, I can't believe how much I love my house! LOL
Well I am headed to meet a couple of folks for lunch - don't get to do that much anymore, and then I will get Bryant from school. PLUS my mom's family Christmas is tonight so I will be in town for that. YAY!
Love,
Tammy
************************************
Saturday, December 10, 2005 12:55 AM CST
Colette is doing really well right now! That is the word from the dr. She said Colette is handling this protocol like a champ! Her mouth isn't hurting as much and she is right where she needs to be at this stage of the game. When Bryant and I got here today, she was talking and said she wanted her baby (the one I brought yesterday). Then Bryant (bless his heart) told her he got her something. He had picked up a resin bird that you paint for himself a few days ago at a craft store. He had it in his pocket and gave it to her! Then she said, "I got you something too! and I got you (at me) something too! I got you a Christmas tree! Not two Christmas trees, just one!" My kids are the best!!!
I decided, after much prayer and consideration of the most recent information on Colette, that I am bringing Bryant to Mobile today and will come back to Bham on Monday. I don't think Colette could be doing much better than she is, so I am not afraid to leave her. Jason is doing a fab job of taking care of her. The dr keeps saying how good the mouth care is going and skin care, but it is all Jason this time. I can't take any credit! It is nice because I can trust him to take care of her and I am getting in quite a bit of normal time with my buddy. It is working out perfectly! (Of course...we know WHO is in control here!)
Some of you know this about me, but most do not - I get visions of things that are usually in the near future. I was surprised about 2 years ago when I started seeing these images of things to come. For a while, I kept them to myself since they don't always come for a period, but then when they do, I am afraid to be wrong, so I don't tell anybody. But when my preacher in MS talked about the fact that if someone tells you they see things, but the things don't come true, stay away! But if they do come true EVERY TIME, you can trust where you are getting your information. Thankfully, that is me! I have started counting on these "visions" because I know they will happen, even though sometimes they are not specific and I am scared of misinterpreting them.
I said all of that to say this...A while back I saw the month of December (as a year-at-a-glance wall calendar) and the WHOLE month was a BRIGHT SHINY GOLD LIGHT - very difficult to explain, sort of like an explosion that stays on...and for a while, I knew it was good news, but about what? Then I heard "GLORY" and I knew that we would see God's Glory this month. Then I got scared, because entering Heaven is one way to see Glory, but then I was confused because the light was accompanied with happiness and peace! So I was hesitant to worry about it much more until more came to pass. I am going to interpret it now with believing that God is working through this part of Colette's healing and bringing her through it miraculously and amazingly. Therefore, the Drs can't explain WHY she is doing so well, just that she is! That is EXACTLY how I feel God can get the GLORY for her health! To raise her up above the medical expectations, to make everyone who knows her say, "Wow! It's a MIRACLE!"
I am headed to Mobile now to tell this to my choir tonight before they go onstage (without me) for our annual Christmas production. I hope it lifts them as they reach out to others tonight to tell the story of Christmas through song!
Love,
Tammy
***************CHRISTMAS INFO**************
To answer some questions about Christmas wishes:
Colette - Loves Dora but has ALL the movies, Barbie Fairytopia, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and of course Disney Princesses - clothes are size 3T, socks would be good and shoes are size 7.
Bryant - Likes Hot Wheels, action figures, (NOT POKEMON) and legos/building things. Just started reading REALLY well (like 3rd grade level), like Adventures in Odyssey (Family Christian Stores) - clothes are size 6/7, mainly long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and winter wear (beanies, gloves, etc)
Tammy - I scrapbook and there are several good scrapbook stores (Michael's, A. C. Moore, Hobby Lobby) I also spend lots of time at Family Christian & Lifeway.
Jason - He plays video games to pass the time. There is a GameStop here (he has a membership there) and I think he wants the America's Army game on XBOX. He has a Playstation 2 that he plays here in Bham. There is also a Blockbuster right across the street from the apartment.
As far as food places, there is almost ANY restaurant you can imagine here. Chick-Fil-A, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, McD, Burger King, Arby's, Krispy Kreme. And of course, Wal Mart is a good place to spend money! LOL
I hope this helps to give some information about what we could use the most. I am sure the kids will have a FABULOUS Christmas this year and we will not have to worry about it AT ALL thanks to you all!
Love,
Tammy & Family
***********************************
Yes, we do have a paypal account for donations...tambabe1@hotmail.com is the email address.
*************************************
Our mailing address for the apartment is
818 Eagle Ridge Dr
Birmingham AL 35242
Our phone # there is 205-991-8127 and we do have an answering machine.
Colette's address is the same hospital address in room 662. Her phone # is 205-212-7662, if anyone wants to call her. If you want to send her a gift, it must be brand new and still in the original packaging. I know she has crayons and paints and a Candy Land game. Also, she can't have stuffed animals or latex balloons or flowers. She does need some nightgowns or pajamas.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, December 9, 2005 3:29 PM CST
Yes, no news is good news. Colette has been on a morphine pump for about 24 hours now. They are adjusting her dose as needed to keep her pain down but hopefully not knock her out completely.
Jason just took Bryant back to the apartment so Jason could get a nap for a while. Colette didn't sleep well last night and Jason is really tired.
The drs here are really happy with the way Colette is doing. Yes, the smell of creamed corn has gone away a little. No, I don't think I will be eating it again anytime soon!
Colette is doing her mouthcare every few hours, and she actually likes having the sucker hose to get the extra spit out of her mouth. I brought her a baby doll and she got excited enough to sit up and give it a bottle. Also, she felt like getting out of bed enough to put the sparkly doo dad I got to go on top of her pink Christmas tree. But then it was back to bed.
Other than that, everything is going well. If anything changes, I will be sure to let you know.
Thanks for your prayers,
Tammy
Wednesday, December 7, 2005 1:19 PM CST
Transplant Day at last! Colette has 3 bags of cells and she has already gotten 1/2 of them.
Mouth sores - horrible, mucousitis and pain - horrible
The t*be was the worst thing she has ever experienced at this hospital. She screamed for 40 minutes and then threw up when it was over. I thought her Daddy was going to punch out a couple of people. Apparently the opening into the intestine is very tight on her and the tube wouldn't turn into the opening. They tried and tried and that is what took so long. I almost broke down the door to get in there and stop them. Jason was in there with her and so was her friend, the activity lady. Still, I wanted to kill somebody.
She woke up in pain this morning and threw up again, so Jason got them to put a round the clock morphine schedule on so hopefully the pain will not come in waves like that.
Other than that, they said she is doing VERY well as far as her blood and all is concerned.
And a surprise! Mawmaw and Papa drove up from Mobile to surprise us around 1:00 today! Yay!
Love,
Tammy
*****************************************
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 9:16 AM CST
Today has started already with Colette's tongue and belly hurting. She was really hurting and threw up from the pain. Her NP was in here when it happened, so he is writing for her to get morphine as needed to make her more comfortable. He said the sores are probably already in her stomach/GI tract and her mouth is getting that white coating. She got some more nausea medicine and now has been asleep for about 30 minutes. Would you believe the girl wanted to listen to Chris Tomlin on the new pink CD player I got her? She snuggled up in the blankets and went right off to sleep. She has good taste in music between Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Miss Patty Cake and *some* Steven Curtis Chapman! (I still have to brainwash her to get her to like momma's favorite more! LOL!)
We also decided we will go forward with the t*be (ssh!) because if her stomach already has those sores, it will be more painful to push that tu*e down there if we wait much longer (that's my opinion). Plus her weight is still going down since she is not eating. We don't want to lose ground in that department.
If anything major changes today, I will let you know. Otherwise, I might update tonight.
Love,
Tammy
************************************
Monday, December 5, 2005 8:00 PM CST
Today has been a pretty decent day for Colette. She has not been sick at all for almost 2 whole days! Whoo hoo!
However, she doesn't have much of an appetite. Therefore, it will be necessary to get a tp tube tomorrow, I think. This is the one thing that Colette REALLY HATES doing more than anything else. She still refers to tubes whenever she sees old pictures of her or other kids with them. It is pretty traumatic to have it put in, but the good news is she will be able to maintain her weight and still get nutrition, not just water and any meds she needs can go right down the tube. She hasn't gotten any mouth sores yet, but I am sure if we wait much longer, the sores may be in her GI area and a tube will be even more painful then. I hate it for her, but after things pick back up, she can get it taken out - that will be fabulous!
We did find out the people who gave blood for Colette. They are the Honeycutts and go to Deeper Life Church - THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT AND LOVE!
GOOD NEWS: Colette has received 2 transfusions in the last 3 weeks and they were both from DIRECTED DONORS! Two "Somebodies" who went and donated blood for Colette are CMV NEGATIVE! WHOO HOO! I was so happy! She will continue to get tranfusions over the next few months if needed, so if you gave blood for her, please call Red Cross and see if it was you! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Also, a big THANK YOU goes out to Lenzie's mommy and daddy and grandparents. They came today for Lenzie's chemo and brought a wagon full of gifts for Colette, Bryant and even some for Mommy & Daddy! That was very sweet of you! I also got Lenzie a Miss Patty Cake doll, movie and tshirt. I hope she turns into a cuckoo Miss Patty Cake fanatic like us!
Only one day left before transplant on Wednesday. It is hard to believe here we are, it seems like yesterday sitting with Dr. Buckley and hearing from him, "It is treatable, it is just very difficult to treat," and the words "transplant" were at the far side of the schedule. I can't believe how far Colette has come in such a short time. We could not have come this far by ourselves, though. All of you who have silently lurked and checked on Colette for the past 6 1/2 months, many of you I have never heard from, your prayers have made long nights much more bearable and hard decisions much more peaceful. Words will never tell you what your compassion means to us all!
Love,
Tammy
********************************
To answer some questions about Christmas wishes:
Colette - Loves Dora but has ALL the movies, Barbie Fairytopia, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and of course Disney Princesses - clothes are size 3T, socks would be good and shoes are size 7.
Bryant - Likes Hot Wheels, action figures, (NOT POKEMON) and legos/building things. Just started reading REALLY well (like 3rd grade level), like Adventures in Odyssey (Family Christian Stores) - clothes are size 6/7, mainly long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and winter wear (beanies, gloves, etc)
Tammy - I scrapbook and there are several good scrapbook stores (Michael's, A. C. Moore, Hobby Lobby) I also spend lots of time at Family Christian & Lifeway.
Jason - He plays video games to pass the time. There is a GameStop here (he has a membership there) and I think he wants the America's Army game on XBOX. He has a Playstation 2 that he plays here in Bham. There is also a Blockbuster right across the street from the apartment.
As far as food places, there is almost ANY restaurant you can imagine here. Chick-Fil-A, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, McD, Burger King, Arby's, Krispy Kreme. And of course, Wal Mart is a good place to spend money! LOL
I hope this helps to give some information about what we could use the most. I am sure the kids will have a FABULOUS Christmas this year and we will not have to worry about it AT ALL thanks to you all!
Love,
Tammy & Family
***********************************
Yes, we do have a paypal account for donations...tambabe1@hotmail.com is the email address.
*************************************
Our mailing address for the apartment is
818 Eagle Ridge Dr
Birmingham AL 35242
Our phone # there is 205-991-8127 and we do have an answering machine.
Colette's address is the same hospital address in room 662. Her phone # is 205-212-7662, if anyone wants to call her. If you want to send her a gift, it must be brand new and still in the original packaging. I know she has crayons and paints and a Candy Land game. Also, she can't have stuffed animals or latex balloons or flowers. She does need some nightgowns or pajamas.
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, November 23, 2005 11:49 AM CST
Wow - It has been a while since I last updated!
We have been enjoying some normal time the past few days. Daddy, Bubba & Papa are headed back to Bham this afternoon and we are going to have turkey, ham, dressing, green bean casserole, etc tomorrow! I think we are also going to take Colette & Bryant to Recreation Station one day, which is like Pump It Up to you Mobilians.
I also hope to visit Santa this weekend, if it's not too long of a line.
I intend to hit WalMart on Friday, just for the sake of watching adults fight over remote control cars & Barbies! I am nervous about this giftgiving season, because we have turned in Christmas lists to the apartment staff and I don't really know what the kids will get, but I can't really buy anything anyway...Think about it. You plan to buy your kids certain gifts for Christmas, but one year, you can't. Money is not available this month, since Jason will be missing at least 2 weeks of work this month, plus the Christmas & New Year's holidays, he may miss more then. We really will know the experience of Christmas in your heart, however!
Colette came in today to get her bone marrow aspirations done for stem cell. She has really good counts right now, and her red blood cells have come up wonderfully in a few days. That is good news for the future.
I did have a rough spot when the Dr. started going over the serious and bad part. Talking about the different chemos and how bad the side effects are and the long term side effects. I stopped and just said, "Can't we just stop now? She seems perfectly healthy now!" Of course, that was the mom in me, the mom who enjoys seeing Colette playing and making silly faces, and flying around like a butterfly. It took a few minutes of my complaints to realize, wait a minute, it doesn't matter WHAT kind of chemo we do, what kind of side effects she may/will experience, GOD brought us here, and He will bring us out! There is really a fine line between fighting for your child's life with the best medical care and doctors, and letting God have complete control! I can understand why there are religions who don't believe in medicine. They believe their faith is the only medicine they need. Personally, I feel God gives doctors and nurses special skills and if we don't use those skills, they do not receive blessings for using their talents. (Did that make any sense???!!)
Of course, I am preparing to proceed. The dr. reassured me that we have done everything throughout the journey thus far that we could possibly do. Her weight is great, her counts are great, she takes her medicine great - it is just a mental thing to psych me up, I know! :)
Some good news is that Bryant WILL be able to visit her!! He is old enough (like I thought) and unless there is a Flu epidemic, he won't be restricted to not visiting her! YAY! YAY! YAY!
We are getting the bone marrow results later, I am sure they are negative, because they have been all summer/fall and she is feeling fantastic. I will try to let you all know about that.
We have to be back to the hospital on Monday to sign all the paperwork (it will take a couple of hours) and then she will be admitted on Tuesday. I asked before, I am asking again - anyone who wants to send cards, stickers, etc, you can mail them to the hospital and they will get it to her room. I want to have as many happy things in her room that we can. They have even agreed to let us have a small pink tinsel Christmas tree!
Please ask special prayers at your churches this weekend too. Pray that she will not get as sick as they are expecting. Pray that she will surprise us all! Pray that Bryant will be patient and cooperative and not feel left out. Pray for me & Jason that we won't try to kill each other (not now, but later!), and pray that we feel your love surrounding us like warm blankets. It really does feel like that!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, November 18, 2005 12:56 PM CST
Yee-haw! I woke up with "God is Good, All the Time, He put a song of praise in this heart of mine, God is Good, All the Time, through the darkest night, His light will shine, God is Good, God is Good, All the Time"!
Colette's counts are recovering NICELY, she is no longer neutropenic, meaning she can be in public, and of course, we are checking out of room 454! The scans have all been completed, don't know any results yet, but they will call me if they need to tell me anything. We still have a hearing test today at 2 pm, but after that, we are outta here!
We are going back to the apartment and we will stay there this weekend. Her little spot on her incision, I am watching it and putting ointment on it, so I don't want to venture too far from good help.
We met the other family who have moved in above us in the apartment. Unfortunately, the dad is an Aubie, so I don't know if I will be happy to see him in the near future...lol
ROOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLL!
Their daughter is Bailey and she was just diagnosed with leukemia one week ago.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/godsjourneywithbailey
Love,
Tammy & Colette & Mawmaw
**************************************
Thursday, November 17, 2005 2:16 PM CST
It looks like we are staying in the hospital one more night. Her spot on her incision is responding to the antibiotics, but she had so many tests and things scheduled, it works out better for us to stay put to get it all done while getting extra meds just in case. Also, she is getting another round of platelets and some red blood cells. The good news (actually, it is all good news in my opinion) is that her white count is trending up, meaning that it is definitely going up and not just up and down like it does there at the worst days. She is still neutropenic, so she can't really go out to the playrooms and stuff like she likes to do. But we are keeping her entertained in our room.
She should be able to get out of the hospital tomorrow morning, but we have CT scans and MIBG scan and hearing tests, so we will still be hanging out here at the hospital anyway. After that we will get to go back to the apartment. I am not sure if we will get to make the trip back to Mobile this weekend. It is REALLY cold here too - sounds like a good idea to just stay warm and inside. I am looking forward to next week when Jason & Bryant come up and she gets to have some fun with her buddy.
Love,
Tammy
PS: Thanks Uncle Chicken! She is sleeping but I will let her open the box when she wakes up.
**************************************
Wednesday, November 16, 2005 2:37 PM CST
Well, we landed back in the hospital again. This time, it is just a precautionary dose of IV antibiotics because of a little spot on Colette's incision that looks irritated and is sore. The dr. wanted to get some good meds in her so it wouldn't develop.
The good news is her platelets are still above transfusion level since Monday, and her white blood cells are actually up from 0.09 (Mon) to 0.24 (Wed). That is good news, and her red blood is up good enough not to need any of that either!
We are in the "dungeon" at the hospital. It is the row of rooms that have a brick wall outside the window. But it is also good because it is QUIET back there!
Yesterday was quite an adventure. I didn't know you could walk about 2 miles across the campus at UAB by walking through buildings in a crosswalk system! That was neat. Colette had her kidneys tested. They injected a radioactive fluid, then checked her kidneys 1 hr, then 2 hrs later. No pain involved, except for the IV to put it in, and then taking the IV out. :( We should be able to go back to the apartment tomorrow afternoon, as long as she is still doing ok and no F_ _ V _ R (we're not going to say it)
In talking to Stem Cell, we have realized that next week is really Colette's last week of freedom, meaning as long as her counts are up, it will be the last time she will be able to have several people visit her at a time, and go out to eat at a restaurant (her favorite thing to do) for a very long time, as in MONTHS. We will be in Birmingham throughout Thanksgiving, Jason & Bryant will be here then as well.
Once Colette is released from the hospital (which is hopefully around Christmas), we will still have to keep her isolated and she will have to stay here in Birmingham to have daily Dr. visits. That will take AT LEAST 3 months. That puts her to Mar/Apr, then if we are released to go to Mobile, she has to be on strict visitor precautions for another several months. It looks like phone calls and photos and emails and letters are going to be the way she gets to talk to folks for the next 7-8 months.
We do have a REALLY nice apartment and I will get the address and post it. She can get anything, cards, stickers, etc at the apartment and I will bring it to her at the hospital.
I will update again tomorrow. Pray that we will get to go home without any big changes!
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, November 10, 2005 10:25 PM CST
Surprise Surprise!
When we got Colette's counts back today, and looked at the calendar for the next month, Mawmaw and I decided to high tail it back to Mobile!
We drove back as quick as we could - we just got here about 30 mins ago! Jason & Bryant had no idea - I think Jason was about to pull out the shotgun! Everybody was so happy to see us and I am sure Papa is happy that Mawmaw is home.
We are only staying until Sun/Mon, or when Colette's temp starts rising. It is taking longer for her chemo to hit her so hard this time, probably because her counts were so good. In fact, her counts are still fabulous and it has been 7 days tomorrow since chemo started! So we are enjoying this little interlude.
We have established a schedule leading up to transplant. We have to be in Bham next Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, then the following Wed (day before Turkey Day), then the Monday after Thanksgiving is Final Day (where we sign all the documents and get the last gameplan), then start chemo on that next day, Tuesday. She will get 4 days of chemo, rest for 3, then get her transplant on Wednesday, Dec 7. That works out really well for us because Jason only has to be off 2 weeks in a row, and they are trying to get us in there as early as possible so we can hopefully be out for Christmas!!!!!
Therefore, we will not be in the hospital for Thanksgiving, but we will be in Bham. The apartment complex is providing a fully-cooked turkey dinner with trimmings!! So we will be happy to enjoy that!!
Good news - Tommy (the little boy I told you about last time) is doing so much better, he may go home this Sunday!! He is sitting up and eating and still in pain, but MUCH LESS!!! Yay for Tommy!
www.caringbridge.com/al/tommy
Well, I am going to go spend some time with my boys - will update more pics later!
Love,
Tammy & the Gang
Tuesday, November 8, 2005 5:53 PM CST
Just wanted to let you know we are staying at Hope Lodge tonight, and then in the morning, we will be headed to our NEW APARTMENT here in Bham.
Our stem cell apartment is ready, so we can use it throughout the next few months until we are released to go back to Mobile FOR GOOD!
Will write more later!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, November 7, 2005 4:38 PM CST
Yay! I finally got the walkerplace photos up!
Colette is doing well. Her red blood, platelets, everything is fantastic, since the chemo isn't really hitting her hard yet. She is happy to feel her hair growing back (but it is not going to stick around for long) and she keeps telling people to rub her head!
We are scheduled to get out of the hospital tomorrow (Tuesday). Mawmaw and I are staying here in Bham until the weekend, since Colette will probably get a fever and need to be admitted again by Fri/Sat. That will save us the time and $ of driving back to Mobile, then driving back to Bham, and having her transported via ambulance from the hospital in Mobile and the insurance billing us for $2000!!!
We will still be online and checking in, so don't hesitate to leave us any encouraging notes!
PS: Another little boy (Tommy - 5) here with lymphoma has 2 older sisters, Brittany (12) & Mary (6). They have been in the hospital for a week and he isn't doing better, so they will have to stay another week. I took the girls to the Galleria yesterday and we had a funny time eating at Ruby Tuesday. They get tired of being in the hospital, and I like window shopping. I will probably try to do something with them this week, even though Colette won't be in the hospital, it is just about 10 minutes from the hotel. (Their brother's website is www.caringbridge.com/al/tommy.)
Love,
Tammy
Saturday, November 5, 2005 6:49 PM CDT
The Birmingham Hogs came to the hospital today for the 12th Annual "Teddy Bear Ride"!
Colette RACKED up on stuffed animals. Probably because we woke her up to go down to see them, and she was NOT such a willing participant. She wasn't afraid of the 200 noisy bikes, she thought they were cool! It was the paparazzi I think that bothered her. Having to smile all the time because she looks so CUTE!
She got a "Hog", a big Tigger, a big Elmo and a BIG mouse, along with some others. (And the cool doo-rag!)
I will try to post some of these pics on the walkerplace.org/colette website. I think I will email Aunt Sherry because the mouse on the computer here is broken and it is taking FOREVER to update a simple photo!
Will try to get back on tomorrow. Otherwise, Colette is just dealing with her mood swings and we are "just dealing" too!
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
Well, I just realized I haven't updated any info in a couple of days!
Miss Patty Cake was wonderful! Colette was so excited when MissPC came on stage, she just stood in amazement! She stood in the aisle near the front for almost the entire show! She did a lot of the motions and sang the songs, but I would see her just fascinated by seeing her on stage in person!
Afterwards, we stood in the LONG line to see MissPC, then when she walked up to her, she handed her the picture of the 2 of them in the hospital back in August. She was shocked at how good Colette looked. She said her cheeks were fuller and she looked so good! Miss PC hugged Colette, then introduced her to her own daughter, Marilyn. She also made sure her husband was taking pics of their own! Then we took a couple of pics and it was time to let the next kids see MissPC. We had a great time seeing her, even if it was short!
I did finally hear from the drs about the pathology report. The tumor was mostly dead or maturing cells, which is exactly what they expected and hoped to see. Colette will definitely be receiving radiation to the tumor site to try to kill anything that might be left. So the plan is still on, to get one last round of regular chemo, then prepare for stem cell.
So pray for Colette and me as we drive to Bham tomorrow afternoon. We are going alone this time - Mawmaw and Papa are enjoying a well deserved time in the Great Smokey Mountains. Colette will see the surgeon and stem cell team, as well as start chemo.
As I was updating, her nurse practictioner called and apparently, we will be HOME FOR THANKSGIVING!! WHOO HOO!! She is scheduled to be in Bham that Sunday night after Tgiving for a bunch of tests and scans on Monday and Tuesday. That is good, for all our sakes!
Another thing, I am going to ask that anyone who would like to, please send Colette stickers. She LOVES LOVES LOVES stickers and she plays with them for hours. She gives them to her nurses and anybody else she sees. I think she likes stickers better than a lot of toys! And we have found stickers in the rooms where she has stayed before, stuck to beds, tables, etc!
You can mail them to the hospital address below and they will find her correct room number. Or you can send them to our home address and Jason will get them to us or keep them for us.
Colette's home address
7040 Lake Rd N
Mobile AL 36605
Love,
Tammy
***********************************
Saturday, November 5, 2005 11:27 AM CST
Well, chemo started last night and she is feeling fine. (except for the decadron making her very impatient)
The Birmingham Hogs are coming today! They have been making lots of big changes around the hospital with the police blocking the road in front of the hospital, all the kids getting t-shirts that say "Teddy Bear Ride" and in about we should be hearing the rumble of more than 250 Harleys outside our window! I went downstairs and they have it roped off like Mardi Gras! I think a band is downstairs near the coffee shop, and everybody is excited!
Also, Friends of Magic Moments was here today with a marionette show and face painting. I will get a picture of Colette's face and post it asap.
So we are going downstairs after a little beauty rest. Check back later to see what happens with the Hogs!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, November 2, 2005 3:31 PM CST
Well, I just realized I haven't updated any info in a couple of days!
Miss Patty Cake was wonderful! Colette was so excited when MissPC came on stage, she just stood in amazement! She stood in the aisle near the front for almost the entire show! She did a lot of the motions and sang the songs, but I would see her just fascinated by seeing her on stage in person!
Afterwards, we stood in the LONG line to see MissPC, then when she walked up to her, she handed her the picture of the 2 of them in the hospital back in August. She was shocked at how good Colette looked. She said her cheeks were fuller and she looked so good! Miss PC hugged Colette, then introduced her to her own daughter, Marilyn. She also made sure her husband was taking pics of their own! Then we took a couple of pics and it was time to let the next kids see MissPC. We had a great time seeing her, even if it was short!
I did finally hear from the drs about the pathology report. The tumor was mostly dead or maturing cells, which is exactly what they expected and hoped to see. Colette will definitely be receiving radiation to the tumor site to try to kill anything that might be left. So the plan is still on, to get one last round of regular chemo, then prepare for stem cell.
So pray for Colette and me as we drive to Bham tomorrow afternoon. We are going alone this time - Mawmaw and Papa are enjoying a well deserved time in the Great Smokey Mountains. Colette will see the surgeon and stem cell team, as well as start chemo.
As I was updating, her nurse practictioner called and apparently, we will be HOME FOR THANKSGIVING!! WHOO HOO!! She is scheduled to be in Bham that Sunday night after Tgiving for a bunch of tests and scans on Monday and Tuesday. That is good, for all our sakes!
Another thing, I am going to ask that anyone who would like to, please send Colette stickers. She LOVES LOVES LOVES stickers and she plays with them for hours. She gives them to her nurses and anybody else she sees. I think she likes stickers better than a lot of toys! And we have found stickers in the rooms where she has stayed before, stuck to beds, tables, etc!
You can mail them to the hospital address below and they will find her correct room number. Or you can send them to our home address and Jason will get them to us or keep them for us.
Colette's home address
7040 Lake Rd N
Mobile AL 36605
Love,
Tammy
***********************************
Monday, October 31, 2005 10:15 AM CDT
What a fun time we have been having!!!
First, I wanted to clear up something...Colette's birthday is Oct 30. We had her party 2 weeks ago because we weren't sure if she would be in the hospital still recovering from surgery or getting chemo. So we played it safe and scheduled it the same weekend as the wedding.
We will hear tomorrow what day we are scheduled to go back to Bham for treatment. Either Wednesday or Thursday for appointments. Then we will stay for chemo which will take about 5 days.
Colette has been so excited about sooo many things! Today is "MISS PATTY CAKE"!! (Plus Halloween)
We all dressed up last night for a birthday party for our cousins and Colette even got to help blow out the candles. We all had a good time and she was asleep by the time we got in the car!! Check out the walkerplace.org/colette website for pics from yesterday AND tomorrow there will be pics from tonight!! Have fun tonight everyone and be SAFE!!!
Love,
Tammy, Jason & Kids
**************************************
Sunday, October 30, 2005 9:23 AM CDT
Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday DEAR COLETTE Happy Birthday To You!
I love you very very much! You are not ALMOST 3, you ARE 3 now! I am so happy you have had a good time recently and I am excited because of all the fun things you are going to do today and tomorrow! I am so proud of you and I love you so much!
Love,
Mommy
*********************************
Thursday, October 27, 2005 10:24 PM CDT
Yee Haw! We just got home from a long afternoon at the fair in Mobile!
The weather was perfect, the kids were great, and we just had a good time watching them have fun. We took Nicole and it turns out that she is a daredevil like her Uncle Jason, so he was happy to have someone to ride with him on the big rides!
Colette is a "daredevil in training", we found out. The louder and faster the ride, the more she was determined to ride them! She didn't care if it was only for grown-ups, she wanted to go on the high and fast rides! But she still had plenty of fun on the kiddie rides.
***Check out walkerplace.org/colette for pics from the
Fair tonight.***
Bryant has an Honor Roll Assembly tomorrow morning at school, so I better get to bed... will update any news tomorrow.
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, October 26, 2005 11:05 AM CDT
We are home again! Colette is doing great. We are all happy to be home and back to a little normalcy. We hope to see everyone tonight at church!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, October 25, 2005 10:24 AM CDT
GOING HOME TODAY!!!! YAY!!!
Guess who was chasing her brother down the hall yesterday afternoon???
My pink daughter! She was running (slowly) but running to try to catch Bryant in the halls.
The surgeons told us if she continued to improve from yesterday that she would go home today. So this morning, they confirmed she would go home today! So we can plan to celebrate this weekend! We will get a NORMAL time, get to come to Tony & Mary Mad's birthday party, lots of fall festivals, and see MISS PATTY CAKE on Monday night!!!! Plus, Bryant will get to go to the fair! Whoo hoo!
*************************************
Sunday, October 23, 2005 10:13 PM CDT
************************************
Sunday, October 23, 2005 10:13 PM CDT
Colette made it back to her room earlier this afternoon. She was much happier and relaxed to be in there! She is still getting pain meds every 4-5 hrs, which is fine, I don't blame her one bit!
We have been able to spend some good time with Bryant these last 2 days. Last night we took him out to eat and then we browsed Lifeway and Wal-Mart. Got him a joke book and a game. We found out that Team Impact was here in Bham this week and some of you may remember when they came to our church March 2004 at Bryant's birthday and played paintball with Jason. So we went there tonight and got to see Siolo, Jason's old paintball target, I mean buddy, LOL! They put on a great show with fire & ice, it was really cool. Bryant and Jason both had a great time!!! Then we took him to eat and he is really happy and calm acting. And we have been able to joke and tease a lot. Things are good right now!
Hopefully she can tolerate having something in her stomach in the morning and her ng tube can come out. She is really scared because it hurts to move the tube much, since it runs all the way down into her belly. But she will be much happier without it! Jason will stay with her tonight and I am taking Bryant to the hotel with Mawmaw. Will update again tomorrow am!
Love,
Tammy
**************************************
Saturday, October 22, 2005 12:34 PM CDT
Well she is still doing pretty well. She is in pain some, so we are making sure they give her pain meds when she needs it. Her counts are up, which is good news. She is still nice and pink, which is also good.
I don't like to bring this up now, but I am asking for prayers for our finances again. The constant trips to Bham and of course, the $150 each hospital visit deductibles have really eaten away at our $$. We still have some money in her account, but we still have a long road ahead of us with hotel stays, gas, food while in the hospital, and of course, the medical bills. It is getting pretty tight and Jason is off this entire week and probably next week until she clears this hurdle. That means he is not getting paid for this week or whatever he misses from next week and they are still going to hold us responsible for $130 each week for the insurance that is paying for all of this. There is supposed to be the VFW auction this weekend, I haven't heard anything else about it, but we won't get that $$ for a couple of weeks probably. If anyone has been considering a financial gift, it would come in great timing now.
Colette's account is at Regions Bank - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund.
At Bay Bank, it is under Colette Pate too.
ALSO!! GOOD NEWS!! There are 6 people who are in line to give blood for Colette and the Red Cross is asking anyone else to wait until these people have given and there is another need! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It is overwhelming how much strangers care about my baby!
***************************************
Surgery is over!! YAY!! I can breathe!!! It ended up taking a little more than 3 hours.
We just spoke with the surgeon. He told us:
1. They are pretty sure they got all of it, however, with this type, it wraps around and it is really hard to see the different tissues sometimes. He thinks whatever little bit they left is dead. The pathology report won't be back until Wednesday, so we aren't going to worry about that.
UPDATE: Another one of the surgeons said the size of tissue they left in is only about the size of a fingernail.
2. They got all the lymph nodes that showed on the CT scan.
3. They took out her left adrenal gland. She didn't need it anyway, we all have 2 and her right one is not involved with this.
4. She did end up getting some blood, but that's ok. That's what it was there for.
5. Her left kidney was NOT damaged and there was no problem with it. So she made it through with both kidneys.
6. She is in special care unit tonight, probably will return to her room tomorrow. So Jason & I are staying in her room tonight and one of us will be with her as much as they will allow. Bryant is at the hotel with Papa, Mawmaw, Aunt Sherry, Hannah, Leticia (Aunt Sherry's friend) and her baby Caleb.
7. He said it was the size of a golf ball, flattened a little. He was the original surgeon who did her biopsy in May, he said it had shrunk SIGNIFICANTLY since then! He said it was a very good response to the treatment thus far.
8. She will be in some pain, so we will watch that and make sure she gets medicine when she needs it.
Other than that, a major hurdle is past and she just needs to recover from this surgery so she can go home for her birthday next Sunday!!!
Thank you everyone for your prayers. Obviously, God met our need for peace, the surgeon's skill, and Colette's body worked. Check those prayers off your TO DO LIST and now add "Quick recovery from surgery with no complications"!
Thanks again!
Love,
Tammy, Jason, Bryant & Colette
View pictures from the wedding & birthday party this weekend at:
walkerplace.org/colette
10/21 - 3:43 p.m. SURGERY DAY
Well, she has been actually in surgery for about 30 minutes now. The surgeon told us he will be slow and careful as the tumor was so close to major sensitive arteries. He wanted to make sure to be slow and tedious to avoid any danger areas. So he said to give him at least 2 hours, maybe even plan for 4 hours, but hopefully closer to 2. I don't really care how long it takes - 3 hours or 45 minutes seem the same when you are waiting 2 floors and many doors away!!!
I was able to sleep really well last night. Jason stayed with her while I stayed at the hotel with Bryant and Mawmaw. Then we just took it easy getting here this morning, and Colette was relaxing with Daddy, watching her DVDs.
When we went down to the OR, we had to stop in a little waiting area to meet with the nurses, anesthesia, etc for one last question session, then she would leave from us to go back. She was laughing and talking, and wanted to smell the bubble gum or cotton candy air (sleeping gas). She walked her fat legs (with her diaper booty hanging out the back of the gown) all the way down the hall with 2 nurses in scrubs on both sides of her, waving at all the drs and nurses in the OR, then the doors closed. :( :( :(
So I am passing the time here on the computer. I can't believe how far we have come in such short time. I was sitting here talking to a dad whose daughter is on her first chemo treatment. I feel like such a pro! I hope I helped give him some tips about dressing changes and feeding tubes! (What a dork I am!)
I am headed back to the room just to check in (and let someone else use the computer). I will get on here and let you know as soon as we hear anything. Don't expect much before 5 PM because that is the 2 hr mark.
Thank you all for your prayers. I know you were praying for us all this week, I have been really peaceful about this until today. Then I felt new prayers kick in. I am feeling good right now, just excited to see my baby and get her in my arms.
Tammy
**********************************
The chaplain, Paul, came through and asked everyone what they would be praying for. We all gathered around Colette and asked for things like peace, the surgeons hands to be guided, the complete removal of the cancer, and that the word "cancer" would only be a part of her history from here on out.
Jason is doing very well but Tammy is really having a hard time holding up. Please, as you pray, ask the Lord to give her His peace that passes understanding. We all know that my sister is very determined and stubborn (sorry Tammy!) but we know that this takes a toll on her and Jason as well.
The computer is beeping and so I'm getting off now. I'll update when I can.
Love
Aunt Sherry
*************
I found this on Taylor Watt's website - the first poem about cancer that has made me cry...
The Chosen Mother
By Erma Bombeck
Most women become a mother by accident, some by choice and a few by habit. Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with life threatening illnesses are chosen?
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and
deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.......
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint Matthew"
Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecilia"
Rutledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint Gerard."
Finally, He passes a name to an angel and says, "Give her a child with cancer." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God, "Could I give a child with cancer a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."
"But, does she have patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she will handle it."
"I watched her today," said God. "She has that feeling of self-independence that is so rare and necessary in a mother.
You see, the child I'm going to give her has it's own world.
She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."
"But Lord, I don't think she believes in you," said the angel.
"No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."
The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is the woman I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take anything her child does for
granted. She will never consider a single step ordinary. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see....ignorance, cruelty, prejudice....and allow her to rise above them."
"And what about her patron saint" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid-air.
God smiles and says..."A mirror will suffice."
You can call the Red Cross in Mobile at 251-662-2615 and tell them you want to give blood for Colette Pate. They will schedule you and answer any questions. It takes about a week to get the blood processed, so anytime now would be good for the next transfusion she may need after surgery.
No one gave yet, so please don't think we have had a tremendous response and not call! It's one of those situations where you think, "Well, I know everyone else is going to do it, so I won't,"but everyone thinks THAT, then NO ONE does it! LOL
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, October 16, 2005 0:26 AM CDT
Well, we are EXHAUSTED!
The wedding is over, all the planning is finished. Colette looked fabulous (my whole family did, I must say), and everything was hunky-dory until time to line up to go down front. Colette decided she was NOT going to walk down the aisle.
All the practicing, etc., and she was soooo tired. She takes a 2 hr nap every day, and we were there at the church since 1:00, so by 3:00, time was up! She cried and would not walk down the aisle, so I walked her (sorry Manda!) down and we sat on the front side row. :(
I was soooo disappointed/aggravated with her! I moved to a couple of rows back, she was SNORING on me! poor baby! She slept through the whole wedding and then through the pictures!
Thankfully Jason woke her up a little after she had a 30 min nap, and she participated in the rest of the reception, etc. And she loves Amanda, so she kept wanting to see her, and hug her. So there will be lots of good pics.
We didn't take many pics because my mom and Sherry did, so I will get better pictures on the walkerplace.org/colette website. Check it soon!
I better get in bed, we are zombies!
See ya tomorrow!
Tammy
Friday, October 14, 2005 9:41 AM CDT
Well, I think we have pinker lips today! She has been home for 2 days, not going anywhere where she can get sick!
Cousin Nicole spent the night last night and they played dressup and makeup and she even cleaned Colette's room again! (Sorry, Brandy, she is staying!)
So today is BIG SHOPPING DAY for the party. It is actually time to pick up the jumping thing, food, etc. Whoo hoo!
And tonight is the wedding rehearsal...I will have some pics later (9 pm or so) from that.
I really haven't heard from more than a couple of people about the party. I still would like to hear from you if you are planning to attend, since we need to set up tables in the gym tomorrow. Just email me at tambabe1@hotmail.com or just leave a note in the guestbook. Thanks!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, October 11, 2005 9:41 PM CDT
Good News! They checked her blood again today and I finally talked to our REAL nurse in Bham and she said she wasn't going to transfuse her! Yay! She said according to the other numbers, she should be on her way up! So we just have to make sure she doesn't get a fever between now and this weekend, when her counts should be up on their own.
Check out the photo album for new pics.
If you are planning on attending the party this weekend, would you please email me a note, just say something like, "3 of us are coming" or something like that, so I can plan on number of tables we need to set up on Fri & Sat.
Just email me at tambabe1@hotmail.com
Thanks!
About the blood donations - I had to get Bham to fill out another directed donor form since the blood will need to go to Bham for the surgery (for which we STILL don't have the date), so tomorrow (Wednesday) everything should be set up to take donors. I will update here when it is ready.
I know I told everyone you could get tested for CMV status. Well I talked to the Red Cross and they said they don't test for that here. You actually have to make the donation, then it gets sent to the National place where they send all the blood to get processed. That is where is will be tested for CMV. If it turns out to be positive, they will just send it to the pool. If it is negative, it is earmarked specifically for Colette. So if anyone who is A wants to give blood for Colette, just call the Red Cross - SPECIAL COLLECTIONS office here in Mobile and schedule an appointment to give. They can answer any questions and let you know what you have to do.
Sunday, October 9, 2005 10:35 PM CDT
Well, it has been almost a week since I last updated...
We have been home and it has been great! Colette keeps telling me, "I'm happy I'm out of the hospital!" She is really a homebody (unless you are taking her shopping and out to eat)
We have had a good few days, with not having to be stuck, poked, or hurt. She is happy to play in her room or in Bryant's room - but thankfully, mainly her own.
Today we took her down front at church to announce her test results - I figured, if we go down with a need, shouldn't we be ready to go down with the response?? Everybody was super excited about the news!
Tonight Colette ate 2 chicken legs and a ear of corn from KFC. The girl is an eating machine - no steriods, just plain good appetite. She is at 30 lbs, Jason weighed her at work, where the scales are calibrated monthly. So whatever the hospital says, I am sticking with 30!
So we are getting excited about the party. We heard from several folks at church who are planning to come. We know some of the kids are wearing their costumes, I know they will have a blast. Jason's parents and brother(?) & sister (1 of 2) are coming from SC on Thursday, so I am sure Friday will be "All About Colette" Day! We will be decorating the gym, making finger foods, getting the helium balloons, etc. Then the wedding is on Saturday afternoon - I will post LOTS of pics then... And then the BIG PARTY on Sunday! Lots to look forward to!
About the blood donations - I know I told everyone you could get tested for CMV status. Well I talked to the Red Cross and they said they don't test for that here. You actually have to make the donation, then it gets sent to the National place where they send all the blood to get processed. That is where is will be tested for CMV. If it turns out to be positive, they will just send it to the pool. If it is negative, it is earmarked specifically for Colette. So if anyone who is A+ wants to give blood for Colette, just call the Red Cross - SPECIAL COLLECTIONS office here in Mobile and schedule an appointment to give. They can answer any questions and let you know what you have to do.
Thanks again for your wonderful notes of encouragement. Sometimes when I get a little worried (the devil starts getting in my head), I get on here and look at the guestbook. It always helps to know you are still thinking of us after these past 5 months!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, October 4, 2005 9:39 PM CDT
Well, I hope you all heard the good news!
We had Colette's scan yesterday, instead of this Friday, since we were already there. After her doctor reviewed them with Radiology, my nurse practicioner called our room to say, "Dr. Buckley is on his way to talk to you", which made my heart SKIP - then she said, "With a smile on his face!" Whoo hoo! So he comes through the door and says, "Wanna see her scan?"
We went to the nurses station and he showed us the scan from June, and then yesterday. The first one showed the whole left side of her body with tumor, yesterday's showed a small circle with calcified dots back next to her kidney.
It went from the size of a grapefruit to the size of a walnut (in the shell)! He was very happy, to say the least. He said her lungs look good, her heart looks good, and that her creatinine clearance has always been high, which means kidneys are working good too.
I asked about whether it is tied in with some arteries, he said it is close to some, but the surgeons will either know from the scans, or just once they get in there. So pray for that next. We don't want there to be any connections with the arteries that will make removal difficult.
He said the white calcified dots are good, because they are either dead cancer cells or matured cells. The tumor is hardened in the center. But it is a good sign.
So we are waiting to hear from him in the next day or so with the surgery date. They are ALL aware of the fact that Colette will be here until Oct 17, so the party plans are in full effect!!!
Tell everyone you know - PLEASE COME TO COLETTE'S PARTY!
October 16 = 1:30 PM - First Baptist Tillman's Corner, 5560 Three Notch Rd, in the gym!!!!
I bought the pink M&M's today!!!
Thanks again for everyone's prayers! They seem to be getting through!
Love,
Tammy, Jason, Bryant & Colette
Monday, October 3, 2005 3:38 PM CDT
THE TUMOR HAS REDUCED TO THE SIZE OF AN UNSHELLED WALNUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please, stop right now, and give thanks to the Lord for this miracle!
They are all coming home today, so I know Tammy will update more when she gets to her house, but I couldn't let a minute pass without sharing our TERRIFIC news!
Aunt Sherry
Sunday, October 2, 2005 1:46 PM CDT
Yay - we will hopefully be going home tomorrow (Monday)!
As long as she is continuing to improve, the doc said we could probably go home. She is back to her old self, acting goofy, too wound up to sleep at 10:30 pm, making faces, etc. It is a wonderful thing to see!
The other news is we will probably have her scan done tomorrow instead of Friday. That is the big reveal - the scan to see her tumor and plan for surgery next.
Pray Pray Pray that her tumor her small enough and not entangled so that they will be able to remove it all at once! I am really nervous about this part. They haven't done a scan since the chemo began, and this is going to tell them whether they can do the surgery and what it will entail.
The scan should be tomorrow, I will post the time as soon as I find out. Check back later!
Love,
Tammy
Friday, September 30, 2005 9:09 PM CDT
Well, we just finished our nasty dressing change and next is our nightly shot. Yuck!
Colette's counts are very slowly improving, that is good news. They are still planning on keeping her a few more days, just making sure she is A-OK. She is feeling much better, more so than nearly a week ago! YAY!
Plans are continuing for her party. Don't forget -
Sunday October 16 right after church, but we won't sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake until 1:30 p.m. so that everyone has a chance to get there.
On the schedule for that day:
Jumping Flower House
Clown with balloons and face painting
2 birthday cakes
pink sandwiches
and more to come...
Also, I am asking any kids who can come dressed up to do so. Colette will be dressed either in her flower girl dress or something like a princess/butterfly, don't know which she will choose!
But I think mini-Batman and Robin will be there (Sherry?) so anything the kids want to wear will be great!
So that is giving us something positive to look forward to while we are here, waiting around.
Well, I have disappeared for long enough today. Tomorrow is the AL/FL game, so I won't be around until after that...Roll Tide! I will try to get a new pic of her up tomorrow too.
Thanks again for everything and all the prayers!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:37 AM CDT
Wow - looking back over the site, things sure have changed.
1. We are now in the hospital in Birmingham.
I took her in on Monday to Childrens & Womens in Mobile, just to get red blood and platelets, however, she ended up spiking a fever Tues morning while we were still there. So that meant no going home.
I called my dr in Bham and they wanted her on antibiotics STAT. I walked down to the nurses station and told them that we needed to get antibiotics ordered. Of course, that requires the dr to write those orders and the dr who does that was NOT there. Long story short, with the lack of ability to contact someone to make things happen quickly or even in a timely manner, I decided early on Tuesday that we needed to transfer to bham. I am just much more comfortable here with specialized care and a team of drs that I see TWICE a day EVERYDAY. Plus we are on a unit with CANCER-only patients and CANCER-only nurses.
2. Colette needed 2 blood transfusions and 1 platelet transf.
Her numbers were so low on Monday and that is why she wouldn't even get off the couch. She slept all day and I assumed since we were having the CBC on Monday, we could address her issues then. But now, having talked to her dr here, if that is to happen again, I will just go ahead and call her and get something going. They could have had her brought her on Sunday night and she would have felt better since then. Oh well, I am living and learning. :)
3. Colette has 0 ANC - which means she has absolutely no defense against germs.
That also means we will be staying here in the hospital in bham until she gets some, which could be up to 2 weeks. Pray not! But we are still moving on as planned for the Princess Party - I am sure by then things will be much better.
You know that feeling when you have been traveling all night (cold & rainy) and you get to where you're going, and they welcome you in, hug you, dry you off, take your bags, give you something warm to drink and help you rest on pillows? That is how it felt last night when we FINALLY GOT HERE at 10:30 pm! (Ambulance ride took 5 hrs, I had to stop in Montgomery to BUY TYLENOL and a THERMOMETER (she spiked a 103F temp while in route) because they do not CARRY one in the ambulance! Don't even get me started on that!!!)
Anyway, Colette was so happy to see her nurses and she had one of her favorites to get her settled in, they chatted with her and set up her DVD player while I took care of paperwork, etc. I think we finally ended up sleeping around 1:30 am. But it was MUCH more relaxing, knowing that whatever blood work was being done SOMEBODY was checking it out and making adjustments to her fluids, meds, etc, WHILE I WAS SLEEPING! It wasn't my duty to keep up with that for a change. So everyone is happy we are here - except of course, Bubba and Daddy :( But this is much better for Colette and hopefully we will be headed home in the near future, but probably not in the next week or so!
Oh, and her 2nd transf worked good and she has color and some energy, but her electrolytes are all out of whack and she is having lots of different meds in her fluids and having to take lots of different meds by mouth (yuck), but she is being a big girl. And no fever and no positive cultures and no vomiting today! Yay! That is really the best news!
Will update more later. Mawmaw is coming up today in Gracie's van and we will be able to get non-hospital food later!
Please keep praying - I have heard..."I will carry you to Jesus, He is everything you need...." (another Steven Curtis Chapman fave) all day!
Love,
Tammy
Monday, September 26, 2005 5:24 PM CDT
~*~*~*~Update from Aunt Sherry, 8:52 p.m.~*~*~*~
Tammy called to say that they had to take Colette to the hospital to get some blood. There seemed to be a little confusion between the two hospitals that care for Colette, but ultimately she is in the best place right now. We hope that she will get some strength from this, keep the fever away, and be able to come home when the transfusion is over!
********
Well, I am still waiting to her about Colette's counts. It is possible she will need a blood transfusion and possibly platelets tonight. I hope they don't make us wait too much longer. I hate going in to the hospital at night. It seems like it takes forever and completely gets everyone off schedule. Plus you have to repeat everything to 2 different shifts of nurses/attendings.
Thankfully, Colette is at HOME resting, with NO fever. She is relaxing on the couch and I actually finished ONE WHOLE scrapbook page! And I got started on TWO more! Whoo hoo! We did a mean dressing change and she is getting used to it. (So am I).
Now we are looking for someone to donate blood and platelets. Here are the requirements:
1. Must be A
2. Must be negative for CMV (cytomegalovirus) - 8 out of 10 people in AL are POSITIVE - that is why it is difficult to get blood for her.
Colette has a Direct Donor set up at the Red Cross here in Mobile (251) 662-2601.
You can go to the Red Cross and donate straight to her, as long as you meet these criteria. She also needs platelets, but there are more rules to meet for that and I don't expect too many folks to want to sit with both arms hooked up to IVs for 2 hours!
If you or anyone you know wnat to know more, please email me at tambabe1@hotmail.com. I will keep searching until I find someone to donate for her. We will also need more blood on hand for her surgery, which is in the second half of October and then again in November when she gets her stem cell transplant.
************************************
Sunday, September 25, 2005 10:27 AM CDT
Well, the honeymoon is over. Colette started feeling bad yesterday and, well, she never really started feeling better. :(
Her potassium was low on Friday, (and so were her counts), so they phoned in a NASTY orange potassium that makes her gag to take it. I have tried sneaking it in applesauce, but it still is NASTY and since she is not really wanting too much to eat, I have to put it in a LOT of applesauce to cover the taste and she just cannot manage to eat that much. I am going to experiment with more options today.
The low potassium (and low counts, too) is why she is tired and cranky. Sometimes she wants to be with us and held, others she wants to watch TV alone in her room.
Uncle Bill & Aunt Lona came over and she lit up a little. She asked Uncle Bill to carry her around, then later, while we were watching a movie, she wanted to sleep on Aunt Lona. So cute!
She hasn't thrown up in 2 days, so that is wonderful. I am backing off her antiemetic(?) meds so maybe her nausea is going away, and her drinking is up. I got her capri sun sport because of the potassium in it and she thinks it is kool aid the way she likes it.
Due to her counts, we are not taking her anywhere, so she is being cranky to her brother, and he is not able to go outside due to the non-stop rain - CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!
I will probably update later this evening. Pray that she doesn't get a fever and have to go to the hospital. It is really nice to finally be home and be able to cook and clean like I used to.
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, September 22, 2005 12:33 AM CDT
Home again, home again, jiggety jig!
Well, we made it home last night and Colette was so happy to sleep in her own room. She stayed in there all night and even asked me to turn off her TV. She must have been serious about sleeping!
She is still throwing up every once in a while, but I finally found a pharmacy to make the phenergan cream that worked for us during the beach. Hopefully they can get it made by tonight and she can start keeping ALL of her fluids down. That will help them get a good picture of her kidney function and hopefully it is fine.
She feels wonderful, she is playing and talking and dancing around, just like she didn't just have chemo! She wants to do all her normal things, dress up, see her cousins, etc.
GOOD NEWS! Aunt Tricia said Port City Rentals is DONATING the "dollhouse" jumping thing for Colette's birthday party!!! YEE HAW!!! Thank you so much! Now we are working on getting food and party dishes. The theme will be "princess" (of course) and she is having 2 cakes - one will be the doll that stands up with the big skirt around, and the other is a castle. The colors will be pink and purple. I am thinking of asking the kids to come dressed up, if they want to. It will be 2 weeks before Halloween and Fall Festivals, so maybe everyone will have their stuff ready. I think I am going to let her wear the flower girl dress from the wedding the day before.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please let me know.
Thanks again!
Love,
Tammy
Tuesday, September 20, 2005 5:47 PM CDT
Well, I am back! LOL
I miscalculated her chemo and thought she wouldn't finish until Wed., but I was >wrong< - (no comments from the peanut gallery, it doesn't happen that often!)
So I raced back to Bham today to help my baby feel better. I think the dr felt better when I said this is exactly how she reacted last time (remember the beach house?) and we ended up in the ER at the Gulf because her vomiting and not keeping meds down either. It took about 2 days from the end of chemo for her to hold down anything, and then another 3 or 4 days to feel like doing anything. So I won't be worried about this until Fri or Sat comes and she is still not improving. Otherwise, this is part of the bad days everyone tells you about.
Her nurse practictioner just came in and said she already looks a great deal better than this morning. She is talking a little (nausea), but when she does, it is a strong voice, not a sick weak one. And she already fussed at Bryant, so she is in there, just feels bad. She isn't whining or anything, just laying there, making lots of eye movements and facial expressions...don't know WHERE she would get that from! LOL
They also adjusted her nausea meds this morning (I told them how we dealt with it last time) and she is hopefully on the upswing now.
Thank you everyone for all the prayers. It is times like this when we are "dangling" over the canyon and we feel safe in the hot air balloon. That is what being lifted up is like. You can see whats below and the danger and fear is down there, but you are not down there, you are up here and you are going to glide right over to the next high spot. I hope that makes sense!
Hopefully she will improve tonight and we can head home tomorrow. She already asked for canned mushrooms (which I had) and she ate them and kept them down for about 45 mins so far. Yay!
Love,
Tammy
Sunday, September 18, 2005 11:09 AM
Well, Miss Moody is out and about today. The dr. said we have spent the most time in the hospital this month with the most healthy child! LOL Pray for me as I head home this afternoon. Pray for Colette that she doesn't miss me and pray for Maw Maw that she can handle the next few days alone. I know she can, but she will be tired by the time I come back on Wed or Thurs!
Love,
Tammy
**************************
Saturday, September 17, 2005 9:41 PM CDT
ROOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLL! Colette wore her Alabama Cheer dress all around the hospital today and was met with lots of "Roll Tide"s! In fact, one of her nurses bought her a set of Alabama scrubs in her size! Cute!
Tonight was our first dressing change :(
It was pretty stressful, because she was scared and we all know how much she dislikes sticky tape! We have to do it every 3 days, so pray that she will get used to it soon! Her daddy and I will be doing it at home soon...
She is really cranky (and tired) tonight, because they have to give her steroids and that really causes mood swings. But Maw Maw got her a new Snow White dress, so hopefully in the morning she will wake up like she did today, in a totally different mood and ready to play!
Will update more tomorrow!
Love,
Tammy
*******************************************
Friday, September 16, 2005 4:17 PM CDT
Colette is going to be a flower girl in my cousin's wedding on October 15. I have confirmed TODAY with our doctors here that she will DEFINITELY be there and not here in the hospital!!!
PLUS - watch for a SUPER BIRTHDAY PARTY for COLETTE on OCTOBER 16!!!
I have reserved our church gym for that afternoon after church - I want to invite EVERYONE (our whole church & family & friends included!) to her birthday party. If any of you "aunts & uncles" out there have any connections, I am looking for a bouncy thing and/or a inflatable slide to rent...email me with any ideas!
Watch for more exciting plans!
*****************************
Friday, Sept 16 12:30 pm
Well, we are finally in a room. The surgery was a success, no problems with anesthesia, etc. We are supposed to start chemo this afternoon.
Thanks for the prayers and we made it through another ordeal!
Tammy
Thursday, September 15, 2005 4:18 PM CDT
Yee-haw! :(
Colette's counts are just right to have the surgery tomorrow. So we will move along as scheduled. Right now, Colette, Maw Maw & I are headed to Bham in a rented SILVERADO! (All the rental agencies are out of cars due to the hurricane, that is all they had...) I am sure we will look a sight! But at least there will be NO WAY we can run out of room! LOL
I will try to update later with an exact surgery time. Right now, the generic time is 6:30 a.m., but I am hoping they will call us with a little later time.
Colette is not happy about going to the hospital, but she is ok if we tell her we are not going today, but tomorrow = she must be Scarlett O'Hara from another life..."Tomorrow is another day, after all..." LOL
Pray for traveling mercies as we head to Bham tonight and that we all get good rest. We have a free room at the Hope Lodge - that is a really nice place to stay when they have availability.
Will update soon!
Love,
Tammy
PS: Good news on Morgan! Pray that we will have similar results when surgery comes sometime next month!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005 4:16 PM CDT
well, I have been battling a computer virus for a couple of days. Uncle Mike came over and I think he has solved some of it for now! yay!
As you can see, we had a good time ROLLIN' TIDE at Uncle Todd & Aunt Brandy & Coley's house on Saturday night! Colette insisted on wearing the other Alabama cheerleader outfit on Monday too! That's my girl!
We will go to the hospital in the morning for a CBC to see if her counts will allow her to start chemo on Friday. We won't be leaving until Thurs afternoon, however.
Colette's room is FINALLY cleaned out and complete. Thanks to Aunt Manda & Aunt Lona - they spent 2 hours with me sorting through the many loads of clothes and toys we have shuffled between hospitals and rental cars and hotels! But it so nice!
I have to tell you about the sweetest folks we met yesterday at Wal-Mart. Colette insisted on taking off her hat and she certainly doesn't want to ride in a buggy (which is fine with me), so we were walking through the toy dept and a man there asked me if she had cancer. We started talking and he told me that his wife also had heart and lung disease and was told she only had 2 months to live. She went to UAB for treatment and that was FOUR YEARS ago! He wished us the best and we continued our trip.
Around the corner, he came back towards us with his wife. He introduced her and they started talking to Colette. She was pointing to a new Dora TV on the shelf. The lady asked her if she wanted it and of course my daughter says, "Yes!", so this lady hands Colette a $100 bill! She told her husband to load it in my buggy and we exchanged email information. Thank you to Liz & Calvin - she fell asleep in her room last night, watching her Dora TV!!
I will update you tomorrow when we hear the news if she can start chemo and when we are headed up to Bham.
Love,
Tammy
Friday, September 9, 2005 10:18 PM CDT
Well, we made it home.
I have set up my DSL so I am online at home and it is NICE!
Colette and Bryant were both so happy to be home. They have toys and things that they have not seen or didn't remember so it kept them busy.
Our house fared very well, compared to several, even right next door, the lady had a tree on her house! Lots of limbs and MOST leaves are gone out of the trees. It looks a little sparse.
Jason called right as I was headed to the grocery store and he was on the way home! So he is home tonight with us and we are all going to get a good night's sleep! (in my new bed!)
I might be able to put some new pics up tomorrow - but for now, know that we are FINALLY relaxing and enjoying some "normal" life. Now I will be able to set up Colette's new website and her new email address is colettepate@bellsouth.net.
Thanks for your prayers during the hard times and don't forget to give thanks for these days too!
Love,
Tammy
Thursday, September 8, 2005 10:32 AM CDT
Well, the news is in. Colette's ANC is not high enough to start chemo tomorrow, so we are GOING HOME!!!
I am happy but sad at the same time. I am definitely happy because we get to spend a week at home in our house! Bryant will go to school on Monday and everything will be normal for a few days! I can't believe it!
But I am sad because I wanted to be home to watch Alabama play South Carolina that weekend - I guess I can still watch it at the hospital :(
But I am happy because I can get my house straightened out and we don't have to do shots in the meantime and Colette can play with her toys and be NORMAL for a few days!
But I am sad because I have to make a 5 hr trip home today :(
But I am happy because I can see Bryant play in his game this weekend (if they are having it)...
But I am sad because Jason is working on an oil rig in New Orleans right now :(
But I am happy because my DSL modem is at home, waiting on me to install it!
Can you tell I have mixed emotions??!! LOL
Will update when I get my computer set up at home sometime tonight!
Love,
Tammy & Kids
Tuesday, September 6, 2005 10:47 PM CDT
It is late and the kids are laying in bed watching Charlotte's Web. We spent the afternoon exploring around Hiram, GA, looking for specific scrapbook storage items (for those of you who don't know, I have amassed quite the collection of brads, eyelets and stickers and need a place to put it all!)
Lots of folks have asked about the next steps in Colette's treatment. I have NO other dates than that this weekend we will be back in Bham to see if her counts are high enough to place the central line and begin chemo.
After she recovers from the chemo (21-28 days), she is due to have some scans to determine if they can perform the surgery to remove the tumor. Pray that they can! I know they have to really feel for where it is, so that is a good sign.
Whenever they can do surgery, they will, then they will give her a few days to recover from that. At some point she is to receive radiation at the tumor site (abdomen), then she is to have 4 more days of chemo (a different mix of drugs than she has been getting) then 3 days off. The eighth day from the start of that chemo, she should get her stem cell transplant. It is like a bone marrow transplant, but it is from herself, not from a donor.
They took stem cells back in July when we were there for the pheresis. She will get her own cells back and then it will take several weeks for the cells to regrow. It is basically like what she has always done between chemo - 7 days after chemo her counts drop (because the good and bad cells are being killed), then she gets injections to help her white cells regrow. Usually it takes a couple of weeks for her cells to bounce back, that is why she gets chemo every 21 days - it takes that long. This big chemo (the one after surgery) will take that long or longer.
When she gets her stem cells back, she will be in the special unit at the hospital where she will stay until she is safe to leave the hospital (3-5 weeks) - and then she will still have to live in Bham to have daily visits for meds and other stuff. There is a Church of Christ that owns some apartments there in Bham that have already called me and registered us to get one when that time comes. The good news is that we will probably be there in an apartment for Christmas! So we can have a regular Christmas with Bryant and Jason! Whoo hoo!
Colette is going to be a flower girl in my cousin's wedding in Mobile on October 15. I have scheduled her a birthday party that next day (Sunday) at our church. I want to invite EVERYBODY to come that day. Her birthday is Oct 30, but I am sure we will be in Bham then.
Keep watching for more info. I will be at the dr this Friday and I can finetune any dates or order of procedures then. But, once again, I am only concerned with today and maybe tomorrow!
Love,
Tammy
********************************
Check out new photos on www.walkerplace.org/colette!!
Monday, August 29, 2005 2:36 PM CDT
Praise the Lord! We have much to be thankful for this day! Even though we haven't been able to find out about our house throughout this storm, it appears water and maybe fallen trees are all there will be to deal with!
Colette had her surgery as planned this afternoon. The surgeon said there was no significant bleeding and they are going to watch her carefully for that. But the line is out now and she has a regular IV for her meds. Her dr. said he wants her to get meds for 7 days and then he will probably have another central line installed, but this one won't require major surgery, just a minor procedure. Also, it won't require surgery to remove and she won't be stuck with a needle each time she has to go into to the hospital. It will be bulky, however, and she will wear an ace bandage around it. She needs one when she has her transplant so it will work out well.
She didn't have any probs with the anesthesia and she is only on pain meds due to the sutures. She is alert enough not to be crying or anything, just happy to see us all.
Unfortunately, the family next door is not having the same outcome. We passed the mom in the hall and she told Jason they just signed "Do Not Resuscitate" orders and that he took a turn for the worse. She told me yesterday that he says he knows where he is going - I surely hope he can get excited about getting a new cancer free body without anymore pain or procedures!!! I hope that will give his parents a bit of peace as well, although, I doubt it for now. It is really a bittersweet day for us here. Thankfully the storm is pretty much passing by our home now and we are prepared for some strong winds and rain here, but not much else. Thank you Lord Jesus for your timing and placing us right WHERE we need to be WHEN we need to be!
Please update us with any info about how Mobile is faring, or our house, for that sake!
Love,
Tammy
And I know
That you don’t have the strength to fight
But do you
Have the faith to stand and believe me now
And I’ve loved you long before
I set the world in motion
I know all the fears you’re feeling now
But do you remember who I am?
I have never I never will abandon you
And the God that I have always been
I will forever be
So believe me now
I am the God
Who never wastes a single hurt
That you endure
My words are true
And all My promises are sure
So believe me now
I never have, I never will abandon you
And the God that I have always been
I will forever be
So believe me now
Believe me now
Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:17 AM CDT
Spoke to Tammy quickly a minute ago.
Colette felt horrible all night with fever, chills, and nausea. Bless her little heart!
She said that Colette has a bacteria infection in the line of her port. The doctors in Birmingham have decided to do surgery to remove the port so the infection can clear up. Tammy and Jason are driving Colette up to Birmingham today.
We need lots of prayer.
Prayer for strength for the entire family. Pray for quick healing.
I will update as soon as I know more information.
Thanks to all of you who are participating in the lunch benefit today! It is sincerely appreciated.
I have heard they have some really nice auction items for Sunday's benefit.
Love,
Aunt Brandy
**Please visit www.walkerplace.org/colette for a TON of Colette's pictures!**
just a reminder that the Benefit lunch is scheduled for this Friday and Sunday, August 26th and 28th.
BENEFIT LUNCHEON HELD FOR COLETTE PATE
AUGUST 26TH & AUGUST 28TH
SPONSORED BY THE VFW POST #4328
3354 HAMILTON BOULEVARD
THEODORE, AL
BARBECUE CHICKEN AND PORK DINNERS $6.00
*****DELIVERY AVAILABLE FOR 5 OR MORE DINNERS -
- CALL & ORDER IN ADVANCE #443-8265 -
*****LIVE MUSIC BY KARAOKE JOE - STARTS @ NOON ON SUNDAY,
AUGUST 28TH
*****AUCTION STARTS AT 1PM ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH
IF YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE FOR
THE AUCTION PLEASE CALL #443-8265
CHECKS ACCEPTED - MAKE PAYABLE TO: VFW POST #4328
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, POST THEM TO THE GUESTBOOK, SOMEONE WILL TRY TO ANSWER YOU.
Saturday, August 20, 2005 3:57 PM CDT
**Please visit www.walkerplace.org/colette for a TON of Colette's pictures!**
***NEW PHOTOS*****
WOW!!!!
I can't find much else to say other than the biggest THANK YOU in the world for a special person whose initials are...
Miss Patty Cake!
Colette had a special, private visit with Miss Patty Cake (and her friend Ms. Deb) today in the hospital! She was dressed up, as you can see in the photos, and she sat with Miss Patty Cake for the longest time, talking and singing. Colette was interested to know about Miss PC's house, her kitties, and how her gloves matched her own.
We recorded it, maybe some of you will get a chance to watch it. I have more pics (of course) than will fit in this website, so Sherry will be helping me use the other website where we can show the rest - I will post that address here soon.
Anyway, what a GREAT day for such a SPECIAL FRIEND! After Miss PC left, Colette said, "Miss Patty Cake is so proud of me!" She went down the hallway to her room telling people, "Miss Patty Cake came to see me!" None of us here today will ever forget the special time we had. (Plus I think Miss PC got some more grownup fans today, too!)
Love,
Tammy
PS: We are scheduled to check out in the morning, headed to the family reunion in MS. See you soon!
Thursday, August 18, 2005 10:08 PM CDT
Well, 24 hours of chemo are over! Yay!
Colette has been wowing the staff here as usual. I got her a pair of wings from Club Libby Lu, she wears them everywhere, along with her black and pink slippers. I also got her a purple headband/bandanna with purple braids attached. She is a mess!
So far so good with the chemo. They adjusted her dosage to see if it won't take as long for her good cells to recoup this time around. We will still be bound for the hospital in about a week or so, I am sure.
I heard from Bryant this afternoon that he doesn't want to make his teacher mad, because she gets mean when she gets mad! LOL! I already knew that from 1978!!! His football number this year is #25 :( I like #12, but the younger team got to pick jerseys first and they got the smaller numbers. He is happy, though, and that is what counts!
The benefit for Aug 26 & 28 is picking up steam. Apparently there have been more than 100 dinners sold for Friday alone! The VFW is planning to deliver those on Friday, but I am sure if anyone wants to pick up their own orders for their work, the VFW would appreciate it. Of course, we are super excited and honored that so many people care enough to participate. I think they are also planning an auction for those who may want to donate items. At the last auction (at the American Legion), the highest bids were for an ice chest of seafood and an Alabama throw! Roll Tide!
We are hoping to be headed for the family reunion on Sunday, and then head home on Sunday night. Pray that we will be able to stay home for a few days before her fever strikes.
Thanks for caring and watching the updates.
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:40 PM CDT
Well, thank the Lord God Heavenly Father, Colette's counts are sky-high!! Everything was working, it was just taking time to get it together. I already thought there is probably some reason for this timing, since it is not ours.
We also had bone marrow aspirations done this morning and found out that from the initial evaluation, no cancer tumors are in there. Of course, they will still be biopsied and that will take a couple of days (they freeze the cells and slice them to look through them) but her Dr. stopped by to say that everything looked good. YAY!! So we are playing the Activity Room right now, waiting for our room to be cleaned (we have to wait on a BIG room so me and Mawmaw can stay without paying for hotel this week) - so it's worth it.
We will be here in B'ham till Saturday night - we might stay here until Sunday because there is a family reunion in Laurel this Sunday and we will probably just drive straight there to meet Daddy, Bryant and Papa. I would like to make it in time for church because I know lots of folks at Highland would like to visit and see Colette too. I will try!!!
As far as Miss Patty Cake, we won't be able to go to her show :(
She is at 10 am Saturday, and Colette will still be receiving chemo until that night. Boo hoo! I did call Miss Patty Cake's father to let him know that Colette was here in the hospital, but we were hoping to be able to attend the show ourselves. I hope she will still have the opportunity to meet her - let's pray about it.
Well, we are here with different kids this time, since we are off schedule. Our regular kids will probably be coming here when we are getting ready to leave! Oh well, we will stay connected online!
That's it for now - I will probably get back online later, once we are settled.
Love,
Tammy
******************************************************
Monday, August 15, 2005 8:56 PM CDT
Finally, I get to a computer!!! We are in B'ham tonight. Colette's counts are still not up enough for chemo. She has to have an ANC of 750 to do chemo, but she is only at 600 (we think). We will go in to her Dr. tomorrow morning to see what her labs are here, and if she is over 750, we will be admitted to the hospital. I hope so!
It is really strange, since she acts more alive and energetic than ever! Even though the numbers aren't there, my daughter is! We had a big weekend, between the benefit at the American Legion #250 and the love offering from our church and the annointing last night at church. We are still in shock, thinking about how quickly things looked up (financially). We never imagined we would have received that much money in such a short period. It will be nice to walk into the hospital tomorrow and not avoid the business office! (Not that I have yet, but I can imagine what that would be like!)
Pray that Colette's counts come up enough to start tomorrow. She will be inpatient for 72 hours while she gets chemo, and if they start tomorrow, then she will be finished on Friday. The reason I am concerned about that is because MISS PATTYCAKE WILL BE HERE at a church in Hoover on Saturday morning. I will do everything in my power to get my baby there!
Bryant had a good first day at school. He said it was "great!", but not such a great night at football practice. Poor buddy! Maybe a good night's sleep will help.
I will update tomorrow with new pics. Colette is up to 29 pounds now, the biggest she has ever been, but right where she should be!
Love,
Tammy
*******************************************************
Sunday, August 14, 2005 10:48 PM CDT
Just a note...I found out today the donations here to the caringbridge site...where it says Donate..... DOES NOT go to Colette it is just for help to keep the website running and we have met our donation requirements for the usage.
I hope this has not caused any confusion. Future donations should be either to the Bay Bank or the Regions Bank the name of Colette Pate. God Bless All of You for your continued love, prayer's and support.
Love, Maw Maw Penny
Monday, August 15, 2005 8:56 PM CDT
Finally, I get to a computer!!! We are in B'ham tonight. Colette's counts are still not up enough for chemo. She has to have an ANC of 750 to do chemo, but she is only at 600 (we think). We will go in to her Dr. tomorrow morning to see what her labs are here, and if she is over 750, we will be admitted to the hospital. I hope so!
It is really strange, since she acts more alive and energetic than ever! Even though the numbers aren't there, my daughter is! We had a big weekend, between the benefit at the American Legion #250 and the love offering from our church and the annointing last night at church. We are still in shock, thinking about how quickly things looked up (financially). We never imagined we would have received that much money in such a short period. It will be nice to walk into the hospital tomorrow and not avoid the business office! (Not that I have yet, but I can imagine what that would be like!)
Pray that Colette's counts come up enough to start tomorrow. She will be inpatient for 72 hours while she gets chemo, and if they start tomorrow, then she will be finished on Friday. The reason I am concerned about that is because MISS PATTYCAKE WILL BE HERE at a church in Hoover on Saturday morning. I will do everything in my power to get my baby there!
Bryant had a good first day at school. He said it was "great!", but not such a great night at football practice. Poor buddy! Maybe a good night's sleep will help.
I will update tomorrow with new pics. Colette is up to 29 pounds now, the biggest she has ever been, but right where she should be!
Love,
Tammy
*******************************************************
Sunday, August 14, 2005 10:48 PM CDT
Just a note...I found out today the donations here to the caringbridge site...where it says Donate..... DOES NOT go to Colette it is just for help to keep the website running and we have met our donation requirements for the usage.
I hope this has not caused any confusion. Future donations should be either to the Bay Bank or the Regions Bank the name of Colette Pate. God Bless All of You for your continued love, prayer's and support.
Love, Maw Maw Penny
Sunday, August 14, 2005 10:48 PM CDT
Just a note...I found out today the donations here to the caringbridge site...where it says Donate..... DOES NOT go to Colette it is just for help to keep the website running and we have met our donation requirements for the usage.
I hope this has not caused any confusion. Future donations should be either to the Bay Bank or the Regions Bank the name of Colette Pate. God Bless All of You for your continued love, prayer's and support.
Love, Maw Maw Penny
Sunday, August 14, 2005 7:08 AM CDT
(Photo above is from Colette's benefit on 8/13/05...see our beautiful princesses! Notice Colette's corn dog!)
What a wonderful Sunday Morning God has made!
God worked in the heart's of so many people yesterday...the American Legion post#250 had a benefit for Miss Colette.
I honestly believe the fellowship was medicine for the soul and spirit of the whole family. Mommy and Daddy seemed to be so overwhelmed at the American Legion's willingness to help their little family:) (I won't forget to mention Paw Paw and Maw Maw, too!) And well, Colette in her princess dress..yes with crown and all was the "Belle of the Ball". To see our litte girl running around for hours was more than our hopes could have ever wished for. Bryant had an opportunity to spend some of his stored up energy with his baby sister, family and friends. Thank you to everyone that bought a plate dinner and contributed of their time to come participate. Thank's to our family member's that made time to come love on us:)
Thank's again to Mr. Charlie Beech and everyone from the bottom of our very full hearts:)
We will be leaving for Birmingham early on Monday. Pray for our traveling safety and Colette's treatment, she appears to be stronger than ever since we realized something was wrong in April. Keep up the prayer's, God is listening and answering:)
Thank's to Tillman's Corner First Baptist for being so loving and kind. Miss Colette wants to go to Sunday School and see her friend's and teacher's. God will let this all happen SOON!
Love to all.
Maw Maw Penny (Tammy's mom)
Sunday, August 14, 2005 7:08 AM CDT
What a wonderful Sunday Morning God has made!
God worked in the heart's of so many people yesterday...the American Legion post#250 had a benefit for Miss Colette.
I honestly believe the fellowship was medicine for the soul and spirit of the whole family. Mommy and Daddy seemed to be so overwhelmed at the American Legion's willingness to help their little family:) (I won't forget to mention Paw Paw and Maw Maw, too!) And well, Colette in her princess dress..yes with crown and all was the "Belle of the Ball". To see our litte girl running around for hours was more than our hopes could have ever wished for. Bryant had an opportunity to spend some of his stored up energy with his baby sister, family and friends. Thank you to everyone that bought a plate dinner and contributed of their time to come participate. Thank's to our family member's that made time to come love on us:)
Thank's again to Mr. Charlie Beech and everyone from the bottom of our very full hearts:)
We will be leaving for Birmingham early on Monday. Pray for our traveling safety and Colette's treatment, she appears to be stronger than ever since we realized something was wrong in April. Keep up the prayer's, God is listening and answering:)
Thank's to Tillman's Corner First Baptist for being so loving and kind. Miss Colette wants to go to Sunday School and see her friend's and teacher's. God will let this all happen SOON!
Love to all.
Maw Maw Penny (Tammy's mom)
Monday, August 8, 2005 4:11 PM CDT
Hello - it's Tammy. Just wanted to stop in a drop a quick thank you for all your continued prayers and support. We are making the best of our stay in the hospital. Colette is the "Diva of the 5th Floor"! She knows more than some of the residents it seems!! LOL
We are in MOBILE - apparently some of you didn't know that! We will be in Mobile until at least this Friday morning. So visitors are urged - Colette needs to see those who love her and unfortunately she can't come to you... I tried begging and pleading (even crying) but the drs are strictly concerned about her medical condition and I guess I am thankful for the safe procedures... :(
But, we have turned her room into a castle with toys and posters. You can send any signs or banners or pictures to us at home:
7040 Lake Rd N
Mobile AL 36605
Again, if you want to see her, she will be happy to entertain you!
Love,
Tammy
*********************************
THANK YOU for the deposits today...I don't even have the words to adequately express our humble thanks. When you go to bed tonight, may you rest easy knowing that you have just made a huge difference in the lives of someone who truly needs it.
***IMPORTANT FINANCIAL REQUEST FROM AUNT SHERRY***
Many people ask me, "What can I do? What do they need? How can I help?" We have a huge need right now for some financial assistance.
Hiller, Jason's company, held a raffle for a beautiful quilt, and the proceeds went to Colette. That money came just in the nick of time. There are many expenses on a daily basis - you can imagine. With Colette being in the hospital pretty much every week, the family has to eat hospital food or send someone out to pick up something. Also, they have started getting bills for hospital visits ($150 a pop, and you can read back through the journal and see just how many times she's been in the hospital since May!) They have a $1,000 out-of-pocket deductible that is now due. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is the most immediate need that has arrived quickly.
So, as you can see, the bills pile up, the costs skyrocket, and a hard-working man's salary just does NOT cover all of the costs associated with a 2 1/2 year old who has cancer.
There are fundraisers coming (see below for details) but they need help until then. Please look at the bottom of the page to find the donation information. If you are involved in a Sunday School class, or a women's/men's group, or a choir, or a college class, or a playgroup - ANYTHING - I ask that you will prayerfully consider asking your group for assistance. A few dollars may not sound like much, but it adds up quickly for a family who needs it.
With that, I give you my heartfelt thanks and gratitude. God loves a cheerful giver, and may He pour out His blessings on you for being generous. Thank you for your donations this far, they have definitely not been taken for granted and have been tearfully, joyfully received.
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Tuesday, August 2, 2005 4: 48 PM CDT
THANK YOU for the deposits today...I don't even have the words to adequately express our humble thanks. When you go to bed tonight, may you rest easy knowing that you have just made a huge difference in the lives of someone who truly needs it.
***IMPORTANT FINANCIAL REQUEST FROM AUNT SHERRY***
Many people ask me, "What can I do? What do they need? How can I help?" We have a huge need right now for some financial assistance.
Hiller, Jason's company, held a raffle for a beautiful quilt, and the proceeds went to Colette. That money came just in the nick of time. There are many expenses on a daily basis - you can imagine. With Colette being in the hospital pretty much every week, the family has to eat hospital food or send someone out to pick up something. Also, they have started getting bills for hospital visits ($150 a pop, and you can read back through the journal and see just how many times she's been in the hospital since May!) They have a $1,000 out-of-pocket deductible that is now due. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is the most immediate need that has arrived quickly.
So, as you can see, the bills pile up, the costs skyrocket, and a hard-working man's salary just does NOT cover all of the costs associated with a 2 1/2 year old who has cancer.
There are fundraisers coming (see below for details) but they need help until then. Please look at the bottom of the page to find the donation information. If you are involved in a Sunday School class, or a women's/men's group, or a choir, or a college class, or a playgroup - ANYTHING - I ask that you will prayerfully consider asking your group for assistance. A few dollars may not sound like much, but it adds up quickly for a family who needs it.
With that, I give you my heartfelt thanks and gratitude. God loves a cheerful giver, and may He pour out His blessings on you for being generous. Thank you for your donations this far, they have definitely not been taken for granted and have been tearfully, joyfully received.
Another Aunt update, and it's another great one! I was able to visit Colette today and she looks TERRIFIC! Her platelets were low, so it looks like she is going to have a transfusion soon.
But, (and this is the good part!) she was talking and playing and laughing and bossing the boys around just like always. It was wonderful to see her! She was very happy to see me, and that just made my day.
----------------
Aunt Brandy again, and I have GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!
Colette's last blood culture was negative. That means the antibiotics are working...and so is the prayer. The infection is gone and her ANC counts (the whiteblood cells that fight infection)are coming up. That is also great news. Also, she has been without a fever for 30 hours.
She will have to continue antibiotics for the next 10 days or so, but they can give them to her at home through her port. She will be released once her counts come up high enough, Probably another day or two.
Cousin Nicole and I visited last night, before the tranfusion and Colette was sleepy and groggy from the Benadryl, but Tammy said that after her blood transfusion, She was full of energy and ready to play...until 1am!
She said they were wondering the halls at 12am!
We also took Bryant some frenchfries, he was very pleased to have them - after all who cares for hospital food! :)
Tammy mentioned, she can have visitors. Tomorrow she should feel real good and be ready to play.
Thanks for the prayer, please continue to keep the family in your thoughts.
Also keep in mind the two Benefit dinners in August. We will be posting more information soon!
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Thursday, July 28, 2005 5:13 PM CDT
Another quick update...
I spoke to Tammy a little while ago.
Colette has a bacterial infection in her blood. They have put her on antibiotics. Please pray that gets rid of the infection, and quickly, so that progress of treatment isn't slowed.
Tammy said they will have to do blood cultures daily, which means YUCKY needles! Pray for Colette and mommy (and anyone else there during that time), as this is so hard to endure. Noone likes to see their baby be poked or hear them cry!
Colette hasn't had a fever overnight, which is a very good sign that the medicine is doing it's job. She had another blood tranfusion today, so I am sure her cheeks are all pink and rosy! Tammy said Colette feels good, and wants to eat and play.
Pray for patience, Lord knows we all could use a little extra of that!!!! Talking to Tammy, I can tell it is extremely difficult to entertain a 6 year old and a 2 year old in the hospital!
Lots of Love to everyone checking.....
-Aunt Brandy
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Wednesday, July 27, 2005 3:29 PM CDT
Hello everyone that loves The Colette Pate Family
It's Aunt Brandy. Aunt Sherry's network is down, so Tammy just called and asked that I give you all a quick update.
Unfortunately, They are on their way back to the hospital.
Colette has come down with a fever. Tammy said everything else is good. Colette doesn't feel very well and doesn't want much to eat, but she is wanting to drink alot, which is good news, so she will not get dehydrated.
They expect to be in the hospital 4-7 days.
They will give her tylenol and put her on antibiotics, if needed, to get the fever down.
Pray that her counts come back up quickly and they can get back home to their own beds before having to return to Birmingham.
I plan to update with some new pictures tomorrow, so you all can see how much fun the family had together at the beach.
Thanks for continuing to check on the beautiful princess.
Continue to Pray...Pray...Pray! We know it works!
God Bless.
*********************************
http://alabamaprincess.blogspot.com/ - more photos!
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
7/23/2005 - Saturday - 11:20 PM
She's still out of the hospital! I haven't been in touch with Tammy for the last few days since she has been at the beach. It was a little hard to get ahold of her, and I know they were enjoying the time down at the Gulf. Bryant is apparently a very tan little boy now! (Tan is not the word, I hope to get pictures soon!)
I hope to get to see Colette very soon. I believe she is neutropenic (weak, susceptible to everything) right now, and having three little kids myself...it's scary having them around her. I need to arrange for a babysitter so I can go see my niece. :) I haven't seen her in days, and I'm about to go stir crazy. I know you can all relate! :)
I hope to have a good update tomorrow, unless Tammy is able to get online and update instead. We love you all and we thank God for your prayers!
Aunt Sherry
(Who is about to have another niece any day now! My husband's brother's wife is due to have a little girl anytime - Miss Annabelle Jane!) We love these girls!
*********
I am happy to report that Colette is out of the hospital. Hurray!!! She's still recovering from the nausea and vomiting. Colette and her family are on a little vacation at the beach, and hopefully they will all be able to relax and enjoy their time together.
Aunt Sherry
*******
7/16
Well, the chemo has caught up with Colette today. She is vomiting and nauseous, but she can get meds to help with that part. I hope this only takes a day or so to get out of her system.
You should have seen her last night, though! She wanted to walk, so we took her walking. Well, she yells to Bryant, "I'm gonna catch you," to which Bryant RUNS down the hall and around a corner. Colette shrieked and started running, her little feet going as fast as possible. I was holding her hands and my mom was pushing the IV pole, we were a sight! Colette was so excited and was trying to run, and she said, "Let me go faster, mommy!"
We did this for about an hour. Bless her heart, I know she was tired after that. Her face was flushed and she said her legs were hot, so we got her some "ninna" ice cream (vanilla). I bet the whole floor was happy when we finally went back in our room. She still wanted to go more, but we wouldn't let her push herself. I can't wait until the next time she can do that!
************************************
Friday, July 15, 2005 9:50 AM CDT
I am sooo bad! I just realized I haven't updated in 3 days! Sorry!
Well, we were out of the stem cell unit on Wednesday. So far, Colette has only needed 1 transfusion of red blood cells. Everything else has been ok. She started chemo yesterday and will continue to get it until Sunday morning. She has been eating great and waving at everybody here when she passes them. She insisted on walking around the whole floor last night (with assistance and holding on to the rail) then she wanted me to pick her up and jump her all the way to her room! UGH! My back/thighs are not as awesome as they used to be! (no comments from the peanut gallery! LOL)
I don't know if anyone realized but she is basically remembering to walk again. She was in the hospital bed for nearly 2 months without getting out or was being carried around. But in the last 3 weeks, she has been wanting to go-go-go everywhere on her own. She has energy that she didn't have before and plus the tumor affected the growth of her spine, so she walks a little funny. But that doesn't stop her from doing what she wants!
On the issue of benefits, there are 2 scheduled for the month of August.
Aug 13 - American Legion on DIP (Fowl River) is having either fish or ribs and all sales will be given to Colette. I think they will have something else planned too.
Aug 26-28 - VFW Post (49?) on Hamilton Blvd is selling BBQ plates for $6 each and having an auction on Sunday. The plates can be ordered in advance and they will deliver to anywhere, even my daddy's plant in McIntosh!!! The auction, I think they will take anything to sell, so if any of you have connections, let me know!
We are hoping to have Colette at these, unless of course, she will be in the hospital. It would be awesome if any of you would show up on our behalf! These people are so generous and concerned about our family.
Thank you for your prayers. We still need them, even though things are going great, we need to thank God for these good times too, not just call on Him in the bad times. Don't forget - Every day is a Patty Cake Praise Day!
Hope to see all of you soon!
Love,
Tammy, Jason & Kids
*********************************
http://alabamaprincess.blogspot.com/ - more photos!
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Tuesday, July 12, 2005 5:24 PM CDT
Hey everyone!
It is Day Two of pheresis...everything has gone great. Colette has been eating non-stop and her new favorite is BUTTER - those little cups they give you. She eats the butter with the end of the fork handle!
She is winning hearts everyday...she definitely has some favorite nurses. Today the activities people brought her new toys, a musical teapot set, my little pony and a Dora coloring book/pad with crayons (in the right Dora colors)attached...
Jason stayed with her last night and all day today. I stayed with Bryant and my mom (who is in bed sick today) and then I took Bryant to eat and we shopped for a while. He has a new fascination with dinosaurs. He went to the McWane Center yesterday (like the Exploreum) where they had a dino exhibit. So today I found him a game like Operation, except you pull out dino bones and if you touch the sides, it roars. He loves it!
They might have to do a third day to get enough stem cells due to the study she is on. She has to have enough to keep here and enough to send for the purge too. But she hasn't needed any platelets and she is getting some red blood cells tonight, just to boost her back up. I expect we will be going for chemo probably sometime tomorrow. This round will take 4 days, but she will actually get chemo only about 1 1/2 hours a day.
Continue to pray for our finances. We are starting to receive bills that our insurance wouldn't pay and we have to pay our deductible too. Thankfully we don't have to pay rent until August, so we still have time to get that together. Also, I have to buy Bryant school uniforms soon. Our church provides a backpack ministry, so I think they will help get some of his school supplies for me. He does need a new pair of school shoes, though, and he hit a growing spurt since last year, so I know he will need new shorts/pants.
The car that was donated needed the air conditioning recharged, but because it was an older model, the system had to be converted. Guess who did it? Jason! He made the changes and now the A/C works! I am glad he is so mechanically inclined - saves us $$!!
Well, I have rambled quite a bit! I will get on again - I have more pics that I am sending to my sister to put on the other website. I am also building a new website for Colette called www.welovecolette.com - but it is not set up yet. I will let you know when!
Thanks!
Love,
Tammy, Jason & kids
**New photos in album!**
http://alabamaprincess.blogspot.com/ - more photos!
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Sunday, July 10, 2005 4:40 PM CDT
Hey everyone! We are in Birmingham (have been since Sat. afternoon) and safe and sound! Jason got here this morning around 9 am so we have settled in for the night at the Ronald McDonald House.
We went earlier to get Colette's port accessed and drew labs to get ready for tomorrow - she did great and one of her nurses came down and was just stunned at how much better and bigger she looks! (plus, she was very chatty and active).
Colette has insisted in walking everywhere and doing everything herself. She has started helping do more such as giving her meds through her tube, she wants to push the syringe herself and she wants to get things for herself. It is like she is her old self again, like she was back around March-April. She is up for anything, shopping, going out to eat, etc.
Tomorrow she will have a minor surgery to have a vas-cath inserted in her leg, then she will begin the pheresis process. She will be in the special stem cell unit until they have collected enough of those cells, hopefully only Mon and Tues. Then if she is doing well, then we will start round 3 of chemo. Whoopee... :(
I will be able to get online more since there will be a computer in her room tomorrow and Tues. I have new pics to upload too!
Take care and watch out for the weather! We are all fine and relaxing today...talk to you tomorrow!
Love,
Tammy
**Two new photos in album!**
http://alabamaprincess.blogspot.com/ - more photos!
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Monday, July 4, 2005 3:23 PM CDT
Happy 4th of July!
Colette is still in USA at this time. Her counts are coming up, though! She is going to receive a blood transfusion today to get her platelets up higher.
Tammy and Jason have been able to move their belongings from the house in Mississippi to the house in Mobile. That is definitely a praise! The boxes are still packed, but Tammy was really excited to see her household things again.
I'm sorry that there is such a gap in updates. I know it is difficult to come here and see the same thing day after day. Please bear with us as we find places and people who will let us use their computers for updates. I have some WONDERFUL pictures of Colette that I hope to be able to share in the very near future.
Aunt Sherry
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Friday, July 1, 2005 8:53 PM CDT
Happy Friday!
Colette is 9 days post-chemo. She is back in the hospital...she starting running a fever on Thursday. Overall, she still seems to feel okay. She is talking, and playing, and still attempting to eat. She is doing much better this time around than she was after her first chemo.
I received a phone call this morning from my mother, who informed me that Tammy slipped and fell at the hospital this morning and had been taken down to the emergency room. (I'm sure she's going to love me sharing this story!) She's a little bruised up and has injured her foot, but she's going to be okay. Jason was at the hospital with Colette while Tammy was in the ER, and I snuck in with Hannah just after he left, so Colette had someone with her the entire time that Mom was downstairs. Colette was really happy to see her Mommy when she walked through the door! I don't know who was happier...Colette or Tammy! It was good to see them so happy to be with each other.
I'll update when I can (since Earthlink is still fumbling around with my internet access) Thank you again for your prayers and love.
Aunt Sherry
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Wednesday, June 29, 2005 11:38 AM CDT
Good Wednesday Morning!
Colette is doing super, terrific, AWESOME! She is on the 7th day post chemo. If you remember, her white blood cells start getting low around this time, and stay low for about another week. This means she is highly susceptible to every little germ that comes near her as she doesn't have the white blood cells to fight off infection. We are bracing for the fever to begin like it did last time, but so far, it isn't happening. YIPPEE! :o)
Colette has gained weight. She looks fantastic! Her little face has gotten round again, and her arms and legs are starting to fill back out. She isn't plump yet, but she is getting some weight back, and we are really excited about that.
She is talking up a storm and carrying on great conversations. She has been happy and laughing and has been playing with her toys. And, of course, she's been watching Dora. (Was there any doubt?) Tammy says to let everyone know Colette is in great spirits. She's starting to feel a little bit bad, because she is getting grouchy, but we know that is to be expected.
Colette walked around a good bit yesterday! She was wobbly but she did it, and it was good to see!
Your prayers are being felt and heard. The house is still being prepared, and there are more people than I can remember to thank. Tile has been laid in the house, carpet is going in, walls have been painted, bathrooms have been scrubbed, grass has been cut, the stove has been cleaned inside and out...so many hours of love and labor from so many wonderful people have made this all possible.
Colette's favorite part of the house is her castle that was painted on her bedroom wall by Aunt Brandy, Uncle Todd, and Nicole. The castle takes up an entire wall and is AMAZING! She loves it, and she loves talking about it. It is absolutely beautiful.
Tammy will update whenever she can. The computer connection she had been using (mine!) has been down for about three days (Earthlink! Grrrr!) but will be restored very soon, hopefully.
That's all for now...thank you so much for everything.
Aunt Sherry
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Saturday, June 25, 2005 11:37 PM CDT
Hey, I received complaints about Colette's skinny face, so here is a pic of her sleeping tonight!
Going home tomorrow!
Love,
Tammy
--------------------------------------------------
Friday, June 24, 2005 1:34 PM CDT
Hey, it's Tammy.
Thank you again for following us in your hearts and prayers (and online!)!!!
Well, Colette is on her 2nd day of 3 day chemo treatment. So far, she is doing great. She is eating a lot on her own and she is in a good mood (unless somebody comes in to bug her...) It's just hard to get a good nap here.
We came back as scheduled and were admitted a day early so she could have her MIBG scan done at the same time and chemo started 1 day earlier than scheduled. So we are expected to discharge on Sunday morning. Yay!
They performed a CT scan on her head because she WAS on antibiotics for sinusitis and they wanted to see if they should continue them here inpatient. The dr. came today and told me that there is no sign of infection (no fluid or bone damage that occurs during infection), only a thickened spot in her sinus to indicate either allergic rhinitis or a healing previous infection. YAY! He also said no pneumonia (YAY!) and her tumor is smaller (YAY YAY YAY!!!) But they really weren't looking at that, it just happened to be seen on the MIBG scan, which is a routine test they do at diagnosis to get a before/after type picture.
The next step will be a stem cell harvest. They will come in to explain everything today (in fact, I am expecting them any minute) and schedule what will need to happen (tests, special diet, meds). It will be a different type of procedure for us because we will be in a small room with all kinds of special air systems and basically like an intensive care unit. Only one adult will stay overnight and the bed will need to be put up by 8 am! :( too early!
That process should only take 2-3 days, then they will start her next round of chemo after that - of course, EVERYTHING depends on her blood counts and how she tolerates everything.
I expect we will be back in the hospital probably next Wednesday for the routine neutropenia/fever - hopefully this time the first round of antibiotics will take care of whatever is bugging her and she won't have to be in the hospital in Mobile very long. Thankfully I don't mind living out of bags and of course, it is a good reason to buy a new T-shirt every now and then!
Colette is discovered how much she likes playdoh! UGH! She just breaks it into pieces and sticks them to her table! she really doesn't make anything out of it, I think she likes the way it feels. I am going today to get her a play makeup set. She saw the clowns the other day *check out the photo album* and she liked their makeup! Bryant was hiding from them - I guess he wants to be like Uncle Justin! LOL
Colette's tastebuds are screwy now too. She wants things, but then a few bites and she is ready to try something else. She ate a large serving of scrambled egss and a biscuit this morning - the biscuit is a new thing for her. She also wanted shrimp quesadillas and she ate my philly cheesesteak, dipped in au jus! The girl just likes tasty things - can you blame her?!
Well, I will try to write more later. The stem cell people will be coming to tell us specific dates as to when we will be back in Bham and when the next round of chemo will happen. At least this time I am prepared for the fever and the antibiotics rounds!
Love,
Tammy
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Thursday, June 23, 2005 10:19 AM CDT
Thursday morning update:
Colette went back to Birmingham for her second chemo treatment. They started the treatment last night, and all is well so far.
There's really not much to update, other than to let everyone know that Jason is in Mobile due to work, and Tammy is in Birmingham with the kids and mom.
Thank you for your prayers and support, and don't forget to sign the guestbook!
Aunt Sherry
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Monday, June 20, 2005 2:02 PM CDT
8:30 PM
Look at this silly monkey! She made that face all on her own when I came near her with the camera. See those pretty pink fingernails? Aunt Brandy did a super job of painting her fingernails and toenails! Colette was talking up a storm, telling Matthew not to cry, saying that something smells good (that would be Aunt Sherry's cooking!) and saying that she was hungry. We fixed her a plate with macaroni and cheese, greens, fried squash, and a piece of a BBQ pork chop. She ate a little bit and carried on a conversation with us, which was awesome.
It was great to see her out of the hospital. The home health nurses came by and dropped off all kinds of supplies, filled out tons of paperwork, and Tammy and Jason are all set now. They'll be taking care of her for five days outside of the hospital, so we'll pray that all goes well. They're returning to UAB tomorrow.
Maybe I'm just partial, but I think this is certainly one beautiful little girl, and my heart feels relief and peace tonight.
Aunt Sherry
***********
SHE'S COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
Colette is being discharged from USA today! I think she is going to UAB tomorrow, but we are thrilled to know she is getting out of the hospital for now.
Craig visited this morning and said she was in the Treehouse (playroom) at the hospital and was moving around, although somewhat unsteady, but she was playing.
Thank you SO much for all of your prayers, keep them coming!
*********************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************
Aunt Sherry
Sunday, June 19, 2005 2:57 PM CDT
Happy Father's Day!
Thank you so much for all the well wishes and prayers! Colette has really improved in the past couple of days. Her counts are back to normal and she is acting like her old self!
She has lost quite a bit of weight, so she is wearing an ng tube, which feeds her without her swallowing anything. She still wants to drink, so we are experimenting with only feeding her at night and allowing her to feel full only at night. That way she can get back into eating in the daytime. But they did say that chemo causes you not to want to eat, so we will try it.
The doctor yesterday said they can send her home with IV antibiotics and home health can get us the IV pump and check on her blood counts without us going to the dr each time. That will be a huge help! We expect to go home early this week, but we are also due in B'ham for her next round of treatment. If all goes well, we could be back to Mobile as early as next Monday, the 27th. Pray that everything will go smoothly again.
I have enjoyed being able to visit with folks who are praying for us. Being able to sneak in a choir practice here and there and Jason spending time with his family has been good for our spirits.
Keep checking, as I am sure we will have more information as we continue treatment. Colette feels great and wanted to get out of bed and play on the floor with playdoh! (she got a disney princess foam play mat, so she is NOT sitting on the floor!) LOL
Things are getting finalized on the house too. I expect we will be able to move possibly after we get back from B'ham. We will be sure to let you know if we need extra hands.
*********************************************************
Many folks have asked about donations - we meant to keep this information on the site but it disappeared a while back....
Regions Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Michele Pate Benefit Fund
Skyline Branch - 4100 Government Street - Mobile, AL 36693
(251) 690 1186
Tillmans Corner - 5416 HWY 90 WEST - Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 473 0665
Bay Bank, Mobile AL - Colette Pate/Pate Family Benefit Fund - Theodore, AL 251-653-0696
**********************************************************
Thank you for reading this information and being so faithful to check on us!
Love in Christ,
Tammy, Jason, Bryant and Colette
Friday, June 17, 2005 2:50 PM CDT
Friday's News
We have great news! Colette's bloodwork keeps getting better and better. Her white cells are up from 0.1 all the way to 5! Her platelets are higher, and things are looking up.
She is still on antibiotics, but she is starting to talk and respond more. In fact, she woke Tammy up at 3 a.m. by calling her name and telling her that she wanted to watch Dora. :) Way to go, Colette!
We'll be posting some new pictures in the next couple of days. Tammy wants us all to be prepared to see a different Colette than the one we are used to seeing. Her hair is mostly gone at this point, and it might be difficult to see the pictures at first. (I have not seen her since Monday so I am also preparing to brace myself.) But let's all remember that the fact her hair is falling out is just an outward sign of an inward change - that her chemo is doing the job of killing those rapidly dividing cells, which means it is fighting the cancer. And when we see her, she is still Colette with those beautiful big eyes, wonderful smile, and silly laugh.
Please remember to sign the guestbook, even if you have signed it a hundred times before. According to another website, "When you sign our guestbook, it is a gift that we get to open every day." The supportive words are good for all of us to read again and again, but Tammy and Jason draw strength from it.
Thank you for your love for Colette, Tammy, Jason, and Bryant. We are very blessed and fortunate to have them in our lives, aren't we?
Love,
Aunt Sherry
Tuesday, June 14, 2005 12:31 AM CDT
Well, I am back. :)
First let me say, thank you for checking on us often and for caring so much about all of us! We are struggling through these bad days and knowing people are out there, caring, thinking about us and praying for us, really helps ease our souls.
I am hanging out (which means washing clothes, checking on email, taking a bath in a REAL bathtub, etc.) at the Ronald McDonald House right here in front of the hospital. Momma is with Colette right now. She isn't having a whole lot of anything special today, just a blood transfusion (she's done that before) and later they will begin to feed her through the tube in her nose.
She has lost weight since this first started and that is not a big surprise, due to chemo. She wants to eat, but her throat is sore (due to chemo) and it is painful to swallow. Bless her heart, she doesn't complain, (SHE NEVER DOES), but she tries to swallow and can't. She can get down a few sips of liquid and her Tylenol - big girl - but she needs nutrition. I just talked with the dietician and she is going to get small amounts of Pediasure through the tube and at the same time, she can drink whatever she wants and when she wants to eat, she can. Hopefully those days are just around the corner!
She is on a completely different set of antibiotics now. The initial ones dealt with blood infections, but whatever her infection is that is causing the fever spikes apparently does not pertain to her blood. So they are looking at other types of infection. They also did an ultrasound of her kidneys, liver, abdomen and heart and a CT scan of her abdomen and brain. Everything looks good and clear - there is still that big tumor, however, but it is getting softer (according to the oncologist) and smaller (according to my personal examination- LOL). When she begins to have difficulty swallowing and then I see loose hairs all over her pillow, I look at her belly and see that we are still pressing on toward the goal - getting this monster out of my baby's belly!
Colette is being such a big girl - she cooperates when the nurses need to do stuff, like taking her temp, checking blood pressure, listening to her chest...she is being really good for them. I am sure it only helps them to get better information about her so they can help her more effectively.
On the other hand, I am having emotional lows. She is taking out her fear and frustration on me, something I never realized would affect me as strongly as it does. I guess she knows how I would love her no matter what, so she definitely dishes it out! :(
But when her Aunt Sherry is there, or Daddy even, she talks to them, sits up, actually responds to their questions. All I get are head nods and finger pointing. I spent a little time out of the picture yesterday and Sherry was there to do all of the dirty work that Jason and I have been doing - going to the scans, helping with the ng tube and Colette specifically said she wanted Aunt Sherry for all of that. I am just thankful that Aunt Sherry loves her enough to withstand it. (You know I will always do the same for Matt, Josh & Hannah!)
When I got back to the hospital last night, Colette had told me on the phone she was riding in the wagon. She was waiting for me when I got off the elevator. Jason said she wanted to go out of her room and ride in the wagon. She was holding a pop tart and talking up a storm. She sat up in her bed the rest of the time I was there (about 1 hr). It was late, so Bryant and I left Jason overnight with her and we got some rest at the RM House. This place is awesome too, by the way. It is super nice and I hope someone is inclined to maybe donate towards this effort. They only charge $12 a night and lots of places (churches, restaurants, businesses) are continuously pitching in and cooking for the families here, providing basically anything to make life more normal. I can tell you they are certainly ministering to our needs on an emotional/physical level.
I have rambled too long, I will get on again tomorrow and inform you about our housing situation. We are still moving into the house, but there are some things that need to be done and Jason has started back to work this week. Be praying that God will put people in our path to help us through this. I know He already is, but He likes to be asked for help, or so I have read! LOL
No song in my mind - taking suggestions!
Love,
Tammy, Jason, Bryant & Colette
Monday, June 13, 2005 10:38 PM CDT
Today was a busy day for Colette.
Tammy will be on to post an update tonight, hopefully. She is able to get online at the Ronald McDonald House where their family is staying for the next few nights.
Colette had some tests done today to examine her kidneys, heart, and brain. All of her tests came back clear, praise God! She still has a fever, but they changed her antibiotics.
Thank you so much for your prayers. Colette was such a trooper today through everything, and everyone should be extremely proud of what a tough little girl she has been!
Aunt Sherry
Sunday, June 12, 2005 2:54 PM CDT
Good Sunday afternoon!
Tammy called me earlier and asked me to update the website. First, Colette is still in the hospital. The doctors are doing some blood cultures to try to determine why she is still running a fever. They are looking for a bacterial infection, possibly. Once the culprit is identified, they will know which type of antibiotics to give her in order to help combat the problem.
She received a platelet transfusion this morning (I think!) but she had a blood transfusion last night.
Tammy noticed that some of Colette's hair is starting to come out. She's trying to be tough about it.
My family and I are not able to visit Colette in the hospital as my children have all been blessed with colds and coughs, and we definitely don't want to share any of the bad germs with Colette. We all want Colette to get well and come home.
And in the words of a beautiful two year old girl, "Every day is a Patty Cake praise day!"
Love,
Aunt Sherry
Saturday, June 11, 2005 8:58 PM CDT
Colette will be at USA through tomorrow, at the very minimum. She has been battling a fever. Due to the chemo, she has gotten some sores in her mouth that have made it difficult for her to swallow. She's had a tough time getting the medication down orally, but tonight's nurse gave her grape Tylenol instead of cherry and Tammy said that she took it with no problem. :)
Colette is being moved to a bigger room and I believe she received a transfusion tonight. I'll find out for sure and post when I know more.
Aunt Sherry
Friday, June 10, 2005 3:31 PM CDT
Hello friends and family,
I am updating to let everyone know that Tammy took Colette to the hospital last night. They are at USA again. Colette had a fever of 101.5 which meant "do not pass go, do not collect $200" and they headed straight for the hospital. She's doing well and they are being treated at USA without being transferred to UAB.
Jason had just returned to Mississippi and was busy packing, so he is coming back today to be at the hospital with his girls. Bryant had a fun week at VBS at Moffett Road, and he is currently napping (technically, SNORING!) on my couch. He has played hard and had a great time.
Colette is scheduled to be back at UAB next week for an outpatient scan.
Please pray that God will protect the relationship between Tammy and Jason, and that He will guard their hearts. Also, please pray that the Lord will bless Bryant with peace and help him to fully adapt to the changes that are taking place. (Sometimes he has to stay with us or other family members while mom and dad are at the hospital, etc.) He's doing great for the most part, but he's still only 6 and we want this to be as easy on him as possible.
With much love,
Aunt Sherry
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 9:52 AM CDT
It is nice to be back home with our family! We surprised Bryant and I couldn't believe how much bigger and more tan he was! It felt really good to see him and Colette was VERY happy to see her bubba.
Now we are trying to keep up with all the medicines Colette needs throughout the day and constantly observe her to make sure she is drinking/eating enough and not running any temperature. We are also trying to handle paperwork and such to move into the house as soon as we can (changing addresses, going to the bank and changing that information, etc.)
My mom has been able to come and stay with Colette during the day while Jason and I take care of "business". Jason started painting the house last night and got home tired and a little worried - the yellow is TOO yellow! There are some minor repairs needed so he is trying to get everything done by tonight that he can so he can get to MS tomorrow morning.
I stopped by the Regions Bank branch to finalize the paperwork on the Benefit fund for Colette. Apparently there were some folks who wanted to give financially, but the bank did not have the account set up correctly. So if you were one of those, thank you so much for your effort! The account is now active.
Colette is a little weak in her muscles, so she is not really wanting to walk anywhere, and when she does, it is not very far and she looks a little crooked. It is due to the tumor growing when her backbone was growing and it is curved outward instead of inward. We always thought she was a little pigeon-toed and it would resolve itself. But the dr. in B'ham said that will not be a quick issue to correct, but that is not important to us! What is important is that she is doing well, still has all her hair and has not vomited in 36 hrs nor has run any temperature at all! (Focusing on the positive!)
I don't have any song in my head right now - any suggestions?
Tomorrow is the dreaded day when they expect her counts to drop to their lowest point. So far she doesn't show any symptoms of that, so we will enjoy today with her feeling well. I had to give her my first injection last night (Jason did Monday's). It really wasn't as bad and she really only cried for a minute. What a relief! (thx to Aunt Sherry for holding her while I did it)
Jason has a few people lined up to work on the house today and tonight. My cousin Amanda, Colette's babysitter Laci and Jason's brother Todd came last night and got some of the work done. We are letting anyone who wants to decorate Colette's room help - so far she has one lavender wall and her aunt is going to paint a mural. We are trying to make it a princess room - she has a white bed and a canopy we will mount to the ceiling over it.
Please continue to pray for Colette's health. We have to go back to Birmingham next Tuesday, but only for a couple of days while they do a scan to see where exactly throughout her body the cancer is so they will know where to treat her. Of course, I pray that it is not very much!
We will continue to update the page, so keep checking in!
Every day is a Patty Cake Praise Day!
Tammy, Jason, Bryant & Colette
Monday, June 6, 2005 11:53 AM CDT
***Wonderful news! We are going home this afternoon!!!***
We were told we would not leave until after 24 hrs after chemo, but they have been coming in all morning giving us books, information about how our life will change at home, and what do when she gets a fever, etc! Then the Dr. came in and said we were out of here! We are so excited!
Another cool thing - we agreed when we first found out that we would participate in a study that would help learn more about this disease and allow Colette to receive a drug at the end of the treatment that is significantly helping kids with her condition. Well, we found out today that part of that study has "randomly" chosen Colette to have her own bone marrow CLEANED of cancer to be given back to her at the end of chemo - otherwise she would still get her own bone marrow, but it would probably still have some cancer cells in it. My question to everyone is this...
how RANDOM do you think it was that she was chosen????!!! HA - I laugh at that word! Everyday, we are being touched by God's power and mercy! Yesterday was the car news, and the way she has been handling the treatment has been fantastic, then today, we find out we are going home earlier because she is doing well enough on her own, and now to find out that she has been "CHOSEN" to participate and receive her own specially cleaned bone marrow....
New song in my mind....
"Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God!"
Pray for traveling mercies now, because we have to drive home in Jason's work truck, but we are sure the Lord has His hand on us. Pray that Colette will feel good today, because she will begin to decline as each day passes and the chemo does its job of not only killing cancer cells, but also destroying her own good cells. The good cells will begin to rebuild, but for a while, she will be tired, lethargic and need lots of TLC, which Jason & I have PLENTY of!
Thanks again for all your support - you will never know what it means to all of us! We will be in contact when we get back to Mobile, just bear with us...
Love,
Tammy, Jason & Colette
-------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, June 5, 2005 8:14 PM CDT
Wow! We are down to our last hour of chemo!
Colette is feeling great - she has been eating and sitting up and really just wanting to move around finally. It has been good to see her feel better. The dr. this morning said he can feel her belly getting softer, which means the tumor is being destroyed slowly! YAY!
Jason's parents (and Kristin and Justin) were here this weekend, so Jason and I were able to leave last night for a while, and again today. They enjoyed visiting with her, taking her for rides in the wagon and just loving on her. And I am positive she enjoyed it too!
She will be finished with her chemo bag at 9:30 tonight and then will receive a blood transfusion, since she still has some anemia. It will bring color to her cheeks and she will hopefully have a good day tomorrow. They will want to monitor her closely, so I know we won't be able to leave before Tuesday. Tomorrow I have to start learning how to protect her once we leave the hospital. As I mentioned last time, she is going to be very susceptible to bacteria and infection while her blood counts are low. We will have to have blood tests done at her pediatrician's office in Mobile twice a week to make sure everything is ok. I also am learning to train everyone around me to wash their hands and/or use antibacterial hand sanitizer before they go near her. She is not in any big danger now, but I want to get into these habit before she is susceptible. She has these little masks that she must wear when she is around others, especially kids. Also, when she is weak, they said not even an allergy-runny nose needs to be near her. That is going to be difficult to watch for, so I will need everyone's help to determine when it would be good for you to visit.
I am really sad that I don't know WHEN I will be able to go to church again! Maybe Jason and I will take turns staying home with her.
Well, amazing and wonderful things have been happening to us today! First I got a call from our pastor on MS, who asked how our car situation was going. I told him that someone from Mobile had offered use of their van and a Sunday School class wanted to provide a gas card for our trips (every 21 days) to B'Ham. He said they would continue to pray for that need. Then, about 10 minutes later, my sister called and asked if I was sitting down. I was, so she said someone at her church had just handed Craig the title to a 92 Ford Escort Wagon for us! And it's red!! Whoo=hoo! It has 60K miles and new tires/brakes, etc. Can I get an AMEN?!
Next, my aunt called from Mobile - she and my uncle own a house that we wanted to rent from them. She said she is getting everything arranged so that we can come in and clean and paint the rooms whatever colors we wanted, and then she will have new carpet installed! So Jason and I are steadily calling folks (who have offered) asking to help paint, clean or move in the next week and weekend. Be listening for your chance to win! LOL!
I love this song that keeps ringing in my head!
"God is good all the time, He put a song of praise in this heart of mine. God is good all the time, Through the darkest night, His light will shine. God is good, God is good all the time..."!!!!
Check out the new pics I put up - Colette is doing well, I got a new pad for the couch/bed I am sleeping on, so I slept GREAT last night, and Jason should have his tonight. Pray that tomorrow will be another great day and we will get good news that she is improving each day.
Keep us in your prayers - we are feeling positive right now and there is still that uneasy feeling trying to sneak in through the backdoor of my mind...I know Satan will try to crush my strength, so pray that he will not succeed in turning my focus from allowing the Lord to have His Way in all of these matters.
Love in Christ,
Tammy, Jason and Colette
PS: We miss you and we love you Bryant! I will call you tonight! Heart, Mom
Sunday, June 5, 2005 8:14 PM CDT
Wow! We are down to our last hour of chemo!
Colette is feeling great - she has been eating and sitting up and really just wanting to move around finally. It has been good to see her feel better. The dr. this morning said he can feel her belly getting softer, which means the tumor is being destroyed slowly! YAY!
Jason's parents (and Kristin and Justin) were here this weekend, so Jason and I were able to leave last night for a while, and again today. They enjoyed visiting with her, taking her for rides in the wagon and just loving on her. And I am positive she enjoyed it too!
She will be finished with her chemo bag at 9:30 tonight and then will receive a blood transfusion, since she still has some anemia. It will bring color to her cheeks and she will hopefully have a good day tomorrow. They will want to monitor her closely, so I know we won't be able to leave before Tuesday. Tomorrow I have to start learning how to protect her once we leave the hospital. As I mentioned last time, she is going to be very susceptible to bacteria and infection while her blood counts are low. We will have to have blood tests done at her pediatrician's office in Mobile twice a week to make sure everything is ok. I also am learning to train everyone around me to wash their hands and/or use antibacterial hand sanitizer before they go near her. She is not in any big danger now, but I want to get into these habit before she is susceptible. She has these little masks that she must wear when she is around others, especially kids. Also, when she is weak, they said not even an allergy-runny nose needs to be near her. That is going to be difficult to watch for, so I will need everyone's help to determine when it would be good for you to visit.
I am really sad that I don't know WHEN I will be able to go to church again! Maybe Jason and I will take turns staying home with her.
Well, amazing and wonderful things have been happening to us today! First I got a call from our pastor on MS, who asked how our car situation was going. I told him that someone from Mobile had offered use of their van and a Sunday School class wanted to provide a gas card for our trips (every 21 days) to B'Ham. He said they would continue to pray for that need. Then, about 10 minutes later, my sister called and asked if I was sitting down. I was, so she said someone at her church had just handed Craig the title to a 92 Ford Escort Wagon for us! And it's red!! Whoo=hoo! It has 60K miles and new tires/brakes, etc. Can I get an AMEN?!
Next, my aunt called from Mobile - she and my uncle own a house that we wanted to rent from them. She said she is getting everything arranged so that we can come in and clean and paint the rooms whatever colors we wanted, and then she will have new carpet installed! So Jason and I are steadily calling folks (who have offered) asking to help paint, clean or move in the next week and weekend. Be listening for your chance to win! LOL!
I love this song that keeps ringing in my head!
"God is good all the time, He put a song of praise in this heart of mine. God is good all the time, Through the darkest night, His light will shine. God is good, God is good all the time..."!!!!
Check out the new pics I put up - Colette is doing well, I got a new pad for the couch/bed I am sleeping on, so I slept GREAT last night, and Jason should have his tonight. Pray that tomorrow will be another great day and we will get good news that she is improving each day.
Keep us in your prayers - we are feeling positive right now and there is still that uneasy feeling trying to sneak in through the backdoor of my mind...I know Satan will try to crush my strength, so pray that he will not succeed in turning my focus from allowing the Lord to have His Way in all of these matters.
Love in Christ,
Tammy, Jason and Colette
PS: We miss you and we love you Bryant! I will call you tonight! Heart, Mom
Friday, June 3, 2005 10:59 PM CDT
Well we have 24 hours of chemo behind us! Yay!
Colette did super today - wanted to eat throughout the day (carrots & yogurt for supper, broccoli with ketchup, and fish sticks at lunch) and sit up and play tea party today. I sat in the hallway with her for about 30 mins, she still is very shy but I wanted her to see the other kids riding tricycles and such.
It is still a battle to figure out if she is in pain, or if the tumor is causing her BP to be elevated. She has been taking some BP meds, but it seems if we can control her pain and keep her calm, her BP handles itself well. That is good - I don't want her to take more meds than necessary.
I am asking that you pray for me and Jason both - each day we brush her hair out of her face and look at each other when we need to wash her hair. We have grown attached to those beautiful long strawberry blonde locks, and I know her hair will grow back, but it is going to be a painful obvious statement that our child has cancer...I know I am going to have difficulty when her hair begins to fall out. It is not so much the hair itself, but it is part of her identity to me - when her hair was first growing in and we were excited to find out if it was going to be Jason's color or mine, I remember arguing with my mom in particular that it was not RED, but strawberry blonde! Plus the fact that I vowed to never cut her hair - well, I guess I am getting hung up on something so insignificant. Instead I should be thankful that she has not be nauseated until tonight and pray that she continues to have an easy treatment this time around.
As long as Colette continues to do well and not run any fever, we should be able to go home to Mobile either Tuesday or Wednesday. Apparently there are a lot of new daily habits I will learn to do to take care of her at home, including daily injections and extra oral care. We are going to have to restrict visitors especially 7-10 days from now, when her white blood cell counts will be dangerously low. We will not be able to go to church or anywhere where there are more than a few people, and no runny noses can be allowed! But we will have masks for her and other children if there is any doubt.
It is late and we didn't rest well last night, since we didn't know what to expect from our first chemo night. Jason and I constantly were up checking on our girl, even though the nurses were also being very observant. Tonight will be better, I am sure!
Thanks again for the love you are sending to my baby and my family! I will try to put some new pics on in the morning.
Love in Christ,
Tammy, Jason, Bryant & Colette
DONATION INFORMATION:
Donations can be made at Bay Bank - Colette Pate Fund/Pate Family Fund - in Theodore. (251) 653-0696
Donations will be made through Regions Bank - Colette Pate Benefit Fund tomorrow (June 4).
And, as always, you can paypal at tambabe1@hotmail.com.
TELEPHONE # - Email Tammy at tambabe1@hotmail.com for her direct room number.
Thursday, June 2, 2005 3:08 PM CDT
Hello all...
We are still waiting to begin chemo. The final diagnostic tests were done and results were in and then it was lunchtime and now shift change! Grr! But Colette is resting nicely, sleeping with Daddy on the couch.
The dr. said we will notice a quick decrease in pain levels in Colette as soon as the meds begin. I am looking forward to that! She doesn't complain about much of anything, but her BP and heart rate show that she is hurting. We have begun to watch her vitals and give her pain meds if needed. You can tell she is feeling better when we do that! She still eats small amounts, but everyone agrees that is a good sign.
My mom and dad took Bryant back to Mobile with them today. They have been keeping him at a place called the Hope Lodge for cancer patients and families to stay during treatment. It has been good for us to be together with Bryant - he perks my spirit right up!
I can tell you have been praying for Colette's fears to be eased. She is made a huge change in the way she responds to people who enter her room! Instead of crying and covering her head, she actually waits and assesses who it is before she gets really anxious. It is really cool because I know prayer has done that for her!!
I know a lot of you have offered support but until now the only thing we needed was prayer and lots of it! However, Jason's company wanted him to move back to Mobile in May and in light of the situation and need for constant close treatment & observation, we will be moving from our house in Laurel back to Mobile next week, probably.
We are not sure about where we will live in Mobile, we have someone working on that. In the meantime, I will stay at my sister's with Colette because I cannot risk taking her 2 hours away from a hospital with an oncology unit (in case she spikes a fever or something). Jason will be responsible for packing our house, then loading the u-haul on June 10-11 for the drive to Mobile. We are trusting that the Lord will provide a home for us so there will only be a single move.
We are expecting God to do great things for us because Jesus says in John 1:13-14
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
I know the Lord will provide the house we need and so we are planning on having a place to move into when the time is ready. I am certainly not going to worry about that.
So I am asking if anyone is interested in helping Jason pack the house in Laurel - he will be doing so after we are discharged and the U-Haul is reserved on June 10-12. We will also need help unloading into the home the Lord will provide. Pray for strength for Jason because he will have to leave Colette for that time and I know he will be concerned about her while he is away.
I still focus on the positive - I deliberately smile at folks around here, even though they seem downtrodden. Apparently some other people are trying to encourage others too! One of the moms sent Colette a huge stuffed frog and another went to WalMart and bought a lot of small toys and brought them in a wagon to each child's room. I made small arrangements of carnations and Jason used my scrapbooking stuff (!) to stamp little cards that had Phillipians 1:3 on it. It is really fun to encourage each other!
Please keep our needs in your prayers. I am not worried, but rather I am excited to hear what God is doing through all of you and your diligence and prayers!
We will try to set up some new photos tonight!
Love,
Jason, Tammy, Bryant and Colette
Wednesday, June 1, 2005 8:00 PM CDT
NEW PICS UPDATED
OK - Finally! This parent's lounge was waxed today so we couldn't get in, then all the parents were basically in line to get online...
I hope everyone got the email I sent out last night concerning Colette's diagnosis.
Colette has neuroblastoma and it is treatable and curable!! The survival rates are not super, but I don't care at this point. The fact is, statistics do not apply in our case because we have PRAYER and a Heavenly Father who can and WILL do exactly what He wants!
We are starting chemo tomorrow and it will be a 72-hr IV drip. Don't worry, Colette has what they call a "depo port" under her armpit, they inserted it during her biopsy and it allows IV access directly through one of her large veins and therefore, NO MORE NEEDLES! Her little arms are free of any contraptions!
Pray that she will gain peace and trust in the doctors and nurses here. There are a couple of nurses she is comfortable with, but mostly she is constantly afraid each time the door opens. It is not unique in her situation, there is another little girl here who is 2 months younger than Colette and she does the same thing - she's done it to me!
I have a hope and actually felt as though a weight had been lifted after talking with the dr. last night. We know what the next step is and we are confident in the care Colette is receiving. It turns out that the dr in charge of Colette's case is an expert in the field of neuroblastoma! We are entering a research project and hopefully they can learn more about Colette and others through it.
Thank you for the continued prayers! I hope you will not lessen your concern for us now that we have the diagnosis. As I stated in the email I sent, I hope you would not begin to research this disease and become disheartened! If you do, remember, there is always HOPE and Jesus loves Colette even more than we do! He will take care of her and provide the strength needed to endure these next few days.
I will be online tomorrow again with updates. Again, thanks for caring!
Love,
Tammy
Wednesday, June 1, 2005 7:56 AM CDT
**5:31 PM CDT**
Tammy wanted to update the website with detailed information today, but they chose to wax the floor in the computer room and had the room taped off. (Literally!) She and Jason are doing very well, chemo should start tomorrow as more testing took place today.
I'm sure she will be back to update just as soon as she is able, but know that they are trusting God minute by minute.
Posted by Aunt Sherry
************
This is not the website update, but an e-mail from Tammy that I have decided to share until she is able to update the page:
Hello everyone!
Sorry, but we didn't get to sit and talk with our doctor until after 6:30
pm, then the website is unable to update until after midnight
tonight....so... this is the short version.
Colette has neuroblastoma and it is treatable and curable. It is difficult,
however, to treat.
Before you go out and research this information on the web, remember that
with God, all things are possible! You might find some negative information,
but we are not interested in that. If it is God's will to heal her, then he
will, regardless of the statistics! If it is not His will, then He will give
us the strength we need to accept His plan and continue to give Him the
glory for her life.
With that said, there will be a plan of chemotherapy, in fact, we will begin
tomorrow, probably afternoon-ish. As long as she doesn't get sick during
that time, we hopefully will be able to return to Mobile on Monday. But I am
not going to take her away from here (and they wouldn't let me anyway) if
she is not well enough. So pray that God gives her the strength to heal.
I will update the website tomorrow morning, but I am physically and
emotionally exhausted. However, I have hope and I will sleep very peacefully
tonight, knowing now that we have begun a long road to recovery and a
hopeful future.
Colette has been climbing in and out of the bed tonight, playing PlayDoh
with Bryant and wanting to watch Miss Patty Cake. Hopefully she will feel
like visiting with the other children here - everyone wants to have as
"normal" an experience as possible.
Thanks for everyone who so diligently prayed and waited until we had the
information. I could feel peace nearly all day long, that none of this was
given to Jason and me without first coming from God, and passing through
Christ. There is a purpose for this twist in our life and we may never
understand, but we accept that and we will continue to strive to find peace
in the midst of the fear.
Talk to you soon!
Tammy
Monday, May 30, 2005 11:38 PM CDT
**2:15 PM CDT**
I just talked to Tammy and they are still waiting to hear from the doctor. She said her nerves are shot. Please pray for strength for Tammy and Jason at this time, as they wait, and wait, and wait.
Also, the webpage will be down from 8 pm to midnight tonight. The site itself is being upgraded, so tomorrow it might look a little different.
Tammy, Jason, Colette, and Bryant, we are all praying for you.
(Posted by Sherry)
****************
Well, it's the eleventh hour (literally!)...We had an AWESOME day today. Sometimes I would look at Colette and watch her talking and holding her leg up in the bed and think, if you didn't see her distended belly, you would never guess how sick she is! Maybe a tired little 2 yr old, but she is acting better than she has in months! I am SURE it is the prayers of those who care about her.
Jason and I are doing well tonight. We have not been brought down to the terrible pit of despair and worry. In fact, I was reading a book that was recommended to me, "Loving God With All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George.
There are 5 verses that she studies in detail. One is Jeremiah 29:11 -
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future."
There are also verses dealing with thinking yourself into worry about things that will never come to pass.
Phil 4:8 - "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
In other words, don't worry about anything but positive things! It says it right there!
I will continue to pray throughout the day tomorrow, and I will appreciate everyone remembering us. We won't really hear from the doctors until after lunchtime, so after I have time to digest the information and accept it, then I will pass it on to you.
Thanks again for reading this so often - we have had 400 visits just today! Wow!
Love in Christ,
Jason, Tammy, Bryant and Colette
Every day is a Patty Cake Praise Day!
Monday, May 30, 2005 8:04 AM CDT
Just a quick update because I am so excited! Yesterday was a great day! Colette got to ride in a wagon (on pillows of course) and Jason, Bryant and I rode her around the whole hospital. When we went near the cafeteria, she smelled the food and said "get sumpin eat" - so she wanted an ice cream. When we showed her, she wanted to hold it, and she worked on that ice cream at least 10 minutes! We have pics, but Papa took the camera to the hotel. Later this morning I will post it!
Then she didn't want to get back in her bed, so she watched Barney from the wagon. After that, she wanted to wear the princess crown that my cousin sent and later she let us wash her hair! The best part was that she still didn't want to get back in bed but have me hold her until she went to sleep! So she is getting more comfy with her port that is under her armpit. The nurse said she needs to move around as much as possible to keep from getting sore on that side.
The night was normal, I guess, with the vitals every 4 hours...but she was sleeping on her "port" side (haha), and had her legs rolled over - finally back to her normal sleeping position!
The best news this morning is they have disconnected her IV bag, so she is no longer tethered. Of course, she can be reconnected at any time, that is why the port is there - she won't have to be stuck to put in a new IV again. THEN - when breakfast came, she wanted EGGS, she wanted to SIT UP, and she wanted to FEED HERSELF. And it's just 8 am!
I will pop in with more good news and a few pics later!
PS: Jason witnessed to a man last night - he wants to make sure he is with his daughter (who is terminal) in Heaven some day! So cool!
Every day is a Patty Cake Praise Day! (thx Laci)
Love, Tammy
Sunday, May 29, 2005 1:43 PM CDT (revised)
***CHECK OUT PHOTO ALBUM***
Hello everyone! I first want to say how awesome you have been to come to the website and post your thoughts and prayers! It is such a support to know that people care deeply for a child they may have never known or seen. But those in our family and friends, your support has been incredible! Thank you forever!
Today is Sunday and I really missed singing in the choir this morning. I woke up in time to go to church, but unfortunately I had to have church in Colette's room. You don't realize how much attending church and visiting with your Christian family means until you can't do it. But I recieved phone calls from our church in MS right before Sunday School and I felt so happy that they were thinking of us when we were thinking of them!
We are enjoying each day that we are here. This is the most amazing hospital - I call it a 5-star hospital resort for kids. The staff is the most caring and I don't think I will ever be able to go back to a regular hospital after seeing how these people work and care every day (and night).
This morning, she is still a little sore. Her entire right shoulder/underarm area is sensitive due to the port they put in there. But that is better than being stuck everyday for labs or needing meds through an IV in her hand. She can sleep right through those things because she can't feel that.
She calls her IV her "waterhose", she knows what her "temperature" is and she tells everybody that she is a "bid durl" (big girl). Everyone tells us how polite she is and how well she expresses herself and how she feels.
PLEASE REMEMBER - we will not have ANY test results before Tuesday. She is scheduled for a bone scan Tuesday morning at 8 am. Please pray for her during that time. We are not thinking ahead, not anticipating anything except that God's Will be done. We know we can accept any challenge He gives us because He knows what we can handle and He will not gives us more than that. Pray for me, especially at night, when the moms are out in the halls and lounge area. Some people have no hope, either because they just don't know the power of prayer OR they have dealt with this for so long that their hearts are grieved. Pray that I can resist losing faith when these people share their experiences. I know that is Satan trying to attack me and I have the power to completely shut him out. He is after us because we have given this entire situation to the Lord and we are on the winning side regardless of the final outcome. I feel that we may even be able to witness to others and help them find the peace that we have. Even members of our own family have seen something that they didn't know we had!! - I didn't realize we had it either! :)
Thank you for ALL the prayers! I can PHYSICALLY feel warm sensations over my back at times and a soothing relaxation come over me. Jason is amazing at pulling me back when I begin to sink - I know he is like that because of his relationship with God.
Please do not worry about Colette. Instead, focus on the possibility of a miracle. We know God can heal her if it is His will. That would be a testament of prayer. If not, we will still give Him the glory for her life and how many people she has touched and that we will ALL eventually be together in the end. I know we are going to make it through this just fine.
We love you all so much! Keep leaving us notes!
Thank you,
Tammy, Jason & Bryant
Sunday, May 29, 2005 1:43 PM CDT
***CHECK OUT PHOTO ALBUM***
Hello everyone! I first want to say how awesome you have been to come to the website and post your thoughts and prayers! It is such a support to know that people care deeply for a child they may have never known or seen. But those in our family and friends, your support has been incredible! Thank you forever!
Today is Sunday and I really missed singing in the choir this morning. I woke up in time to go to church, but unfortunately I had to have church in Colette's room. You don't realize how much attending church and visiting with your Christian family means until you can't do it. But I recieved phone calls from our church in MS right before Sunday School and I felt so happy that they were thinking of us when we were thinking of them!
We are enjoying each day that we are here. This is the most amazing hospital - I call it a 5-star hospital resort for kids. The staff is the most caring and I don't think I will ever be able to go back to a regular hospital after seeing how these people work and care every day (and night).
SO...I am sure you are wondering about Colette. She had her surgery on Friday, and everything went well. She came out of anesthesia without any sickness and I was happy for that. She had a couple of hours where she wanted to visit, sat up a little, and of course, WATCHED DORA AND MISS PATTY CAKE. I sometimes find myself even talking like those two characters because they comfort Colette!
Yesterday (Saturday) she had a really good day visiting with family and friends. She was moved to a bigger room with better air conditioning(!) but she was scared they were going to do some test or something. She didn't realize it was just a room switch, poor thing! She was laughing at her "Pappoo" (Jason's dad) while he played with a bunny puppet. I have some pics of that in the photo album.
Last night we decided to give her some morphine because of her pain, she is not complaining, but her BP and heart rate showed she was very uncomfortable. After the meds, her rates dropped and it was much more peaceful. We ALL slept well last night.
This morning, she is still a little sore. Her entire right shoulder/underarm area is sensitive due to the port they put in there. But that is better than being stuck everyday for labs or needing meds through an IV in her hand. She can sleep right through those things because she can't feel that.
She calls her IV her "waterhose", she knows what her "temperature" is and she tells everybody that she is a "bid durl" (big girl). Everyone tells us how polite she is and how well she expresses herself and how she feels.
She ate a little steamed broccoli for lunch on Sat, 1 chicken nugget and about 4 onion rings Sat night. She is drinking well and had her first BM after surgery today - I am only telling you that because those are all good things!!! ;)
Now Jason is rocking her - her first time out of bed since surgery. She doesn't hurt and she is relaxing in our arms. That is the best medicine for everyone!
Sorry this is so long, but this is the first I have been able to sit and type to all of you. I will keep you updated as often as possible.
PLEASE REMEMBER - we will not have ANY test results before Tuesday. She is scheduled for a bone scan Tuesday morning at 8 am. Please pray for her during that time. We are not thinking ahead, not anticipating anything except that God's Will be done. We know we can accept any challenge He gives us because He knows what we can handle and He will not gives us more than that. Pray for me, especially at night, when the moms are out in the halls and lounge area. Some people have no hope, either because they just don't know the power of prayer OR they have dealt with this for so long that their hearts are grieved. Pray that I can resist losing faith when these people share their experiences. I know that is Satan trying to attack me and I have the power to completely shut him out. He is after us because we have given this entire situation to the Lord and we are on the winning side regardless of the final outcome. I feel that we may even be able to witness to others and help them find the peace that we have. Even members of our own family have seen something that they didn't know we had!! - I didn't realize we had it either! :)
Thank you for ALL the prayers! I can PHYSICALLY feel warm sensations over my back at times and a soothing relaxation come over me. Jason is amazing at pulling me back when I begin to sink - I know he is like that because of his relationship with God.
Please do not worry about Colette. Instead, focus on the possibility of a miracle. We know God can heal her if it is His will. That would be a testament of prayer. If not, we will still give Him the glory for her life and how many people she has touched and that we will ALL eventually be together in the end. I know we are going to make it through this just fine.
We love you all so much! Keep leaving us notes!
Thank you,
Tammy, Jason & Bryant
Colette Michele
----------------------------------------------
Sunday, May 29, 2005 9:54 AM CDT
Good Sunday morning!
Most of you are at church or at Mass today, and I know you are lifting Colette up in prayer.
I haven't heard from Tammy yet but wanted to continue updating the page to let you know that we're all waiting for updates from the doctor and family.
Do you have any pictures of Colette that you would like to share? I can post them in the photo album. Please send your pictures to craigandsherry@earthlink.net - be sure to check the photo album and I will be adding some pictures of her that I have on my computer.
Love,
Sherry
-----------------------------------------------------
DONATION INFORMATION:
Donations can be made at Bay Bank - Colette Pate Fund/Pate Family Fund - in Theodore. (251) 653-0696
Donations will be made through Regions Bank/First Baptist Tillman's Corner (251-661-0114) after the holiday weekend.
And, as always, you can paypal at tambabe1@hotmail.com.
GIFT INFORMATION: If you send balloons, please make sure that only the mylar balloons are a part of the gift (the shiny silver ones.) Latex balloons are not allowed at UAB due to some of the children having allergies.
I don't have an address yet to send items/packages to the family. This is the info listed on the webpage: University of Alabama at Birmingham . Comprehensive Cancer Center . 1824 6th Avenue South . Birmingham, Alabama
1-800-UAB-0933 The website is http://www3.ccc.uab.edu/ -
NOTE FROM TAMMY - We are NOT at UAB Cancer Center - we are at UAB Children's Hospital. But I don't know any mailing info yet.
TELEPHONE # - Email Tammy at tambabe1@hotmail.com for her direct room number.
Sunday, May 29, 2005 9:54 AM CDT
Good Sunday morning!
Most of you are at church or at Mass today, and I know you are lifting Colette up in prayer.
I haven't heard from Tammy yet but wanted to continue updating the page to let you know that we're all waiting for updates from the doctor and family.
Do you have any pictures of Colette that you would like to share? I can post them in the photo album. Please send your pictures to craigandsherry@earthlink.net - be sure to check the photo album and I will be adding some pictures of her that I have on my computer.
Love,
Sherry
DONATION INFORMATION:
Donations can be made at Bay Bank - Colette Pate Fund/Pate Family Fund - in Theodore. (251) 653-0696
Donations will be made through Regions Bank/First Baptist Tillman's Corner (251-661-0114) after the holiday weekend.
And, as always, you can paypal at tambabe1@hotmail.com.
GIFT INFORMATION: If you send balloons, please make sure that only the mylar balloons are a part of the gift (the shiny silver ones.) Latex balloons are not allowed at UAB due to some of the children having allergies.
I don't have an address yet to send items/packages to the family. This is the info listed on the webpage: University of Alabama at Birmingham . Comprehensive Cancer Center . 1824 6th Avenue South . Birmingham, Alabama
1-800-UAB-0933 The website is http://www3.ccc.uab.edu/ -
NOTE FROM TAMMY - We are NOT at UAB Cancer Center - we are at UAB Children's Hospital. But I don't know any mailing info yet.
TELEPHONE # - Email Tammy at tambabe1@hotmail.com for her direct room number.
Saturday, May 28, 2005 10:15 AM CDT
**NEEDED** - Tammy is requesting that someone please send a pair of soft, silky slippers to Colette (pink) similiar to ballet slippers. She calls them dancing shoes, and needs a size 7/8. They are sold at Walmart and at Target. They are sold in the little girls stockings and socks area. (Kind of like isotoners!)
Happy Saturday!!!!
I'm on the phone with Tammy right now. She wanted me to tell you all that the cancer is NOT lymphoblastoma, they are looking at neuroblastoma.
Tammy and Jason got a copy of the website and all of the comments and want to thank you so much. This means a lot to them! Tammy said they really, really, really appreciate the comments and to keep them coming, they mean so much. As soon as she is able to get online she will update, too.
She said they came through the night well. Colette had some morphine. She's sore. One of the two IV's has been removed, and they are doing all bloodwork and stuff through the port in her chest. Tammy says there are no more needles.
Colette has been drinking a lot of gatorade, which is good. She even asked for a cheeseburger.
After her blood transfusion, she really pinked up with pretty pink cheeks and lips. This morning, she still has the pretty color.
Bone scan on Tuesday at 8 a.m. They are also drawing blood from Tammy and Jason to look at their DNA as well. They will look at chromosomes to see if there is anything they can learn from the parents' blood that will help treat Colette.
I'll be putting this on every page, so bear with me:
DONATION INFORMATION:
Donations can be made at Bay Bank - Colette Pate Fund/Pate Family Fund - in Theodore. (251) 653-0696
Donations will be made through Regions Bank/First Baptist Tillman's Corner (251-661-0114) after the holiday weekend.
And, as always, you can paypal at tambabe1@hotmail.com.
GIFT INFORMATION: If you send balloons, please make sure that only the mylar balloons are a part of the gift (the shiny silver ones.) Latex balloons are not allowed at UAB due to some of the children having allergies.
I don't have an address yet to send items/packages to the family. This is the info listed on the webpage: University of Alabama at Birmingham . Comprehensive Cancer Center . 1824 6th Avenue South . Birmingham, Alabama
1-800-UAB-0933 The website is http://www3.ccc.uab.edu/ -
NOTE FROM TAMMY - We are NOT at UAB Cancer Center - we are at UAB Children's Hospital. But I don't know any mailing info yet.
TELEPHONE # - Email Tammy at tambabe1@hotmail.com for her direct room number.
May God bless ALL of you for your prayers and kind words.
Friday, May 27, 2005 11:30 AM CDT
I haven't talked to Tammy or Jason yet this morning, but Colette's surgery was scheduled for 10:30. That was about an hour ago, and I am sure she is still there. I will update as soon as I hear anything.
**5:22 PM**
I talked to Tammy a little while ago. Colette came through her surgery like a pro. They were getting ready to wake her up, but she did great otherwise. It will be a few days before they know the results of the biospy and how to treat the problem. They are still tossed between Wilms' Tumor and Lymphoblastoma. I asked Tammy if they had found it anywhere else inside Colette's little body, and she told me that she didn't ask and didn't want to know at this point. Which, of course, we all can totally understand.
So for now, a big hard part is over, and we await the results of the biopsy, sometime next week according to Tammy.
She and Jason are in great spirits. Thank you so much for all of the prayers!
Questions have been raised about sending donations. You can make donations at Bay Bank, or by sending money via PayPal to tambabe1@hotmail.com. If you would prefer to send something by mail, please contact me at craigandsherry@earthlink.net and we will get you the information immediately. There are many ways that this is affecting them financially, including stuff they have to pick up since they are not at home to pack it up, meals, etc. Clicking on the "Donate" link on this page will send money to the people who run the website, not to Colette's family!
Please also pray for Jason, he was battling a kidney stone and he also needs healing. Pray for Tammy that she can continue to be strong.
On a personal note, I have been amazed by Tammy's resolve through this. She told me that she knows God has equipped her to handle this, and she will thank Him for what He has given her. She is tough as nails, and I humbly take my hat off to her and Jason for their faith and strength. You can rest assured that they are doing great, but still covet your prayers and support. THANK YOU for all of the responses and love.
Thursday, May 26, 2005 7:36 AM CDT
Colette is a very special girl to many people. She is two years old and loves Dora, Miss Patti Cake, and Princesses. She is a doll.
Colette has been a sick little girl for a few months. Last night, she was diagnosed with Wilms' Tumor at the University of South Alabama Women and Childrens' hospital in Mobile, Alabama. According to Dr. Wilson, Colette is a stage 3 and possibly a stage 4. This tumor extends from her right kidney into her abdomen, has displaced her spleen, and has moved a large blood vessel into a different position. Dr. Wilson said that surgery is necessary to identify the spread of the tumor, to determine the untouched organs, and to biopsy a part of the tumor to confirm the diagnosis. Then, Colette will undergo chemotherapy and radiation until the tumor is small enough to remove surgically.
Her symptoms began around January/February 2005. She became lethargic, and could not eat. She would periodically vomit and was just very puny. She did grow taller, but her little body did not get change to accomodate the growth so she was very thin. Tammy and Jason took her to the doctor many times, and finally decided to bring her back to Mobile for treatment. It was only after Tammy and Jason insisted that the doctors look further that someone found the mass. They knew something was not right with their little girl! It's that intuition that the Lord gives parents.
Tammy and Jason (mom and dad) and MawMaw and PawPaw are taking her to the hospital at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) this morning. She will be taken by ambulance. I don't know what will transpire over the next few hours, but Tammy will call and update me. I will post more as I know more. Please email me for contact information and I will get it right to you!
This background with hands and hearts was chosen because it is similar to Miss Patti Cake, and I know Colette will love it!
**10:03 AM CST**
Family members are working to have trust funds set up at Regions Bank and at Bay Bank through Tammy and Jason's church. This probably will not happen until Monday. If you feel that you could make any contributions in the meantime, you can PayPal to tambabe1@hotmail.com. Thank you so much.
4:30 p.m. CST
I just spoke with Jason. Colette had a repeat ultrasound this morning and they are redoing the CT scan. He said Colette is okay, but scared. Bryant and Jason were able to play some dodgeball and basketball together, and Tommy and Blair are coming down. All four grandparents are staying at a place called Hope Lodge. Jason says UAB is "top notch". I'll post more when I know more.
**7:25 PM CST**
I just spoke to a very excited Tammy! She said they met with an oncologist, a senior resident, and a fellow (?) The CT scan and ultrasound were a little more detailed. She either has Wilms' Tumor or lymphoblastoma, either of which are "very treatable" according to Tammy. Tomorrow, Colette will have surgery. A biopsy will be taken. It is possible that the tumor is coming from her adrenal gland and not her kidney. Chemo/radiation will start based on what the biopsy reveals. Tammy said something about three days at this point, I'm not sure if the biopsy comes back in three days or what. They will do some frozen cell slides during the surgery. If they see the lymphoblastoma, they will perform a spinal tap during the surgery to see if it is in there. It is possible that this tumor has bled into itself, which would cause the white blood cell count to elevate so quickly.
Colette will be having a blood transfusion tonight. Tammy believes Colette is A positive but she's not entirely sure. You can donate blood and platelets in Colette's name.
Finally, Colette is extremely cranky, which is to be expected. Tammy says there are doctors everywhere and they constantly stop you and tell you their most recent findings. It is a good hospital, and they are thrilled!
(Posted by Sherry)
Click here to go back to the main page.
----End of History----
| Donate | How To Help | Partnerships | Contact Us | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | |
|
Copyright © 1997 - 2004 CaringBridge, a nonprofit organization, All rights reserved. |