History

Journal History

Friday, July 9, 2010 0:35 AM CDT

8 years ago today, Parker was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of leukemia. He was given a less than 20 percent chance at living past 3 years. What a long hard journey he has had, and yet against all odds and everything we were told.....He is still here! Fighting and LIVING!!!

Today he will receive a painful UV light treatment to burn off dangerous skin cancer spots on his hands and possibly in his ear. He has a new bump growing in his ear underneath a place where he had a tumor removed last year. It is concerning.

So.....his journey is far from over. His courage is like none other. We are so very proud of how he treats each and every day.

We ask that you keep him in your thoughts prayers and celebrate the beautiful LIFE that he has.

Love, Melissa and the boys

Sunday, June 27, 2010 7:46 PM CDT

We just returned from UCSF for Parker’s big checkup with the dermatologist. Bottom line…..she is concerned. There is a new bump in his ear, just below where we had the tumor removed last August. He also has several spots on his hands that do not look good. The plan……2 weeks of heavy chemo cream, followed by a UV light treatment. If this doesn’t do the trick, he’s looking at several biopsies.

We followed that terrible appointment with a Giants vs. Red Sox game. Some very fabulous people gave us those tickets and it was just what we needed to distract us from the day’s events! The Giants pulled it out right in the end, so it was a GREAT game! The boy’s first major league, and they just LOVED it!!!

The next morning we took in a cable car ride all over the city, followed by the art museum and Japanese Tea Gardens, and concluded with a late lunch at the Cliff House and dinner in Pleasanton with some very good friends.
Thanks for checking on us. I’ll keep you posted how the treatments are working. Fingers and toes crossed along with lots of prayers please!

Love,
Meliss

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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

What an incredible day we had at the Visalia/Bakersfield stage of the Tour of CA! The Amgen reps asked Parker to be their guest that day. Little did we know that meant being on stage and meeting each rider as they signed in. Mark Cavendish, Levi, George Hincapie, Lance…..We met them ALL!!!! WHOOP! WHOOP! Not sure who was more thrilled….the boys or US!?! Parker also got to present the “Most Courageous Rider” jersey, who happened to be Lars Boon. What a terrific guy. Lars accepted the jersey, put it on for pictures, took it off, signed it, and handed it to Parker! Lance came up and shook both boy’s hands, and ours, and then he crouched down and had a nice little conversation with Parker. Super cute!!! After the start…..we high tailed it to Bakersfield to watch the finish. Upon arriving there, we learned that Lance crashed and went to the hospital. Glad it turned out that he was ok.

On the cycling front….Our cycling team just finished off purchasing a $210,000 bloodmobile for the Central CA Blood Center!!! Final check presentation will be on July 3, at 10AM at the southeast corner of Shaw and Clovis Ave. Our team is working a fireworks stand on that corner too! Exciting times! We are now raising funds to send 100 cancer kids to Camp Sunshine Dreams, a charity of Children’s Hospital of Central CA.

On the mile stone front……On July 9, it will be 8 years since Parker was diagnosed with leukemia! He is 5 years past bone marrow transplant, and 1 ½ years past skin cancer diagnosis.

On the medical front……We have spent the past 1 ½ years burning off all his sun exposed skin with laser light and chemo cream treatments. It’s been painful, and uncomfortable, and yet Parker just keeps plugging along. He’s had 2 tumors removed (on his lip and in his ear) and is awaiting reconstructive surgery for his mouth. We are in constant doctor’s appointments, but remain positive and hopeful that Parker will surpass this obstacle too.

Thanks for checking on us! We continue to live each and every day to its’ fullest. Parker loves playing baseball, spending time with friends, and riding his bike! He never put off to tomorrow what he can do today! We learn lessons every day by watch him LIVE!!!

Love, Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 12:34 AM CDT

Happy Transplant Birthday Parker!!!! Today we celebrate 5 years past transplant!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, February 11, 2010 2:31 PM CST

Thank you for sticking with us and checking the web site even with my lack of updating!

In late December we received the news that Parker’s latest biopsy came back good. It was marked as something that we need to WATCH, instead of immediately TREAT. It was a shaving of his bottom lip. Today, in February, it still looks good. YEAH!!! His ear and tumor site at the lip still look good also. We will be meeting with plastic surgeons this summer to discuss reconstruction surgery of the lip. Parker has healed nicely, however he is slightly disfigured from the removal of one third of his lower lip.

Late last night, Parker and I returned from a quick trip to Duke for his big 5 YEAR checkup!!! All of his preliminary tests (EKG, echo, CT, etc.) came back good! His bone density test came back “borderline.” This means that we will increase his calcium supplement that he takes to replace what he has lost. We already know that football and other contact sports will NOT be in his future. Good thing he likes baseball and golf! His chrimerism test (percentage of donor cells) is still pending and we are hopeful that results will be here within the next 2 weeks. There isn’t any reason to believe that he has changed from 100 percent donor cells though. We have also been given the green light to try a Prednisone wean and hopefully will have him completely off it in a month and a half!!! YEAH!!!! Please pray for no complications.

The doctors were very impressed at how good Parker looked! The UV light treatments that he has been having every 3 to 4 weeks are VERY painful, but they are working!!! All of his sun exposed skin (head, neck, arms and possibly lower legs are precancerous due to the VFend that he was on for extended periods of time after transplant. There was a light concern about a bump on the top of his head. It is most likely a graft vs. host disease skin issue that just won’t go away, but the fact that it JUST WON’T GO AWAY is what is concerning and therefore must be biopsied. Next Friday, Feb. 19, Parker will most likely have the biopsy done at Dr. Behr’s office here in Fresno. He has a UV light treatment scheduled that day also. We really hate those days! As a parent, you never get over seeing your child in pain.

Today…..Parker is giving a speech at school. He is running for 4th grade class senator! His slogan…..”Get your marker…and vote PARKER!” We look forward to the normal stuff like this. Smile!

Thank you to our good friends at Hendrick Motor Sports for again spoiling us when we were in NC, and giving Parker something good to focus on instead of the dreaded long day of doctor’s appointments. They took very good care of us, and we are so blessed to have them and all of their wonderful people in our lives!!! Thumbs up to Hendrick Motor Sports!!!

We spent 8 hours at Duke Hospital on Tuesday! YIKES!!! But….they cured him of the leukemia, so…….it’s our pleasure to wait for them. It’s our pleasure to say that Duke University Medical Center and Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg cured our son. At 5 years out from a cord blood transplant, we continue to celebrate LIFE! Parker is here today because of THEM!!!

Yesterday on the long flight home, we were graced with the presence of about 60 soldiers that were being deployed to Afghanistan. It was completely heart wrenching to see all these boys and a couple of girls say goodbye to their loved ones as they boarded the plane in North Carolina. To me these were children. I couldn’t get over how young they all were. I saw fathers cry and mothers break down. I saw brothers, sisters, girlfriends, and friends weep as they said goodbye. I’ve never witnessed anything like it. Thumbs down to American Airlines for making an American soldier pay $100 for his 4th bag! Shame on them. Apparently they are only allowed 3. So I say warn them, and let them pass with a “Thank you for serving our country!”

Keeping the FAITH!

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, December 13, 2009 11:12 AM CST

Wishing you and yours a blessed holiday season! We are holding on to these weeks without any bumps in the road and hoping…..praying, that they hold. The tree is decorated. The stockings are hung. The joy of the season is in our hearts.

Tomorrow (Monday, Dec. 14) we celebrate the Parker’s Pals annual blood and marrow drive and hope to fill the blood banks for the holiday season! Please join us at the Savemart Center from 10AM to 7PM! It will be FREE tomorrow to be put on the National Bone Marrow Registry too! Can you just imagine……there is a family somewhere…..sitting in a hospital room…..praying for bone marrow match to save THEIR baby’s life! Tomorrow….WE could find that match for them! What a Merry Christmas THAT would be!!!!

Times are tough. The economy is down. People are scraping and barely getting by. This is one thing we can do this holiday season that doesn’t cost us anything! GIVE BLOOD! GET PUT ON THE NATIONAL BONE MARROW REGISTRY! Save a life…..and give someone else a Merry Christmas!

With love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, November 20, 2009 3:20 PM CST

We always seem to be holding our breaths in the Fritsch house. Sometimes I feel like we live on an island during hurricane season. This time the eye of the storm missed us, but we always know that another one is coming. You never get to relax. You must always stay on your toes for the next wave of storms.

That being said…..Parker’s lip is healing nicely. The doctor said that in about a year, we’ll be able to do a reconstructive surgery. He can only smile upward on one side of his face. The other side (the one where the tumor was removed) casts downward. We are watching the lip and the ear closely for any additional growth. We are very concerned that the tumor could grow back, however…Dr. Witt is pretty confident that he got it all. One doctor even suggested amputation Parker’s ear! The majority of the other doctors said NO. Radiation was ruled out because the cons outweighed the benefits. So now….we watch…..we wait…..we pray.

The newest concern is a small bump on his lower eyelid. A couple of weeks ago I took him to the ophthalmologist to have it looked at. She said that it was nothing. It is almost like a skin tag, and many people have them.
Well….I don’t have a lot of confidence in that, because it’s NEVER “nothing” with Parker. I’m thinking second opinion. We are always going to this doctor or that doctor. It often feels like spinning!

Today he saw Dr. Witt out at Children’s hospital. He was the plastic surgeon that did both the ear and lip. We know that he has done a phenomenal job with Parker and feel very lucky to have him.

Our Endocrinologist is moving out of the area, we found that out at Tuesday’s appointment. This is a concern, because Parker had to go off the daily hormone shots that were supposed to help him grow, because there was fear that they were increasing the tumor growth. Since discontinuing the shots, Parker has stopped growing. Now what? We have no idea! And…..we need ANOTHER new doctor. I bet no one has as many doctors as Parker! Thank the Lord for Dr. K who coordinates all of this!

The “Parker’s Pals Blood and Marrow Drive” is once again coming up!!! Mark your calendars for Monday, December 14, from 10AM to 7PM at the Savemart Center. Volunteers should call JoAnne Kent at 559-389-5446. Hope to see you all there. The gift of LIFE is so important around the holidays when many people are just too busy to stop and give blood.

We thank you all for the thoughts and prayers throughout Parkers illness. We feel so very blessed by all the love and support we have. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season!

Love, Melissa and the boys

Thursday, October 8, 2009 12:35 AM CDT

It’s a little hard to look at the sweet smile on Parker’s face at the top of this page and remember what his mouth used to look like. He’s still healing, but it is a different smile now. I will have to get used to it and so will he. The stitches are scheduled to come out tomorrow.

We are at a loss as to what is happening next. Our doctor at UCSF went on maternity leave, so things are kind of a mess. Dr. K at Duke has taken charge and is conferencing with doctors to develop a plan on how to proceed with Parker’s ear. It looks GREAT after healing. You can’t even tell that there was a giant tumor there a few weeks ago. However….because the margins were not clear, more surgery needs to be done. The surgeon took as much as he could from the inside of the ear, which means that they will most likely have to enter from behind the back of the ear.

Sadly….we are going to finally let Parker start school on Monday, only to wait to be pulled out AGAIN for the next step. We sooooo had hoped that we could just get it all done and then send him, but getting these doctors to MOVE has been a challenge!

Thank you for following our journey. The love and support has been overwhelming and we are extremely grateful!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, September 17, 2009 3:21 PM CDT

Parker's surgery was long yesterday. They told us that it would be a half hour, and two and a half hours went by without us hearing a word. I about lost it. In the end, the surgeron came out and told us that it went well. The preliminary pathology report came back with CLEAN margins and no sign of cancer. However....they had to take A LOT of skin. His lip is MUCH smaller now. It will be a very long recovery, with probable reconstructive surgeries later. It's very sad for us to see. We are focusing on the saving his life goal and trying not to be too sad about the way he looks. He's not sad. He wants to live!

We are still talking with the doctors about the ear. Keep the prayers coming!!!

Trying to hold on.

Love,

Meliss
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Update;

We have to report to Children's Hospital of Central California at 6 AM tomorrow morning (Wed). Parker will be their first surgery of the day!

Meliss

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Monday, September 14, 2009

The PET scan came back clean!!! Praise God! The only thing that lit up were the ear and lip, which they told us would happen. Parker is being scheduled for surgery on Wednesday or Thursday this week to re-section the lip and try for better margins and to re-sew the V. No laughing allowed in the Fritsch house for the next MONTH! He, he....

We are in conferences with UCSF for better re-sectioning of the ear in a moh surgery. We'll keep you posted.

Thanks for all the prayers! Keep em comin!

Love,

Meliss

Friday, September 11, 2009 6:27 PM CDT

Update;

Parker did his PET scan yesterday looking to see if the cancer has spread to the lymphnodes. No results yet. Probably Monday. Met with surgeon this AM. He is pleased with how he is healing from the last surgery. When we have the PET scan results, we will make the next plan.

M
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Friday, September 4, 2009

Update:

They have scheduled a PET scan next week to check to see if the cancer has spread to the lymphnodes. Prayers please!

M

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Richard and I met with the radiologist today and he agreed with Dr. Kurtzberg's team at Duke, to leave radiation as a last resort. The next few days will consist of seeing if, when and where a second more agressive surgery and reconstruction can be done. Our next appointment is on Tuesday out at CHCC, but that could change.

Thank you for the continued prayers, cards, meals, and many, many messages and well wishes. We feel so blessed by all the support!

Love,

Melissa and the boys
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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Update:

We had a conference call this evening from Dr. Kurtzberg's team at Duke. Their opinion is to not do radiation on Parker. The cons outway the pros. It would cause more problems down the line and Parker just doesn't need it.

BUT....The margins were NOT clean in the tumor removal and they ARE insisting that he have another surgery ASAP. They called it a "moh" surgery. My understanding is that there is a pathology team in on the surgery and they will keep testing the tissue samples until it comes out "clean". We have no idea at this point if it can be done at our hospital, but probably not. This looks like it will go down in the next two to three weeks and probably at UCSF. There will be many conference calls between our three teams (Duke, UCSF, and CHCC). We probably have about 9 doctors on this case now! YIKES!!!

We will meet with the radiologist tomorrow just to hear what she has to say.

I'm sooooo ready to get off this ride!

Melissa

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Monday, August 31, 2009

Update;

Parker's doctors were not please with the split lip, or the reconstruction of the ear after the bandages came off today. They both look infected and was deemed an aesthetical challange now. Parker has been taken out of school for most of the month of September now, and will be on "Home Hospital" for school. Aunt Dede will be coming from the bay area to help watch Parker during the day. He will return to the hospital again tomorrow morning and on to the radiologist on Wednesday. The "Tumor Board" will be discussing Parker's case and helping decide on a plan of action. I can't begin to express how sad we all are.

We will move forward and wait for the lip to heal and schedule another surgery in a month or so.

Love,

Melissa

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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Update;

I have a very heavy heart today. Last night Parker broke his stitches open on his lip. There is now a V shaped wedge exposed and the doctors say that there isn't anything that they can do. The lips are too fragile right now. We will have to wait for it to heal about 1 to 2 months and then do another plastic surgery. They also said that it will look less favorable now, even after the surgery. Very sad. Can we say ENOUGH yet?!? He will be out at the hospital tomorrow morning at 8 AM to have it checked.

Parker's attitude about it is incredible. He said, "Mom.....this just isn't important. What is important is that they got all the cancer!" I know he is sooooo right. Gotta love that kid!

Melissa

Friday, August 28, 2009

Our day started with an appointment in the Plastics Clinic out at Children’s Hospital at 8 AM. Our doctor called in sick and so Parker did not get the dressing removed from his ear and he cannot go to school again on Monday. He’s very sad. Dr. Witt agreed to remove the dressing during his lunch hour on Monday, since he is scheduled for back to back surgeries all day. The RN looked at his lips and said that they were healing well, and the place on his hip where they took skin for his ear looks pretty good also.

Then…..we moved on and sat, and sat, and sat in oncology for 4 ½ hours. When we finally got to see the doctor, we were told that an appointment has been made for Parker to see a radiologist on Wednesday. The margins around the tumors looked decent, but there aren’t any guarantees that they got it all. They feel that it would be best to zap him with a dose of radiation, but he’s a kid, and it’s an adult disease, so they want him to see a doctor that deals with this disease all of the time. Parker’s dermatologists, and transplant doctor are all giving their input too. We should have a plan of attack by mid week.
The good news is that the oncologist said that the radiation should be mild. He shouldn’t lose his hair. His immune system shouldn’t be compromised. AND…..best of all, his transplant would not be in jeopardy! It will feel like a bad sunburn on his lip and ear. We’ll hear more details Wed.

Continuing to channel our energy in a positive way, we will focus on our up and coming fundraiser that is raising money to purchase a new blood mobile for the Central California Blood Center!

Host: CVCCA - Central Valley Cycling Charitable Association " Parker's Team "
Type: Causes - Fundraiser
Network: Global
Price: $50.00/person
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Classic Catering
Street: 625 Fourth Street
City/Town: Clovis, CA
To reserve your seat, or make your charitable donation, send checks and requests to S. Ellis, 2614 E. Deyoung Dr., Fresno, CA 93720-4457

We are also collecting silent auction items, which can be shipped to that address! For additional information, contact Suzanne Ellis (559)287-5247
Thank you for all the love and support and prayers!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, August 21, 2009 11:40 AM CDT

Update;

Parker finally woke up from surgery at 1:30 AM. It was a long night for Mommy sitting there and watching him breath. He was on an oxygen saturation machine that would beep when his breathing got too low. I would have to yell at him to take a deep breath. He would, but still wouldn’t open his eyes and wake up. Finally at 1:30, his eyes opened. He didn’t want to move much, but he wanted to watch T.V. I said, “GREAT!” handed him the remote, and I finally went to sleep.

This morning he was out of bed, drinking, and eating slowly. He wanted his clothes on and to get the hospital gown (which is like a dress) off! Ha, ha… The doctor came in and said that he was doing great. He asked him if he was in any pain and he said, “No.” As soon as he was eating and drinking and keeping it all down, they released us to come home.

On Friday this week, we will visit the plastics clinic to get the stitches out. Then we will go to the oncology clinic to receive the results of the pathology report. If any cancer is found in the tissue surrounding the tumors, we will be scheduling radiation therapy.

Please pray for NO MORE CANCER on that path. Report!

Thank you for all your prayers, messages, phone calls, and well wishes. It is a tremendous feeling knowing so many people are behind us.

Love,

Melissa

Friday, August 21, 2009

Parker is still asleep, but we are in a room on the Craycroft (oncology wing) of Children's Hospital of Central CA. Surgery began a 5 PM and finished around 8 PM.

The doctor removed the 4 cm tumor from the ear, cleanly without an damage or signs of cancer in the cartlidge. He also took out a 1/4 inch margin around the tumor. The skin did not look good there, and was sent off to pathology to determine if the cancer has spread through the skin. We should know in a few days. If it shows cancer there, we will have to do radiation therapy. They also took a graft from his hip to rebuild the skin in the ear. Oh...and the CT Scan looked good from yesterday!

The doctor had to remove 25 to 30f the bottom lip. He rebuilt the lip and told us that he will have a small scar going down on the right side. Everyone was raving at how good it looked for how much they had to take. Of course it was harder for me to accept anything new and different. But then again....I don't have a choice do I? They lazered several areas of both the top and bottom lip as well. Hoping to get any lurking cancer cells.

Parker is sleeping away....snoring really. Which means that he is in a real DEEP sleep, because he doesn't snore! He has a lot of pain meds on board and we are thankful that he is comfortable. His coloring looks good. He's pretty puffy though. All in all....he looks pretty darn good for what he just went through.

We are wiped out, drained, emotionally and mentally spent. We are glad that this part is behind us and look forward to when it is all healed. Parker was a champ! He walked into surgery and jumped up on the table. The doctor commented what a nice little boy he is. Parker was tired of thinking about it and hearing everyone talk about it, so I know he was just eager to get put to sleep and get it done. We are so very proud of him!!!

Thank you everyone for your continued love and support. We can't tell you how much it means to have so many people behind our fight against Parker's cancer.

Please sign the guest book so that we know that you've been here.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, August 18, 2009 12:22 AM CDT

UPDATE:

Thursday morning we have a consult for surgery at Children's Hospital of Central CA. A top knotch plastic surgeon will be the lead doctor. Both oncologist and dermatologist are fully on board too. We will probably be scheduled for surgery next week. Tomorrow at 10:45 Parker will have a CT Scan to check for more cancer. This scan could change everything. We will already be scheduling radiation therapy after surgery some time. Other than that....??????

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
UPDATE:

It became offical today that our son has cancer again. Two different types of skin cancer. The one in the ear is fairly treatable. The one on the lip...is aggressive. A CT Scan will be ordered to see if the cancer has spread. We will be heading to UCSF for surgery as soon as it can be arranged. Our lives have again been turned upside down.

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Sunday, August 16, 2009

This summer has flown by. We have been working hard to finish treating all of Parker’s sun exposed skin before school begins again. We were quite on track until bump in the road number 3,000….

At the end of July, a pencil tip size bump appeared in Parker’s ear. On August 3, Parker left for “Cancer Kids Camp” for a week. Upon his return on August 9, the bump in his ear was the size of a dime. I photographed it and quickly emailed the case off to our medical team (Duke/UCSF). It was agreed upon that this was something strange that needed attention right away. Since we already had a scheduled checkup at UCSF on Friday, August 14, we kept it, with the intent to now do a biopsy on the bump in his ear. Parker was not happy and cried a lot with the anticipation of his second ever upcoming biopsy.

Friday, we arrived at UCSF. They numbed his ear and we waited for the doctor. When she came in, she was equally concerned about his lips, and announced that there would be two biopsies that day. This announcement was followed by crying, screaming, no additional numbing for the lip and mom fleeing to the waiting room in total tears. Dad took charge like a champ, and I emptied their tissues in the waiting room. You truly never get used to your child screaming in pain.

Dr. Aaron called me back when she was finished and told me in the hall that she was VERY concerned. She said that this wasn’t looking good that he is creating cancer skin cells while he’s been on preventative meds. The biopsy should be back in about a week, but she said that at best we are probably looking at surgery. I’m not sure what the “at best” thing meant, and I was too scared to ask. I know we cross each bridge when we get to it, so I decided not to jump ahead. It was a very sad and frightening day.

When I entered the room, and saw all the blood, it made my heart sink even lower. They must have had to totally hold my son down. He was angry at us for allowing it. He was angry at the doctor for doing it. We are still trying to find our footing on this new uncharted territory. We’ll wait for the biopsy results with dread.

Tuesday, August 18, Parker will have another UV light treatment on his forehead. This will mark the competition of the sun exposed skin. We will then spot treat any areas that still need it with the cream chemo. What a long road.

We pray for it to be done. We pray for no more pain. We pray for healing, strength, courage, and no more cancer. We pray really hard for that biopsy to come back benign with some freaky “safe” non-cancerous thing that has an easy fix. Unfortunately….we are praying for their guesses to be wrong.

I’m dreadfully sorry for this very down posting. It has been extremely hard as a mother to travel down this difficult road with my child. I’m extremely grateful that he’s still with us, and that he is such a fighter. I just know in my heart that this too will turn out ok. I just know…..

Choosing to channel our energy in a positive way, we will focus on our up and coming fundraiser that is raising money to purchase a new blood mobile for the Central California Blood Center!

Host: CVCCA - Central Valley Cycling Chartiable Association " Parker's Team "
Type: Causes - Fundraiser
Network: Global
Price: $50.00/person
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Classic Catering
Street: 625 Fourth Street
City/Town: Clovis, CA
To reserve your seat, or make your charitable donation, send checks and requests to S. Ellis, 2614 E. Deyoung Dr., Fresno, CA 93720-4457

We are also collecting silent auction items, which can be shipped to that address! For additional information, contact Suzanne Ellis (559)287-5247

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, June 28, 2009 6:14 PM CDT

Sorry for the long delay in the update. Here it goes;

It was an incredibly hard couple of months…burning off all the sun exposed skin, to keep the skin cancer at bay. I think it’s fair to say that the skin cancer has proven to be much more painful than the leukemia ever was. We have burned both hands, arms, back of the neck (twice), and the left side of the face. We go in for another UV treatment July 3, to do the right side of his face. He has to keep out of the light for a couple of days after the treatment because any direct contact burns like none other. Good thing the majority of the 4th of July is at night! We head back to see the specialist at UCSF on August 14. I suspect that we still have a long road where the skin cancer treatment is concerned, but we’ll know more in August after we talk with Dr. Aaron.

On June 17, Parker, Connor, Grandma, and I drove to Las Vegas (6 hours) to see my sister and her husband whom moved there last year. We swam, shopped, did some sightseeing, and went to see the show “Beetles Love” which was awesome! From there, Parker and I flew out to Duke for his big 4 year checkup. Connor stayed in Vegas with Grandma and Auntie and had a fabulous time

All of the test results (with exception to 1) came out really well. The one concerning Dr. K most, was Parker’s testosterone level. She says that it’s indicating that he is entering an early puberty, which we will have to stop. Apparently if he goes through puberty, his growth plates will lock, and we won’t get any more growth out of him. With the growth hormone shots that he has been on daily, he has grown 2 inches since October. He is still really short for an almost 10 year old, so we need to keep that in high gear as long as we are getting such favorable results. The bummer…..The med that we need to stop the puberty is ANOTHER shot! Poor kid. The good news…..Dr. K took him off his anti-rejection drug, and he is doing just fine! If he continues to do well for 3 months, we will begin to wean the prednisone.

In the beginning of June we noticed a lump at the top of Parker’s leg. When I took him in to have it checked…the doctor found 2 lumps. Of course I freaked out! The risk of secondary cancers is so great since he had full body radiation before transplant. The doctor suspected that they were just lymph nodes, and suggested that we watch them for a week, have Dr. K recheck them, and then come back to Children’s Central California the week after that to ulta- sound them if they are still present. When we got to Dr. K a week later, one was gone and the other was much smaller. Case closed. Yeah!!!

Parker and I got to spend a little quality time one afternoon with our good friend Laura Adams while we were in NC. She has two daughters who have had leukemia. Sherilyn (whom went through transplant with Parker) died 2 years ago, and Veronica (22) has been in remission for quite awhile and is studying in France this summer. It was so nice to see Laura. We can’t imagine her struggles and love her dearly.

We also got to head down to Charlotte for one night to see our friends at Hendrick Motorsports. They are so incredibly awesome, and we love them all so much. They arranged for Parker to go fishing with good buddy Fred. They stood on the deck of Jeff Gordon’s dad’s house and caught 23 fish from his pond! Parker was in heaven and can’t stop talking about it!!! What a ball he had! He keeps saying, “Me and Fred did this….Fred and I are gonna do blah, blah, blah, next time……Fred said blah, blah, blah….” Apparently, Fred is his new best friend! It was just totally cool!

Incredibly, I got spoiled for the day too. Come to find out, our baby-sitter Hillary was working on how to surprise me with Courtney’s help from Hendricks, and they sent me to a day spa for the entire afternoon. I was completely caught off guard! That was the most fabulous day…..EVER!!! Too bad for Richard that I have knowledge about all that stuff now….He, he, he…

Parker and Connor start cooking school this week. They are very excited to be studying breads from around the world! Then, next week we leave for Lake Tahoe for a week. We come home for 4 days and leave for a 2 week camping trip. Then we come home for 1 week and Parker leaves for Camp Sunshine Dreams for a week and Connor starts soccer. Busy, busy, busy………..

We head back to Duke again in October.

Please continue to pray for the skin cancer to be cured, the GvHD to stay away, and for a long and healthy life! Thanks to all of you that follow Parker's story and are sticking with us despite my laziness of manning the web site! Lol…

Check out the new pictures and don't forget to sign our guestbook so we know you stopped by! :)

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, May 7, 2009 12:20 AM CDT

And the journey continues….

We have completed the chemo regiment for the left arm, both hands, and are about a week away from completing the right arm. We have discovered that most of the pain begins during the healing process when we are finished burning the layers of skin off. It takes about 2 more weeks for it to heal, and involves tightening of the skin which Parker has a really hard time with. We also have another appointment to UV light the back of his neck and ears again next Friday, May 15. He will most likely have to be out of the sunlight for 3 days prior to treatment, which means missing a major baseball game against the Giants, and the school carnival. We are bracing ourselves for major tears.

We will begin to chemo the face in segments soon. He has a cancerous spot on his nose that needs immediate attention, so we’ll probably start there. We wanted to wait until school is out to do the face, but we just can’t.

Plans are in the works for his big 4 year past transplant checkup at Duke. Dr. K wants to see us for 2 days in June. We have a whole slew of tests that have to be run and he has to see the dermatologist there too. It looks like I’m going to take both boys with me for a quick turnaround trip. Richard is swamped with his new job, and so won’t be joining us this time.

Parker has been very busy getting his sea report on the octopus completed by open house. We built a diorama and a paper mache octopus. Boy was THAT a messy project!!! He was thrilled with how it turned out and can’t wait to take it to school next week!

Some exciting news……

Parker was nominated for “Build-A-Bear’s” Huggable Hero Award! This is something that the company does every year. It was narrowed down to 282 semifinalists in March, and 50 finalists in April (which Parker is one of). It will be awarded to 12 grand prize winners in June. The winners will receive $7,500 college scholarship, $2,500 donated to their favorite charity, and a trip for two to a major U.S. city to be chosen by the sponsor, and a photo shoot for the 2010 “Build-A-Bear” calendar. He also has already received $65 in Build-A-Bear bucks! Fingers crossed! We’ll keep you posted!!

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, April 13, 2009 9:37 PM CDT

Well....we took him to UCSF on Friday for the UV treatment, and are a little saddened by the fact that it didn't work like they had expected. His response was minimal and they will have to zap him again. :( It was painful for him when they applied the chemical. He screamed at the top of his lungs and clawed up my arms. They gave him some Valium...which calmed him down, until they turned the UV light on and he proceeded to scream again for a couple of minutes. He then calmed down and colapsed on top of me, which was fine except it seemed to move him too far from the light and THAT is where we went wrong. He just wasn't close enough. But....I guess it's better to have a mild reaction that too intense of one! The good news is that he'll be back in school tomorrow and back to playing baseball! The bad news is that we go back to UCSF May 15, for another round.

Hope you had a happy Easter!

Love,

Melissa

Sunday, April 5, 2009 9:47 AM CDT

The last couple of weeks have been tough for Parker. And...for Mom. He is in pain and it's really hard to keep burning the skin away, layer, by layer when you know it hurts. He begs us to stop and yet we have to keep at it. My fear is that if we give in and stop early and the cancer will come back and spread to his blood stream. I can't let that happen. It would be deadly.

We have finished his left hand and his left arm. What we have found is when we are done with an area (3 weeks each)...that, is when the major pain begins. The skin tightens as it heals and he can't bend or move the area affected. Currently he can't bend his left arm. Next, it will go into an intense itching period. We keep anti itch creams in the fridge for this. The coolness seems to help. It peels and flakes, and it smells awful. I can't imagine a burn victim with large areas like this. It must be so horrible.

Parker is very upset today, because he has baseball practice tomorrow and he cannot use his arm. There is just no way that he can play. We know that it will get better in a few days, but then...we are going to do his neck and/or face...and we just don't know how bad that is going to be. He could miss a whole lot of baseball season this year.
Thursday, we leave for UCSF for his laser/UV treatment. We still have to decide whether to sedate him or not. They are contemplating just doing his neck to see how he responds. That will mean doing his face at a separate date. I'm guessing he will not be able to turn his head for awhile if it heals like the chemo cream treatment. Not sure what's going to go down till we get there. He will have to be out of direct sunlight for a few days afterwards. We'll probably have to travel at night. We have also arranged to put Parker on "Home Hospital" for school for awhile after the treatment. He said, "Good bye" to his class on Friday. Another sad thing for my boy.

My father-in-law fell recently. A CT scan revealed a tumor in his brain that is blocking the cerebral fluid. Though it was found to be non-cancerous, he was told that it is a ticking time bomb and that it has to come out right away. Please pray for his surgery to go well on Monday.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:34 PM CDT

It's been a slow travel down this new road of skin cancer. My little boy's hand is all burnt up, raw, and peeling...and yet he still plugs along trying hard not to miss anything that his life has to offer. He only complains that it hurts after he's had a full day of school, activities, and sports. Baseball season is his FAVORITE and he isn't planning on missing a second of it! He even begged me to take him to the batting cage today and he could barely grip the bat! He and Connor are both playing AA pitching machine and are on the Yankees! Should be fun!!! We only hope that Parker can continue thoughout his treatment.

Dr. Aaron at UCSF examined some pictures that I sent her of Parker's hand and she told us to go ahead and stop the chemo on his hand. This is about 6 days early! YEAH! Hopefully it will heal up a little before Parker's first game on Friday. We began applying chemo to his left lower arm yesterday. Small areas at a time.

One strange thing that happen recently.....All of a sudden, Parker is no longer lactose intolerant! We don't know why. Ever since transplant....he hasn't been able to handle any milk products without a pill. I guess God gave us more than we could handle....so he took a little thing back! :)

Now.....some really BIG things coming up;

Sunday, March 22 is Parker's 4 year transplant BIRTHDAY!!!

Thursday, March 18 is our little buddy Ryan Wilson's transplant....GROW CELLS GROW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday....our good friend Karagin is having a spinal tap to rule out a CNS relapse. Pray for clear, clean fluid!!!

Oh......and did I tell you that my husband is starting a NEW JOB at a new law firm! We are so proud of him!!!

Thank you for following our journey. We just took a new fork in the road and we don't know where it will end up, but we sure are glad to have our many family and friends along with us!

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:34 PM CDT

Sunday, March 8, 2009 4:51 PM CST

Chemo day 13. Things are definitely starting to change. Parker’s left hand is now crusty and oozing and is red and raw and cracks and occasionally bleeds. We just had to cancel his guitar lessons because the pain is just too great and he just can’t do it. Yesterday he suffered through a basketball game and an hour and a half of baseball practice and didn’t complain once, until it was all over and he was home. This morning he rode his road bike and played some video games, but the guitar deemed impossible, so I had to let his teacher go until further notice. We still have 2 weeks to go of chemo on the left hand, then, we will switch to treat the right hand. We have aligned plans to put him on “home hospital” for school after we do laser treatments to his face the Friday before Easter. We just don’t know how he’ll look or feel. I can’t begin to explain how backwards all of this feels.

Missy
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Friday, Feb. 27, 2009

Update;

Day four of chemo....Parker has open sores on his hand. We still have WEEKS to go, so this might get really ugly. :( Yesterday he fell and one of the sores tore open and bled everywhere. What a horrible mess. Poor baby. Baseball season starts Saturday, but I don't think that he will be able to put his glove on. He is such a trooper. He's happy, and at school, concentrating on a good Magic Tree House book! :) Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!

Oh.....I almost forgot......Parker and Connor received a VERY COOL gift yesterday from the Amgen Break Away from Cancer people. 2 "Livestrong" jerseys signed by Lance Armstrong!!!! How cool is THAT?!!!

Missy

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

Update;

Started the pill and chemo cream last night. Parker was scared and fought me because he thought that it was going to burn instantly. It turned out ok. He said it stings a little. We'll see what he says in 2 weeks. :(

Meliss
_________________________________

Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009

Update;

What a crazy week!!! We decided to wait until after Wednesday's Tour of CA to begin Parker's new meds. We wanted him to have a REALLY GREAT day....and he DID!!! He was given the total VIP treatment. With passes to enter all the private parties and stand among the families of the racers, we were right on the finish line all day. Right before the finish, they asked Parker to do an interview on the stage and asked him to be their special guest and stay up there to view the finish! Then....right before the riders came through they said, "Parker, we have a job for you and your brother!" And they brought them around in the front of the stage to wave the finish line flag as the riders came through!!!

We stayed up there to view the awards. Until Connor said, "Mommy....I have to go potty!" But, we did get to see Levi and Mark Cavendish, and a couple other riders up close. Then, our cycling team had a fabulous party hosted by our coach, Mike Shumake. We were sooooo tired. It took 2 days to recover. Parker didn't get to meet Lance, but it was still a GREAT day! A needed distraction from the diagnosis that rocked our world last Friday.

Now....we were ready to start the yucky meds that we've been dreading, and the pharmacy had an issue with the dose! With several phone calls back and forth to UCSF, the meds won't be ready till Monday.

We did get the biopsy back though. It came back negative! Which we knew was a little bit of good news, but it didn't change anything. They are certain that it will turn into cancer if left untreated. My gut still says that he has GVHD. I think he may even have BOTH skin cancer and GVHD. Which is not good.

We took him off the steroid creams after we came back from San Francisco. They told us that they wouldn't help anyway. Well....after being off them for 3 days, Parker puffed up like a red, bumpy balloon! Skin cancer doesn't do THAT, right?!! We may have a total mess on our hands, and everyone is just guessing how to fix it. The PRACTICE of medicine, right?! Grrrrr

Please pray for Parker to get though this painful treatment. Pray for a cure for his skin issues, for guidance, and strength.

Love to all!

Melissa and the boy's
_______________________________________

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Update;

We just heard from Parker's transplant doctor, Dr. K. She has assured us that the treatment won't be as bad as the picture painted by UCSF. She also believes that he can eventually be weined off all the meds and do just fine. She has approved the pill and chemo cream, but is still checking on the laser treatment. She said that this chemo is more mild than any others that he has taken before. We did read that it can cause some hair loss though. We will fill the prescriptions today.

Thanks for all the emails and messages. I've been given several ideas for gloves too! :)

Missy

Sat. Feb. 14, 2009

This is a very hard post to write. We were kind of hit below the belt yesterday. Our trip to UCSF was not good. Basically it’s not Graft vs. Host disease in Parker’s skin like we thought. The med that we were using to fight the GVHD was causing a precancerous skin issue. If we do not treat the precancerous skin issue now, then we will deal with a deadly form of skin cancer later. They are pretty certain. So…..we will begin to fight a new cancer…..skin cancer. The treatment is two meds. These are the meds and treatment that the dermatologist at Duke was suggesting. We were excited, because it’s just a cream and a pill. Well…..the doctor at Duke never explained the evasiveness of the cream and the pill…..

The pill is a lifetime commitment. If he stops taking it, the cancer will return. He can never father children while on the pill, because the med will cause birth defects. With all the radiation and chemo that he has been through this probably wasn’t a possibility anyway. It just fizzled out any possible hope. This med will peel his skin away, causing dryness and discomfort. Oh….and if he EVER has even 1 drop of alcohol, the med will multiply and stay in his system for 3 years. The cream….(a chemo) will basically burn his skin off. We can only use it in small areas at a time because it will be very painful. She wants us to target one area for 4 weeks. If we can only do 2 weeks and then it gets too painful, then we get just 2 weeks and move on to another area. It will burn, peel, cause his sores to ooze and bleed. We were told that it will be very painful. We will also try laser treatments that will be at UCSF. The first one will be Friday, April 10, so that he will have Easter weekend to recover before he returns to school. He will have to stay out of the sun for 3 full days after the treatment. The first treatment we will see if he can tolerate awake, but….of course it is VERY painful, so we might have to sedate him….we just don’t know. There are only 4 people in the world with this complication and so we don’t have much to go on. It’s not FDA approved, so finding a doctor in Fresno willing to do the treatment might be impossible. Traveling to UCSF might be what we are going to have to do now.

I cried a lot yesterday. I just can’t believe that he is going to have to suffer some more. We were doing so well. We were just getting normal. God……if they called him names at school before, what are they going to do to him NOW? I’m so scared for him. I’m so sad. It was hard to get out of bed today. Please pray for guidance to get through this…..for all of us.

I need to find some small light weight cotton gloves to cover his little hands while he has open sores on them. I’ll need several pair so that I can cut the fingers out of some. If anyone knows where I can get these….please let me know. It’s going to get hot soon, so I don’t really want winter ones.

We are still waiting to hear from Dr. K to make sure that this is the course of action that she wants us to take. We’re pretty sure that it is though. We think that the dermatologist at Duke has already discussed the treatment plan with her. There are about 7 doctors all on board on this. It stinks…..and we are labored with sadness and heavy hearts. Oh…..the pun of that on Valentine’s Day.

Lift me up Lord….lift me up.

Melissa

Friday, January 23, 2009 12:50 AM CST

Parker’s appointments at Duke are over. Of course there is the good and the bad…

First…the dermatology specialist, Dr. Neil Prose, looked at Parker was truly AMAZING!!! He actually has another patient that has the same skin issues, and he has developed a protocol that has worked amazingly well on this other child. He called and discussed this with Dr. K and both agreed on this protocol. Finally…we have a plan in place that everyone feels confident with! YEAH!!! Cross your fingers…and toes!

Second…the bad news is that all the doctors are concerned with the bumps on Parker’s hands, and neck. The fear is a form of skin cancer. Sooooo…the plan is to biopsy some of them. We are not going to stress too much about it until we are sure what we are dealing with. (Hmmmmm…, easier said than done) They could very well just be bumps from his Graft vs. Host disease and the new meds could clear them up. Parker will receive treatment at the University of California at San Francisco on Feb. 13, and have the biopsies done there. Dr. Prose will monitor and work closely with the doctors at UCSF. So we are happy to have this new team approach onboard.

Dr. Kurtzberg is also happy with the dermatology team that we have put together and will watch over everything closely. I forgot to ask Richard when Parker has to return for another checkup. I’m thinking it’ll be April, (Dr. K said we can come back in June, when Parker is out of school), for the big 4 year studies. I’ll ask next time I talk to them.

Parker asked Dr. K if she had any tickets to Saturday’s Duke basketball game (which is next to impossible to get by the way) and she said that she would see what she could do. Well…..she called them this morning and said that she scored them 2 tickets! They changed their flight plans home (originally for Saturday) and are now flying home on Sunday. Go Duke Devils!!!

Last night (Friday) they spent with our new friend Carla Overbeck, and her family. She was on the U.S. Olympic soccer team with Mia Hamm, and now helps coach the women’s Duke soccer team (see picture above). Parker had a blast playing with her two kids and they all went out to a fun dinner in Chapel Hill. Thanks Overbeck family!!!

Today Parker and Richard are visiting Uncle Donny and Hendrick’s Motor Sports in Charlotte. We really try to bring some fun things into these Duke visits, so Parker doesn’t resent going so much. When it’s all just hospital and doctor stuff, it gets old and frustrating really fast! Focus on the fun stuff, and just get through the yucky stuff.

Please continue to pray for Parker’s skin to clear up and for the biopsies to not be cancerous.

Love to all!

Melissa and the boy’s

Saturday, January 17, 2009 10:17 PM CST

We’ve had a little excitement this past week. “Extreme Home Makeover” came to town! Some of you might remember the fundraiser that we went to down in Hollywood in October. Some of the cast members were there and they told us that they might be coming to town and if they did, they would call us and invite us to visit the set. Well…..they came to Fresno…..and they DID call! We visited the set 3 times including demolition day, and “Move that BUS!” day. It was soooooo much fun! They gave us t-shirts, V.I.P. viewing, and even gave us a tour of the house before the family came home! Oh…..and Parker and Connor’s favorite thing……they got to go on the bus!!! The production supervisor T-Bone was one their favorite people they met. He took them all over and made it a VERY special week.

It was great that Parker had such a fantastic week, because the last few weeks have been loaded with doctor’s appointments, and next week will prove to be even more medically oriented as he heads off to Duke again. His skin looks o.k. Not great…..and not terrible. He will see another specialist at Duke. Thank you to everyone who sent us great information on other specialists. We are looking into a couple.

Parker and Connor both had their first basketball games today. It was a lot of fun to watch them. Connor was sooo fast and is really good at shooting baskets. Parker is small and can work his way around the big guys strategically and is a great team player. They both had a great time!

14 days until our cycling season starts! If you are interested in joining, read the last journal entry for information, or click on “Parker’s Team” above this entry.

The school district also wrote a very nice article on Parker this month. It talked all about the fundraising that we have been involved in, and through his illness…..the good things that have come his way.

You can read it at; CSUD Today

Wishing you all well!

Love,
Melissa and the boy’s

P.S. Don't forget to check out the new pictures!

Wednesday, December 30, 2008 9:22 PM CST

Update.....Tuesday, Jan. 6

Yesterday's trip to Stanford was pretty much a waste of time. The doctor was perplexed as to what to do with Parker's Graft vs. Host disease skin issues. He took a bunch of pictures of his skin and said that he is going to get a team of specialists together to discusses Parker's case and get back to us.

Dr. Kurtzberg from Duke is increasing Parker's I.V. meds to once everyother week, and scheduling him to see some specialists at Duke when he visits on the 22nd.

Parker is really having a rough time with this skin stuff. He is convinced that he looks like a monster. People stare at him everywhere we go. It's just so very sad, and breaks my heart.

Please pray for a cure.

Love,

Meliss

________________________________________

Well....I don't know HOW we did it, but we made it past the Chicken Pox ordeal without Parker catching it! With Connor and I BOTH getting it, it had to be SERIOUS prayers to keep Parker, the immune suppressed child, from the outbreak.

It will be soooo nice when he is off all of his meds so we can start his vaccines. Some people asked us why Connor can't get his either and the answer is that many of the vaccines are "live" and Parker can catch the disease from Connor. So....when Parker is free and clear to get his shots, Connor will get his too. Unfortunately, right now we have to rely on the belief that everyone else has had their shots and THAT isn't necessarily an assumption that we can make.

Christmas was so nice this year. We spent time with family, played games, and just really enjoyed everyone and everything that came along with the joy of the season. Parker was supposed to be baptized right before Christmas, only to be canceled from my Pox outbreak. We will reschedule it soon!

All in all, we are doing well. Parker continues to have the same Graft vs. Host disease skin issues and we are traveling to Stanford next week to see a specialist. He is also off to Duke again in a few weeks to see Dr. K. Everyone is working really hard to make things better. Please continue to pray for clear skin, so that Parker can enjoy a normal life.

And.....Yes, it's almost CYCLING season!!!!

Interested in joining Parker's fundraising cycling team??? We raised over $90,000 last year for our charities! To become a member.......in exchange for you raising $1,000 for great causes like the Central California Blood Center and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we'll train you to ride 100 miles! Once you train one fundraising season, you only have to pay your yearly dues to remain a member. We are over 250 members strong! Come join the fun!!! We also have about 25 loaner bikes for those people wanting to try it, but don't own a road bike!

This is going to be an exciting season with the "Tour of California" scheduled to come through our town in February! We plan on helping out and possibly getting a glimpse of Lance Armstrong, and some other big name cyclist!

SCHEDULE FOR THE NEW SEASON:
INFO MEETINGS
January 29 2009 7:00PM Fig Garden Library 3071 W. Bullard
February 3 2009 7:00PM Woodward Park Library 944 E. Perrin

FUN RIDE - January 31st
Meet in front of Stevens Bicycles 1365 N. Willow Clovis. Registration @ 9:00AM
Ride @ 10:00AM Approximately 11 miles.

Questions call Cavin @ 559-434-0363

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, safe 2009!

Love,

Melissa, Richard, Connor, and Parker

Wednesday, December 22, 2008 9:22 PM CST

Interested in joining Parker's fundraising cycling team??? We raised over $90,000 last year for our charities! In exchange for you raising $1,000 for great causes like the Central California Blood Center and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we'll train you to ride 100 miles! Once you train one fundraising season, you only have to pay your yearly dues to remain a member. We are over 250 members strong! Come join the fun!!!

SCHEDULE FOR THE NEW SEASON:
INFO MEETINGS
January 29 2009 7:00PM Fig Garden Library 3071 W. Bullard
February 3 2009 7:00PM Woodward Park Library 944 E. Perrin

FUN RIDE - January 31st
Meet in front of Stevens Bicycles 1365 N. Willow Clovis. Registration @ 9:00AM
Ride @ 10:00AM Approximately 11 miles.

Questions call Cavin @ 559-434-0363

______________________________________

Update; Saturday, December 20

Parker is still Chicken Pox free. We have about another 5 days to go till he is in the clear. Keep the prayers coming. They're working!!!

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!

Update; Friday, December 12

Firsts....I hope you like my "Flashback" pictures that I have been posting at the top of the page. I figured that Christmas is the perfect time to reflect on the long journey that we have traveled. The things that we will never forget, and the milestones that brought us to where we are today!

Next....my Pox are clearing up. I'm hoping to be back at work on Monday. I'm bored out of my gord though! The medicine they put me on makes me loopy and my walls are closing in on me.

So far so good for Parker. No signs of spots, but we have to make it about 2 weeks from today before we are free and clear. Could be a bumpy Christmas!

Please keep our little friend Audry Hall in your thoughts and prayers. She is at UCSF, is having complications from her disease, and could use some strength, courage, and love. Heal soon Audry....we LOVE you!

Meliss

_______________________________________

Bump in the road number 2 million.....

Boy would I like to find that guy from the terrible plane flight that treated Parker so bad now......because I have the CHICKEN POX!!! GRRR!!! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read back through the journal history.

Yep....I said, "I have them!" And.....Yes.....It's much worse when you get them as an adult! I must have 150 spots on me and Monday night I thought it was possible to DIE of itching! Things are much milder now. But, I've missed an entire week of work. Which I didn't even have enough sick leave for. And....I exposed my son to one of the illnesses that are most dangerous to him.

Richard immediately took Parker to Children's Hospital on Monday for an I.V. medication that should help him to not get this, but there aren't any guarantees. And.....since he has already been exposed, there isn't any use sending him off to Grandma's now.

We had his baptism scheduled for this Sunday too, and I had to cancel it. Boy, is Parker mad at me.

On a good note......Parker's skin looks MUCH better than Mommy's!!!

I'll keep you posted!

Love,

Meliss

Oh.....and for sure the Blood/Marrow drive is still on for Monday. No matter what!!!

Friday, December 5, 2008 1:18 PM CST

And the skin saga continues. Though, the bumpy hives have gone away, he still has dry, crusty patches all over his hands, the back of his neck and on his face. We have an appointment to see a Graft vs. Host dermatology specialist at Stanford the first week of January. Here’s to hoping that they can come up with a worth-while treatment.

Other than that, we Fritsch’s have been very busy. In November, we traveled to Hollywood for a fundraiser for the National Bone Marrow Registry. We got to see Courtney from Hendricks Marrow Program and do a little sight-seeing while we were there. The boys were especially excited when they got to see “Harry Potter’s” hand and WAND prints in the cement!

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to Las Vegas to visit my sister and her husband who just moved there a couple of months ago. We brought our bikes and did a hard, yet beautiful ride to Red Rock Canyon. We enjoyed blue skies with sunshine, but the 22 miles of UP HILL (with switchbacks) just about did me in! But…..I can say that I did it…..right?!!

Parker and Connor finished a very fun soccer season and are anxiously awaiting basketball season. We are staying put for Christmas, and are hoping for some snow in our mountains so we can partake on some skiing/snowboarding during vacation.
Dr. K wants to see Parker again sometime in Jan. or Feb. We are working on a plan for that, which might involve Grandpa since Richard is studying and I am almost out of sick leave. Roll with the punches right?!!! We’ll keep you all posted on the medial stuff. Pray for clear, pretty skin, so we can get Parker off of some of these meds.

Wishing you and your family a safe, happy holiday season! Don’t forget the “Parker’s Pals Annual Blood and Marrow Drive” at the Savemart Center on December 15!!! What better gift to give this season than the gift of life!!!

Keep the FAITH!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boy’s

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 6:46 PM CST

Parker was definitely doing well on the new meds……until Saturday that is. On Saturday evening it looked as if Parker had a case of the hives. We gave him Benadryl and hoped for the best. After 24 hours, we pretty much knew that it was a GVHD (graft vs. host disease) rash. We are controlling this rejection in his skin with steroid creams. Dr. Kurtzberg again swapped out one of Parker’s meds. He will continue with the I.V. drug and will visit Children’s Hospital of Central California again on Wednesday for another blood test to check the level of medication in his blood system.

Parker is going through a phase of shot frustration. He has been fighting me on his daily growth hormone shot for the past couple of days. I’m sure it didn’t help any that his shot (pen) malfunctioned and the med didn’t discharge yesterday and therefore we had to do it twice. Poor little guy. I just wish I could take some of those for him. I know it isn’t any fun.

Today both Parker and Connor wore me out! There wasn’t any school, so we headed to the Zoo, Playland, and Storyland. 5 hours later……I’m beat!!! But….it’s a GOOD beat, and I am so happy to have had such a fun day with my little boys.

Marker your calendars for the annual “Parker’s Pals” Blood and Bone Marrow Drive, at the Savemart Center on Monday, December 15!!!! What better gift to give this season than the gift of LIFE!!! You’re gonna want the t-shirt with Parker’s latest artwork on it too! All donors will get one. They will be giving out free 6 to 8 ft. Christmas trees to the first 200 donors too!

Be sure to follow the story that the Jeff Gordon Foundation is doing on Parker. There is a link at the top of the page.

Love to all! Keep the faith!!!

Melissa and the boys

Friday, October 17, 2008 3:16 PM CDT

Our recent trip to Duke definitely had its’ ups and downs. Although the ups were way up and hopefully outweighed the downs……….

Because Parker is a survivor of a cord blood transplant, he was asked by the Jeff Gordon Foundation to give the invocation at their big fund-raiser last Wed. evening. Before a crowd of roughly 300, Parker gave a prayer that brought tears to the eyes of men, women, and celebrities. I was so proud of him! He just ROCKED it!!!

Over 46 people signed up to be put on the National Bone Marrow Registry that evening and over $310,000 was raised for the National Cord Blood and Bone Marrow Banks! It was truly AWESOME to be a part of that!

Included in the fund-raising that evening was a selling coins. If you paid for a coin, you got to reach into a bag and pull one out. If it was silver you got to make a wish and throw it into a fountain. If it was gold you got to choose a prize from a table full of signed sports memorabilia. Well…..Parker said, “I can help you do that!” And, he went around and sold $36,000 worth of coins! 3 people even gave Parker their gold coins and he got to take home some pretty great prizes (A Colt’s football signed by the head coach, a collector’s edition model 48 car signed by Jimmie Johnson, and a Yankee baseball signed by…..um…..my husband is going to shoot me for not being able to remember this…………ok, I’ll have to get back to you on this one!) Anyway, it was an evening to remember always! Parker would never tell Jeff that he is really a true Jimmie Johnson fan!

The next morning we were invited to stop by Hendrick’s Motor Sports. Yes, we go there every time we’re in North Carolina! We just LOVE them there!!! Miss Courtney and Miss Trish are truly FABULOUS, and treat Parker with so much love, and spoil him beyond belief!!! Well…we kind of got a little lost that morning (Mom driving for the first time), so when we got there we only had about 25 minutes before we had to hit the road to make our Dr. K appointment back in Durham. So, Miss Courtney told Parker that she had a special surprise for him. For the first time ever….Parker got to meet Jimmie Johnson! He was THRILLED!!! It totally made up for me getting us lost and wasting all of our time! Thanks Courtney!!!

The doctor’s appointment was the downer part of the trip. Dr. Kurtzberg was very concerned with how bad Parker’s skin looked. She said that she’s running out of options. But….she had one last trick up her sleeve. She put him on an I.V. drug for his Graft vs. Host disease. He received his first dose at the Duke Day hospital while we were there and he will receive it at Children’s Hospital at home once a week for 4 weeks and then once a month after that. Parker no longer has a port, so they will have to put an I.V. in every time. Poor baby. We have GOT to get Parker off the prednisone (or deal with bad long term effects) soon, so we are hoping and praying this works. I didn’t even want to ask WHAT we will do if it doesn’t. She also was concerned enough to want to see him again in 3 months instead of 6, which is very hard for us to say the least.

After Parker’s day hospital infusion, we went to meet Carla Overbeck, who played on the women’s Olympic soccer team with Mia Hamm and our dear friend Sue Hammond who was the trainer for that team. Carla is now an assistant coach for the Duke women’s soccer team. She was so sweet! Parker threw a football around with her son, and then we got to meet the entire soccer team. Carla also, to our astonishment, got us 2 tickets to the UNC vs. Notre Dame football game Saturday night! It was the hottest ticket in town. It had been sold out for weeks and scalpers were asking $500 a piece for them! We were sooooooo stoked to have them!!! Thanks Carla!!!

That night we headed to Raleigh to see Sherilyn's family. (Sherilyn was transplanted a couple of weeks before Parker and passed away last November.) It was so good to see her mother Laura, and daughters Nicolette and Veronica who is also battling leukemia! Parker got to go up and sit in Sherilyn's room for awhile, and I think he really needed that. It must be so hard to see someone not make it through what you have been through. She was such a special kind soul, and she will never be forgotten. Laura, Thanks for the Mellow Mushroom dinner! It has ruined my idea of what I thought was "good pizza", forever.

Saturday we had to go shopping! You just CAN’T go to a UNC game in Duke Sweatshirts. They’ll throw things at you! So, in our Carolina blue, we headed into Chapel Hill and became UNC fans. I know….we’re two faced! We just HAVE to love Duke too, because they saved Parker’s life! But for that evening….we were true UNC all the way!

What an exciting game! Parker and I were in awe of the generations of people who flocked to that game from near and far. The school spirit was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Our seats were FANTASTIC too. On the 40 yard line, in the middle of the player’s families! Before long, we had people inviting us to meet “their boys” after the game. When the game finally did end, and we won by the seat of our pants, down to the very last second counting, we were confused as to why no one was leaving (except Notre Dame fans that is). Thousands of people were frozen in their seats. Come to find out….they were waiting to sing the alma mater! They were swaying back and forth and EVERYONE knew all the words. Thousands of people! It was chilling!!! We will never forget that evening.

In the morning, we packed up and headed out of Durham at 4 AM. Our first flight was uneventful and actually went quite quickly since we both slept through it. We had a layover in Huston, and then boarded the nightmare from hell fight. It was over booked, and therefore Parker and I couldn’t sit together. I did however get a seat right behind him. We were both in middle seats with a person on one side by the window, and a person on the other side by the isle. Parker plopped into his seat and said, “Hi!” to the guy by the window in his row. The man took one look at him and started shouting at me, “I can’t sit by him! I haven’t had the Chicken Pox! You need to move him!!!” I said, “Sir, he doesn’t have the Chicken Pox.” The man continued shouting, “I said, I haven’t had the Chicken Pox, and I don’t want them!” I then told the man that I would be happy to change seats with him. He replied, “I booked a WINDOW seat, and I am sitting by the WINDOW!” Then he yelled to the stewardess, “You need to find me another window seat. I CAN NOT get the Chicken Pox!” Again I said, “He doesn’t have the Chicken Pox!” Tears are now streaming down Parker’s little face as he is staring at the floor. The stewardess then came back and told him, “Sir, I’m sorry, but this flight is completely booked and I do not have a single empty seat that I can move you to.” He waited a couple of minutes and then turned to me and said, “LADY……After we are in the air and I can’t see the ground anymore, we can switch seats!”

Now…..I am TOTALLY P.O.ed! I guess I could have explained Parker’s illness to him, but now I am just too mad and thought that I would just let him suffer is his panic, so I said, “No thank you sir. I’m really comfortable here now and I think I’ll just stay put!” That man clung to the window and stayed as far away from Parker as he could get for 5 hours! Mind you, Parker’s Medic Alert bracelet was in plain sight on the arm right next to the man the entire time! We saw him 2 times after we got off the plane too, and it took EVERYTHING in me not to just let him have it! I’m pretty certain that he got 2 flat tires or something on his route home though! In my head THAT is how it ends anyway!

So with Parker I taught him the lesson of ignorant people and how not to treat another person. I highlighted the fact that people fear what they do not understand, and that we are rewarded for our good deeds someday, and that we should always act our very best…..EVEN when we think no one else is watching.

So……..the Graft vs. Host Disease continues. Please pray for his body to stop fighting the transplant and for his skin to clear up and for the ability to wean him off of all these meds. Oh…and say a pray for the ignorant jerk on the plane too! He actually needs them MORE than Parker does in my opinion!

Love to all. Keep the FAITH!

Melissa and the boy’s

Tuesday, October 7, 2008 7:34 AM CDT

Grandpa here.....

Melissa and Parker left Fresno early Tuesday morning for a commercial flight to Durham, North Carolina for Parker's annual checkup. Due to flight delays, it was 1 AM when they checked into their Hotel. This morning it was off to visit friends at Hendrick's Motor Sports then to Jeff Gordon's annual fund raiser dinner tonight where Parker is scheduled to deliver the invocation. Thursday is Parker's appoinment with Dr K.

Look for details of his trip and medical report soon when Melissa and Parker return home.

Saturday, August 23, 2008 0:34 AM CDT

Can you believe I'm updating twice in one month???!!!

Well……the little kid who was diagnosed with cancer before he was 3, who took the heaviest chemo’s available for 3 years, plus an experimental drug they didn’t know the side effects of….the kid who missed half a year of kindergarten and missed ALL of first grade, and was zapped by MORE chemo and full body radiation that wiped out his entire immune system at age 5…..the kid who didn’t grow AT ALL for 3 years…….just scored two 100 percents on his state test at school and all of the rest of his scores were above 90 percent!!! Can you say phenomenal???!!! Ok, we are sooooooo proud of him. Had to brag…. sorry. Even his teacher was in tears when she saw his scores. That boy is gonna do something great some day. I can feel it in my bones!!!

Parker however, reports that HIS greatest accomplishment this summer was catching the first fish EVER in the history of “Camp Sunshine Dreams!” He says, “I wanted it. I caught it. I ate it!......And, it was good!” Funny little kid. He had the time of his life at camp and cannot wait for next year. What a GREAT week for these kids with cancer. It was such a nonthreatening environment, with all other kids that are going through the same kind of stuff. Parker said, “No one made fun of me or called me names all week!” He actually took showers this year too, and came home with all his underwear and socks! THAT, was different than last year. He, he, he……..

Last weekend we had a special treat. Some dear friends, Mike and Patty Thompson, gave us two nights in a beautiful hotel in San Francisco. They knew how hard Richard had worked studying for the Bar Exam and that we haven’t done anything as a family for a very long time, so they gave us this beautiful, generous gift, and we had the time of our lives. Enjoy the new pictures!

Love to all! Keep the FAITH!!!

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 10:16 PM CDT

HAPPY 9th Birthday Parker!!!!!!!!!!!

We have GROWTH!!! YEAH!!! Parker has grown a little more than an inch since April, the doctor said. This is the first time in 3 years that he has grown at all, so we are thrilled! The growth hormone shots were deemed a success and will continue on a daily basis. This did NOT thrill Parker, but he did like the fact that he is taller.

Yesterday Parker left for a week of camp. He was so excited that he almost forgot to say good-bye! We can’t wait to hear all his camp stories and listen to all the new songs that he learns. Parker is determined to catch “Walter” (the BIG fish from “On Golden Pond”), for he is CONVINCED that he is out in that lake. Go Parker!!!

Richard took his Bar exam and therefore the waiting game continues…..Results don’t come out until November! Talk about torture!!! Oh, well. Time, we do have…RIGHT! The excellent news is that he is home for dinner every night and we get to have family time every weekend. How strange will that be after all these years?

School is starting for the boys and me in a couple of weeks. Connor will be in first grade, Parker in third, and I am starting my 14th year of teaching Art. I hate the feeling of our summer coming to an end, but look forward to the many adventures in our future. We truly did have a marvelous time together these past few months. Enjoy the new pictures!

Soccer season is starting too. I always love to watch the boys play sports. They enjoy trying new things. Some day they’ll figure out that they can’t do everything, but for now they sure are going to try!!!

Thanks for checking in. Please sign the guestbook so we know you were here!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, June 30, 2008 11:06 PM CDT

It was a very difficult week as we said good-bye and buried our dear friend Scott Lazernik. He fought a 6 year battle of brain cancer. Even in his most difficult days, Scott would never admit that he wasn’t doing well. I remember asking him the day after a heavy dose of chemo how he was doing, and he replied, “Excellent….excellent!” What an amazing man, friend, and teammate. He will be truly missed. Our hearts are broken.

Richard is putting in 10 plus hours a day studying for the bar exam. The test is at the end of the month, so crunch time is just around the corner. So…the single mom mode continues. It’s truly nice being off for the summer with my boys.

Parker is doing FANTASTIC! His skin looks really nice and we are going at lengths to keep it that way. One day of missing sunscreen and it will be a total mess. No growth yet to report from the growth hormone shots. Frustrating! I know that we need to be patient, but when you’re putting your kid through that every day, it would be nice to see some results.

The boy’s started diving lessons today. They really enjoyed it, but Parker wouldn’t go off the high dive after he climbed the ladder and looked down. Back down the ladder he came! Connor on the other hand went right off, and then went back for more. Tonight Parker is saying that he is going off it tomorrow. We’ll see!

Gotta turn in. Really tired from the emotional week.

Love to all!

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, June 5, 2008 11:00 PM CDT

What a huge week we have just had! Connor graduated from Kindergarten, Parker completed second grade, I finished my 13th year of teaching AND…..Richard graduated from law school!!! How do you top that?!!! We are so happy, proud, and feeling truly blessed. How very FAR we have come.

Parker continues to do well. Though he has been on his growth hormone shots for well over a month now, he hasn’t budged any on the vertical charts. They said that we could get a possible 3 inches the first year on this medication and I am turning rather skeptical. I hope and I pray that he grows, but it is just NOT happening yet.

Baseball has come to a close for the season and we are going through withdrawls. I truly LOVED watching the boys play ball and can’t wait for next year. Our summer is kind of up in the air with Richard studying for the California Bar Exam. Please say a prayer for his ability to retain what he has learned and his ability to implement it wisely.

Our dear friend Scott Lazernik is now on hospice and facing a difficult road. Please pray for him to not be in pain and for strength and peace for his wonderful family.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Sunday, May 18, 2008 5:10 PM CDT

Well, we hit another bump in the road. Parker came down with a nasty bug last week (I think it was Tuesday, but it’s kind of a blur). He ended up being admitted to the hospital on Thursday AM with severe dehydration, elevated kidney and liver functions, and labored breathing, along with other crazy labs. He hadn’t eaten anything in several days and what he did eat came right back at us. He was very weak and it was heart wrenching. He was put on a heart monitor and given 4 days of I.V. fluids and his counts and chemistries slowly have recovered.

Parker was finally discharged today and is recouping at home now. He is still a little weak and having trouble getting food in, but what does go in seems to stay in! He’ll be home for the next few days and hopefully things will normalize. This was our first big admit in over a year and a half! It was kind of surreal being back in the big house where we have spent over a year collectively over the last 6 years, but we are so greatly appreciative to have such a GREAT hospital so close by.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Saturday, May 3, 2008 5:55 PM CDT

WOW! Has it really been over a MONTH since I’ve updated?!!! Incredible!

Well, the boys have been deep into baseball season and it has been a total blast for us to watch them enjoying themselves so much. Parker gets a kick out of all the action of playing in the infield and he is on the Yankees (pitching machine). Connor has fallen in love with playing catcher for his T-Ball team, the Astros. We pretty much have baseball 5 days a week and unfortunately the cycling team had to take the back burner for awhile. Grandpa is still training and planning on riding the Washboard 100 next weekend with “Parker’s Team”. It’s so cool to watch that team grow into well over 200 members now and raising money for some of our favorite charities!

Medically, Parker seems to be doing well. He started his growth hormone therapy shots about 2 weeks ago. By the 3rd day, he was giving himself his own shots! Also about 2 weeks ago, Dr. K increased his med that is supposed to get rid of his warts on his hands and neck (which are a virus and he got due to his weak immune system). They are drying up nicely, but it is apparently a very slow process. His Graft vs. Host rash in his skin is almost gone. Our new concerns are that Parker has had an increase in tiredness and has even been dosing off in class. Today (Saturday) Parker took an unexpected 3 ½ hour nap! He also has started snoring! So, we don’t know if it was the increase in the wart medication, or the new hormone shots that are the culprit. I’ve emailed Dr. K and we will call the endocrinologist on Monday. He has a clinic appointment on Wednesday, so hopefully we’ll have this figured out by the end of the week.

Richard is busy studying for the Bar exam, so I’ve been pretty much the single mom. It’s AMAZING how busy 2 strapping boys can keep you! I sooooo need a vacation, but wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING!

Fun story of the week;
Parker and I went to Starbucks last Saturday morning and were sitting in the drive-thru when he yelled, “OH, MAN! Mom, we should come back at 10 o’clock! It says that they are having a clearance sale! There’s a sign!” I looked everywhere and didn’t see a sign. He said, “Look, it’s up there above the drive-thru! It says ‘Clearance 10.0!”

I was laughing so hard I could barely order my coffee!

Keeping the FAITH!
Love,
Melissa and the boys

Monday, March 24, 2008 8:28 PM CDT

(Check out the new pictures!)

The BIG 3 year check up!!!

On March 23, 2005, Parker received an umbilical cord blood transplant, and another chance at a life jeopardized by an aggressive and deadly form of rare childhood leukemia. He was given a less than 20 percent chance for survival, and even bone marrow transplants didn’t hold much hope for this diagnosis. Dr. Joanna Kurtzberg at Duke University Medical Center created a protocol that could cure him, and we are FOREVER grateful!!!

Although a long way from being off his meds, because of a constant graft vs. host disease in his skin, Parker is feeling well. He is smart and happy, and has a zest for life like none other. Dr. K was pleased with how he is doing and made some major changes in his meds. She took him off his FK506 (anti-rejection drug), which is HUGE!!! We will be trying this, and yet we are skeptical that his skin can handle it. We wish he could go off the prednisone, but until his skin completely accepts the transplant and stops giving him problems, the prednisone stays on board.

Dr. Kurtzberg’s major concern with Parker is that he has not grown enough since transplant. He has only grown about 4 mm. since October. This is due to the high dose chemotherapy and total body irradiation received prior to his transplant. As Dr. K informed us, this was a possible side effect which is fixable. The treatment is daily “shots” of human growth hormones. We just heard today that our insurance has approved 1 year of growth hormone shots and we will begin those upon returning to California.

In addition to seeing Dr. K, the Fritsch Family travels included going to Charlotte to visit Ms. Trish at Hendrick Motor Sports. Ms. Trish gave Parker, Connor and their Uncle Donnie a tour of Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon’s garages. They were able to see Jeff’s car from Las Vegas, the one he crashed into the retaining wall. Ms. Trish also gave the boys plenty of goodies from both Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson.

We then were off to Myrtle Beach for a few nights. We took in a Med-Evil Show where it was okay to eat with our hands. At the show we were entertained with a show of knights doing combat with lances, swords, and shields. We knew that both the boys loved the show as they never took their eyes off the arena. I must say that the menu of dragon wings, dragon ears, and dragon toes sounded unappetizing. In the morning we strolled to the beach and collected a few shells, saw a beached jelly fish, and collected some more shells. We also had an opportunity to visit an alligator farm where we saw Utan, the largest alligator in North America in captivity. Utan was over 20 feet long, and to say the least he was huge.

Connor and I were dropped off at the airport, while Parker and Richard had a few extra days in North Carolina. Parker spent Easter in Durham. But he was surprised and ecstatic that the Easter Bunny found him. In fact, he found Easter eggs, chocolate eggs, chocolate bunny and a new game for his game boy.

Parker was excited for Easter, as it marked his third re-birth birthday. In fact, he mentioned that this time he would be getting gifts on his re-birth birthday as it fell on Easter.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 12:13 AM CST

Connor continues to battle pneumonia. He is on his second round of antibiotics due to a relapse of his coughing. A chest x-ray showed fluid in one lung. He is also on 3 breathing treatments a day. Poor baby has missed a lot of school. We are working on his skills at home, but I worry about his falling behind. He hasn’t had a fever today and is playing and is in good spirits. I’m missing a day of teaching to take care of my baby today.

Dr. Kurtzberg put Parker on an antibiotic at the first sign of coughing as a precaution. He took the whole round and has started coughing AGAIN. I’ll email her today and see what move number two looks like. Did I say “Two?” I guess it’s more like “Two thousand!” But, we’ll take it!

Parker’s cough is not deep, nor constant. He is fever free and feels good; therefore he has been going to school. Did I tell you he got straight A’s on his report card last week?!! GO PARKER!!!

Parker has been waiting to be rid of his cold AND waiting for the rain to let up so he could try his new bike. It probably was a little too soon from the cold stand point, but I let him go for a ride yesterday. He is in LOVE with the sport of cycling!!! He rode 6 miles in between Grandpa and me. He kept a speed between 9 and 12 mph and did just GREAT!!! He still can’t shift while riding, but he’ll get there. It’s going to be really fun to watch him grow with the sport!

Parker will be starting his “work-up” tests at Children’s Hospital soon. The results of these tests will be brought to Duke with us for his 3 year check-up in March. WOW…..Did I get to say 3 years?!!! Yahoo! He is such an inspiration! I wish he were off his meds, but I’ll take the 24 meds a day to what could have happened!!!

Please pray for Parker’s skin to clear up FOR GOOD, so he can get off his meds. Pray for Connor to be completely healed and get back to school. We also would ask you to say a prayer for Caleb who is battling pneumonia, Karagin who is at transplant and engrafting, Scott who is dealing with devastating results from his latest tests for a brain tumor, and Dave who is waiting for results from recent tests for lymphoma and secondary cancers.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Sunday, January 27, 2008 11:11 AM CST

Our challenge this week came from Connor. He was sick all week with a cough, low grade fever, and runny nose. We tried very hard to keep Parker away from him. Grandma was a life saver this week keeping Connor for us during the day. On Thursday, we were pleasantly surprised with how well Connor was feeling and were glad that he seemed to be on the mend. Thursday night however, Connor took a turn the other direction and seemed progressively worse. He was up all night coughing so hard that he would make himself throw up, his fever was up and he was just miserable. Richard took him to the doctor on Friday, and received the diagnosis of pneumonia. GREAT! With heavy antibiotics on board, Connor is doing much better, but has to take it easy for some time.

Today…….Parker started a cough and a runny nose. I emailed Dr. K, and am waiting to see if she wants us to do anything preventative. He is already on a weekend dose of Septra, and that is supposed to protect him against pneumonia, but we’ll see what she says.

For some fun news…….About two years ago, Parker was commissioned to do a painting for an organization in town. They paid him quite well, and he asked his dad to invest the money for him so that when he is big enough, he could buy a road bike. Every time we went to the bike store, Parker would check to see if he was big enough yet and stand over their smallest bike. Well…..yesterday was the day! He had his good friend Sue fit him to this adorable cherry red Specialized road bike. He’s on his tippy toes, but he’s on it and she showed him how to get on and off while he’s a little on the short side. He is sooooo proud that he is buying it with his own money! Parker and Dad are off to the bike shop as soon as it opens today to pick it up. I’ll post pictures SOON!

Please pray that Parker licks this cough and stuffy nose without getting worse. Pray for Connor’s complete healing from pneumonia. And, please pray for our dear friend Karagin who is at transplant at City of Hope in L.A.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,
Melissa

Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:43 PM CST

Well, Parker is FINALLY on the mend. After 4 weeks of diarrhea, and a whole round of yucky meds for treatment of c-diff, which came with vomiting and dropping 5 pounds, he is eating again and feels much better. They never did get a conclusive diagnosis, but treating him for c-diff seemed the logical and proactive thing to do. Now…..we just have to get 5 pounds back on him before he sees Dr. K in March. She was pounding it in us that Parker needs to grow, and to grow he needs to eat more. Well, she is not going to like the minus 5 pounds. He now weighs exactly what he did at transplant (WHEN HE WAS 5!). UGH!

Knowing our struggles, our dear friend Sue picked Parker up from school for lunch today. She fed him a hamburger, a root beer float, fries, a cinnamon roll, and sent him back to class with Hot Tamales (candy)! Thanks Sue! We Fritsch’s think you’re AWESOME!!! Wish I could eat like that!

Parker’s snowboarding has just gotten better and better this winter. Likewise, Connor is a speed demon on his little skis. It is so much fun watching them progress in their sports! Next weekend they start basketball, and soon to follow will be baseball.

We are certainly busy around here. Saturday, our cycling team starts up a new season. We will be training for 100 miles in May. This will be my second year doing this ride. I totally love it and hope that I am able to balance all the training with the boy’s sports schedule. For Richard, the training will depend on how hard his semester gets in school. Last year we had to make up quite a bit of training on Sundays, but we were able to make it work.

We ask that you please keep Karagin Udall in your thoughts and prayers. She is 8 days into transplant and needs her new cells to GROW, GROW, GROW!

We are in the process of finalizing our plans to take Parker to Duke for his 3 YEAR check up! Can you believe it’s been 3 years?!!! We are so thankful for Dr. Kurtzberg and her team at Duke for saving our son’s life. She will forever be our hero.

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, January 8, 2008 12:44 AM CST

Happy New Year!!!

We Fritsch’s have been busy celebrating LIFE during Christmas break. It’s been so nice having all 4 of us off of school. Speaking of school……Richard just started his LAST semester of law school! YEAH! Boy, has it been a long haul with Parker’s illness and trying to finish school. It’s kind of been like that game “Chutes and Ladders!” Take some classes, drop out because of son’s illness, go back to start, take some classes, go to transplant with son, go back to start, take some classes……..FINALLY FINISH!!! He’ll take the California Bar Exam in the end of July. Say some prayers!

Parker has been doing ok. He has been battling diarrhea off and on for 3 weeks now. They are running a whole slew of tests. He hasn’t been eating much of anything. He gags on his Boost and has tummy aches often. Cheese is about the only thing that he never turns down. He has been drinking fine, so we know he isn’t dehydrated. We’re not sure if it’s lingering effects of the flu that he had right before Christmas, or something else (C-Dif ?). He has a clinic appointment tomorrow out at the hospital, so hopefully we can get to the bottom of things (no pun intended!). Sorry couldn’t resist.

Please pray for our little friend Kagagin who is at City of Hope and today is her transplant day! Happy re-birth Karagin!!! God speed!!! GROW CELLS GROW!!!
Wishing you all a happy, healthy new year! We LOVE to read your messages. Please stop by the guestbook!

Love,
Melissa

Thursday, December 20, 2007 3:55 PM CST

Thanks so much for all you do for the Parker’s Pals Blood Drive and the blood center. Considering the “typhoon rains” we had on drive day, we did very, very well… 470 donors gave blood and over 150 folks were put on the marrow registry. Those numbers were less than last year but not by much…Thank Goodness. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! Thanks again, so very much.

Parker’s GvHD skin issues are still in full swing. Last week he had an allergic reaction to something and puffed up like a balloon. His nose was almost flush with his cheeks and he was barely able to open his eyes. We are still working with the doctors to determine if it was a drug reaction or a food allergy. This is twice now that he has done this. The mystery continues.

Wishing you all the very best that this holiday season has to offer. Please keep all the families who are struggling with illness and loss in your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Melissa, Richard, Parker, and Connor

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:42 PM CST

UPDATE (Thurs. Nov. 29 9AM)

Our little transplant friend Alexia earned her angel wings last night. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Calling all volunteers;

To work the "Helping Parker's Pals" blood and marrow drive, please contact the volunteer coordinator (Fran at 559-224-2900 ex. 3017). We need all the help we can muster!

Love,

Meliss
________________________________________

So far so good with Parker’s new drug that he is taking. He hasn’t experienced any side effects which we are quite thankful for. Dr. Kurtzberg said that it could take more than a month to know if it’s working, but Parker’s coloring is already looking better! We are hoping and praying that this drug completely stomps out his Graft vs. Host Disease that is in his skin!

Parker will return to see the endocrinologist on December 9. We should know better by then where we stand with the hormone therapy, shots, etc. The good news is that Parker actually GREW last month and his oncologist was quite pleased with that fact. He didn’t grow much, but he did grow!

Two of our oncology friends are really battling hard right now. Alexia is in the PICU at Duke fighting for her life. Please pray for strength, healing, and peace. Her family is very far from home right now and they could use all of your prayers.

Karagin is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant and needs to remain in remission until a donor match is found. YOU could be Karagin’s angel donor! YOU could save her life, or someone else’s life that desperately needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. Please consider going to your local blood bank and signing up to be put on the National Bone Marrow Registry.

All of these children whom we have come to know and love throughout our journey have needed blood products to survive. Parker went through more pints of blood that I can even tell you. In the season of giving, consider the best gift that you could possibly give….The gift of LIFE! Give a life saving blood product. It costs you NOTHING and can give someone else another chance at LIVING! They have all been through so very much in their short time here on Earth. Couldn’t we endure one little poke? Do it in their honor.

The 4th annual “Helping Parker’s Pals” Blood and Marrow Drive is coming up! We know this is a busy time of year and it’s hard to stop and make time for things, but THIS is something we HAVE to stop and make time for. It is also a time of year that blood banks everywhere are in dire need of blood! Please consider stopping by the Savemart Center on Tuesday, December 18, from 10AM to 7PM to give blood and/or sign up to be a bone marrow donor. See the link above for more information.
Keeping the FAITH!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:42 PM CST

Monday, November 19, 2007 9:39 PM CST

Wishing you all a peaceful Thanksgiving!

The boys are on vacation from school this week and we have been taking advantage of it. We played miniature golf on Saturday and headed to Yosemite for the day yesterday. It’s about a 2 hour drive from our house. The boys were looking forward to ice skating in Yosemite Valley, but it is too warm and the rink is not open yet. I have never been to the park this time of year, and was a little saddened by all the dryness of everything. It is MUCH prettier in the spring with the GREAT flowing of the water falls. All we had yesterday was a trickle, but Yosemite is still a pretty AWESOME site that I could never put into words and we were like always in awe of her beauty. We had lunch at the big hotel there and did some hiking around and saw some deer and a coyote and then slowly headed for home. It truly was a nice family day!

When we arrived back in town, we received a text message that Karagin was being baptized at 6 PM. We had to rush home and change out of our “in the woods” attire! We barely made it, but we got to see the joyous event! Way to go Karagin!!!

In the last update I told you that Karagin was having trouble believing that she could survive leukemia because all her little hospital friends were dying around her. I just can’t imagine how scary that must be. But, Parker‘s chat with Karagin on Wednesday went well. He said that he visited with her for about an hour. She had some questions about transplant and he reassured her that she CAN do this!

When Parker got home that night, I saw him falter for the first time since diagnosis in July of 2002. It’s no wonder with how very many of his friends that have died this year. Parker asked me if he too is going to die of leukemia. Believe it or not, this is the FIRST time that he has ever asked this! We’ve NEVER even talked about him not making it. It wasn’t an option! We just couldn’t/wouldn’t go there! We needed him to fight with everything in him and he did. He was so young that he didn’t have any idea that he was so close to death several times. Hospitals and chemo were the only things he knew. He thought it was just a normal way of growing up. I’ll never forget the day I heard him ask a kid, “When do you go for YOUR chemo?”

I really felt good about telling Parker that the worst of his fight is behind him. Doctor Kurtzberg says that we don’t have to worry about the leukemia anymore, just the effects of his transplant and possible rejection in the form of Graft Versus Host Disease (GvsHD). Yes, GvsHD can be deadly, but we are careful and are doing everything we can to keep it under control. Which leads me to the current situation….

Dr. K said enough with this Predsnisone stuff. It doesn’t seem to be working at getting rid of Parker’s GvsHD skin rash. She is going to try a radical treatment and we are PRAYING that this will work. As of tomorrow, Parker will be adding a new drug (or a really old drug) called Thalidomide to his 24 pill cocktail. This drug was the one given to many pregnant women in the 1950’s and it caused many babies to be born without arms and legs. Apparently it is being used again for suppressing immune systems. We had a super hard time getting the drug. Dr. K had to register with the FDA in order to give it to Parker. We had to sign off on it saying that we understood that if he were to get pregnant, or get a girl pregnant while on the drug that we understand that there will be severe birth defects! NO LIE, we signed that!!! The pharmacist then had to register with the FDA in order to fill our prescriptions for it, and they will only give us 28 days at a time. Did I tell you that 28 days worth cost almost as much as my car!!! Thank the LORD for insurance. Please pray for this to be our miracle drug! Pray for Parker’s rash to GO AWAY!!!

We have so much to be thankful for, and feel the blessings of Parker being here every day of our lives. Please pray for Parker Bockhop’s, Bailey’s, and Sherilyn’s families, for this is going to be their first Thanksgiving without them. We are so blessed for having known them and being witness to their gifts that their precious children brought in their short time here on Earth. We know that their work is still moving through many of us, and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Please pray for Alexia too! She is fighting hard and need complete healing!

Keeping the faith!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 12:30 AM CST

It’s been a rough 24 hours for our oncology/transplant friends. Bailey passed away suddenly and quickly of a staph infection Tuesday morning. Stephanie found out that there is nothing else that can be done for her. Sherilyn earned her angel wings at 2 AM this morning and Karagin (who was VERY close friends with Bailey) is having trouble believing that she can survive her illness. Karagin achieved remission last week and is preparing for a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope in LA.

Parker is heading out to the hospital today for a clinic appointment, but is going out early to have a chat with Karagin. I asked him what he was going to say to her and this is what he told me…. “I’m going to tell her…Karagin, you CAN do this! I did it. I am proof that you can SURVIVE this illness! If I can do it, you can TOO! I know that you are very sad about Bailey and Parker Bockhop. They were our friends. But THAT is not YOUR story. Your story is just for YOU! You are going to see other bad stuff when you go to transplant and you just need to keep saying, “That’s not my story!””

What a little man! I am so proud of him. I hope and pray that the right words come to him today when he sees Karagin. Please pray for wisdom and for total positive energy for Parker’s pep talk with his little friend Karagin.

Please keep Bailey’s and Sherilyn’s families in your thoughts, hearts, and prayers as they make preparations to put their daughters to rest. Pray for peace for these families knowing that their girls are dancing pain free in heaven (and for Sherilyn to be surrounded by puppies as she enters the gates like she so wanted). I just know that these two beautiful souls will find each other and will be true and fast friends as they embark on the perfect beautiful afterlife. Till we meet again pretty girls…Till we meet again!

Keeping the faith through this very tear jerking day.

Love,

Melissa

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 12:30 AM CST

It’s been a rough 24 hours for our oncology/transplant friends. Bailey passed away suddenly and quickly of a staph infection Monday morning. Stephanie found out that there is nothing else that can be done for her. Sherilyn earned her angel wings at 2 AM this morning and Karagin (who was VERY close friends with Bailey) is having trouble believing that she can survive her illness. Karagin achieved remission last week and is preparing for a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope in LA.

Parker is heading out to the hospital today for a clinic appointment, but is going out early to have a chat with Karagin. I asked him what he was going to say to her and this is what he told me…. “I’m going to tell her…Karagin, you CAN do this! I did it. I am proof that you can SURVIVE this illness! If I can do it, you can TOO! I know that you are very sad about Bailey and Parker Bockhop. They were our friends. But THAT is not YOUR story. Your story is just for YOU! You are going to see other bad stuff when you go to transplant and you just need to keep saying, “That’s not my story!””

What a little man! I am so proud of him. I hope and pray that the right words come to him today when he sees Karagin. Please pray for wisdom and for total positive energy for Parker’s pep talk with his little friend Karagin.

Please keep Bailey’s and Sherilyn’s families in your thoughts, hearts, and prayers as they make preparations to put their daughters to rest. Pray for peace for these families knowing that their girls are dancing pain free in heaven (and for Sherilyn to be surrounded by puppies as she enters the gates like she so wanted). I just know that these two beautiful souls will find each other and will be true and fast friends as they embark on the perfect beautiful afterlife. Till we meet again pretty girls…Till we meet again!

Keeping the faith through this very tear jerking day.

Love,

Monday, November 5, 2007 9:04 PM CST

Sorry for the delay in update. Things have been very busy around here and I’ve found it difficult finding the time to sit down and write. To begin with, the boys had a terrific Halloween. They spent some fun time with their favorite Fresno Falcon’s Hockey player John Morlang and his wife Laura at Hobb’s Grove Haunted Hay Ride, we carved several pumpkins (the ultimate sculpture if you ask me!:) , and trick-or-treated with all the neighbor kids. It truly was a FABULOUSLY fun time!

Parker brought home his first progress report for the year and, drum roll please……..He got straight A’s!!! I totally cried! This was such a change from last year, when he just couldn’t catch up. My heart broke all last year as I watched him sink. He has such confidence now and really enjoys doing well.

Connor’s "Parent/Teacher Conference" went FABULOUS too, as he is doing really well and his teacher is very impressed with his behavior and his eagerness to learn. We were the very proud parents!

Fun story……

When Parker went to Duke for his 2 ½ year check up, he was invited to attend a Jeff Gordon Foundation dinner. As the night went on, drawings were held where Parker won an electric Jeff Gordon 24 car! Parker decided that this would be a WONDERFUL gift for his little brother; because Connor is the HUGE Jeff Gordon fan in our household (Parker LOVES Jimmy Johnson!). I guess he talked Courtney from Hedrick Motor Sports into shipping it home for him to surprise his brother. Parker has kept this a secret for a month while he waited for the car to arrive.

On Saturday, I heard the Federal Express truck and the box being put on our porch. Connor was in the back room watching cartoons and didn’t hear the door. I walked out and the delivery guy was already back at his truck. I thought it was weird that he didn’t even ring the bell. I dragged the HUGE box into the house and went back out thinking that maybe he went to get his clipboard for me to sign for it, but here he came with ANOTHER HUGE box! It was a Jimmy Johnson 48 car for Parker. I said, “OH, MY GOSH! I THINK I HAVE TO SIT DOWN!!!” The delivery guy laughed and said, “I think some little guys are going to be having some fun at your house!” THAT was an UNDERSTATEMENT!

With all my laughing and giggling, Connor came out to see what all the commotion was. All he could see from where he was standing was the 48 car box. I said, “I’m sorry honey, this is for your brother.” His face got all sad and droopy. I walked him around the corner and said, “But, THIS ONE is for YOU!” Cheers ricocheted throughout the house!

When Parker got home later that day, he was so excited that Connor LOVED his gift! I told him that Courtney sent him a little something too and that it was in the other room. Cheers ricocheted AGAIN!!! “YES, I can’t believe it! YES!” Parker shouted!!!

Needless to say, Daddy and Grandpa were very busy putting those together Saturday afternoon, and Sunday was NASCAR heaven on our street! Thanks Courtney and everyone at Hedrick Motor Sports!!! It truly was a very generous and FABULOUS gift!

Tomorrow Parker goes to see the Endocrinologist out at Children’s Hospital. We know that daily shots are just around the corner. He is very positive about it all and we are very proud of him. Please pray for the best possible outcome for all of this hormone therapy.

Richard’s grandmother just passed away and he will be traveling to the east coast for the services this weekend. Please pray for a safe journey .

Lastly…..It has been a very sad time for so many of our oncology/transplant friends. Sherilyn is in tremendous pain and is ready to journey home to the kingdom of heaven. Karagin, Bailey and Alexia are fighting with everything in them to keep the leukemia out of their blood and for complete healing. Stephanie is now dealing with secondary tumors now that her leukemia is under control and Dave is trying to finish his treatment with as little complications as possible. Teri was given a 10 percent survival chance WITH a transplant! Oh, how this cancer is devastating! Please keep all of these brave souls in your thoughts and prayers!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

P.S. Please read Courtney’s article that she wrote for the Jeff Gordon Magazine called “Courtney’s Hero” listed on the home page above.

Thursday, October 18, 2007 3:27 PM CDT

Just got an email from Dr. Kurtzberg. Parker's test came back 100 percent donor cells and no sign of the philadelphia chromosome!!! :)

Please continue to pray for Sherilyn and her family.

Thanks!

Love,

Missy

_______________________________________

Sunday, October 14, 2007 12:27 PM CDT

Please pray for Sherilyn to be out of pain soon, and to find peace in her journey HOME. Our hearts are breaking for this family that we lived with during transplant. Please consider visiting their website from the link above and leave some encouraging words. There is no greater pain than watching your child suffer.

Parker's GVH rash is improving daily. He has been feeling well and has been very excited telling everyone about his trip to Duke. We are hoping for the big test results to be back tomorrow. We'll keep you posted.

Love,

Meliss

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Update;

Parker met with Dr. Kurtzberg today and I feel as if we have moved backward instead of forward. She was VERY concerned with his skin and upped his steroids (creams AND pills) and upped his immuno suppresant instead of decreasing it. And upped his magnesium as well as adding several NEW drugs to the 24 that he was already taking! Sad day....And it got worse when she told us that he has not grown enough since his last visit and he will have to endure the daily hormone shots that we were really trying to spare Parker from. I just wanted to cry for him.

Parker also had 2 questions for Dr. K; Can I eat hot lunch at school? Which was a no. AND....Can I drink from a water fountain? Which was also a no. It's so sad how the little things can seem so very big to a child. He was very sad.

I needed to step back and look at the big picture. We still have him. He has lived despite all the odds, obstacles, infections, etc. that have come his way. He is a happy, intelligent, confident little boy, and he makes us smile each and every day!

The good news today was that his thyroid test came back a little lower, and most of his other labs looked normal. The big tests (percentage of donor cells and Philadelphia chromosome test) will come back next week.

Tonight Parker is going to a Jeff Gordon Foundation dinner, and tomorrow will visit Hendrick Motor Sports, which he is ALWAYS excited about! This was PERFECT timing to get his mind off of the day's news!

Please pray for a safe journey home for my 2 boys, and for the rest of the test results to be GREAT!

Love,

Meliss
_______________________________________

Monday, Oct. 8,2207
Update; 12:30 eastern time

Parker is doing better. Richard gave him a large dose of cortizone around 10:30 AM. His coloring is back. He had some bread, all his meds, and is drinking. Richard got him to the hotel and put him to bed to let him sleep it off. If he keeps drinking, drinking, drinking, he should be fine. Geez, he scared me from the west coast! :(

Meliss

________________________________________

Parker and Richard were in New York last night, waiting for their flight to North Carolina this morning. Late in the evening Parker started throwing up, which continued all night long. He felt a little better this morning, but he wouldn't eat anything. He couldn't get his meds down. Richard thought the safest thing to do was to get him on the plane and continue to Duke.

I just talked to them and they just arrived safely in North Carolina, with an uneventful plane ride (THANK YOU GOD). Parker still won't eat, and hasn't taken ANY of his meds. It looks like they could be off and running to the hospital for IV fluids and possible meds by IV if Parker can't get them down.

Please pray that this gets under control soon and the check-up goes well.

I'll keep you all posted.

Sincerely,

Melissa

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 10:48 PM CDT

Parker was originally scheduled to leave for Duke this coming Sunday, but we were told today by Corp. Angel Wings that the flight was canceled. The only other flight available is tomorrow morning out of San Francisco. So needless to say, we scrambled, got Parker and Richard packed and will proceed to shove them out the door at o'dark-thirty tomorrow morning. This flight puts them on the east coast 5 days early for his appointment, but you take what you are given when the generosity of others gives you a ride to where you need to go! Thanks Corp. Angel!!!

Connor and I are left behind. Grandma will be TONS of help for me getting Connor off to school in the mornings! Thanks Grandma!

We will miss Parker and Richard TONS! Parker is having trouble leaving his mommy too. He cried himself to sleep tonight saying, "Mommy come with me. Mommy P-L-E-A-S-E come with me!" It darn near broke my heart! I just don't have any sick leave built up and I need to keep Connor in school and focused. I wish we could all be together, but it's just not always possible for all of Parker's check ups. It is our plan for all four of us to go for the big 3 year check up during spring break.

Please pray for a safe trip and excellent test results for Parker. We are specifically praying for no Philadelphia chromosome present, no leukemia cells, a normal thyroid test, and for Parker to have grown a BUNCH so he doesn't have to endure daily growth hormone shots.

Please keep our friends; Alexia, Sherilyn, Bailey, Karagin, Teri Taylor, Kris Munster, Dave Jensen, and my brother Michael in your thoughts and prayers as they battle their own illnesses and travel difficult roads. Please pray for healing, peace, and courage!

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 1:09 PM CDT

*See new links above for Karagin and Bailey!

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for checking on us. This is, as always, a challenging journey that the Lord has given us. We found out yesterday that another beautiful child in our hospital family has relapsed and will travel down a very difficult road. Please keep Karagin Udall and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Karagin’s mommy Sherri is in my “Hospital Mom’s” group. Our hospital family has had a crushing year. It is getting so very hard to pick ourselves back up, dust ourselves off, and keep on going.

Parker heads out to Children’s Hospital this afternoon for a check-up. Please pray that all his levels look good and that his Thyroid test comes back good. We know that because his skin issues continue he won’t be weaned off any meds, but we can deal with that. He will be heading back to Duke in a few weeks for his 2 ½ year check-up.

I will head over to visit Sherri and Karagin Udall after Parker’s appointment. For those of you that know the family and are feeling helpless, gift certificates to the hospital cafeteria or the Starbucks downstairs are good ideas. If you would like to help the Udall family you can add money to their card for the Grape Jelly FIsh Cafe, which is the Hospitals cafeteria, just call 559-353-8270 and give them ID# 801 195 for Karagin Udall, this way the family can always run down and get something to eat. They also might appreciate a home cooked meal being dropped off. Because Karagin’s counts are going to fall when the chemo is given, I’d call first to see if they are accepting visitors. Germs are going to be the enemy! You can go onto the hospital web site and write an email which will be delivered right to their room;

http://www.childrenscentralcal.org/home.asp?ID=2

Click on “Patient, Family, or Visitor” then “E-mail a patient”

Please keep Sherilyn, Bailey, Dave Jensen, Terri Taylor, The Bockhop family, and Kris Munster in your thoughts and prayers. Why is this list growing???? WHY???

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, August 24, 2007 4:44 PM CDT

Parker just finished his first week of school. He seemed completely unfazed about doing a re-run of 2nd grade. He LOVES his new teacher and he even has 2 new friends that he really likes! We are really confident that he will have a much more successful school year. Academically and socially.

Health wise; Parker ended up getting a double ear infection days after he came home from camp. He is on a two week regiment of an antibiotic. The pain from it the first day nearly sent him over the edge. Poor baby woke up at 2 AM screaming and crying. We had to give him Tylenol and wait till the doctor’s office opened at 8 AM. He is doing much better now. What is it with ear infections and the middle of the night?!!!

His skin is looking really good too! Yesterday he said, “Mom, feel my shoulder!” I did and therefore told him, “Wow Parker, it’s nice and soft and smooth!” Parker stuck out his stomach and said, “I’M SEXY!” I just about DIED laughing!!!!!!! Only Parker!

We are getting ready for our last camping trip of the summer. Here fishy, fishy!!!!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to members of our church the Hubbard family who just lost their SECOND son in the war in Iraq. I just can't even imagine. It scares me so much some times to have boys. The Hubbards are cousins to us by marriage.

Please continue to pray for Sherilyn, Kris Munster, Dave Jensen, Bailey Rocha, Alexia, and the Bockhop Family.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, August 12, 2007 11:09 AM CDT

Parker returned from camp yesterday and filled us with his fun stories and humorous songs! Highlights were Arts and Crafts and sailing. He took 3 showers all week! (YUCK) But, his skin looked pretty good, except for his ears. He got off the bus and said, “Mom, feel my cheeks!” He was so proud of how smooth they were. It’s going to take us a couple of weeks to get his ears under control, but we totally expected him to come home with skin issues. We really thought it would be MUCH worse than it was, so we were quite thankful and impressed with the medical staff and counselors efforts. He can’t wait for next year! If you want to see pictures, I’ll have some in a couple of days, so check back. They might post some on the camp website too; campsunshinedreams.com

School starts next week. Connor is off to kindergarten and Parker is doing a rerun of 2nd grade. They are both very excited. We are hoping that Parker has a much better year this year. He worked so hard last year to try and catch up. It was kind of like treading water all year. Growth wise he should be better with this new group of kiddos. We STILL haven’t heard who his teacher is though. We are confident that the school got it right and retained him, but it would be nice to get it SET in our heads. Hopefully we’ll get something in the mail Monday.

Richard is gearing up for his LAST couple of classes! YEAH!!! I see a light at the end of the tunnel. FINALLY! He will be graduating from law school in 10 months. Boy, Parker’s illness set us back in this area. Things are really turning around in our lives.

I’m starting my 13th year of teaching art. 13 years! WOW!!! It is my plan to go back and get my Graphic Arts degree when Richard is done. It seems crazy that I always have to find someone to put my art into computer graphics for me because I never learned how. I’ll get there though!!!

Parker heads back in for a clinic check-up the first week of September, then off to Duke the second week of October. We will be paying close attention to his thyroid test, Philadelphia chromosome test (looking for the leukemia marker), and chrimerism (percentage of donor cells).

Please keep the Bockhops in your thoughts and prayers as they learn how to live without their precious little boy. We all miss him so much. Pray for a miracle of healing for Sherilyn, and that she be able to spend as much time at home as possible. Pray for Alexia’s pain to go away so that she may celebrate life and make more good memories with her beautiful family. Pray for Bailey who just relapsed, and was given few options.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love, Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, August 7, 2007 11:26 PM CDT

First I wanted to say sorry for my negative attitude and pity party in my last post. I am done!

I had quite a difficult time with getting Parker off to camp on Monday. He cried the whole way to the bus. When we got there he wouldn’t get out of the car. He said, “I am NOT going!” Tyler was there and went over to the car to talk to Parker. Tyler had him out of the car smiling and laughing in 2 minutes! They boarded the bus, sat together, and waved goodbye! Can you say DRAMA?!!!

We had our first report from camp today;

It is freezing at night! The hospital sent up tons of extra blankets today.
Parker’s fishing pole is broken.
Parker ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! (something WE can’t get him to eat at home) and refused to eat pizza! (Bizarre)
Parker, Tyler, their counselor, and one other camper tipped a canoe over today and had to swim to shore.
Parker asked a girl to the dance on Thursday night! (Kaylee, a fellow leukemic)
Parker is taking all of his meds. (Each time he does, he gets to put a sticker on his name tag)
The nurse said, “Parker, I need to figure out something to give you each time you do your creams.”
Parker replied, “I need a new fishing pole!” (Oh, that one made my side hurt!!!)
Parker’s camp nickname is “Ace”
Tonight is movie night (The Apple Dumplin Gang)
They are all having a GREAT time!

The house is pretty quiet without someone for Connor to fight with, play with, and pick on. We are having fun doing all the things that we can’t do when Parker’s here though (going water skiing, going to the water parks, etc.). I also got to teach Art in the hospital classroom yesterday and today! FUN!!!

Thanks for checking on us, and thanks for all the fabulous birthday wishes for Parker. He LOVED reading them!!!

Love,

Meliss

Thursday, August 2, 2007 6:31 PM CDT

Damn this cancer!

We laid our good friend Parker Bockhop to rest on Monday. Our transplant friend Sherilyn was 94 percent blasts on Tuesday. Today, our little friend from Duke, Alexia, relapsed. I am angered. I am saddened. I deeply confused. This was NOT a good week! Damn this cancer!

I have so many questions for the Big Guy upstairs someday. I think I’m going to be at those pearly gates for quite awhile. My son has suffered. He has watched most of his friends die. We have seen MANY children suffer. I have been to more children’s funerals than adults. It seems so unfair. I just don’t get it. I don’t get it.

I really have to focus on all the positives that have come out of Parker’s cancer. I have to remember all the lives he has touched. All the money we have raised for charities. All the people we have helped in some small way on their journeys with cancer. I have to believe that that is why all of this happened.

I am sorry this entry is not my usual positive attitude exert. I know that I need to pick myself up, dust myself off and forge ahead. I don’t have a choice. It’s just a pity party day. I have very few, but today is one.

Please pray for Parker Bockhop’s wonderful parents Liz and Troy, and his fabulous big brother Tyler. They will miss little Parker so much. He was a beautiful little boy who touched many lives during his short stay on this Earth. May he be dancing pain free in Heaven. Till we play again……..

Please pray for Sherilyn’s family and for her to be spared from pain. She is a beautiful soul and her parents are scared and sad.

Please pray for Alexia to be spared from any more pain. Pray for her parents as they yet again head down the road of relapse. They are out of options, and they are far from home.

On a happier note, our Parker is turning 8 on Sunday! No one thought we would see 8 and yet HERE WE ARE!!! Happy Birthday my Pumpkin! What a celebration of life! Please wish Parker a Happy Birthday!

On the medical front…..Parker’s clinic appointment went well. His thyroid test came back high again. Dr. K just wants to watch it for now. His other counts looked great. He spent 4 hours at the Neuropsychiatry Clinic yesterday, trying to figure out what effects the chemo and radiation have had on Parker’s brain. All of those tests came back pretty positive too! He is showing a little confusion with numbers and problem solving, but if we just give him extra time he does fine. We will have to monitor his learning abilities for the next several years to determine any brain damage. His skin looks the same (red, bumpy, etc.). We are just staying out of the sun as much as possible.

Parker leaves for Cancer Kid’s Camp on Monday. He is a little nervous, but he says that his friend Tyler (Parker Bockhop’s brother) may need him, so he can’t let him down. Tyler and Parker will be rooming together. I’m sure as soon as that bus drives away they won’t even think of home for the entire week!

Hope everyone enjoys what little is left of their summer. Please consider stopping by Parker Bockhop, Sherilyn, and Alexia’s web sites to leave some words of encouragement and support.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa

Thursday, August 2, 2007 6:31 PM CDT

Dam this cancer!

We laid our good friend Parker Bockhop to rest on Monday. Our transplant friend Sherilyn was 94 percent blasts on Tuesday. Today, our little friend from Duke, Alexia, relapsed. I am angered. I am saddened. I deeply confused. This was NOT a good week! Dam this cancer!

I have so many questions for the Big Guy upstairs someday. I think I’m going to be at those pearly gates for quite awhile. My son has suffered. He has watched most of his friends die. We have seen MANY children suffer. I have been to more children’s funerals than adults. It seems so unfair. I just don’t get it. I don’t get it.

I really have to focus on all the positives that have come out of Parker’s cancer. I have to remember all the lives he has touched. All the money we have raised for charities. All the people we have helped in some small way on their journeys with cancer. I have to believe that that is why all of this happened.

I am sorry this entry is not my usual positive attitude exert. I know that I need to pick myself up, dust myself off and forge ahead. I don’t have a choice. It’s just a pity party day. I have very few, but today is one.

Please pray for Parker Bockhop’s wonderful parents Liz and Troy, and his fabulous big brother Tyler. They will miss little Parker so much. He was a beautiful little boy who touched many lives during his short stay on this Earth. May he be dancing pain free in Heaven. Till we play again……..

Please pray for Sherilyn’s family and for her to be spared from pain. She is a beautiful soul and her parents are scared and sad.

Please pray for Alexia to be spared from any more pain. Pray for her parents as they yet again head down the road of relapse. They are out of options, and they are far from home.

On a happier note, our Parker is turning 8 on Sunday! No one thought we would see 8 and yet HERE WE ARE!!! Happy Birthday my Pumpkin! What a celebration of life! Please wish Parker a Happy Birthday!

On the medical front…..Parker’s clinic appointment went well. His thyroid test came back high again. Dr. K just wants to watch it for now. His other counts looked great. He spent 4 hours at the Neuropsychiatry Clinic yesterday, trying to figure out what effects the chemo and radiation have had on Parker’s brain. All of those tests came back pretty positive too! He is showing a little confusion with numbers and problem solving, but if we just give him extra time he does fine. We will have to monitor his learning abilities for the next several years to determine any brain damage. His skin looks the same (red, bumpy, etc.). We are just staying out of the sun as much as possible.

Parker leaves for Cancer Kid’s Camp on Monday. He is a little nervous, but he says that his friend Tyler (Parker Bockhop’s brother) may need him, so he can’t let him down. Tyler and Parker will be rooming together. I’m sure as soon as that bus drives away they won’t even think of home for the entire week!

Hope everyone enjoys what little is left of their summer. Please consider stopping by Parker Bockhop, Sherilyn, and Alexia’s web sites to leave some words of encouragement and support.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa

Monday, July 23, 2007 9:38 PM CDT

A week of major ups….and major downs!

The Fritsch family just finished a 9 day camping trip with Grandma and Grandpa Morgan. After YEARS of trying, Parker FINALLY caught his first fish!!! We were so thrilled! Connor was 4 fish ahead of him and we were wondering if he was EVER going to get one. He only got 1 all week, but at least he got that one!

We had so much fun up at Huntington Lake. We hiked, swam, rode horses, watched the sailboat races, roasted marshmallows, made smores, and of course rode our bikes! We met up with old friends and even made some great new ones. It was (aside from a few bumps in the road) a fantastic trip.

Among the challenges we faced was Parker’s skin. We used SPF50 block out, long sleeves, and hats everyday. I think just the altitude alone was just too much for him. He started to bump and swell and turn red as a tomato! We creamed him 3 times a day with steroid creams, but nothing was working. On Friday, he was so swollen and puffy his eyes could barely open! Needless to say we packed up and went home a day early. Today (Monday) he is almost back to normal (whatever that is). One night he had an accidental lactate reaction too, that began with him being lethargic, which evolved in throwing up. We administered Hydrocortisone and waited to see if we were going to be able to get it under control or if we had to zip down the hill to the hospital. Fortunately he fell asleep and by morning was back to normal.

On Saturday night (the day we came home) we got together with “Parker’s Team”. (A group of cyclists who assembled in January to start a team and raise money for charity) Our first season finished May 19th with the 100 mile ride that I joined in and trained for. Saturday night we presented our two charities this season with FOURTY-FIVE THOUSAND dollars EACH! It was super cool to give a check to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society AND to The Central California Blood Center! Our cycling team is AMAZING!!! If you need that tax write off, please consider giving to C.V.C.C.A. (Central Valley Cycling Charitable Association)! It’s a FABULOUS new non-profit that is committed to giving back to the community. IF you want to join us and learn to ride, our kick off for our new season starts this week! Read “Parker’s Team” up above to find out what’s going on.

On our lowest note this week, both Parker Bockhop AND Sherilyn are not doing well. Their bodies need healing. Their families need strength. We pray for them to be out of pain. We pray for a miracle. We love them both so much. This is so very hard for all of us. Our hearts are breaking. BREAKING!

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, July 9, 2007 12:51 AM CDT

5 Years Cancer Free!!!

We are ecstatic to report that Parker’s chances for long term survival went up significantly as he passes this 5 year mark today!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to all who have followed Parker’s progress over these past 5 years.

It has been a very long journey……….

In May 2002, Parker was 2 years old and was limping a little bit. He couldn’t explain the pain, and pretty much acted like nothing was bothering him. On May 28, 2002 Parker was in to see his pediatrician for a physical. Because of the small limp, she decided to run a CBC. It came back NORMAL! The limp went away.

In June 2002, Parker caught a cold, which went into an ear infection. We really didn’t think much of it, because he was in swim school at the time. The antibiotics just weren’t working and it progressed to a double ear infection and then pneumonia. Parker was very pale and had some suspicious bruises. He complained of leg pain and we took him in again. This was about the third or fourth doctors’ visit. It was the weekend and we had to go into a walk-in urgent care. They explained it as “growing pains” and sent us home. The next day, July 9, 2002, we were SURE something was desperately wrong. We went to the doctor again. The doctor ran a second CBC.

I will forever remember what happened next….. I was holding our 3 month old baby Connor in my arms when the doctor came in and said that he suspected leukemia and he wanted us to go to the ONCOLOGY clinic out at Children’s Hospital. We were stunned! We walked out and I got to the waiting room when the room started spinning and I could feel my legs giving out. I put the baby carrier down and sat. Someone brought me water. I started crying. After a few minutes, I could stand again. Richard drove me and the baby home so that I could find someone to watch him and meet him out at the hospital. I called my mom. She was at the doctor. My sister took the phone from her and told me that mom had just been diagnosed with breast cancer! I was in such shock that I couldn’t even react. I told them about Parker and they left the doctor and came right over. My mom watched the baby and my sister took me to the hospital.

After many hours and a bone marrow aspiration, the doctor told us that it was leukemia, and they thought that it was A.L.L. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). This was the most common form of childhood leukemia and had a 95hance for long term survival. They admitted Parker and immediately started him on chemo. He did very well and fell into remission quickly. We digested the news and were bracing ourselves for a 3 year regiment of chemotherapy. 2 days later the doctor came in and told us that Parker had a chromosome mutation. Chromosomes 9 and 22 were swapping information. This was called the Philadelphia positive marker. This put him in a whole new category for treatment, and his chances for survival were now less than 20 percent. Devastation set in.

We had to choose now to go directly to bone marrow transplant, or try an experimental drug that had never been given to children before. Researching bone marrow transplant, and seeing how very risky it was, we really wanted to avoid that route if at all possible. The drug was working for adults, so we decided to try it. For 3 years it kept him in remission. Then, doctors across the country were starting to see children relapse on this drug. We knew that we had to head for transplant immediately. If we waited for him to relapse, his chances for survival would drop even lower. We contacted the doctor that created the drug that Parker was taking, and he said that his drug could possibly give him 15 years, but it could not cure him. He told us that if it were his son he would take him to bone marrow transplant immediately.

On Dec. 28, 2005, Richard and I headed to Duke Medical Center in North Carolina for a consult. They had the highest success rate with transplanting Philadelphia Positive ALL’s. Our local hospitals had only done a small handful of transplants for this disease, without a successful outcome. Dr. Kurtzberg at Duke had done 36 and was very confident that she could treat Parker successfully. Parker was their 37th PH ALL. She wanted Parker there as soon as we could make it happen.

On February 4, 2005, the Fritsch family moved to North Carolina. We shut up our house, shipped our car, and flew across country on a "Corporate Angel" flight. When we arrived at Duke, Parker underwent a series of tests. It was concluded that he had sinusitis, and would need surgery. They cleared it up as best they could and he had to go on an I.V. antibiotic for 6 weeks before we started transplant. It was an infection too close to the brain and Dr. Kurtzberg just didn’t want to chance it. On March 23, 2005, Parker received a 6 out of 6 unrelated cord blood transplant!

Parker remained on 5200 (the transplant floor) for 44 days. He had to stay within 10 minutes of the hospital for 3 months after that. We were finally released to head home to California 6 months later on August 4, 2005.

We are excited for Parker to have a chance for a long and full life. We are currently weaning him off his meds, and which has been long and slow going because of his graft vs. host skin issues. We are certain that the day will come when he stops rejecting his new cells in his skin. It’s just a matter of applying creams and limiting sun exposure. We feel confident that the worst part is behind us.

Throughout this journey we have been touched by many lives. It has opened our eyes to many things and changed us forever. Oh how we wish that all of the children that we have come to know and love along the way would have survived this terrible disease called cancer. We promise to continue to do all that we can to make other children’s journeys easier. It is our deepest hope that we, in our lifetime will see the development of a CURE!

It is on this day that we like to take some time to remember all of those special people who fought so hard and touched the lives of many……

Ethan (who was the first child that we met who died of cancer after Parker was diagnosed)
Diego (who was one of Parker’s first friends from the oncology clinic)
Jerod (who fought so hard, but was delt complication after complication and didn’t return from transplant)
Jared (who I’ll always remember rocking in his mommy’s arms, looking at her lovingly)
Sammy (who had the BEST spirit, and with one leg ran faster than most kids do with two)
Kyle (who would take charge of the toy area and give Elizabeth a run for her money)
Elizabeth (who would want to do EVERYTHING, and always let Kyle know that it was she who was in charge)
Jolie (who battled AML till she couldn’t fight any more)
Colby (who was the first little boy who’s story I followed on Caringbridge)
Jordan (who was the second little boy who’s story I followed on Caringbridge)
Tommy (who’s mom hunted me down to give me Tommy’s left over supply of Gleevec, because she just couldn’t flush the medicine that cost THAT MUCH)
Landon (who was the first child who died while we were on 5200 at Duke)
Karrie (who died suddenly while in transplant on 5200)
Varun (who died of complications months after transplant)
Shelsea (who we met while in line to see Santa and knew of her fight, by her lack of hair. She joined Parker for a picture on Santa’s lap that day that would have brought tears to anyone’s eyes)
Tyler (who had a contagious smile and who’s parents were so kind even during their toughest days)
Frannie (who fought so hard and left a beautiful twin sister behind)
Ryan (who was Parker’s first hallway basketball friend, and made life on 5200 a little normal)
Maddy (who was a princess and had a brother who was a prince and gave his blood to try and save her)
Maddie (who can now walk, talk, and sing in the streets of Heaven)
AJ (who I really believed was going to make it and I went into a deep shock state after losing him. He was our neighbor at the apartment in Durham, and I told his grandma that I just knew that he was going to be fine and sail through transplant! I just knew it……and yet….I was wrong)
Micah (who's music could bring the angels down from heaven)
Sammy (who battled a brain tumor and will always be remembered for her laugh and sweet smile)
Bryce (who was 2 doors down from us on 5200 and who's energy could light a room)
Alexandria (who would have graduated from high school a few weeks ago)
Nicholas (who loved NASCAR and anything BOY)
Donovan (who was just a baby and never had a chance to grow up)
Ashley (who just lost her battle last week)
Mary Margaret (who did Art Therapy at Duke and we didn't even know she was sick till she passed. She meant so much to both Parker and Connor!)

You are all thought of often. We will always remember your smiles and laughter, but most of all your courage. We are all better for having known you and take comfort in the fact that you are no longer in pain. Someday, we will all meet again…..

I know that there are many more that we have lost contact with. And, how I wish that I could say we won’t lose any others. This journey has made us thankful for each day that we have together.

Remember to hug your loved ones today!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys (Richard, Connor, and Parker)

P.S. Please continue to keep our little buddy Parker Bockhop and our transplant friend Sherilyn in your prayers. Miracles happen every day!

Friday, June 15, 2007 1:51 PM CDT

Things at the Fritsch household seem to be going well. Richard and I completed our Tahoe ride. It was 72 miles and the hardest ride that I have ever done. I finished, but felt like it was barely! Parker rode the last mile with us and he was my inspiration to make it to that finish line.

Unfortunately, Parker’s artwork for the Daytona 500 was not chosen. I left the link at the bottom if you’d like to see the winners. It was a very fun and positive experience for him to be even considered, so we are grateful for the opportunity.

Parker is getting ready to start golf lessons in about a week. We are going on a family camping trip in July, and then Parker is off to Camp Sunshine Dreams (a kids cancer camp). He is VERY nervous about going. In fact, he told me today that he wasn’t going. He changes his mind every other day. I think that when he see all the kids and sees how many he already knows from the hospital, he’ll change his mind. Also, his babysitter Hillary applied and got a job as a counselor at the camp, so that should make it easier also!

Please keep Parker Bockhop, Teri Taylor, Kris Munster, Sherilyn Adams, Noah Harris and Dave Jensen as well as all the other transplant kiddos in your thoughts and prayers as they battle their difficult cancers.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa Fritsch

click here

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:12 AM CDT

We are all doing well in the Fritsch household. I completed my 100 mile bike ride on Saturday, May 19! What a great feeling!!! Can you believe I did THAT???!!! Our team raised approx. $50,000 for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and the Central California Blood Center! Richard and I are looking forward to riding Tahoe in 2 weeks too.

Parker is finishing up baseball in the next couple of weeks. He had a real good time playing in this league. His steroid belly is shrinking and he is getting faster by the day. We are really hoping for a growth spurt! Both Parker and Connor are exactly the same height now. Parker is looking forward to hitting the golf ball this summer. He is playing 9 holes on Wednesdays with his buddy Sue, and truly looks forward to it.

Thank you all who have been voting for Parker’s artwork. Don’t stop yet! The link is at the bottom of the journal entry. They will announce the winners June 15, so keep clicking!!! It’s so exciting!

On the medical front, Parker is still battling the GvHD rash all over his body. His toes and head are pretty bad. We are creaming him twice a day, but we think that it is time to enlist the nurse’s help at school to do a midday creaming. Parker is not thrilled about this though. He also had a thyroid test come back high. We aren’t really sure what that means yet. They are going to check it again next month.

We would like to welcome our little transplant buddy Noah and his parents Anne and Charles home to California! You’ve come a long way guys!!!

Please keep Parker Bockhop and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they go down a road that no family should have to. Please pray for Sherilyn as she prepares for more chemo and a possible second transplant, Veronica as she recovers from her heavy rounds of chemo, and Terri Taylor, Kris Munster, and Dave Jensen as they battle their cancers and need strength and healing.

Keeping the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

.....click here

Thursday, May 3, 2007 11:44 PM CDT

Ok everybody.....My favorite little pint size artist PARKER FRITSCH was asked by Hendricks Motor Sports to submit a ticket design for the Daytona 500!!! Too cool huh?! Well, now Parker needs all of our votes to win and have his artwork chosen (10 winners will be chosen)! Please click on this link and submit your vote. You can vote as many times as you like, so click back often and send this to ALL your friends. All original artwork will be auctioned off on line and will benefit the Jeff Gordon Foundation which funds the National Bone Marrow Registry, so this is IMPORTANT STUFF!!!

.....click here

Proud mommy,

Melissa Fritsch

P.S. Be sure to click on "Enlarge Image" to see his whole piece!

Wednesday, April 10, 2007 5:46 PM CDT

Drum roll please.......

No Philadelphia Chromosome findings! Test NEGATIVE!!! Make way for a LONG life Parker Fritsch!

We just received Dr. Kurtzberg's email of the final results and are THRILLED!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

_____________________________________

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 1:46 PM CDT

Update; Email just received from Dr. K.....

Hi Missy:

Thanks for the picture. I hope your trip back went well. It was great to see Parker and to see him doing better. I've copied the tests that are back below. They all look great. His blood shows 100onor cells. His immune functions are completely normal. His counts are normal too. The only test still pending is the BCR ABL. It should be back later this week.

Take care.

Dr. K

The BCR ABL is the test that looks for the Philadelphia chromosome!

Monday, April 9, 2007 12:46 AM

The Big 2 Year Check up……

Sorry for the delayed entry that you all have been waiting for. It was a great trip to North Carolina, yet it was go, go, go and we are very jet lagged! Parker and Richard had a wonderful Corp. Angel flight and Connor and I followed in tow on a commercial flight. We had four days together before the Dr. K check up. Our list was so long of all the people that we wanted to see, and therefore, we missed some of you. We were incredibly sad to have missed some of our favorite nurses, including Kitty and Andrea! We love them to death and hope to see them next time.

Great story…..

If you have been following Parker for awhile, you’ll remember that back in October when he went east for his 18 month check up, he was invited to attend a Jeff Gordon Foundation fundraising dinner. At the dinner was a man named Doug who was called upon a year ago by the National Bone Marrow Registry because he was a match for a little girl with leukemia. Also at that dinner was the little girl that he had donated for. She got to meet her angel donor Doug! The foundation surprised both of them! I would have cried my eyes out if I had been there to see that!

Parker got to sit by Doug at the dinner. This was also the night that they auctioned off Parker’s painting that he had donated to the foundation. Jeff Gordon ended up winning the bid for $17,000! Doug also won something that Parker really liked in a blue box.

About a month ago Doug emailed Parker with a proposition. He told him that he remembers how enthralled Parker was with the little blue box that he had won. He asked Parker if he would be interested in a trade. An original “Parker” painting when he comes for his two year check up in exchange for the blue box. Parker was VERY excited and began to paint!

On Monday last week, we did a quick day trip to Charlotte and met Doug at Hendricks’s Motor Sports. Parker gave him the painting and Doug handed Parker a wrapped gift. Parker turned to me and said, “Happy Birthday Mommy!” My birthday is not till the later part of April, so he wasn’t going to let me open it. One day later he couldn’t stand it anymore and begged me to open it. My fabulous little boy gave me a BEAUTIFUL diamond necklace!!! I know…..WOW!!! I will cherish it always. What a lucky mom I am to have such an amazing son.

Seeing Friends……

I know that many of you know what good friends Sherilyn’s mother Laura and I became during transplant. Well, Laura’s life has been turned upside-down over the past few months, with her other daughter Veronica being diagnosed with leukemia too AND then Sherilyn relapsing just before her 2 year check up! I was glad that I was able to visit with Laura 3 times while we were in town. They practically live at the hospital and Laura and I got to steal a walk one night and grab a cup of coffee. But, I was content being able to just sit in the room and visit with her. I just can’t even imagine the pain of watching 2 of your children battle cancer! If you get a chance, visit the “Sherilyn” link above and leave them some kind words. These messages really help keep them going. She is a single mom of four and is one of the most AMAZING people I have ever met!!!

While in Charlotte on Monday, we got to see our friends at Hendricks. Miss Courtney and Miss Pam took us all to lunch and then we got to see all of the fabulous cars that my boys (all 3 of them) love so much. Connor got to sit in Jeff Gordon’s car and Parker was thrilled to sit in Jimmy Johnson’s! They also got to see the trucks being unloaded from the race that was just the day before. Everyone at Hendricks was thrilled because Jimmy came in 1st place and Jeff came in 2nd. Seeing the winning cars was VERY cool!!! Although the drivers were no where to be seen, we did get to meet Mr. Hendrick himself. We had a visit with our friend Miss Trish, and then had to say good-bye to all of them till next time. A very fun visit.

After we left Hendricks, we headed to the new Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital in Concord, NC. Jeff Gordon hung Parker’s painting that he bought in his new hospital! THAT was totally cool!!! In the lobby was the painting with a bio of Parker right under it.

When we left the hospital, we drove another hour and a half to have dinner with Richard’s brother Donny. It was so good to see him and we were sad that it was such a quick visit. We spent 7 hours in the car zipping around the state that day!

We were also excited to see our transplant friends the Tatum family! Their TWO boys were transplanted right after Parker and are both doing really well. Parker’s "buddy" from 5200, Sandy is in her senior year at Duke and she has been accepted to med school for the fall! We are so proud to know such a FABULOUS young lady and it was tons of fun visiting with her too. There were also TONS of nurses, doctors, and our Alexan Farms family on our list of visits.

One VERY exciting visit was with 3 other transplant families that are living at Alexan Farms where we lived. These families we had not met before (at least I had not). But 2 of the families (Joshua and Noah’s) are Philadelphia Positive ALL diagnosis like Parker, so we have been in contact with them and have been watching their journeys very closely. They are such brave little boys and it was so much fun meeting them in person as well as their incredible, caring parents and Josh’s sweet little sister Olivia. Kameron was another little boy that is still at Duke, recovering well from his transplant. He has had an amazing story, but it would take me forever to tell it. You can read it on his caringbridge page “kameronk”.

Dr. K day…….

Ok, this was a record LONG one! And, believe me we have had some really lengthy Dr. K days!!! Oh, we aren’t complaining, just stating the facts. We would wait forever for our FABULOUS Dr. Kurtzberg. She saved our son’s life and we are forever grateful! We ALWAYS know that Tuesdays with Dr. K are going to be long. She sees the sickest first, so it is kind of a good note that we were last! Parker gave blood for lab work at 10 AM and we left the clinic and came back at 3 PM knowing that we would have just had to sit there waiting. Well, we finally got to see Dr. K at 9 PM! We fed our kids dinner at 10 PM that night. We were so afraid to leave for dinner because we might get called in.

All of Parker’s tests looked pretty good. His thyroid test came back wacky and she is having us re-run it at our next clinic appointment at home. She is most concerned with his growth rate (which has pretty much stopped) and his GvHD skin issues. We knew that she wasn’t going to wean his meds because of his skin. However, she did come down a tiny bit on his steroid hoping to give him a little growth spurt. If this doesn’t work, and he doesn’t show some growth in the next 6 months, he will have to see a specialist and seek growth hormones (WE ARE SO HOPING TO NOT HAVE TO GO THERE). Pray for Parker to grow, grow, grow!!!

The ever important Chrimerism test (the one that shows what percentage of donor cells Parker is) is still pending. We are sitting on pins and needles waiting for this one. Hopefully it will be back on Tuesday this week! The test that looks for the Philadelphia chromosome is still pending also. Pray for 100 percent donor cells and NO Philadelphia chromosomes!!!

Vacation Time…..

Since this check up trip every year pretty much ends up being our vacation, we decided to do something fun while we’re there. Parker and Richard’s Corp. Angel flight left out of Washington D.C., so we got to be tourists there for a couple of days. Our good friend Chris Keller lives there, and we were able to tour around with him. We went to the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, The White House, The National Gallery, and The Air and Space Museum! So much FUN!!!

When we flew out on Saturday, it was 27 degrees and snowing! We didn’t have a single day to just bum and relax. It was go, go, go! It still bewilders us that we didn’t get to see everyone. Please know that if we missed you we are so sorry and we’ll try and see you next time.

Upon returning to California….

We took in the last game of the season for our beloved Fresno Falcons Hockey team. We landed at 3 PM and had to be at the game at 4:45! Geepers!!! Being on east coast time was difficult!

I had some terrible news that 2 of the moms in my “Hospital Moms” group were diagnosed with lymphoma last week! As if caring for their chronically ill children were not enough! Please keep Terri Taylor and Kris Munster in your thoughts and prayers. Parker Bockhop is back in the hospital with no ANC and fevers, so pray for this little friend of ours too!

Sorry for the EXTRA LONG update! Hopefully tomorrow I will have an add on for the lab results!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 7:15 PM CDT

On Thursday, March 23, Parker will celebrate his 2nd NEW CELL BIRTHDAY!!!!! Happy New Cell Birthday Parker!!!! We are so proud of you and thank God for each and every day that we have with you! You have beaten all the odds and we know you are our miracle!

Today was another AMAZING “Kids Day!” We were out selling newspapers and raising money for Children’s Hospital of Central California at 4 AM! A huge THANK YOU to Theresa Pope, our Kids Day captain this year!!! Thank you also to all the people who came out to help “Parker’s Pals”, and all those who came out of their way to purchase papers from our team! "Parker's Pals" contributed $2400 to a valley total of over $424,000, raised by over 4000 volunteers! What an AWESOME experience!!!

Parker’s graft vs. host disease is looking good and under control. WOW, I haven’t said THAT in a LONG time!!! His skin is very pretty! His scalp is still a little bumpy, but that too has improved drastically. We hope it all keeps up for his Dr. K visit on April 3!

Yes, we are heading to North Carolina. Our home away from home. We are ever so excited to see our Duke family and many other friends that we have made along the way. We are eager to see Joshua and Noah, who are fellow PH kids that are post transplant now. We have followed their journey for so long now it will be nice to see them in person. We also are hoping to see Sherilyn and Veronica, and are hoping that they have much brighter days ahead of them. The Tatums who have 2 boys that were transplanted right after Parker will be there for their check ups too! It’s so exciting to see miracles happening! Oh, and we couldn’t forget our visit to Hendricks Motor Sports! Miss Courtney here we come, see you soon!!!

It is going to be hard to fit everything in that we want to do in the short time that we’ll be there. Thankfully Parker was able to have most of his tests done here at our home hospital, and we are bringing the results with us, so it should be a relatively short as far as check ups go. Who knows how long the Dr. K day will be. But, she’s the best and we know she’s worth waiting for!!! We LOVE our Dr. K!

I seem to have recovered from my kidney surgery. However, I have to see the doctor next week about having the stone in the left side removed. I am back to riding my bike and are hoping that I don’t have any trouble with it so I can continue my training into the first week of June. We’ll see. It might just not be in the cards, and I know that.

For the past month or so we have struggled with the fact that Parker may have to be retained for 2nd grade. It is so NOT what we wanted for him, but we do see that it may just be the best thing for him. He has just missed so much school that he is constantly playing catch up. I just recently told him that he only did half of kindergarten. He had no idea! When half of that year was over, we took off for Duke for transplant, and he thought that he had finished all of ! When we explained to him that he missed half of kindergarten and ALL of first grade, he seemed to be fine with the idea that he is going to have to repeat this year. Yes, it would have been better to have just put him in first grade this year, but we all thought he was ready. His test scores showed it, and we thought he would be bored in the first grade. We were wrong I guess. It has made me very sad, but luckily Parker seems to be ok with it. Connor will be starting kindergarten in the fall too!

A huge distraction and added joy this year has been a program started by the Fresno Falcon’s Hockey team. They have teamed up their players with a cancer kid and made the kids official Falcon members this season. John Morlang is Parker’s (and Connor’s) official buddy! He is so nice and the boys have LOVED going to as many games as we can fit in. They get to go down into the locker rooms after the games and even have activities during the week with their player. Last week the kids got to shave their player’s head for a pediatric oncology fundraiser! I’m sure John LOVE that!!! J Next week the players are teaching the kids to ice skate!

Thanks for checking in on us. Always know that no news is good news. It is amazing to us how long in-between updates we go now! Please keep Parker Bockhop and his AMAZING family in your thoughts and prayers.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, February 24, 2007 10:59 PM CST

Calling all "Kid's Day" volunteers!!!! This year our captain for our Kid's Day Team is Theresa Pope. We will be selling newspapers for Children's Hospital of Central California on Tuesday, March 20, at the corner of Cedar and Nees. If you'd like to be a member of this year's team, please call Theresa at (559)324-1579 or 977-5557. We look forward to seeing you all out there again this year! PARKER is excited to be able to join his team this year too!

Well, my surgery went well on Thursday. I am recovering at home. I am hoping to be back at work on Tuesday. The walls are closing in on me!!!

I sent my family on our ski trip that was planned many months ago. I just couldn't see them staying home watching me mope around the house when they could be off having the time of their lives that we had originally planned for them.

We rented a cabin in Donner Lake up near Lake Tahoe, with 3 other families. I heard from Richard a little while ago and he said that Parker did FANTASTIC snowboarding today! He's up on the "Big" hills now. He loves the chair lift! And there wasn't anyone else signed up for boarding lessons, so he had his own personal instructor!

Connor is still working on his turning and stopping. He enjoyed a day of ski school with his friend Justin. They aren't quite ready for the chair lift yet, but that is just fine. We'd rather he learn right and be confident when he gets there.

I miss my boys terribly, but am enjoying the well needed rest. But, I just don't know what to do with myself. Today I tackled their rooms and tomorrow I'm organizing the toy cupboard! I know I'm feeling better when I WANT to clean!!!

PLEASE keep Parker Bockhop in your thoughts and prayers. He is facing big hurdles. Also Veronica, Sherilyn, and Alexia are on VERY difficult journeys and need strength and healing.

Love to all!

Melissa

Tuesday, February 20, 2007 7:42 PM CST

Well, the Fritschs had another 1 AM trip to the emergency room last night. This time it was my turn. Kidney infection and stones. One the size of a NICKEL! Can you say MORPHINE?!!! I go back to see a surgeon tomorrow. We are hoping to get it taken care of as soon as possible.

Parker has been up and down too, with spells of throwing up. We can never figure out what triggers it, and most of the time he is fine by morning.

Did I tell you that the president of the founation at Children's Hospital ended up buying Parker's last piece that went up for bid? We had people from all over the country trying to get their hands on that one. How cool is that?! We're not sure how much it ended up going for, but all funds raised went right back to our hospital.

We are finalizing our trip to Duke! The big 2 year mark will be a huge mile stone, and we are looking forward to seeing some of our North Carolina friends.

Please continue to pray for Sherilyn, Veronica, Alexia, and Parker Bockhop. These families could use some strength and good news.

Love,

Meliss

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 12:30 PM CST

Please keep up the prayers for Sherilyn and Alexia, and add Parker Bockhop to the URGENT prayer request! It has been a devastating week for our transplant friends. We are numb.

Parker is doing MUCH better, is eating, and is back in school. Connor is still coughing heavily and his ears are still red. He is on a 10 day antibiotic. Hope this kicks it!!!

Love,

Meliss

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Monday, February 5, 2007 8:30 PM CST

Urgent prayer requests for our friends Alexia and Sherilyn. Please visit their websites above and leave some supportive words. These families have been through so much and are facing some very trying times. They need strength and courage. Please join us in lifting them up in prayer!

Parker is doing a little better. I got 5 bites of yogurt and a piece of cheese in him for dinner. He says nothing tastes good. He is very weak, but his smile is out today, his coloring looks good and I'm thinking he is on the mend.

Love,

Melissa

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Sunday, February 4, 2007 8:30 PM CST

Update;

Parker finally broke his fever last night, but still won't eat much. Both boys are coughing and have double ear infections. Parker is just laying around. Connor seems to be feeling much better and is off playing.

This is all so new to us.....treating Parker at home. Isn't it sad when the normal is going to the hospital and being sick at home is strange/weird?!!

Hopefully Parker will feel better tomorrow. If not, I'm pretty sure it's a day trip to the big house. For sure he'll miss another day of school. Playing "catch up" in school is so very hard for him. I feel so bad. He is just so bright, but he's just not able to have the same opportunities as the other kiddos. But, he's here, he's surviving, and THAT'S what is important NOW!!! :)

We haven't heard yet how Parker's painting did last night being auctioned off for Children's Hospital at the Rotary Club fundraiser. I'll post when we hear.

Love to all. Keep the FAITH!

Melissa and the boys

Friday, February 2, 2007 4:30 PM CST

Update; Connor's CBC came back NORMAL! :) He's still running a fever, but appears to be much better today. Parker however ended up in the hospital today with cough, runny nose, and dehydrated. He had to get his first I.V. which he wasn't too happy about. They ran antibiotics and I.V. fluids. He was running about 101 temp, but they finally let him go home and now it's 104 degrees! YIKES!!! We are trying to get the fever down. If we can't, it's back to the big house.

Meliss

Thursday, February 1, 2007 9:30 PM CST

Hi Friends! It's me Parker again. I'm doing good after my surgery. I'm almost all healed up. I went to a Fresno Falcons game and I got to meet the players. I got to meet and have dinner with a player whos name is John. John is my new buddy. He got hurt when he was playing hockey. Someone hit him with their stick. He is ok though. The next day I went to the High School Musical concert. My baby sitter Hillary took me and we had a ton of fun! My brother Connor is very sick again. My mom is worried. Tomorrow they are running a CBC on him. Next week my Grandma and Hillary are supposed to be taking me and Connor to Disney on Ice. I hope he gets better in time. My mom signed me up for baseball. School is hard but I am having fun. Here is a picture of my new painting. Hope you all are having a good week. Love, Parker

Thursday, January 25, 2007 9:56 PM CST

Hi everybody. It's me Parker. I hope you all are doing well. Thank you for checking on me. I am doing well. Just a little sore, but I will make it through surviving. This my first journal entry that I ever made! I went back to school today. I had a blast with my friends. It was kind of boring, but we made it through all day. Tomorrow I am going to a Fresno Falcons hockey game, and on Saturday my babysitter Hillary is taking me to see the High School Musical concert. I am so excited. I can't wait. I love you for signing my guest book. Love, Parker

Thursday, January 25, 2007 9:56 PM CST

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2007 at 7 PM

Quick update:

Parker's surgery went well. He is home and doing GREAT!!!

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Sunday, Jan. 20, 2007 at 8 PM

***Please stop by and say a prayer for our special friend, Baby Donovan (LINK ABOVE). His family is preparing for the hardest thing in life: Saying "goodbye".

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January 19, 2007 11 AM

Quick update:

Parker is scheduled to have his port removed at 11:30 AM on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

January 16, 2007 11 AM

Quick update:

We heard from Dr. K last night. The port has to come out. Waiting to hear about a date/time for surgery.

Meliss

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January 15, 2007, 4 PM

Quick update:

Parker was just released from the hospital. He had everyone stumped with white chunks that resembled cottage cheese, IN his blood. His medi-port was sluggish and at times wouldn't even work. Everyone was passing around the sample with the white chuncks and wouldn't you know it.....The lab LOST it!!! So, they had to take ANOTHER sample from his arm this time (with no chunks) and we had to wait for the new results. Things looked pretty normal when we left, however the mysterious white chunks have everyone baffled. It looks directly related to the port line. I'm thinking that port is going to have to come out sooner than later.

Fevers are down, but not gone. However, they did let us bring him home to monitor him. As long as they don't go up any we'll be o.k.

What a BUMMER of a 3 day weekend!

Love,

Meliss

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January 14, 2007, 10:00 a.m.

Quick update:

Parker developed a fever last night which required an automatic admit to the hospital. As of this morning he continues to run a fever. The doctor thinks that it is viral, so they are doing cultures and running antibiotics.

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Happy New Year!!!

Wow, has it been a LONG time since I last updated!!! Please know that no news is always good news.

Other than some sniffles, we Fritsch’s are doing just fine! Parker still hasn’t had any meds weaned, he still pops about 24 pills a day, has 6 creams, he still is battling graft vs. host disease in his skin, and we still have his port in and will get admitted for any fevers over 101. Although, this all seems NORMAL for us. We’ve got it down! We will take it! Life is GOOD!!!

Richard is back in school full time, both Parker and CJ are loving their classes, and I am busy teaching away! We have been so excited this week for the kick off of our new cycling team! We have over 150 members. Many of them “Team in Training” alumni. We are a charity team, but only new members will have to fund-raise and then they will gain alumni status. Our charities are The Central California Blood Center and The Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. And…..We are all training for a century in May!!! It is so cool to be a part of something so wonderful!

Wishing you all the best that this New Year has to offer! Please continue to keep Veronica, Parker B., and Joshua in your thoughts prayers, for they are all having difficult journeys, and we hope that things will turn around for them all soon.

Praise be to God for the smooth sailing transplants for Noah, Blake, Conner, and Taylor. These kiddos all have the same diagnosis, as Parker and we have been with them in prayer every step of the way.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, December 12, 2006 11:05 PM CST

The blood and marrow drive was just excellent! It far exceeded any of our expectations, and blew way past our numbers from last year. Read the news article to learn more about the success of the blood drive. A huge THANK YOU to all who made it a big success; The Central California Blood Center employees, the incredible people who donated the Savemart Center, the blood and marrow donors, the volunteers, the sponsors, and our special friend Connie Reelhorn who picked up the bill for hundreds of people to register to be on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry, as well as Hendricks Marrow who always is amazing! THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

Parker is doing GREAT! I wish that I could say the same for Connor though. He is on his third antibiotic and is STILL coughing! I was remembering when Parker was diagnosed and it started with the antibiotics not working. I started to FREAK this week. Then I remembered the bruises Parker had and the bone pain. I just have to tell myself to calm down. Connor does NOT have leukemia!!! It just always makes you paranoid! Please pray for this cough to GO AWAY!

The holidays are so different this year. We are really enjoying everything that the season brings. Last year Parker was still in isolation and we were only 9 months out from transplant and still so very scared! So this year….Bring it on!!! We are going and doing and seeing and experiencing LIFE!!!

We, none the less will not forget all of those whom we have met along the way whom will not be having the most joyous Christmas ever. Please keep all those families in your thoughts and prayers who have lost their love ones and are experiencing the season for the first time without them. Please pray for Donovan’s family who are grasping on to each and every day that they have left with him and are praying for a miracle. Please pray for Parker Bockhop in his struggle to recover from transplant and bring his counts back up. Please think of Sherilyn’s sister Veronica who will be spending Christmas in the hospital receiving her next heavy round of chemo.

Life is fragile and precious. Hug your loved ones.

From our family to yours,
Happy Holidays!

Love,

Melissa, Richard, Parker, and Connor

Sunday, December 3, 2006 8:00 AM CST

Update;

Parker was discharged on Friday. He is feeling great and recovering at home. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. We are looking forward to a happy HEALTHY Christmas!

Love,

Meliss
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Thursday, November 30, 2006 8:00 AM

Update;

Parker is doing much better. He is still running a low grade fever off and on, so we don't know when he'll be discharged.

All cultures; flu, RSV, strep, etc. have come back negative. It's looking like Bronchitis and an ear infection are the cause of the fevers.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Meliss
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Parker was admitted to Children's Hospital last night with chills and high fevers. They are running cultures, and other tests to see what the scoop is. It's looking like Bronchitis, but RSV and infections are not being ruled out.

We'll keep you posted when we know more.

Love,

Meliss

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Friday, November 17, 2006

20 months past transplant! 4 years and 4 months since diagnosis!

We continue celebrating LIFE and cherishing each and every day that is given to us. We just returned from a delightful trip to Disneyland! The fun that was had, was immeasurable! It feels as if our journey has come full circle as we embark upon NORMALCY like trips to the magic kingdom. The boys had the time of their lives and needless to say, so did we.

We also took Grandma and Grandpa with us as a THANK YOU for coming to transplant with us and helping us so much. Parker even got Grandma on Space Mountain! The highlight for Parker and Connor was none other than the Jedi Training Academy! They were each given instruction on proper light saber usage and then they had to use their new knowledge on a dark side enemy. Connor battled Darth Vader and Parker took on Darth Maul (gosh I think that’s his name). Anyway, they just think they are on a whole new level now that they have their Jedi certificates! Too funny!!!

The bummer of the trip was that I got a cold on the first day! I tried so very hard not to give it to everyone, but on the way home EVERYONE was hugging a Kleenex box! Just a head cold, but miserable just the same. We arrived home on Wednesday night and at about 4 AM Parker awoke with a painful earache. Being that it was Thanksgiving, nothing was open except the ER. We emailed Dr. K and she called in a prescription as to avoid exposing Parker to the germ filled emergency room. With only 1 pharmacy open in town, it took awhile to get his first dose in him. He is recovering today, taking it easy, and enjoying the festivities of the holidays. Thanksgiving was quiet though, as we were all recovering from our colds.

Parker and Connor are dreaming of a live Christmas tree this year. Because of the dangers that the germs presented, we haven’t had one since Parker was a baby. Connor has NEVER had one. So, this is HUGE this year! Parker is also trying hard to convince me that his Jimmy Johnson stocking needs to be hung in the middle of the living room fire place! I however, am convinced that Santa would LOVE to see the BRIGHT BLUE Jimmy Johnson stocking on the post of his bed! He, he, he! I told Parker that we would put a note out for Santa to tell him that it is in his room.

On the medical front, Parker is STILL having some GvHD skin issues. No prednisone wean in sight. He does however have a new tooth coming in!!! This is HUGE! We are unsure as to how many of his permanent teeth were zapped by radiation and won’t come in. He will be having a full head x-ray in February to see what the scoop is. We were told that implants could definitely be in Parker’s future. More pain in his future makes me very sad.

Please keep our fellow transplant friends and chemo kids in your thoughts and prayers. Veronica (Sherilyn’s sister) is having unexplained fevers. Little Noah just had his transplant and will play the waiting game for engraftment. And, Alexia is having surgery due to complications. It’s such a hard journey for all involved.

We have so much to be thankful for and wish you all a happy and HEALTHY holiday season!

Love,

The Fritsch
Melissa, Richard, Parker, and Connor

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 11:40 PM CST

Last Thursday the entire Fritsch family got their flu shots. This was a first for Parker, because he was not allowed to have one in previous years due to his illness and weak immune system. Dr. Kurtzberg insisted that he get one this year. Well, within 24 hours of his shot, Parker got the flu!

He had aches, a high fever, and just felt terrible the morning after his shot. By 10AM his fever was up more and he was in the hospital on I.V. fluids. It gave us quite a scare. Let me also add that it was Friday and there was no school due to the holiday. Parker had plans of playing 9 holes with Dad. THAT didn’t happen. Poor kid misses soooooo much!

Anyway, Parker fought it off well, and he is fine now. It has me completely FREAKED out about starting any of his immunizations though. Mumps, measles, etc. YIKES!!!

We are now gearing up for the annual “Helping Parker’s Pals Blood and Marrow Drive”. It is being held on Monday, Dec. 11, at the Savemart Center. We know a lot of you like to volunteer for this event, so be sure to check out the information above! Also, make sure you give blood that day and you'll get a t-shirt with Parker's artwork on it!

We also have a new “Parker Print” getting ready to be released! This is his fourth print, and it is the red cycling one from the painting above. It will be a fund-raiser for our cycling team with the proceeds going to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and The Central California Blood Center. I’ll post how you can get one when we have the details worked out.

On the medical front, Parker is doing well. Holding steady at 2.5 mg. of prednisone every day. His GVHD skin issues are still there, but are minimal. His scalp and lip are taking the brunt of it.

He is trying so hard in school, but still struggling to keep up. We have called a “Student Study Team Meeting” with his teacher and are hoping to implement some sort of plan. He is so smart. We are so hopeful that he’s gonna make it, but no one wants to see him struggle so much.

Please keep our transplant friends in your thoughts and prayers. Joshua just engrafted and is getting off 5200 soon and Noah just went in to 5200 and is starting the countdown to transplant. Both these kiddos are Philadelphia Positive just like Parker and therefore we feel a very close bond with them. We know that Dr. K will give them the very best care at Duke. God speed Josh and Noah!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 10:46 PM CDT

Parker didn’t tolerate the weaning of the meds…..AT ALL! He is back up to 5 mg. of prednisone twice a day and a full dose of his anti-rejection drug FK506! ARGGGGG!!! It is so frustrating. He got a rash from head to toe. His scalp is a flaky mess with bald patches all over, and he is itching with red patches and bumps all over his body. Luckily it didn’t cause any stomach issues yet. Dr. Kurtzberg will advise us of a new and slower plan of action. It looks like Parker is going to be one of those transplant kids that is on meds for YEARS! But hey…..we HAVE years!!! Smile!

My metric century on Saturday was AWESOME!!!! I so LOVED every minute of it. Now I am addicted to riding and I just can’t wait to get back on my bike!

Check out the new pictures! Read back through the journal entries if you don’t know why Parker had his picture with Jeff Gordon.

Mark your calendars……~~(December 20)~~ (10/27/06 update; due to a schedule conflict at the Save Mart Center the date has been changed)...December 11th 8am - 8 pm, will be the third annual “Parker’s Pals Blood and Marrow Drive” at the Savemart Center! This is a GREAT opportunity to get yourself put on the national bone marrow list!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 10:46 PM CDT

Thursday, October 19, 2006 0:41 AM CDT

Parker and Richard made it home from Duke on Saturday evening. Parker was talking a thousand miles a minute telling CJ and I of all that they did, and saw, and where they went. Who would have thought that you could turn a doctor’s visit into as much fun as they had?

At the top of Parker’s list was delivering presents to kids on 5200 for Courtney from Hendricks Motor Sports. He was just tickled to go into her secret room and pick out gifts for his new friend Joshua on the transplant floor. Joshua is waiting to engraft. Pray that those cells GROW, GROW, GROW!!!

Next on the list, was spending time with Courtney, Caleb, and the rest of the crew from Hendricks. What an AWESOME group of people. The fund-raising dinner was a blast, and Parker was very excited to meet Jeff Gordon. Parker and Richard got to attend a Bush race and even watch from a skybox! Then…..they got to spend the night at Courtney and Caleb’s house for, every hotel in the city was sold out because of the race. This was a treat in itself.

Parker’s tests all came back well, with the exception of his eye exam and his thyroid test. Both will be tested further in the next couple of months. The thyroid abnormalities are a common side effect from the radiation. We knew that this could happen, however we had hoped that it wouldn’t. It could put him on a medication for the rest of his life. We’ll know more in the months to come.

Dr. Kurtzberg weaned Parker off several meds, and he is already having problems. His GvHD rash is flaring up all over his body! We are trying to control it with creams. I DO NOT want to go up on the prednisone unless we absolutely have to! Please pray for this to get under control.

He can finally have fresh pepper (held because of mold), carefully go to kid friendly places like Chucky Cheese (I know, YUCK! But it was on his list of questions.), and in the spring he can have his mediport removed. She wanted to wait on that until after flu season. She did say no on swimming in lower elevation lakes and we are still waiting to hear if she is going to let him eat honey again. So much to think about hu?!!

Parker was excited to return to school on Monday. That night, I could tell that something was bothering him. I asked him what happened at school today? He said that a kid came up to him and said that his mother told him that you could NEVER get rid of leukemia. Then proceeded to tell him that his grandfather already is dead from it. GREAT!!! Luckily Parker said that the kid didn’t know what he was talking about and that he (Parker) knew all about leukemia and knew plenty of people who have survived and have been CURED of the disease! Go Parker!!! I just have NO idea what that mother was thinking! But, I couldn’t think of one good thing to say to her, so I just let it go.

Anyway, on a happier note….

This Saturday (3 days) is my metric century! I can’t believe that I have been training since July 9! I’m doing this for so many reasons; fitness, leukemia research, Marsha Sorenson’s memory, and JUST TO SAY THAT I DID IT!!! Thank you everyone who has supported me during this endeavor.

Please keep our PH positive buddy Noah in your thoughts and prayers as he heads to Duke for transplant. We also ask that you keep Parker’s little friend Bailey and her family in your prayers for she just relapsed after completing her treatment in January, and has no choice but to head down the transplant road.

Keep the FAITH!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, October 12, 2006 6:31 PM CDT

Parker and Richard will not be able to stay for the Saturday evening Nextel Cup NASCAR race as their Corporate Angel Flight is scheduled for noon Saturday, but.... Courtney Hurd, Manager of the Foundation's Hendrick Marrow Program, came to the rescue. Courtney acquired tickets for both Parker and Richard to go to the Friday night NASCAR BUSH race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. She is also hosting them at her home Friday evening as all the local hotel/motel rooms are booked. Courtney, you're an awesome gal.

Grandpa

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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Parker was the honored guest tonight at the Jeff Gordon Foundation fundraiser in Charlotte, North Carolina. He got to meet Jeff Gordon and attend the dinner. They asked him if he would do a painting for their event and Parker was pleased to create a piece titled "Pit Road". It seems that Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon were bidding against one another. The winning bid was made by Jeff Gordon for a sum of $17,000!!! The new piece will be hung in the new children's hospital in Concord, North Carolina. Proceeds from the benefit will go to Hendrick's Marrow Program and fund the National Bone Marrow Registry.

Parker and Richard are still waiting to hear about a return flight to California. If the are stuck in North Carolina over the weekend, they will attend the NASCAR race at Lowes Speedway.

Parker returns to Duke today for another appointment to check his eyes.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa

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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Update on Parker’s 18 month check up at Duke;

Parker had a very good check up with Dr. K on Tuesday. It started out a little bumpy when they arrived at the hospital and the receptionist said, “We don’t have you down for today!” Strange! When planning a doctor’s appointment from 3,000 miles away, you’d think that they’d at least “have you down”! Well, it all worked out and they got squeezed in. Needless to say they were there WELL after dark last night. But, we learned long ago when you are waiting to see the incredible Dr. K you take it all in stride. She saved his life and we’d wait for her as long as it takes!

Dr. Kurtzberg was very pleased with how Parker looked. She said that because we replaced his blood and not his skin type, that his pale sensitive skin could give us trouble for some time still. We will continue the steroid creams. Especially on his head (which is looking much better). She weaned him to half dose off his FK506 (anti-rejection med, which suppresses his immune system). This will allow his immune system to slowly return to “normal”, whatever that is. He was also weaned off a couple other meds, and is scheduled to start receiving his immunization shots in December. He has to start all over, because the ones that he has received from birth have all been wiped out with chemo and radiation. He will also get a flu shot for the first time EVER!

The only discouraging news was that Parker’s eye sight has gotten significantly worse. He will see a specialist when he returns to California and will be fitted for glasses. We are not sure if this is the after effects from treatment or just bad genes from 2 parents who wore glasses from age 5! All in all, it’s minor in the whole scheme of things.

Parker and Richard headed up to 5200 after they were done in the clinic. They were able to see some of our FAVORITE nurses, although some still need to be hunted down. Smile! They also were able to visit a couple of the transplant families who we have been keeping in touch with. Parker and Joshua hit it off and had a ball. They are anxiously waiting for Joshua to engraft. Visit Joshua’s site link above to check on him and say hello, he has been in the hospital for some time now. Then they also saw baby Donovan who is just as cute as can be. This little guy has been through so very much and is such an incredible fighter. He is on his second transplant after relapse from his first one. Go Donovan! GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Today Parker heads to Charlotte to meet Jeff Gordon! Read the last journal entry to see why. Have fun baby. I miss you more than words can say. Take care of daddy!

Love,

Proud Mommy Melissa
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Monday, October 9, 2006 3:31 PM CDT

18 months past transplant!

What an eventful week we have had…..

As you can see by the picture at the top, Parker has a new painting! He was asked by the local cycling team to create a painting that they could use for their new jersey design. Last Saturday evening at the “Lighthouse Century” in Morro Bay, Parker unveiled his new creation. Although many people expressed interest in bidding on the piece, Parker said that it was not for sale! Instead, it was given to his buddy Sue Hammond. Sue has been an incredible person in all of the Fritsch’s lives. She has a wonderful relationship with Parker and loves to take him on her triple bicycle which was specially created for Parker to ride. We couldn’t have agreed with Parker more that Sue deserved this special gift. A limited number of prints are being created of this piece and the funds raised will go to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and The Central California Blood Center. Details to follow.

On Thursday evening this week, both Parker and Connor attended a wedding rehearsal, for they were the official ring barriers. Unfortunately we were all having such a great time that we neglected to give Parker a lactate pill and he consumed two pieces of pizza and a piece of cake with butter cream frosting. Needless to say, Parker began throwing up and having other issues about 10 PM and continued throughout the night. We did manage to avoid admitting him, by administering hydrocortisone and slowly hydrating him. However, by morning he was wiped out and exhausted. We kept him home from school, hoping that he could regain some energy to attend the wedding. I did NOT want to tell the bride that her ring barrier is not going to make it!

Although he was a little tired and weak, Parker made it to the wedding. What a cutie he was in his tux! The best part was when he went to ask the flower girl to dance! It was just ADORABLE!!! Then Connor asked the other flower girl……Well, it just doesn’t get any cuter than all of that! What a celebration of LIFE that evening was! The couple getting married were both former students of mine. The bride was on my yearbook staff for two years, and became our baby sitter when Parker was born. She used to talk to him while he was still in my tummy! We were so excited when they asked both boys to be in their wedding. Congratulations Bree and Mark Gentry! May you have MANY happy years together!!!

This morning at 9:30 Parker’s Corporate Angel flight left for North Carolina. We are not allowed to divulge who flew them, but we are very thankful for this incredible company.

Tuesday Parker will have his check up at Duke. Wednesday night he will be attending a Jeff Gordon Foundation dinner in Charlotte, where he has another painting up for auction. The proceeds of “Pit Road” will go to the foundation who is dedicated to funding donors of the National Bone Marrow Registry. Thank you Courtney from Hendricks Motor Sports for the great opportunity for Parker to make a little bit of a difference in an area so very important! We LOVE you Courtney!!! Of course meeting Jeff Gordon is pretty darn cool too!!!!!!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 10:38 AM CDT

I’ve completely lost track of how many days out from transplant we are, but I can say that it’s about 17 months. Parker will be heading to Duke with Richard in about 3 weeks for his 18 month checkup and again in April for the big 2 year mark.

Our newest obstacle (number 2 million I think) is that a GvHD skin rash is attacking Parker’s scalp. His head is bumpy, flaking, peeling, and he is balding in patches. Poor baby. We are going to cut his hair real short tomorrow so the bald spots don’t show as much, but we can’t go too short or the crusty, nasty scalp will show through. UGH!!!

Dr. Kurtzberg is contacting Parker’s local doctor to get a plan put in place. He goes out to Children’s Hospital of Central California this afternoon. Special shampoo’s and steroid creams (don’t ask me how we’ll get that in his hair) should be on the treatment outline. I have no idea where this puts us with the steroid wean. We just can’t seem to get him off that stuff! It’s so frustrating!

School is going a little better for Parker. He told me that he thinks that his teacher gives him extra chances, because he is still learning the rules. He really likes her, and thinks she is pretty! Although, not everyday is a good day. He had to “pull a card” two days in a row for starting early on a timed math fact test (he just wanted to do well) and the next day for sticking his tongue out at a girl (I have no idea what that was all about, but he knew he deserved that one). Let’s see…..He also bounced a ball while in line, refused to go to the nurses office after getting creamed in the stomach with a soccer ball (because there were too many germs in there and he just wasn’t going), and didn’t put a homework assignment in his backpack like he was told to and therefore lost it. We have had to have MANY talks. Now, if he has to go to the nurse, he’ll just go to the office and she’ll meet him there.

Saturday Parker had his first soccer game. His attitude amazed me when he informed me that they lost 2 to 0. He said, “It wasn’t so bad. We’ll get’um next time. It’s not like we got creamed or anything!” Game number 2 is this Saturday. Go Stingrays!!! Oh, and that reminds me of the other drama that occurred in our lives. The death of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin sent Parker off the deep end. He was so upset! He cried and cried. He LOVED that guy! Then he was upset that his soccer team was named the Stingrays.

Please pray that we get Parker’s Graft vs. Host Disease under control, and that he gets to come off his meds soon. Little Joshua is getting his new life saving stem cells today. Click the link above to cheer him on to a long and healthy life. GROW CELLS GROW Joshua!!!

Oh, and did I tell you that I am riding 50 plus miles on my bike now!!! I’m ready for my metric century! I NEVER thought that I’d be able to say THAT!

Love to all!

Keep the FAITH!

Melissa and the boys

Friday, September 1, 2006 1:29 PM CDT

Parker is adjusting well to going to school everyday. He really does LOVE it! Although, he is still learning social skills, but hey he really hasn’t been around kids very much in the last couple of years so we were bound to see some issues there. Did you know that you can’t just tackle other kids to the ground and wrestle with them at school!!! Oh, my goodness. I guess I should have had the “keep your hands to yourself” conversation with him.

Connor too is just now learning how to behave around other children. For some reason, he thought that it was o.k. to color marker all over another kid’s shirt at preschool! Geez! I am just LOVING these phone calls that I am getting. NOT!

On the health front, Connor caught a cold the first week of preschool. Parker came down with it a couple days later, but didn’t get it quite as bad as his brother. Both are still coughing a little, but all in all are feeling well. Parker’s last hospital appointment went EXCELLENT! His counts are perfect, his rash is under control, and we are on the road to weaning the meds! YEAH!!!

We have all been so busy. I hardly ever get to see Richard. We do a high five at the door, like changing of the guard. The boys are both involved in soccer and are looking forward to their first game on Sept. 9. I am up to 34 miles on my bike for training for the Valley Girl’s Ride in October, hoping to do a 40 mile ride this weekend. The actual ride is 64 miles, so I still have a way to go. About 25 miles into a ride and my toes go numb! I HAVE to figure out how to keep that from happening!

Parker's new painting (pictured above) is going up for auction at The Children's Hospital of Central California "Harvest Ball" on September 16. It will be part of the live auction. Richard and I were fortunate enough to have been invited to be guests of Dr. David Hodge for the ball, so we are very excited to see how that goes. In the past Parker's paintings have fetched between 1,600 to 2,700 in the live auction! All proceeds going to the hospital!

Prayer requests;

Please continue your prayers for Sherilyn’s sister Veronica. She is about 10 days into heavy chemo with a very long road ahead of her. Her entire family has been through so much and could use some strength.

Baby Donovan has relapsed and is preparing for a second transplant and they are so scared and uncertain of the future.

Also, some of our fellow PH ALL kids are knee deep in the transplant process right now. Please visit Taylor and Joshua’s web sites via the links above and leave them some encouraging words. GROW CELLS GROW!!! God speed!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, August 21, 2006 11:55 PM CDT

It so does not seem right that I am going to tell you how great we are doing. How much Parker enjoyed his birthday, his first day of school, his first soccer practice, and just the NORMAL little things in life… We are excited about his new painting that is going up for auction at the Children’s Hospital Harvest Ball on September 16, and that I am now riding 30ish miles on my bike to benefit leukemia research, and that we are all healthy, happy, and enjoying life to its’ fullest, for…….

I am overwhelmed with the news that I just received.

You probably remember Parker’s transplant buddy Sherilyn. She battled a near deadly case of AML after relapse and was transplanted 9 days ahead of Parker. Her mother Laura became my best friend while I was so very far from home, and we continued our friendship well after we left North Carolina and returned to California. When we returned to Duke for Parker’s (and Sherilyn’s) 1-year checkup, we vacationed with their family in the outer banks. It was a celebration of LIFE, with the future FINALLY holding the normalcy that we so longed for.

Laura just called me in tears to give me the news that their other daughter Veronica has just been diagnosed with leukemia. They do not know what kind yet, but it is presenting itself like AML. They are at Duke, and are starting a surreal beginning that they have been to before.

I pray for a miracle. A miss diagnosis. Something. Anything.

Down on my knees.

Love,

Melissa

Monday, July 31, 2006 5:48 PM CDT

Praise be to GOD in Heaven, Parker Fritsch is turning seven!!!

Kind of catchy huh? Please stop by the guest book and wish Parker a happy birthday on Saturday, August 5. What a very long way he has come. He is doing awesome and we are so very proud of him.

We have been very busy enjoying our last couple of weeks of vacation. On Friday we headed to the beach. It was so nice to be in cooler weather for a few days. On Saturday we headed up highway 1 and took the boys to San Francisco. That was a total blast!

We ate seafood, took cable cars everywhere, went to the Exploratorium, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and explored Sausalito. Fun, fun, fun!

Today I signed the boys up for soccer and took them out to get cleats. They are both very excited to be around other kids. Their lives have changed drastically these last 3 months. They went from going nowhere and not seeing anybody to going everywhere (well almost) and seeing everybody. We are so incredibly BLESSED!

I report back to teaching in two weeks. Where did the summer go? Parker is going into second grade, Connor starts preschool, and Richard will be (hopefully) finishing his last year of law school. I say hopefully because he missed some courses when Parker was very sick and we are hoping that the ones that he needs are offered this fall. It will so stink to have to wait and get one or two courses over with. I’m starting to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel!

On the medical front, Parker FINALLY was moved to once a month hospital appointments. He hasn’t needed any I.V. meds for so long now, that the doctors are hoping that he just might be done with them. Yeah, no more IVIG! Now if we could just get off the steroids! The rash is just not gone though. We have to wait for this weather to cool off so that the rash will subside. Either that, or move! He, he, he….

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, July 21, 2006 5:42 PM CDT

Day 494 (Can you believe how big that number is?!!!)

Parker’s skin looks too good to be true. It seems that we just might have this graft vs. host disease under control. Knock on wood. Hopefully we will be in for a prednisone wean SOON! We found it very important to just put sunscreen on daily. Even running out to the mailbox gets his rash out of control. Or sun coming through a window. It’s almost like an allergic reaction to the sun. Hats, sunscreen, shade, and sunglasses are key! There is no such thing as, “I’m only going to be in the sun for a minute”, for Parker.

We just returned from a FABULOUS camping trip. The four of us, plus Grandma and Grandpa Morgan went up to Huntington Lake for about a week. Parker fished everyday and STILL did not catch a fish! UGH!!! He is just the unluckiest fisherman that ever lived! That, and I think that he has little patience for waiting for them to bite! I think I’m going to have to strike a deal with the fish hatchery to let this little guy catch one! He, he, he.

Parker’s painting is coming up for auction at the Evanosky Foundation fundraiser August 4. In the photo album is a picture of him finishing it. If you are interested, click their web site above for details. Parker and Richard are hoping that Corp. Angel drops them in Chicago for a layover when they fly out to Duke for Parker’s 18-month check-up. We really miss our good friends the Evanoskys and would love an opportunity to visit them. We wish them well on their fundraising efforts, and continue to pray for a cure for their precious boys.

I just don’t know where the summer is going! We cruised past Parker’s 4 year past diagnosis mark on July 9. That is always a surreal day. I always look at the clock and remember where we were and what was going on 4 years ago on that terrible day. How very far Parker has come.

Don’t laugh at this one people, but I have started cycling. I just couldn’t be the only one in the family to not do this. I haven’t ridden since my freshman year of college. I am training for the Valley Girl’s Ride in October and am planning of riding a metric century. I did my first hills yesterday and it just about killed me! Of course the 108-degree heat was NOT helping either. Hopefully it will cool off soon and I can build up some endurance! Wish me luck!

I’ve got TONS of yucky camping laundry to get to, so I have to make this short.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, July 4, 2006 10:01 AM CDT

Day 477

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!! We wanted to give gratitude and thanks to all of the fabulous men and women who serve to keep this country the great place that it is. We honor you for all of your dedication and hard work. THANK YOU! And to my big brother Colonel Michael Morgan, “You’re awesome and I am so very proud of you!” CELEBRATE LIFE AND FREEDOM EVERYONE!

Parker is doing better with the rash. It is only on his hands and arms now, but he is still on 5 mg. of prednisone a day, with no wean in sight. He is a little puffy again and I imagine that it is only going to get worse. The sun is definitely the enemy now. If he stays inside, he’s fine. How do you stay inside when you live in California??? Well, we don’t, and so we have to be very careful. Plus, we live in a high West Nile Virus area and so we have to be very careful of that too!

We had a fantastic time at the beach last week. The boys swam for hours! We spent 1 day in Pismo Beach and then headed south to Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc to visit my brother Michael, sister-in-law Terri, and niece Melissa. They were just transferred to Wyoming and so we had to hurry to see them before they leave. My brother tried very hard his entire military career to get stationed in CA and as soon as it finally happened, we had to move to North Carolina for transplant! UGH! Hopefully he’ll be back at retirement. Hint, hint, Michael and Terri! It was 108 back home and 73 at the coast. Needless to say, it was very hard to return home!

Parker just finished his first session of golf lessons on Friday and did very well. He was by far the youngest one out there and yet kept up with the best of them. It’s so cute watching him play. On Friday he had a junior tournament and Richard and I walked the course to watch him. I never thought of golf as a spectator sport before, but it was a blast and I’d LOVE to go to some pro tournament someday! Parker’s second session starts on Tuesday evening. The trees are huge out there, so it’s pretty easy to keep him in the shade.

Richard’s cycling coach Mike just gave us a double trailer bike! It has two seats, two sets of handle bars, and two sets of pedals. It’s kind of like having a limo behind you, but so much fun! The boys are having a blast riding distances now. Both Richard and Grandpa have pulled them so far. I might get the courage up soon too! I have pulled the single trailer bike with no problem, so we’ll see.

As I look at the date, I cringe to see that July 9 is fast approaching. This is the 4-year anniversary of the horrible day that Parker was diagnosed with leukemia and my mom’s breast cancer was confirmed. It was the worst day of our lives, but we made it past all the hurdles! They beat all the odds, and we have definitely experienced miracles! Praise GOD!

Some people have expressed interest in owning a “Parker Painting”. Well, now’s your chance! Parker created a piece for the Evanosky Foundation fundraiser to find a cure for MLD. To see the piece that will be going up for auction, click the Evanosky Family link at the top of the page! The piece is in Chicago, but a plan for phone bids is being put in place.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Love,

The Fritsch Family
Melissa, Richard, Parker, and Connor

Tuesday, June 20, 2006 11:30 AM CDT

Day 463

Well, Parker’s GvH rash got significantly worse. It started traveling up is arms, past his elbows, on his feet and legs, and then started on his neck and face. The red spots turned into raised bumpy welts. It was so sad the other day at the park when a bunch of boys were making fun of Parker, calling him “Bumpy Boy” until he cried. It broke my heart and tested my ability to restrain myself where those boys were concerned!

Back up to 10 mg. of prednisone…. sigh….. He had just made it back to his old size as you can see from the new picture up top! It is all so frustrating. We really want him off of these meds. However the graft vs. host disease is just too scary to mess around with. If it travels to his organs we could be in serious trouble. Dr. Kurtzberg wanted to try this big pulse of steroids for 1 week to see if we can regain control over the rash. Hopefully we will be back down to our 2.5 mg. of prednisone every other day very soon.

The boys and I have been very busy celebrating LIFE since school has been out. Last Thursday we did a day trip to Sequoia National Park to see the giant redwoods, have a picnic in Cresent Meadow, and climb Morro Rock (the boys kicked my butt on that one). Yesterday we did a day trip to Yosemite to see the waterfalls roaring! They were most spectacular!!! We are getting ready to hit the beach in the near future also. I just LOVE living in the middle of California and having access to all these great places. We live about 2 hours to all of these fabulous destinations! It’s like the BEST backyard!!!

The other cool thing is that Parker has been picking up a paintbrush again!!! He wanted to help his good friends the Evanoskys, who are trying to raise funds to support Dr. K’s research to cure MLD. All 3 of their beautiful children have this deadly disease. Please see the link to their page above. Parker’s painting will be up for auction at the Evanosky Foundation fundraiser in early August. We’ll try to post a picture and information as soon as it is back from the framer. Parker’s easel is in the backyard under a tree. The paints are piled high and his palette is ready to be filled again. He said, “Don’t put this away Mom. I have much work to do!”

There are several other fundraisers that Parker hopes to help out in the near future, as well as a couple gifts to some very special people in his life. I just leave him alone, because if I ask him if he wants to paint, he thinks I am bugging him and he tells me NO. He has only completed 3 paintings since transplant. One for the Children’s Hospital Harvest Ball auction last year, one for Coach Mike from the Team in Training, and this one for the Evanoskys. A winery in Madera bought the one at the Children’s Hospital auction, and they hung it in their tasting room. Might have to be talked into wine tasting to go see that one. Twist my arm! He, he, he…

Parker was also asked to send Hendricks Motor Sports (owner of NASCAR drivers Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon) pictures of him in his Jimmy gear. That explains the pictures above. Of course I had to sneak some in of Connor in his Gordon attire too! Hendricks has an awesome “Marrow Program” that is helping people all over the world who need bone marrow transplants. Parker visits Hendricks every chance he gets when he is in North Carolina. Courtney Hurd, who is in charge of the program, is a good buddy of Parkers. We can’t wait for their big fundraiser in October!!! We are scheduling Parker’s 18-month check-up at Duke around their fundraiser. I believe that it will just be Richard and Parker who will be able to attend though. Connor and I will have to wait for the big 2-year appointment to join them. It gets quite pricey jumping from one coast to the other so often!

Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Please continue to pray for our hospital friends. Parker B. is doing really well! Karagin U. is also busy celebrating life! But, I just found out that one of my junior high and high school friends Stephanie Mullennix is battling leukemia and having a pretty rough go of it. She could certainly use your thoughts and prayers. Darn that leukemia!!! I pray we find a cure soon.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, June 6, 2006 11:01 PM CDT

Day 448

What a weekend! We traveled to Lake Tahoe for the “Team in Training” 100-mile ride. It started out pretty rocky when we stopped at an outlet mall when we got there to pick up a pair of cycling shorts for Parker and someone thought that it would be funny to take the pin out of Richard’s bike rack. We were only in the store for a few minutes and only about a mile from the hotel too! Of course when we pulled out of the parking lot onto the highway, the bike rack came slamming down, throwing his bike on the pavement and dragging it. It completely ruined his tire and the wheel was a little bent. What a SICK joke someone played on us! Coach Mike calmed us all down after he inspected it and said that he could fix it. How completely insane was it for someone to pull that pin?!!! I just can’t even imagine if Richard had trained all season and then couldn’t even participate in the ride. Luckily our fabulous coach saved us!

Richard did just great the next day and we are very proud of him. 29 miles into the ride, our family and friends hosted a peanut butter and jelly stop. We filled water bottles, pumped tires, collected gear that the riders wanted to shed, and handed out hundreds of sandwiches! It was pretty tricky to hand a sandwich to a passing cyclist. I only dropped one, but saw many others go flying. We ran out after handing out 35 loafs of bread worth of sandwiches cut into triangles. Next year we’re going to have to make it 50 loafs. We felt so bad after we ran out and there were still riders coming by. One lady said, “Oh, man! I was looking forward to that sandwich for 8 miles!”

We made lots of noise as our team rode by. We had horns, bells, and whistles as well as our yelling voices to cheer on the team. There were 1,900 Team in Training cyclists in the event this year; about 100 were from our valley. The entire group brought in over 8 million dollars for cancer research! GO TEAM!!! It was truly amazing!

In the afternoon we drove around the lake to the finish line. We let Parker ride the last mile with his daddy. Grandpa even pulled Connor on the extension bike and they all crossed the finish line together! I got that on video too! Then Parker went back out to lead the last of the team in. That was very cool to watch. Little Parker with all these team members behind him. They had to climb a hill right before the finish line and when Parker got his team to the top of the hill he put his fist in the air and yelled, “Yes!” It was so cute!

I just can’t begin to tell you how grateful Richard and I are for this wonderful team taking Parker on as their Honoree. Parker feels so important. It has been the most positive thing in his entire 6 years of life. It has given him strength, courage, and self-esteem, because they make him feel like a champion!

Thank you Team in Training. We love you from the bottom of our hearts. Congratulations on a job well done! We are so very proud of you, and can’t wait for the day that the cure is found.

On a medical front, Parker went to the hospital today to have his bronchitis checked. He was given a clean bill of health and sent on his way. He will return to Clinic next Tuesday for counts and chemistry’s. I will actually get to be the one who takes him too, for Friday is my very last day of school! YEAH! I just can’t wait to spend my days with my boys.

Our little buddy Parker Bockhop is doing better and they are even talking about discharging him in a couple of weeks! How’s that for the power of prayer?

Please keep our dear little friend Karagin Udall in your prayers. Her ANC is doing some strange things and they are keeping a close eye on her bone marrow. Karagin is also the Honoree for the “Team in Training” run/walk team. They had their event in San Diego this weekend and Karagin was there to cheer them on. Another amazing group of people!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, May 29, 2006 9:48 PM CDT

Day 440

Thank you for the prayers for our little buddy Parker Bockhop. He seems to be doing a little better but still has a very long way to go, so keep the prayers coming!

Our Parker developed a cough on Wednesday, and by Sunday it had gradually gotten worse. We took him to the hospital where they assessed him, did labs, did a chest X-ray, and ran his monthly dose of IVIG early. 5 hours later we got to take him home. How come this stuff always hits us on a Sunday or holiday??? They concluded that Parker has bronchitis and is therefore now on an antibiotic.

Please pray for this cough to clear up and for the antibiotics to do their work. On Friday we are supposed to be leaving for Richard’s “Team in Training” ride up at Lake Tahoe. This kind of makes me nervous now. Tahoe is a long way from a hospital. On a good note, Richards fund raising has now totaled more than $4,800 for the leukemia lymphoma Society (yeah, I know it’s supposed to be capitalized, I just HATE to give those words the importance of capitalization!).

A family in the D.C. area contacted me last week. Their 5 year old son was diagnosed with ph ALL. I hope that I was able to help them in some small way. I remember being in their shoes, and I wouldn’t wish that on my worse enemy. Please add Joshua to your prayers. If you want to visit his Caringbridge site, click here and type in joshuabrett.

And, I totally forgot (because we have been so busy having so much fun with her) to tell you that we finally got to bring our dog home! Because of germs we just couldn’t have Parker around her. She is a larger dog and VERY spoiled, because we have had her longer than our kids. Macy was away for 1 year and 2 months. Thank you Aunt Dede for taking her in and loving her as part of your family. We will never forget your kindness. The boys are so excited to again have a pet. Parker especially has taken on the responsibility of feeding her and making sure she always has water. Be sure to check out the new pictures.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 12:06 AM CDT

Day 435

Urgent prayer requests for our dear little friend Parker Bockhop who is having a very hard time at transplant down at City of Hope in L.A. He was taken to the P.I.C.U. yesterday with air in his abdomen and pneumonia. Please pray for complete healing and for his new cells to flourish.

Our Parker is doing great. He finished t-ball season and is quite bummed that it is over. The picture of him that was on the site, with the mustache drawn on it was a joke that Grandpa was playing on him. Parker is currently trying to figure out how to get even. Watch out Grandpa!

We are preparing to head to Lake Tahoe in a week and a half for Richard's "Team in Training" 102 mile ride on Sunday, June 4. Thank you to all of you who sponsored Richard's efforts and donated to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Richard rose over $4,300 for research for a cure! Go Richard!!! He has trained so hard and we are so very proud of him!

The rest of the family and some special friends will be hosting a rest stop for the team. We will fill water bottles, taking drop-off items from our team members, and we will be making and handing out HUNDREDS of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to all the riders. I believe that there are around 3,000 cyclists attending. If you are going to be in the area, we'd love your help!!!

Parker received a package this week from some amazing friends at Duke. In the package there was a Duke t-shirt with J.J. Redick's number 4 on the back, 2 basketballs with J.J. Redick's autograph, and a Duke basketball Yearbook with all the players signatures on the inside cover!!! Wow did we have an excited kid!!! Thank you to all that made that possible. Those will be cherished forever, I am sure. Parker is already talking about re-decorating his room with a Duke theme and displaying all of his treasures.

We are waiting to hear from Dr. K about Parker's FINAL steroid wean! Yahoo!!! This has been a long time coming. I am sure you can tell from Parker's pictures that he is really de-puffing! He, he, he. On the other hand (ha, no pun intended) he is still experiencing terrible GvH rash on his hands. We just cannot get it under control. If anything, it is getting worse. We will be checking into a couple things in the next week or so. Please pray that we can find something that can eradicate this rash.

Keeping the FAITH always!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, May 15, 2006 3:28 PM CDT

Day 426

We had a fabulous day at Great America yesterday. It was Courageous Kid’s Day, which is a day where the American Cancer Society treats kids with cancer and their families to a day at the theme park, lunch, dessert, and activities. This was so much fun, and it is truly wonderful that they do this year after year.

Richard and I were so excited that we only spent about $20, but the excitement soon wore off when we were leaving and saw that someone decided to run a key down tons of cars. Our car was keyed from one end to the other. So much for our cheap day! Who would come to kids with cancer day and key some parents cars?! How totally low is that?!!!

We got to see several of our friends from the hospital. In fact we met up with Karigan Udall and her family for dinner on the way home. We finally rolled in around 11 PM last night, so I am a very sleepy teacher today.

Parker is having some tummy issues off and on. He threw up twice last week and complained of pain on several other occasions. His GvH rash on his hands is SOOOOOO stubborn! We just can’t get rid of it. Parker has clinic tomorrow. We are hoping that if all counts and levels look good we can move to once a month visits.

PLEASE keep Parker Bockhop in your thoughts and prayers. This little guy needs some serious healing! Consider linking to his page from above and leaving his parents some well needed words of encouragement.

Keeping the FAITH!

Melissa

Thursday, May 11, 2006 3:18 PM CDT

Day 422

Wow, has it really been since April 26 since I last updated?!!! Parker is doing just awesome! He is thoroughly enjoying playing t-ball, and his reading ability has just taken off. He is so happy to be back to a normal life doing normal things. It is also so good to not have to tell him no all the time when he asks to go here or there. We took him fishing AGAIN, and can you believe that he still hasn’t caught a fish. That kid was just not meant to catch one if you ask me. I’d give up by now, but he is bound and determined to catch one. I think the picture that we have of Connor holding up his big fish is what keeps Parker focused to this fishing thing. Maybe we should take him to the fish hatchery?!! We’d get in trouble, but hey, he’d catch a fish I bet!!!

We were so sad to have to miss the Rainbow Walk of Hero’s at Duke last weekend. Many of our fellow transplant families were there. I know that it would have been very emotional honoring all of the ones we have lost on this journey. Hopefully next year we can schedule Parker’s 2 year studies during the walk.

Richard finished his semester and is off until summer school starts on June1, and I get out of school on June 9. Like always, we seem to pass each other. I think we will have a couple of weeks off at the same time in August.

Medically, Parker is still experiencing GvHD on his hands and occasionally parts of his skin are turning blue, like he has poor circulation or something. It looks like big bruises, only when you look an hour later they are gone. It is just soooooo weird! His counts are excellent. We are hoping for another wean of the steroids on Tuesday, and his heart irregularities have seemed less frequent but are still there. He should be changed from going to clinic once a month instead of every two weeks soon, depending on his FK506 level.

Please continue to pray for our little buddy Parker Bockhop. His new cells are just not coming in at the rate they should. We are hoping that they are just slow and will take off SOON!!! Also, our little friend Karagin is experiencing some pain in her feet and needs prayer. We are hoping that there is some logical reason for this and that it is not a relapse of her leukemia.

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 9:15 AM CDT

Day 407

Ok, if you blinked you might have missed the segment (if you could call it that) of Parker on The Oprah Winfrey Show. I’m sure that they would have done more if we would have gone. I think it was about 10 to 15 seconds! He, he, he. Oh, well.

Anyway, Parker is continuing to do fine. He gets his heart monitor off today. Wouldn’t you just know it that he hasn’t complained of any irregularities since they put the monitor on! :) It’s just like that car that won’t work until you take it to the shop, and then it works fine. Hopefully he won’t have any more problems.

We were able to do a steroid wean yesterday! YEAH!!! Pray that this goes well. Parker is down to 2.5 mg. of prednisone now. He is really de-chubbing too! :) I’ll have to post a new picture. He really is starting to look like the old Parker. He is still really battling GvHD on his hands. They remind me of the guy that was made out of rock in the movie "The Fantastic 4." They’re very chunky and bumpy. On Saturday Parker woke up to the rash spreading up to his elbows! This freaked us out! We took a picture and e-mailed it to Dr. K. I got that idea from a fellow transplant family (thanks Kerri). We have been using his creams 4 times a day, and Dr. K increased his FK506 drug to almost double to what it was. His levels were coming back really low, and this is probably why the GvH got the best of him. We were able to get rid of the rash from the wrist to the elbow, but his hands still look awful. Please pray that this goes away.

This weekend will be very busy with 2 t-ball games (Parker’s and Connor’s) and the Walk for Life for the American Cancer Society. We ask that you continue to keep our little buddy Parker Bockhop in your prayers, and all of our new transplant families that we met while at Duke. Donovan, Alexia, and Mason are battling the effects of transplant, and we pray for strength and good health to bring them through. I’d especially like for you to keep Micah Joshua’s family in your thoughts and prayers this week as their little boy earned his angel wings and is now dancing pain free in heaven.

Love,

Melissa

Thursday, April 20, 2006 11:51 AM CDT

Day 401

Parker is doing fine. He still is experiencing irregularities with his heart beat. His EKG came back normal, but he is till having episodes, so we need to keep trying to correct it. On Monday he will be getting a heart monitor to wear for 48 hours. We are trying to see if we can catch an episode on the monitor. It is usually happening once a day, or every other day. If an episode lasts more than 1 minute we have to take him to the ER. Dr. K assured us that it’s not really dangerous, but can be very uncomfortable for Parker. I’m not really sure where we will go from here. They might have to remove Parker’s port. I don’t know if they will put another one in or not. I would hate for Parker to have to endure I.V’s for 6 months. I don’t know. Does anyone out there have a child who is using an I.V. as opposed to a mediport? If so, I’d like to know how it is going.

Don’t forget to tune into ~~Monday’s Oprah~~ Tuesday's Oprah! The segment on Parker will be on! We really have no idea what they are going to show. They just gathered footage from our local networks and put together a piece. Should be fun!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa

P.S. I’d like to wish my wonderful husband a very happy birthday! I won’t see him today, because he is at the law library studying for finals, so I wanted to wish him a very happy day!!!

P.S.S. I would like to wish my wonderful wife a very happy birthday as well. I didn't get to see her much as I was at the library studying for finals. Parker and Connor also extend their fabulous mommy a happy birthday as well...

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 3:25 PM CDT

Update; Wed. April 18 @ 1:30 PM

Had a scary night with Parker last night. He said, “Mommy my chest hurts and my heart is beating too hard and too fast!”

I called the on call doctor right away. Parker was feeling better in a few minutes and she said that rather than risk taking him to germy ER, let’s watch him tonight. If he has the pain again though, bring him in right away!

I shot an email off to Dr. K to let her know what was going on. It was after 11 PM east coast time and can you believe she got back to me within 7 minutes?! She is just amazing!

Dr. K first assured me that kids do not have heart attacks. She thinks that he is experiencing heart arrhythmia. She wanted an EKG done today. She said that if this is what we are dealing with then sometimes it spontaneously corrects itself, or it can be fixed with a one time dose of a medication, or there is a med. that he can take for awhile. It also could be caused by his mediport. If that is the case, the port will have to be removed.

Next news; Parker’s taping on Oprah is broadcasting Monday, April 24!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa
______________________________________________________________

Day 391

I typed a HUGE update on Easter Sunday, and I just noticed that for some reason it did not post!!! UGH

Well, I hope you all had a happy Easter! Our family was exhausted from getting home in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday.

Parker is enjoying his new found freedom. His first place that he wanted to go to was Target! It just cracked me up…..He started running towards the doors, waving his arms in the air, and yelled, “SHOPPING!” We have since been to restaurants, stores, and of course to the movie theater. We just go during the non-busy times and make sure that places are not crowded.

We were able to get together with a few of our fellow transplant families while we were in Durham. Little Jack Evanosky and his family are always a delight. Amazing people! We also went to the beach with Sherilyn Adams and her mother Laura. It was so beautiful and relaxing. Parker and Sherilyn had fun playing games and building sandcastles together. It’s hard to believe that a year ago walking to the end of the hall on 5200 was a chore. Richard’s parents were able to meet up with us there too. We had a fabulous time! Lastly, we were able to have dinner with the Tatem family. Both of their boys, Thomas and Nathan had transplants at the same time as Parker. It was so surreal looking at the three of them sitting at the table with full heads of hair and eating big plates of food when the last time we saw them all of them were bald and eating almost nothing. Blessings, true blessings.

The funny thing that happened on our trip was a series of interesting phone calls. Someone from this show called “OPRAH” kept calling. Yes, I said, Oprah! Seems they wanted to put Parker on their “Kids That Do Amazing Things” episode. They even were willing to send her private plane to pick us up and bring us to Chicago. Parker however wanted nothing to do with any of it. He just wants to be a normal kid, and we respect that. He has just had so much media coverage over the past 4 years that he just doesn’t want to do it anymore. He wants to play baseball, soccer, and basketball like every other 6 year old kid. The show however asked if they could please use footage from our local networks to do a story on him without him being there. We said that would be fine. We should find out today the date the show airs.

The not so funny thing that happened on our trip was one afternoon when I was playing with Parker and tickling him while he was laying down. He started screaming at the top of his lungs and fearing disturbing anyone in the hotel I instinctively put my hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. Well, my hand hit a VERY loose tooth and I saw it come out so I grabbed Parker right away, but it was too late….Because he was laying down, he swallowed it! I just felt terrible. He was so mad at me because he didn’t have the tooth to put under his pillow. Of course the tooth fairy came anyway, and did you know that she brings dollars now! Yes, I know….guilty pay out.

On the medical front, Parker is doing really well. We are still awaiting some test results, and we still have concerns about his eyes. It seems that the high pressure problem in his eyes could be a precursor to Glaucoma. Their hope is that it will correct itself when Parker is off his steroids. We will arrange for a local doctor to keep a close eye (no pun intended) on him.

Thank you for checking on us. We ask that you please keep these fellow transplant families in your prayers; Parker B, Donovan, Alexia, Mason, and Micah Joshua,

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

See updates below

Update: 10:30 PM Thursday, April 13

Day 387

Grandpa here......we need a drum roll for "Corporate Angels". A corporate angel will be bringing the Fritsch foresome home from Charlotte, North Carolina to Santa Ana, CA on Good Friday. Thanks to their corporate angel Melissa was able to cancel the commercial airline tickets for she and Connor. We've been asked not to identify the corporations that provide these flights but their generosity in surely appreciated.

Estimated time of arrival in Santa Ana is 5PM. Not a good time to be driving out of L.A. Expect arrival in Fresno during the wee hours of Saturday morning. It will be a really short night for Richard and Parker as they are planning to participate in the "Team In Training" bicycle ride Saturday morning.

Update: 10:30 PM Tuesday, April 4th

Day 378
Parker completed all of his tests. Everything that has come back so far has been good, except for some complications with his eyes due to steroids. We have to put drops in his eyes for a week and return to the eye doctor next Tuesday. They are saying that the pressure is too high in his eyes.

Doctor Kurtzberg was impressed by how well Parker has done over all throughout the transplant process. She did seem somewhat concerned about his GvH rash on his hands. To hopefully get this under control she changed some of his meds. His anti rejection/immunosuppressant drug is now FK506. He is also on something new in conjunction with this med. We will have Parker checked at Duke next Tuesday after 1 week on these new drugs. We will hold off on a steroid wean for 2 weeks.

The exciting part of all of this is that Dr. K lifted some restrictions for Parker to go and do and see! He may go into places that are not crowed without a mask, as long as we don’t visibly notice sick people and there aren’t outbreaks of anything totally nasty in our area. Unfortunately his slow wean of steroids will compromise his immune system for a few more months and therefore it is not a smart move to put Parker back into school this year. (Sorry Mrs. Linn) We will also have to wait about 6 months to re-immunize him.

Last night we got together with the Evanosky family and brought dinner up to 5200. We met some very nice families going through some very difficult journeys. I could see the worried looks in their faces and remember oh too well that feeling. When we were living in room 5203 a year ago, a family brought their beautiful daughter Meredith (see link above) who was 1 year past transplant, up to the floor and brought us dinner. I cannot tell you what incredible medicine it was to see Meredith 1 year out and looking so wonderful. She was the same diagnosis as Parker and when I saw her, I though…..Ok, we can do this! I only hope that we gave some of that hope to another family last night.

Signing off from North Carolina….

Love,

Melissa and the boys

_______________________________________

Update; 11:30 AM Sunday, April 2nd

Grandpa here.......Melissa and Connor waited at Greensboro Airport this morning as Parker and Richard's "Corporate Angel Flight" was about an hour late arriving due to a traffic jam on the taxiway at Chicago. The Fritschs' are now together in Durham near Duke Medical Center. On Monday Parker goes in for a number of tests, then again on Tuesday (his normal lab day) for IVIG etc. Tuesday afternoon he gets in line to see Dr K. Look for an update after Tuesday although the results of some tests will not be available for a while.

Update; 6:30 AM Saturday, April 1st

Grandpa here......Melissa and Connor were wheels up on a commercial flight to North Carolina this morning. Richard and Parker spent the night in St. Louis and are driving east today in a rental car to catch another "Corporate Angel" that will take them on to Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday.

Update; 7 AM Friday, March 31

Parker stayed well for the rest of the week. He was feeling GREAT these past 2 days. So.....Richard and Parker are Duke bound as of 6:30 this morning. North Carolina here they come!

Love, Meliss
_______________________________________

Update; 7 PM Tuesday, March 28th

Parker was at the oncology clinic all day. They pondered admitting him, but they were full and didn’t have a room. Then there was a bomb threat! Can you believe that! Let’s threaten a CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL! That had to be some real sick person! All the oncology patients had to go outside. Even the ones with ZERO counts! Parker was still on an I.V. pump. I can’t even imagine if any of those kids had chemo running! I’ve never seen anything like it. I almost left his backpack in there with ALL of his meds in it!

They ended up hep-locking Parker’s I.V. while he was outside, and sending him home with orders to come back in the morning for more fluids. He is feeling much better. But, we’ve played this game before. We’ll see what the next couple of days bring. He is also VERY off schedule with all of his meds. It is impossible to get meds in him when he is throwing up. Then things get worse!

IF all gets better and things are looking well, Parker and Richard have a flight out of San Francisco on Friday. Please pray that Parker stays well and everything goes smoothly. They have a layover in Chicago over night, so hopefully he won’t need any medical attention. This all makes me real nervous now.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Meliss
__________________________________________________________________

Update Tuesday, March 28 at 1 PM

Parker was up most of the night with sever stomach pain and throwing up. He is out at the hospital now on I.V. fluids and we are waiting to get labs back.

Melissa

________________________________________

*A HUGE "Thank You" to Debbie Hodge and Grandpa for making the web site pictures, background, and music special for Parker's 1 year mark! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!

We had an incredible day celebrating Parker's 1 year mile stone.

Many of you know that both of our boys LOVE Hummers! Well, a local dealer let us borrow a Hummer for the day! They even let Parker choose the color. He chose red, because it is his mommy's favorite color. (How cute is that?!) The boys picked me up for lunch in the Hummer. After work we took it up to the highest cliff we could find and released 1 balloon for every kid on 5200 with us. We wrote their name on the balloon and one by one we let 17 balloons go. It was bitter sweet, for so many of them are no longer with us. It was a good day to remember each and every one of them though.

After that we met Chachie and Uncle for dinner and Parker's favorite....lemon cake!

We are STILL trying to get Parker a flight.

Love,

Meliss
________________________________________

Day 366!!!! HAPPY 1 YEAR PAST TRANSPLANT PARKER!!!

We are ecstatic to report that Parker’s chances for long term survival went up significantly as he passes this 1 year mark today!!!!!!!!!

It has been a very long journey……….

In May 2002, Parker was 2 years old and was limping a little bit. He couldn’t explain the pain, and pretty much acted like nothing was bothering him. On May 28, 2002 Parker went in to see his pediatrician for a physical. Because of the small limp, she decided to run a CBC. It came back NORMAL! The limp went away.

In June 2002, Parker caught a cold, which went into an ear infection. We really didn’t think much of it, because he was in swim school at the time. The antibiotics just weren’t working and it progressed to a double ear infection and then pneumonia. Parker was very pale and had some suspicious bruises. He complained of leg pain and we took him in again. This was about the third or fourth doctor visit. It was the weekend and we had to go into a walk-in urgent care. They explained it as “growing pains” and sent us home. The next day, July 9, 2002, we were SURE something was desperately wrong. We went to the doctor again. The doctor ran a second CBC.

I will forever remember what happened next….. I was holding our 3 month old baby Connor in my arms when the doctor came in and said that he suspected leukemia and he wanted us to go to the ONCOLOGY clinic out at Children’s Hospital. We were stunned! We walked out and I got to the waiting room when the room started spinning and I could feel my legs giving out. I put the baby carrier down and sat. Someone brought me water. I started crying. After a few minutes, I could stand again. Richard drove me and the baby home so that I could find someone to watch him and meet him out at the hospital. I called my mom. She was at the doctor. My sister took the phone from her and told me that mom had just been diagnosed with breast cancer! I was in such shock that I couldn’t even react. I told them about Parker and they left the doctor and came right over. My mom watched the baby and my sister took me to the hospital.

After many hours and a bone marrow aspiration, the doctor told us that it was leukemia, and they thought that it was A.L.L. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). This was the most common form of childhood leukemia and had a 95 percent chance for long term survival. They admitted Parker and immediately started him on chemo. He did very well and fell into remission quickly. We digested the news and were bracing ourselves for a 3 year regiment of chemotherapy. 2 days later the doctor came in and told us that Parker had a chromosome mutation. Chromosomes 9 and 22 were swapping information. This was called the Philadelphia positive marker. This put him in a whole new category for treatment, and his chances for survival were now less than 20 percent! Devastation set in.

We had to choose now to go directly to bone marrow transplant, or try an experimental drug that had never been given to children before. Researching bone marrow transplant, and seeing how very risky it was, we really wanted to avoid that route if at all possible. The drug was working for adults, so we decided to try it. For 3 years it kept him in remission. Then, doctors across the country were starting to see children relapse on this drug. We knew that we had to head for transplant immediately. If we waited for him to relapse, his chances for survival would drop even lower. We contacted the doctor that created the drug that Parker was taking, and he said that his drug could possibly give him 15 years, but it could not cure him. He told us that if it were his son he would take him to bone marrow transplant immediately.

On Dec. 28, 2005, Richard and I headed to Duke Medical Center in North Carolina for a consultation. They had the highest success rate with transplanting Philadelphia Positive ALL’s. Our local hospitals had only done a small handful of transplants for this disease, without a successful outcome. Dr. Kurtzberg at Duke had done 36 and was very confident that she could treat Parker successfully. Parker was their 37th PH ALL. She wanted Parker there as soon as we could make it happen.

On February 4, 2005, the Fritsch family moved to North Carolina. We shut up our house, shipped our car, and flew across country on a Corporate Angel Wing’s flight. When we arrived at Duke, Parker underwent a series of tests. It was concluded that he had sinusitis, and would need surgery. They cleared it up as best they could and he had to go on an I.V. antibiotic for 6 weeks before we started transplant. It was an infection too close to the brain and Dr. Kurtzberg just didn’t want to chance it. On March 23, 2005, Parker received a 6 out of 6 unrelated cord blood transplant!

Parker remained on 5200 (the transplant floor) for 44 days. He had to stay within 10 minutes of the hospital for 3 months after that. We were finally released to head home to California 6 months later on August 4, 2005.

We are excited for Parker to have a chance for a long and full life. We are currently weaning him off his meds, and are hoping that Dr. K will allow Parker to begin to start being around people and possibly return to school. We feel confident that the worst part is behind us.

Throughout this journey we have been touched by many lives. It has opened our eyes to many things and changed us forever. Oh how we wish that all of the children that we have come to know and love along the way would have survived this terrible disease called cancer. We promise to continue to do all that we can to make other children’s journeys easier. It is our deepest hope that we, in our lifetime will see the development of a CURE!

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys (Richard, Connor, and Parker)

P.S. Please continue to keep our little buddy Parker Bockhop in your prayers.

See updates below

Update Saturday, March 18, 2006 2:11 PM CST

THE RESULTS ARE IN FOR "Kids Day!" We ordered 1,000 papers at $1 each and didn't even sell them all due to the rain and cold weather. However, we brought in $2,754.96 including 3, $100 bills! Way to go "Parker's Pals!" Thank you to everyone who made this gift to Children's Hospital of Central California possible. You're AWESOME and we LOVE you!!!
_______________________________________

It was a very cold, wet “Kids Day”. Though it WAS a really good feeling doing something for the hospital, I am glad it’s over. I hope it NEVER rains on a “Kids Day” again! The good part was that many people must have felt sorry for us selling papers in the rain on such a cold day, and they were giving us $5, $10, $20, and even a few $100 bills for a $1 paper! “Keep the change,” was the best thing we heard all day!

Needless to say, I came home from work very sick today. I completely lost my voice, which made it impossible to teach. Grandma is taking the boys this afternoon so we can try to keep them away from me. THANKS MOM!

We are working hard with Corp. Angel to get Parker a flight to Duke. We are really excited about this trip! We are getting together with our friends the Evanoskys to bring dinner up to the families on 5200, like so many people did for us when we were inpatient.

Parker really wanted to meet J.J. Redick from the Duke Blue Devils basketball team while we are there on April 3. However, if everything goes the way we think, Duke will be in the Championship game that day! GO DUKE!!! Maybe before we fly home on April 11 we can hunt him down. He, he, he….. Duke IS a small campus! It’s funny that when Parker was on 5200 last year, I took Connor to lunch one day and J.J. Redick and some of the other players were at the same restaurant that we were at. Of course that was when my life was in high stress mode and I didn’t even know who J.J. Redick was! Now my students think I'm cool when I tell them that I've had lunch with J.J. Redick! :)

Love to all! Please keep our little buddy Parker Bockhop in your thoughts and prayers. He returned to City of Hope in L.A. on Sunday for his second transplant.

Keep the FAITH!

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, March 8, 2006 8:04 PM CST

Day 348

It is surreal to think that we are getting ready to celebrate the 1 year mark! March 23, at 10:25 will be 1 year since Parker received his life saving cells. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the mother who donated her little girl's umbilical cord that saved our sons life! We know that the little girl will be 5 on May 10, and that her cord was donated in L.A. That is all that we will ever know. We wish her well, and thank God for her gift!

Parker's clinic visit went well yesterday. However, Monday night was a different story. We weaned his steroids down Monday, and by 7:30 PM, he was throwing up. He recovered on his own, and avoided a hospital say. I was unable to know what meds he kept down and which ones came back at us. His cylosporine (his anti rejection drug) level came back at 95 (normal 200)! I freaked out, but then remembered that it probably is not an accurate level because of the vomiting. We are waiting to hear from Dr. K to see is she wants another level taken.

This is a year that holds many memories for us. However, we are glad to have it behind us. We are looking forward to having our son with us for many years to come. God bless Dr. Joan Kurtzberg and her fabulous team at Duke University Medical Center for saving our son. And, God bless all the wonderful souls at our Children's Hospital of Central California, for taking GREAT care of all of us for the past 3 1/2 years! We LOVE you!!!

A reminder to all of you locals to get your "Kids Day" papers from "Parker's Pals" on Tuesday, at Cedar and Nees! Pray for good weather! We plan on selling 1,000 papers! If you want to buy it from Parker, he'll be out there at 7:30!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Update, Friday, March 6, 2006 11:00AM CST

Quick Update, more to follow:

We received an e-mail today from Parker's doctor. The doctor weaned Parker off of his afternoon steriod. Parker has clinic on Tuesday, which will be a 4hr. IVIG transfusion.

Also, we celebrated Connor's birthday on Saturday at Playland. Parker, Connor and his friends had fun riding the rides. The weather, although alittle cold, was fun.

Day 346

Parker's clinic visit was uneventful and fast. Well, for us 4 hours is fast to have labs, counts, administer medications and visit with the doctor.

Parker's counts are where they are suppose to be. We did discuss with the doctor the possibility of having Parker's eyes checked. We have been noticing that he cocks his head to the left when watching T.V. After a quick peripheral exam, it was noted that his right side peripheral was reduced. Of course we were aware of Parker having the onset of cataracts as Dr. K brought this up at one of Parkers prior visits. She indicated that this is one of the side effects from TBI (Total Body Irradiation).

Needless to say Dr. K does not want us to see a doctor here, but, will have Parker see a specialist at his one year check-up. In the interim, she wants us to apply sterile eye drops daily.

Besides this minor bump, Parker is doing great. Last week we took Parker and Connor the the zoo and Playland. Parker loved the roller coaster and octopus ride. After seeing his brother have so much fun, Connor gained the courage to ride them. As a result, that is all he talks about.

Thank you for taking time to check up on Parker and for the continued prayers.

Keep the faith,

Richard, Melissa, Parker and Connor

Day 323

Sorry for the delay in the post. I have been riding the roller coaster of emotions from the journey of another hospital family. We met a precious little boy named Parker Bockhop when he was newly diagnosed with AML about 3 years ago. We also were in-patient at Children’s Hospital of Central California where we had been living for about 3 months with complications when the other Parker came in. We have been there throughout their chemo rounds, relapses, search for a bone marrow donor that just wasn’t there, and then a cord blood transplant last fall at City of Hope, in southern California. They left for transplant shortly after we returned from ours. Recently Parker Bockhop has been given the news that he is losing his graft of new cells, the chromosomes that create leukemia are again present, and he is probably headed for another transplant.

Please pray for this little boy and his family. They are living every parent’s worse nightmare. This is emotionally, physically, and financially draining. Pray for strength, courage, and complete healing. I just can’t imagine going off to transplant again. He is such a strong little guy, and such an inspiring fighter! Please visit his web site link above to leave some words of encouragement.

Our Parker is doing fine. He is having some stomach issues, which I suspect are due to the weaning of steroids. It is nothing major enough to do anything about. Just some upset tummies every now and then. I am sure we will stay at the current 12.5 dose until things calm down. I am guessing that he will have to deal with this with each new wean. I think that this slow weaning process will put us past the 1 year post transplant mark to allow Parker to return to the “normal” world. Preparing him for this news will be difficult, because for so long he was told that he could do this and that after he passes the 1 year mark. Somehow I just know that Dr. K will play the cautious card that she is well known for. Better safe than sorry. We have come too far to make any mistakes now.

It has been nice and warm here this week. Low 70’s. As soon as the sun starts shinning like this we break out the sunscreen, to keep GvH skin issues away. Parker HATES being attacked with lotion, and fights us every time. Can you imagine that after all he has dealt with over the last 3 ½ years, he is fussing over LOTION?!!! This makes me totally laugh! At least the 24 pills a day go down without any fuss! :)

Richard has begun to train with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s “Team in Training” Cycling Team. He will again tackle the 100-mile ride around Lake Tahoe in June to raise money for a cure. The rest of us will again run a rest stop for our team and will hand out Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches to all the riders as they pass. It is quite a rewarding event!

We are also gathering our team for the annual “Kids Day” event for Children’s Hospital. We will again be selling papers at the intersection of Cedar and Nees. If I have not contacted you yet and you want to help again, please call me ASAP! (559) 322-8438 The event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 14, and the first shift begins at 4 AM. Yes, that is not a typo! We should be finished by about 9:30 AM.

At the end of April, we have been invited by the Bockhop family to join their team for “The Relay for Life”. The American Cancer Society puts this event on. Knowing that the Bockhops will probably be at transplant, I feel that it is important to carry through with this event in their honor.

If any of you need a tax write off for this year, here are some great places to donate to charity! To help sponsor Richard’s ride, write checks to The Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s TNT. To help our hospital, make checks to Children’s Hospital of Central California. And, to sponsor “Team Bockhop”, write checks to The American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life”. Mail them to us (2406 E. Omaha, Fresno, CA 93720) and we will make sure that they get to the proper charity.

We were very excited to hear that our dear friends the Evanoskys are going to be at Duke for their 1 year check-up at the same time as us. The Evanoskys have had some amazing things going on in their lives lately. Visit their link above to learn more!

Parker will return to our clinic on Tues., Feb. 21, for a check-up. Please pray that his journey continues without any more bumps in the road!

Keeping the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 8:15 PM PT

Grandpa here,

Today would have been Parker's regular day at the Children's Hospital Clinic. Because he had already been admitted he received his 4 hours of IVIG in his room along with the other tests and drugs normally administered in the clinic.

He completed his clinic and received news that his cultures had come back negative and was therefore released from the hospital this afternoon. He is feeling fine.

Look for an update from Melissa as soon as she catches up on some missed sack time.

Thanks for your prayers,

Grandpa

Sunday, February 5, 2006 7:14 AM Pacific Time

Grandpa here,

Late last night Parker was admitted to Children's Hospital. He was suffering from diahrea and continuous vomiting and had a temperature of 103 degrees. Melissa is at the hospital with Parker and Richard is home with Connor. I suspect that Richard and Connor are sleeping in this morning as they were up very late last night.

Parker is receiving antibiotics and all his regular medications intravenously. His morning counts are as follows:

White cells 10
Hemoglobin 13
ANC 8000
Platelets 339,000

Melissa is very concerned about his potassium count, it is very low at 3.5. His glucose count at 125 is very high.

Cause of the problem is not yet known, perhaps a virus or maybe (GvHD) graft or donor cells versus host cells disease.

Please pray that Parker recovers quickly,

Grandpa

Sunday, February 5, 2006 1:05PM Pacific Time

Update:

Parker is feeling fine, no temperature, no vomiting no problems. He will be released Tuesday if cultures come back negative. Slight chance the trouble was caused from food poisoning.

Sunday, February 5, 2006 8:25PM Pacific Time

Update:

Just a clarification from a medical friend: A glucose level of 125 is nothing to worry about. Normal is 80-120. If it was above 175 then that would be worrisome. A potassium level of 3.5 is not that bad either. It's just because he was vomiting and had diarrhea. They can replace his potassium via IV and it should be fine.

Grandpa

Thursday, February 2, 2006 3:18 PM CST

Day 314 (Wow! I can't believe how big that number is getting)

First off, I would like to ask that you all join us and pray for our good hospital buddy, Parker Bockhop. He is losing his engraftment from transplant, and that is very scary.

Our Parker is doing fine. He had to go and stay with Grandma and Grandpa for a couple of days because Connor came down with a cold/cough thing that we just didn't want Parker to get. Connor is doing much better and we are bringing Parker home today. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!!

Dr. Kurtzberg gave us the ok to lower Parker's steroid dose from 15 mg. a day to 12.5. He has tolerated it well so far. She wants to wait 3 weeks before lowering it again. This is going to be the slowest wean ever! :( I just have to think in the long run....

Things are set up for us to be at Duke the first week of April! We are praying for good test results, and for Dr. K to lighten the restrictions for Parker. He just wants to go in SOMEWHERE! I bet he wouldn't care if it were a women's underwear shop, he'd just be happy to go in. :)

To all of our "Kids Day" volunteers.....It's that time of year again! This fundraiser for the hospital is on Tuesday, March 14. Please email me if you are planning on joining us. I am planning on being out there at 4 AM that day to reserve our intersection for selling newspapers! Cedar and Nees will be infested with "Parker's Pals".

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, January 23, 2006 3:02 PM CST

Day 304

Parker was a complete trooper and did what he had to do to keep from being admitted. Of course the thought of the "poke" was enough to make him work hard at keeping his meds down and keep hydrated. :)

I brought both boys home from Grandma and Grandpa's about 5 PM yesterday. We were anticipating a nice quiet evening of recovery, which was all shattered when Connor slammed his finger in the car door! :(

Grandma came over quickly to watch Parker and I was off to urgent care where we sat for a couple of hours. Connor screamed and cried until he fell asleep in my arms. After an exam and an x-ray, it was determined that his finger was not broken. We arrived home about 8:30 and headed to bed exhausted.

Thanks for checking on us!

Love,

Meliss
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Day 303 (Ten months past transplant today)

Connor came down with the stomach flu yesterday; therefore we had to pack Parker up to go stay with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a really good plan, or so we thought until we got the call this morning that now Parker was throwing up.

I am at work and am waiting to hear if they are going to take Parker to the hospital or not. If he doesn’t keep his meds down, he goes in.

Darn, we have been so careful! Connor started basketball on Saturday with Little Hoopsters, and I am certain that this is where he was exposed to it. The good news is that Connor had it first and is already doing better, so we know that it is a virus that we are dealing with. It’s good not to have to guess if this is a GvHD issue.

Parker and Connor got to ride with the Team in Training on Saturday, and were thrilled. Coach Mike let Parker ride on his triple and boy did he feel special. Grandpa and Richard also rode and had a great time. There are also new pictures in the photo album of when we went to the beach.

Parker was scheduled for a clinic visit tomorrow. His skin has cleared up and we were anticipating a weaning of his steroids. I’m guessing that may not happen now. Grrrrrr!

Please pray for Parker to recover quickly from this virus and that it does not lead to any complications. Check back for an update later.

Love,

Melissa

P.S. Thank you so much to Cheryl Demeter and family for giving the boys a basketball hoop! They LOVE it and shoot hoops every chance they get. It was very generous of you and we are ever to grateful.

Saturday, January 14, 2006 2:58 PM CST

Day 294

Parker's clinic day on Tuesday went very well. His counts and chems. looked good. He received his IVIG infusion and Daclizumab, which made for a very long day.

We have unfortunately hit a wall on the weaning of the steroids. On Tuesday, late afternoon Parker developed a GvHD type rash on his cheeks. On Thursday, his stomach was hurting him again and he felt like he was going to throw up. Now we have to stop the wean and wait to see if all this clears up. He also has had this rash on his hands since transplant. We are continuing to apply creams 3 times a day hoping to get this under control. His face has looked so good for so long, we are just bummed! He is currently at 5 mg. prednisone and 10 mg. hydrocortisone a day. Before his hospitalization 2 1/2 months ago, we were down to 2.5 mg. prednisone every other day. We were almost done and had to start all over again. This time we are weaning slower and are going to get it right! :) We think the stomach thing was because of a Jamba Juice, which Richard didn't know had frozen yogurt in it. Being lactose intolerant, Parker paid for it dearly for 4 hours! :(

Thursday night we had a night out for "Hospital Moms". A group started by four of us moms with children who have life threatening illnesses. That was a year and a half ago. Now we have over 12 moms! It is a GREAT support system. This is something that EVERY hospital needs! We understand better than anyone what eachother are going through. We also find humor in things others probably would not. :) This group cracks me up! Thanks fellow "moms" for the great evening. I can't wait till next time.

Trying to stay well among the world of coughing people is our goal right now. It is soooooo hard! Being a teacher is the hardest part. When someone coughs, I hold my breath and quickly walk away. Anyone who didn't know our situation would think that I am a total weirdo! Maybe I am anyway, who knows. :)

Please continue praying for all of those who have lost their children and those who are still fighting terrible diseases.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, January 5, 2006 5:09 PM CST

Tuesday, December 27, 2005 11:56 PM CST

Day 285

Happy 2006! We are looking forward to a year that is chemo and radiation free!

Last week we headed to the beach. I still haven’t gotten caught up on all of my emails, so if you sent me one have patients; I WILL get back to you! :)

We had a great time at the coast and were fortunate enough to be able to meet up with Spencer Rocket’s (see link above) family. Spencer looks great and is approx. 11 months ahead of Parker from transplant. They took us to see the Elephant Seals who have taken over a beach area near their home. Parker was so fascinated and has been watching a video on Elephant Seals over and over again.

Yesterday we again weaned down on Parker’s steroids. We just can’t wait to be done with those. It is looking like we will be at Duke the first week of April for Parker’s 1 year check-up! What a mile stone that will be. He will have a check up at our hospital on Tuesday.

Richard started a new semester in law school this week, I am back at work, CJ is busy with gymnastics and playing with his new trains, and Parker is working hard at 1st grade home hospital, learning to rollerblade, and becoming an expert at using his new Slurpy Maker. Busy, busy, busy!

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the other cancer and transplant families. May you find courage, peace, and strength in the days ahead.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

_______________________________________

Update Wed. 11 AM

Test results just in from Duke. Parker is still 100 percent donor cells with NO evidence of philadelphia chromosomes! YEAH!!!

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Day 276

Did you know…..

*Someone’s blood type can change entirely from a bone marrow/stem cell transplant.

*A male receiving bone marrow/stem cells from a female will then have famale DNA in their blood and vise versa.

*Transplant patients cannot have any milk products for the first 3 to 6 months past transplant because their bodies cannot break down lactose. Some transplanties become lactose intolerant for life.

*Transplant patients cannot have fresh pepper for 1 year after transplant because of mold.

*Transplant patients cannot have anything from a tank (fountain sodas, soft serve ice cream, slurpies, etc.) because of bacteria.

*Transplant/cancer patients need to limit carbonated beverages because they can cause kidney stones.

*The nasal form of the flu vaccine is a “lives virus” and transplant patients can catch it from someone who has this vaccine.

*Many vaccines are “live viruses” and transplant patients MUST stay away from anyone having them for 30 days!

*Matched sibling transplants only need to remain in isolation for approx. 9 months, where as unrelated matches need 12 months on average for recovery.

*Transplant patients cannot have honey.

*Indoor facilities that are public are completely off limits to transplant patients with compromised immune systems.

*GvHD (Graft vs. Host Disease) is where their old cells fight their new cells causing problems in the skin and potentially the organs or gut.

*The sun can cause a graft vs. host reaction in transplant patients.

*Transplant patients cannot be around puppies because they are susceptible to the parvo virus.

*Frogs and turtles can give transplant patients salmonella poisoning.

*Transplant patients need to be masked outside on windy days because of dangerous spores in the air.

*A 4/6 cord blood match is considered as good as a 10/10 bone marrow match by some doctors.

*The preservative put in unrelated stored bone marrow/cord blood makes a transplant patient reek of a “creamed corn” like smell for 24 hours after transplant. And, it’s nauseating!!!

*The fluid from the umbilical cord and placenta arrive in a small plastic bag (like a blood transfusion) and is given (transplanted) to the patient through an I.V. and takes about 25 minutes.

*Transplant patient’s comsume approx. 25 pills a day.

*Steroids in transplant patients break down mussel tone and makes them extremely puffy while on these drugs.

*Bone marrow/cord blood patients are the only types of transplants that do not have to remain on meds for rejection for the rest of their life.

*Fresh fruit and veggies are off limits for new transplant patients because of the risk of bacteria.

*Any type of infection is life threatening for a transplant patient.

And, my own little observation;

*Transplant patients AND their families become total germ FREAKS!

Although I know that a lot of people who read this site are transplant families, I also know that many are not and I just thought I’d share a little of what I have learned. If any of you transplant families have any to add, I’d LOVE for you to put them in the guest book! I’m sure that there are a million that I haven’t thought of.
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It was an incredible Christmas for our family. With last year looking ever so bleak as we headed down the tunnel towards transplant, everything seemed truly magical this year. The smiles on our children’s faces as they experienced every tradition of the season were priceless. They tried so very hard to stay awake to see Santa, but their exhaustion got the better of them. Connor swore to us the next morning that he heard the reindeer on the roof late last night. We smiled and said that we thought we did too!

Parker’s clinic visit went very well today. His counts were right on! We are anxiously awaiting his Cylosporine level, which we should get back tomorrow. He is doing very well with the steroid wean so far and he only has to go to clinic twice a month now! :) YEAH!

Wishing you all a new year that brings hope, health, and happiness. Please keep our fellow transplant families in your prayers. We know that some had very difficult holidays after losing their loved ones.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, December 21, 2005 7:16 PM CST

Day 270

A beautiful, yet very tough day....

The service for Alex today was extraordinary! What a remarkable young lady she was. EVERYONE had the most wonderful things to say about her. Including a eulogy given by her father that made me marvel in his strength. I sobbed though when he mentioned Alex's love of all of the oncology children including Parker. They even mentioned how they knew that she has already met Micah (who's link they have followed from this site). Alex's parents even came to the blood drive yesterday and GAVE BLOOD! Amazing! They ROCK!!! They said, "They knew it was what Alex would have wanted."

Please continue to pray for this family and for Micah's family who will lay him to rest tomorrow. We wish that we could be there to lend our support. Know that we are sending it in the form of prayer across the country.

Some good new's (I think we could all use some);

*Yesterday's blood drive brought in more than 500 donors during this very busy holiday week!
*Over 147 people registered to be on the National Bone Marrow Registry!

AND.......Drum roll please......

*President Bush signed legislation yesterday to establish a national data bank of umbilical cord blood and bone marrow that would allow doctors to QUICKLY find a match for patients who need a transplant!!!!! THIS IS HUGE!!!!!

Now....let's just get more cord blood banks! :)
___________________________________________________

Parker continues to do well. His Cylosporine level came back this week at an alarming low of 67 (he is supposed to stay at 200). Dr. Kurtzberg increased his dose, and we will watch it very closely by checking it again on Tuesday.

Looking forward to a quiet Christmas, and wishing you all peace, love, and GOOD HEALTH! :)

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, December 18, 2005 8:12 PM CST

Day 267

Though my boys came home safe and sound, it has been a very sad and rough week. Starting with the news of Alex's passing on Thursday. Yes, I knew that she was fighting a very deadly disease, but because it wasn't the disease that took her, but a complication from the disease, it took us by surprise and was quite a shock. This family is amazing! When we were in the hospital, and Alex was fighting for her life, they brought US dinner! They were always so kind to everyone around them and their daughter fought so hard, and yet so graciously always caring about everyone else. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. We pray for strength and peace for her family.

The next shock came about 2 hours after the news of Alex. While Richard was driving Parker to Washington D.C. in a terrible storm, trying to make it to their only hope for a flight home before Christmas. I received a call that Richard's grandfather had passed away. How very sad that Richard was only a few hours from his home in PA, yet he could not go. He had to get Parker home. I know that this brought Richard heart wrenching pain. The service will be Tuesday, and we send all his family our love and support.

Next came the shock that Connor decided to cut his own hair. Yet with everything else going on, it brought me quite a laugh that I dearly needed. Good thing we already took Christmas pictures! :)

Last night came the final wave of shock when we heard that Micah had lost his battle and earned his angel wings. Micah was a few doors down from us during transplant, and his family stayed in the same apartment complex as we at Duke. What a wonderful loving family. He too was a teenager and had the same form of leukemia as Alex. I have a feeling that these too have already met, and are congratulating each other on WINNING their fight. They are pain free now and that is what brings us peace. Please pray for Micah's family during this difficult time.

Until we meet again Alex and Micah!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, December 18, 2005 8:12 PM CST

Day 267

Though my boys came home safe and sound, it has been a very sad and rough week. Starting with the news of Alex's passing on Thursday. Yes, I knew that she was fighting a very deadly disease, but because it wasn't the disease that took her, but a complication from the disease, it took us by surprise and was quite a shock. This family is amazing! When we were in the hospital, and Alex was fighting for her life, they brought US dinner! They were always so kind to everyone around them and their daughter fought so hard, and yet so graciously always caring about everyone else. She will be dearly missed by all who knew here. We pray for strength and peace for her family.

The next shock came about 2 hours after the news of Alex. While Richard was driving Parker to Washington D.C. in a terrible storm, trying to make it to their only hope for a flight home before Christmas. I received a call that Richard's grandfather had passed away. How very sad that Richard was only a few hours from his home in PA, yet he could not go. He had to get Parker home. I know that this brought Richard heart wrenching pain. The service will be Tuesday, and we send all his family our love and support.

Next came the shock that Connor decided to cut his own hair. Yet with everything else going on, it brought me quite a laugh that I dearly needed. Good thing we already took Christmas pictures! :)

Last night came the final wave of shock when we heard that Micah had lost his battle and earned his angel wings. Micah was a few doors down from us during transplant, and his family stayed in the same apartment complex as us at Duke. What a wonderful loving family. He too was a teenager and had the same form of leukemia as Alex. I have a feeling that these too have already met, and are congratulating eachother on WINNING their fight. They are pain free now and that is what brings us peace. Please pray for Micah's family during this difficult time.

Until we meet again Alex and Micah!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, December 13, 2005 8:42 PM CST

Update Friday 6:30 PM Pacific time.

Parker and Richard are back on California soil. Landed at LAX and are renting a car for the drive home.

Update Friday 9:30 AM Pacific time.

We are keeping an eye on the snow storm in Michigan, but so far their flight is still on. The current weather report "Today: Variable clouds with numerous snow showers or flurries expected. High 29F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent".

Please have your prayers be with Alexandra Rodriguez's (Alex) family, for she earned her angel wings yesterday and is no longer in pain.

Update Friday 7 AM Pacific time.

Father and son arrived near Dulles Airport last evening about 11PM local time. Richard said the driving conditions wouldn't have been too bad had it not been for trucks throwing flumes of spray. After lunch today they fly to Saginaw MI where the weather report is "Morning flurries with a chance of snow showers late".

Update Thursday at 5 PM Pacific time.

Richard and Parker drove thru some severe weather to get to Raleigh/Durham airport to catch a commercial flight to Washington D.C. No flights out till tomorrow morning and the weather had subsided a little, so, on to Washington D.C. in a rented car. Really glad Parker didn't have to fly commercial as the chance of catching someting during cold and flu season is of major concern. Currently they are north of Richmond in heavy rain. Flight out of D.C. tomorrow is at 1PM local time.

Update Thursday at 1 PM Pacific time.

Richard and Parker's flight to D.C. was canceled due to weather. They thought about driving, but the weather is just too rough. They are now trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat to make it to D.C. so that they can make their flight out to L.A. tomorrow (which is the only Corp. Angel flight before Christmas). I'll keep you updated as I find out information.

Major prayers needed for our friend Alex who is now in the I.C.U.

Love,
Melissa and the boys
_______________________________________

Day 262

Parker and Richard have been safely in North Carolina since Sunday. Monday was full of tests and today they spent the entire day in the Rainbow Day hospital at Duke. Parker received his I.V. meds. and waited to see Dr. Kurtzberg.

Dr. K said that Parker looked WONDERFUL! Her primary concern is to get him off his steroids, and therefore we will continue the SLOW reduction. She will bring it down a little every 2 weeks. Her hope is to have him completely off them so that she can take him off his Cylosporine (immune suppressant drug) at his 1-year appointment in March. Hence being re-introduced to society! YEAH!!!

We should be getting some more of the test results in the weeks to come, but everything looks PERFECT so far! Parker and Richard should be on the next Corp. Angel flight to California, which is Friday. We just can’t wait to see them!

Please pray for our friends Micah and Alex, and their families during their very rough journeys.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, December 7, 2005 3:41 PM CST

Day 256

Thank you all for the prayers for our little buddy Jack Evanosky, he seems to be doing MUCH better! We now ask that you pray for Alex (see link above). Her leukemia is being very stubborn and she desperately needs to get into remission for transplant.

Parker is doing GREAT! He got to see an “outdoor” Santa the other evening and was thrilled. I’ll get the picture on soon. He asked for a Kitchen Chemistry Set, so that he could find a cure for MLD and “Bad Cells”. How totally cute is that! I have a feeling that this kid has the ability to follow through with that wish!

Parker and Richard leave on Sunday for Duke. It was very difficult to get more than 2 seats, so I won’t be with them this go around. We would like to thank Corp. Angel for working ever so hard to get them back in time for Christmas! It looks like we are going to have a great one this year. Thank you also to all of the people who have volunteered to work at the Parker’s Pals Blood and Marrow Drive. Now we only need 23 more! See info. above if you're interested.

Please pray that Parker’s 9 month studies go well and that he is able to be weaned off his steroids soon.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, December 3, 2005 11:15 AM CST

Day 252

We ask that you all please pray for our dear little friend baby Jack Evanosky. He is having a very difficult time right now and needs strength and healing. This family is so special to us. Please visit their web site from the link above and leave them some words of encouragement.

Parker is doing really well. The cough is GONE! We are scheduled to be at Duke December 14, and 15, but are still waiting to hear about a flight.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, November 28, 2005 6:26 PM CST

Day 247

Except for a little dry cough, Parker continues to thrive. We took the 2 boys to the beach over Thanksgiving break and they had a total blast! I know you east coast people don't want to hear that it was 80 degrees and beautiful.....but, it was! :) California certainly has its' perks!

We are trying to firm up the plans for our 9 month studies at Duke in late December. Unfortunately we will have to choose to either miss Christmas, or miss work and school. With all of the days that we have already missed at work and Richard's school, we have to lean toward being gone for Christmas. This means that we will have to fake Christmas before we go. I know that the kids will not know any different, but it still will seem out of wack to me. I just can't imagine being away from Connor on Christmas. We so wish that Corp. Angel would let us bring him, but we are not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Corp. Angel has saved MANY lives, and we are forever thankful for that.

It is very scary entering flu season with no immune system. It seems like EVERYONE around us is sick. We are washing, cleaning, and staying home away from people as much as possible. My job being a teacher is something that I have to be very careful with. My students are so understanding and always tell me that they are sick and not to get too close. It's amazing how much kids can understand!

Please keep our fellow transplant families in your prayers as we embark on this dangerous season. Pray for Micah and his family as he has returned home on hospice. Pray for Alex who is waiting to find out if she is in remission so that she may go to transplant. And, pray for all the families who have to go through the holidays without their loved ones. It must be painful beyond belief, and my heart goes out to all of them.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 11:07 PM CST

Day 243
8 months past transplant today!!!! A Time to be Thankful……

We are so thankful this Thanksgiving for our little boy still being with us with new cells, NO leukemia and a promising future ahead of him! We are also very thankful for all of the doctors and nurses at Duke University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Central California for all that you do! A very special THANK YOU to Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg for saving our son’s life! We love you Dr. K! You will ALWAYS hold a special place in our hearts.

Now, it has not been forgotten that we would have NEVER been able to take Parker to Duke for his transplant if it weren’t for family, friends, co-workers, people from the community, insurance, advice from other transplant families, research capabilities of the internet, media interest, and the guidance of God. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!! We will remember for the rest of our lives how everyone pulled together to help save our son’s life. I can’t wait for the day that Parker is able to read this journey himself, and see all that people everywhere did for him.

It was such a blessing that all four of us were able to be together all during transplant. We knew we were blessed being able to be 3,000 miles from home for 6 months, and all staying together. We were thankful for Connor being able to brighten everyone’s spirits even during our darkest days. He brought an energy to the room that was the very best of medicine. Dancing in our small room to Veggie Tails BLASTING will forever give me smiles. Beyond thankful is what we were for being able to have my parents there for 3 ½ months. What a support that was! We love you Mom and Dad!

We will ALWAYS be thankful for all of the people that we have met along the way. So many have blessed our lives for such a short time, yet they will FOREVER be with us. They endured pain that no child should and fought harder that most adults could. These are the heroes who had courage well beyond their youthful years;

Ethan (who was the first child that we met who died of cancer after Parker was diagnosed)
Diego (who was one of Parker’s first friends from the oncology clinic)
Jerod (who fought so hard, but was delt complication after complication and didn’t return from transplant)
Jared (who I’ll always remember rocking in his mommy’s arms, looking at her lovingly)
Sammy (who had the BEST spirit, and with one leg ran faster than most kids do with two)
Kyle (who would take charge of the toy area and give Elizabeth a run for her money)
Elizabeth (who would want to do EVERYTHING, and always let Kyle know that it was she who was in charge)
Jolie (who battled AML till she couldn’t fight any more)
Colby (who was the first little boy who’s story I followed on Caringbridge)
Jordan (who was the second little boy who’s story I followed on Caringbridge)
Tommy (who’s mom hunted me down to give me Tommy’s left over supply of Gleevec, because she just couldn’t flush the medicine that cost THAT MUCH)
Landon (who was the first child who died while we were on 5200 at Duke)
Karrie (who died suddenly while in transplant on 5200)
Varun (who died of complications months after transplant)
Shelsea (who we met while in line to see Santa and knew of her fight, by her lack of hair. She joined Parker for a picture on Santa’s lap that day that would have brought tears to anyone’s eyes)
Tyler (who had a contagious smile and who’s parents were so kind even during their toughest days)
Frannie (who fought so hard and had a mother that anyone would be proud of)
Ryan (who was Parker’s first hallway basketball friend, and made life on 5200 a little normal)
Maddy (who was a princess and had a brother who was a prince and gave his blood to try and save her)
Maddie (who can now walk, talk, and sing in the streets of Heaven)
AJ (who I really believed was going to make it and I went into a deep shock state after losing him. He was our neighbor at the apartment in Durham, and I told his grandma that I just knew that he was going to be fine and sail through transplant! I just knew it……and yet….I was wrong)
Bryce (who just passed away Friday and was 2 doors down from us on 5200)
Nicholas (who I just saw yesterday at clinic and he passed away last night)

You are all thought of often. We will always remember your smiles and laughter, but most of all your courage. We are all better for having known you and take comfort in the fact that you are no longer in pain. Someday, we will all meet again…..

I know that there are many more that we have lost contact with. And, how I wish that I could say we won’t lose any others. This journey has made us thankful for each day that we have together.

Have you hugged your loved ones today?

Keep the FAITH!

Celebrate LIFE!

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Melissa, Richard, Parker, and Connor

Saturday, November 12, 2005 10:51 AM CST

Calling all volunteers!!!!

For all of you who said, "Just let me know if there is anything that I can ever do to help," here's your chance! The "Parker's Pals Blood and Marrow Drive" will be held at the Save Mart Center on December 20th. We need LOTS of volunteers to work the drive! If you are willing and able, call Billie at the Central California Blood Center at (559)224-2900 Ex. 3017. We are also looking for donations to get as many people registered on the National Bone Marrow Registery as we can! If you know of a company that would like to help the cause and make a donation, have them call Billie too! For personal donations, write checks to the Central California Blood Center (For the Bone Marrow Registry at the Parker's Pals Blood and Marrow Drive) and mail them to 3445 N-1st St., Fresno, CA 93726.

Parker is doing GREAT!!!!!

Love,

Melissa
________________________________________

Sorry for the delay in entry, but always know that no news is good news. Parker continues to improve with each passing day. His strength is coming back and because of the high dose of prednisone that he is still on, he is now eating everything in sight. The new predinsone wean starts Tuesday. It will take approximatly 2 months to get back down to the dose that he was on before this recent bump in the road.

Parker is going stir crazy and it is really getting to him that he can't go anywhere, do anything, or see any of his friends that are in school. It seems to be of little to no comfort that he only has about 4 months of isolation to go. We continue to tell him that because of all this sacrifice, he will have the entire rest of his life to go and do!

Last night Richard and I were invited to attend "The Best of Fresno" event. It is a celebration of the city put on by Fresno Magazine that honors the best restaurants, stores, organizations, etc. We accepted an award on Parker's behalf for "Best Child Artist". How cool is that?! Parker has been featured in their magazine about 3 times now since his showing at the Fresno Art Museum in July 2004. For those of you that are new in following Parker's journey, he is quite a little painter, and has been on the Jane Pauley Show, The Today Show, Goodmorning America, and was featured in The USA Today newspaper. He has sold paintings ranging from $250 to $5000. Many of the funds donated to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Children's Hospital of Central California, and The Central California Blood Bank. If you do a Google search for Parker Fritsch, it's really kind of cool what comes up!

Thanks for checking on us. We are doing really well. We ask that you join us in rejoicing in the good news of our friends Miranda who is coming home from transplant and Parker B. who is still at transplant, but was just told that he is now 100onor cells! Please continue praying for Micah, Nicholas, and Alex, and their families who are continuing to have very difficult journeys and are faced with very hard decisions.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, November 6, 2005 1:48 PM CST

Day 229

Although we did not hear anything as of yet about the pathology report, Parker has enjoyed a really GREAT last 3 days. He has stayed hydrated, ate well, and has had little to no pain. He kicked my butt at Chess, is enjoying his schoolwork, and is begging for me to continue reading Harry Potter. Richard even took the boys to the zoo on Friday, intending to have to pull Parker in the wagon, but he walked almost all of it! He is slowly regaining his strength. Unfortunately, the higher dose steroids have again turned Parker into a puffball. His stomach is distended, and his cheeks are huge. I was truly hoping to be past this part by now, but he is doing well, and that is what counts. I really hope that we figure out what caused all of this, so it doesn’t happen again. My fear is that whatever it was that irritated his stomach and intestines is something that we just aren’t aware of and we could easily give him the wrong thing again. We are currently watching his sugar content (which is hard after Halloween) and have to completely cut out all milk products. They are thinking that there might be some link to the problem with milk. It could also be a med., or a combination of meds. It could be an infection (viral, bacterial, or fungal). Viral being the best, fungal being the worst. Could be this, could be that………..:( Who knows! Maybe he’ll just get all better and keep us all baffled! That would be just like Parker. :)

Parker goes back to the clinic on Tuesday for his IVIG infusion. Our doctors will hopefully have conferenced before then so that we’ll know what plan of action to take. Other than that, we are continuing to celebrate LIFE and are taking one day at a time. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. The entries in the guestbook have been amazing!

Please continue to keep Micah, Alexandra, and Nick in your prayers. These kids and their families are going though EXTREMELY difficult parts of their journeys. We continue to pray for healing, strength, and peace.

Keeping the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, November 6, 2005 1:48 PM CST

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 2:01 PM CST

Day 226
Thursday, November 3, 2005

Although Parker has been able to avoid the hospital, it is still very obvious that something is wrong. He has to drink MAJOR amounts of fluid in order to avoid stomach pain and throwing up. He is not better, but also not worse. Dr. K e-mailed yesterday saying that she was hoping to get the pathology report Friday, and we might have some answers.

Please keep praying that they figure this out soon. We just want our little guy to feel good again. I miss seeing him run, laugh, and play.

Keeping the faith,

Melissa
_______________________________________

Day 224

Although we still don't have any answers as to what is wrong with Parker, he is slowly improving. He has started eating on a regular basis, but still not very much.

Duke has requested all tissue samples and test results so that they can continue evaluating things and try to find the problem so that we can fix it. All of the doctors believe that he has a mild case of GVHD in his gut, but they also think that we are dealing with some sort of infection.

Parker was discharged last night just in time to trick-or-treat. Of course he only made it down the street and then I had to borrow a stroller for him. His spirits are good and he knows that he needs to work on getting his strength back. I hope we are out of the woods, but every time I say that he takes a step backwards.

Keep the faith,

Love,
Meliss

Saturday, October 29, 2005 10:04 PM CDT

Day 221

We still have the preliminary diagnosis of gut graft vs. host disease with inflammation of Parker’s internal organs. The inflammation is based on the lab results from Wednesday’s biopsies. Dr. Ozeran did have the biopsies forwarded to Dr. Kurtzberg for a second opinion. Dr. Kurtzburg requested this and she received them on Friday. She indicated that we should know something by Monday. So, Monday Dr. Ozeran and Dr. Kurtzberg will have a conference call. Parker is doing good as he has his good and parts of the day. He always feels great in the mornings and is able to eat some cereal and be his usual self. However, by noon he is not his usual self and requesting his pain meds. (morphine)

We want to extend our gratitude and appreciation to Grandma and Grandpa for caring for Connor while Parker is in the hospital. From what Connor rambles about, he is having a blast playing with Dunne and shopping for new chairs. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa and Hillary for bring out dinner. We also want to thank: The Foundation for bringing Parker Little Foot, the name of the stuffed alligator and the match box car, Iron Mike for stopping by and saying hello and for the necklace, The Munster Family for the messages (Did you know that you can go on childrenscentralcal.org and send a patient an e-mail? Their volunteers deliver them to the patient's room), Dr. Birnbaum and Kathy for the awesome photo album of Parker’s team, poem and bird cards this past week, and to the Rodriguez family for their new friendship as their daughter, Alexandra, undergoes treatment after relapsing. Please keep them in your prayers.

We'll keep you all informed as we receive information. Please continue keeping Parker in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Melissa

Friday, October 28, 2005 9:45 AM CDT

Day 220

We have a preliminary diagnosis of gut graft vs. host disease. Which means that his old cells are fighting his new cells in his gut and causing him major pain. This should be confirmed within the next 2 days as things are still culturing and Dr. K. should receive the slides from the scoping today. The problem is to treat it we have to majorly up his immune compromising drug. They have to await the culture results to see if we are dealing with a secondary infection too. If he has a second infection then compromising his immune system more would not be a good idea. We are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

We'll keep you all informed as we receive information. Please continue keeping Parker in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Melissa
_________________________________________________________

Monday, October 24, 2005 9:16 PM CDT

Day 219 (Thursday 10/27)

Parker is still feeling better while he is on IV fluids. We are still awaiting results of yesterday's scope. By the eye, everything looked good. They took a biopsy and are culturing which takes awhile. I wish we had some answers as to why he is having these stomach pain.

Last night Parker ate 2 bowls of cereal and a half of a can of Pringles! GO PARKER!!!

Hopefully I'll be able to post some test results later today.

Keeping the faith!

Love,

Melissa
______________________________________

Day 218 (Wednesday 10/26)

Parker is doing a little better. He is off the morphine, but we still do not have answers to what is wrong. We are getting test results back daily, and are hoping to have some answers soon. Thank you all for keeping Parker in your prayers.

Love,

Melissa Fritsch
______________________________________
Day 217 (Tuesday 10/25)

Parker was admitted to Children's Hospital of Central California yesterday afternoon, room 1605. He is on morphine and undergoing tests.

Melissa
______________________________________

Day 216 (Monday 10/24)

Please shoot me for saying that "We'll take this complication. Lord knows we have seen way worse!"

Parker is not improving at all. He is in a lot of pain, won't eat and looks absolutly miserable. He is on 3 antibiotics and we are anxiously awaiting some sort of improvement.

Dr. K e-mailed us last night and said that she is concerned enough to ask us to return to Duke. When Dr. K says that she is concerned, well, you just never want to hear that. We just don't know what we are going to do. We don't even know IF Parker is able to travel. Dr. K is going to have a conference with our doctors here sometime today.

Please continue to pray for complete healing. Pray that the pain goes away and that Parker is back to his old spunky self SOON!

Nervous in California,

Melissa Fritsch
____________________________________

Day 215 (Sunday 10/23 6 PM PDT)

Seven months past transplant today!

Parker was admitted this morning for abdominal pain and IV fluids. His routine UA test came back positive for nitrite, which probably means that he has a urinary track infection in addition to his H-Pylori ulcer. GREAT! :( Now he has ANOTHER med to try and get down. He hasn't eaten one single thing today. So far anyway! We will keep trying. The words bacteria are very scary when dealing with a transplant child. We are really hoping to get a handle on this troublsome stuff SOON! Parker is miserable and we are worried and tired! The next few days should tell if we are headed for an NG tube or TPN, or hopefully all these meds will stay down, kick in, and kick some butt on all this bacteria!

We brought Parker home this evening. We don't know how long he'll get to stay here, but he had a ton of IV fluids today and his kidneys are happier about that. He goes to clinic on Tuesday, so he may not have to go in tomorrow.

Please continue to pray that we get over this bump soon and keep on heading in the right direction. It has been a very LONG 2 weeks.

Love,
Melissa and the boys
________________________________________

Day 213

We had a phone call from the hospital today that one of Parker's tests called an H-Pylori came back positive. This means that the problems that he has been having are due to an ulcer. He is still in pain every now and then, but is much better for the most part. They added another med to the cocktail of daily consumption and we are crossing our fingers on having our spunky little guy back.

The part that totally stinks is that we majorly increased his steroids thinking that this was GVH and now we have to start the wean all over again. We were about 2 weeks from being totally off them too! I really cannot remember what Parker looked like without all of this steroid plumpness on him. We were just able to snap his jeans again! :) I am very certain that without the Prednisone on board Parker would be a major toothpick. He is consuming around 700 calories now, but I am pretty sure that he lost about 6 pounds in the 2 weeks of major sickness that he had.

All in all, we'll take this complication. Lord knows that we have seen way worse. This could have been something major, and we again got very lucky. It's just another one of our bumps in the road.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, October 18, 2005 9:18 AM CDT

Update 9:00 PM Wednesday

Parker has not had a bucket under his chin in about 24 hours. He still is not eating much (approx. 525 calories a day) but I was able to get all 15 meds in within 5 minutes tonight! That was a huge improvement over the hour to two hours it has been taking for the past 2 weeks.

We truly think that he is on the mend now. It must have been a nasty virus and was a huge reminder of what unwanted germs can to a transplant kid. We thought we were being careful, but I guess we need to step up the germ alert and isolation a knotch. Especially since we are entering flu season.

Thank you for your continued prayers. We are asking that you join us this week in praying for our dear transplant buddy Micah. He needs less than 5 percent leukemia cells this week to qualify for a second transplant. We're praying so hard Micah! We love you!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys
________________________________________

Update 9:00 PM Tuesday

Parker had a really good day until about 6:30 PM when he started to turn green. He has been holding his head over a bucket since then and I am faced with the difficult task of getting his meds in him. Oh what I wouldn't do for an NG tube right now! He hasn't thrown up yet, but I know from experience that it is on the agenda for the next hour. I just want his meds to stay down for an hour so that I know they made it to his blood stream.

I really think that this is just a virus or something that is slowly passing. Unfortunately in transplant kids nothing heals quickly.

Hoping for a GREAT day tomorrow!

Love,

Melissa and the boys
_______________________________________

Update 2:00 PM

They held all of Parker's meds today and he has made an amazing turn in the right direction! I got to the hospital at noon expecting to have to deal with the whole scope thing and I walked into the room with Parker laughing, drinking, and EATING SOLID food!

The doctors decided not to scope him since he is feeling better. They don't want to put him through that if they don't have to.

On the way home from the hospital Parker said, "I want McDonalds!" We were like.....OK YOU GOT IT!

YEAH!

Let's hope he is on the mend now.

Love,

Melissa and the boys
________________________________________

Day 210

These past few days have been ones of frustration, stress, and I guess it's honest to say fear. We just don't know what is wrong with our little guy.

We have been able to keep him hydrated at home, however the food thing is a challenge constantly. I managed to get some chicken broth in him last night, and then 15 minutes later it came back at me. Parker is still in pain, remains very sleepy, and yet tries so hard to comply with our requests for him to eat and drink. I'm thinking TPN is going to be in the near future. :(

Dr. Kurtzberg and our oncologist are having a conference call this morning. Richard is bringing Parker to the hospital this morning at 8 AM with his bag packed with the intention of being admitted. He is NPO because of the possibility of them having a GI doctor scope him. My poor baby! I just want to cry. He has been through so much, and yet it is never over.

Connor is tired of just staying home with a sick brother. It's really too much to ask of a healthy 3 year old. Chachie (their word for Auntie) is doing her best to keep him entertained when ever she is not working. My parents have been out of town, so balancing both kids, Parker's hospital stuff, work and Richard's school has been complicated beyond explanation.

Please keep the prayers coming. We just want our little guy to feel good again. We all need strength and Parker needs some extra courage today.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, October 17, 2005 12:08 AM CDT

Parker was able to come home last night. He is still in pain, but it seems to be getting a little better each day. He is eating some blan foods and chicken soup. He has only thrown up twice in the last 72 hours, so this is an improvement. We had to put him on a timer that goes off every 2 minutes, which is his signal to take a drink. We felt confident to manage things from home as long as they continue to stay on the same path. He goes into the clinic tomorrow to be evaluated again. His counts continue to look good, and his chemistries are starting to return to normal.

Thanks again for all of the guest book entries and prayers!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Friday, October 14, 2005 12:22 AM CDT

Update: Saturday @7:30 PM

The doctors are not convinced that Parker is making any improvements and therefore discharge is not an option. They are even talking about possibly putting him on TPN if he does not start eating. Today he had a dry bowl of Cheerios and a bowl of Chicken Noodle soup. He is currently working on a Boost, but it is VERY difficult for him.

He is still experiencing stomach pain. Dr. K is now leaning against GVHD because he is just not improving with the steroids. If things do not get better in the next 2 days, they are going to scope him to check for infection.

Please continue to pray that this bump in the road is minor and that Parker will be feeling better soon.

Love,
Melissa
_____________________________________

Update: Friday @1:10 PM

Parker's ultrasound was normal. This brings us back to thinking that GVHD is the problem. They have decided to keep Parker in the hospital for observation and keep him on IV fluids. His spirits are good, and he just ate a piece of toast! :) This doesn't sound like much, but it is the only thing that he has eaten since his 1/2 of a bagel yesterday morning.

Thank you everyone for your prayers, keep them coming!

Love,
Melissa
________________________________________

Day 206

Grandpa here,

Richard took Parker to the hospital yesterday afternoon due to stomach pain. Melissa spent the afternoon and evening with Parker, then Richard returned for the nighttime shift. The results of this mornings ultra-sound were negative (good news). All appears to be OK but they want to keep Parker another night in order to pump more fluids through him. Richard will stay with Parker until Melissa gets off work at about 3:30, then its Melissa's turn to spend the night with Parker. Brother Connor will probably spend the night with Chachie and Uncle. Expect a medical report from Melissa this evening.

Your prayers do help, please continue.

Grandpa

Thursday, October 13, 2005 9:23 AM CDT

Update: Thursday @9:00PM

The pain in his stomach has subsided. Parker was very tired when I left the hospital at 8:00PM. He gets nothing to eat until after an ultra-sound that has not yet been scheduled but will probably occur after the 7:00
AM shift change.

Grandpa

Update: Thursday @3:45 PM

Parker is on his way to Children's Hospital of Central California. He was doubled over with pain. They are checking his pancreas and gall bladder.

Melissa

________________________________________

Update; Thursday @ 11:30 AM

Day 205

After 2 heavy doses of Prednisone, Parker has kept all his meds down today, eaten some breakfast, and feels good!!!
_______________________________________

Day 204

Well, we have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that after receiving the news that most of Parker's tests that they ran from Tuesday came back negative, Dr. Kurtzberg now believes that Parker is suffering from GVHD (graft vs. host disease) in his gut. They increased his Prednisone to 20 mg a day to try and get it under control. This means that he will once again turn into a puff ball.

We have figured out that if we keep Parker moving, occupied, and busy, then he tends to feel pretty good. He has even been playing catch with me in the late afternoon. The problem is when he rests, or sits and watches tv or works on his school work. Sitting still brings on the sever stomach pain and nausea. He only kept his Prednisone down for about 45 minutes last night, and is only able to eat a couple bites of food here and there. I bet we are only getting about 300 calories in him right now. He tends to feel much better after he throws up, and that is when I try to give him his anti-rejection drug. So far that is working. Dr. K is keeping close tabs on him. If we don't get this under control soon, we will have to take him to a transplant center (the closest one is 3 hours from here) to do some further tests for GVHD.

Now, the good news is......Parker is still 100 percent donor cells!!!!! YEAH!!!!!

Please keep Parker in your prayers. GVH can be worrisome if it gets out of control and spreads to his organs.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, October 10, 2005 3:25 PM CDT

Update: Wed. October 12

Parker continues to be a very sick little boy. He has been throwing up and having stomach pains daily. His counts and chems looked good yesterday, however they had to run every test in the book to try and figure out what is wrong. They gave him a big dose of Prednisone and he is back on a daily dose. We just aren't sure if his sickness is because of the Prednisone wean, a GVHD in the gut, or possibly Roto Virus (sp?). We should get some of the tests back today. In the mean time we are giving him Zofran, trying to keep him hydrated and comfortable. They have a bed at the hospital ready for him if he can't get his meds down and can't stay hydrated.

Keep the faith!
Pray for healing!

Love,

Melissa
______________________________________

Day 201

We are still waiting and holding our breaths for the results of Parker’s Chimerism test (shows the percentage of donor cells), but all of the other tests that we have gotten the results to have been AWESOME! Most importantly his PH Chromosome was not detected!!! This is his mutated chromosome that made his leukemia multiply faster. Dr. Kurtzberg however informed us that we cannot breath deeper until Parker passes the 1-year mark. Half way there!

It felt like a very long trip for two days of tests. We were quite tired of traveling, and the trip home was much harder when we found out that AJ passed away two days after we visited him. Our hearts are heavy for this family. Please keep them in your prayers as they endure the difficult months ahead. AJ baby….We know that you are dancing pain free in the clouds of heaven, and will always remember your sweet smile and your incredible will to fight!

Parker has been having a pretty rough time the last 2 days. Throwing up, diarrhea, no appetite, and little energy. We are watching him close, keeping him hydrated, and staying on top of his meds (which is hard when he is throwing up). We are not sure if he has a virus, if it’s GVHD, or if this is a direct reaction of him being taken off his Prednisone (Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that they completely took him off his Prednisone last Tuesday). He goes in tomorrow for his weekly check-up, but if he gets worse, he might just end up in the hospital later today. Please say a prayer for him to feel better soon.

Keep the faith!
Pray for 100 percent donor cells!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, October 7, 2005 1:45 PM CDT

The Light the Night Walk will be held at the Fresno State University Campus this Saturday evening. Anyone interested in joining in the fun walk should meet at the
Maple Mall between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to join the "Parker's Pals" group. Bree Leighton (288-3276) is our chairperson. She and her helpers will be taking registrations. The cost is $25 and you will receive a lighted red balloon, food and entertainment will also be provided. Survivors of cancer will be given a lighted white balloon. This is a really fun event and an easy walk in the dark down Shaw to Cedar and then back through the campus to where we started.
Our balloons will "Light The Night". Bree requests that Parker's Pals wear RED tee shirts. We will go to Me N Ed's for pizza directly afterwards at Willow and Nees.
We would love to have you join us for this great fund
raiser event.

Tuesday, October 4, 2005 9:08 PM CDT

So far our trek to North Carolina has been a very good trip. A huge thanks you to Courtney at Hendricks Motor Sports for a fantastic tour and a really great time! Parker is still talking about it non-stop!

We were very excited about our first night back in Durham, where we were able to meet up with fellow transplantie, Sherilyn and her family. We had a great time having dinner with them and hanging out at their house that evening. Sherilyn is about 2 weeks ahead of Parker and is doing FANTASTIC! Check out her link above. They are a great family who we have grown very fond of during this journey.

Over the weekend we had the opportunity to visit some of our favorite Durham friends, our Alexan Farms family, and see some our favorite places. It was oddly like coming home. We of course are missing a very important element, Connor! We love you baby and can’t wait to see you!

Parker’s tests were very long yesterday, and yet uneventful. We have already received some of the results back and so far everything looks GREAT!!! The only glitch is that they had MAJOR trouble getting Parker’s medi-port to work yesterday and had to stick him 3 times. When we got one of his scans back today it showed that him medi-port looks like it might have moved a little. This is NOT great news, because if they indeed continue to have trouble drawing off it he will have to go into surgery and get a new one. Please pray that it was just an off day and it works great from here on out.

We had the chance to visit AJ yesterday in the PICU. See his link above. We would ask that you please keep this little boy and his family in your prayers. Pray for healing of his lungs and an extreme will to continue to FIGHT! Also pray for strength for his family during this very hard time. We love you AJ!!!

We ran into BEAUTIFUL Courtney yesterday in the hospital. See her link above. She looks like Sinade O’Connor with her lovely dark hair beginning to come in. We wish that she starts to feel better very soon.

We are sitting in a room waiting for Dr. K. It could be ten minutes. It could be ten hours. However, we won’t complain about waiting for the brilliant lady doctor that saved our little guys life! We brought lots of stuff to keep us busy, including reading “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Parker is pushing us to finish reading it before the movie comes out! Not like he will be seeing it any time soon thought. :) It’s o.k. though, because we Fritschs love Harry Potter and don’t mind at all when he begs to have it read to him.

Thursday night we are lucky enough to have our over night layover right by the Evanosky’s house in Illinois. We are very excited that they have again offered to let us stay with them and we can’t wait to see all of them. We still have yet to see them all together as one big happy family. Apparently Jack is heading off to Duke next week for his 6-month studies!

Sending our love to all. We will be home just in time for the “Light the Night” walk on Saturday. Please come out and walk with “Parker’s Pals”. It’s a GREAT cause!!!! See details above!

Keep the faith!

Love, Melissa and the boys

P.S. Please continue to pay for A.J. as he continues to fight, but is going through a very difficult time. Please pray for his parents, brother and grandparents to comfort them and the doctors so that the right decisions can be made.

Sunday, October 2, 2005 9:42 AM CDT

Day 193

Grandpa here,

Yesterday morning I received this telephone message from Parker; "Grandpa, are you going to be jealous, Dad gets to ride in a racecar with a real race driver".

Race drive Leilani Munter wrote the following in Parker's guest book:

I was very lucky to meet Parker and his parents today at Lowe's Motor Speedway where I was working at my part time job as a racing instructor with Fast Track Racing School. I was honored to bring Parker's dad on a hot lap ride around the racetrack in one of our racecars and I think he really enjoyed it. In fact, by the time I pulled the race car down pit road, Parker had convinced his mom to let one of my co-workers take her for a ride as well. What a wonderful family, it was a pleasure to meet you all! I hope to see you at the racetrack one day and invite you to be honorary pit crew members on my race team whenever you can make it to one of my races. I should be racing full time in 2006 so just check my website LeilaniMunter.com and if you can make it to a race shoot me an email. All the best to you. Thanks for brightening my day.
Sincerely,
Leilani Munter #27
NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division driver

Leilani Munter.com Check out Leilani's web site, this gal is going places...
Email Leilani

Parker said "Dad really liked it but Mom was scared, Mom got to go 160 and Dad went faster".

Saturday, October 1, 2005 11:07 AM CDT

Day 192

Grandpa here,

All's well in Charlotte NC. Yesterday Parker received a great tour of Hendrick Motor Sports. When he spoke with me this morning he was bubbling with talk about Jeff Gordon's and Jimmie Johnson's cars. He got to ride around Lowe's Motor Speedway in a van at 90 miles an hour. Today at 1 o'clock they return to Lowes Motor Speedway where Richard gets to ride in one of their race cars and has been told to expect speeds up to 180 MPH.

Later today they will drive to Durham and stay at a hotel across the street from Duke Medical Center. Check up schedluled for Monday and Tuesday then depart Thursday morning.

The voluteer's at "Corporate Angel Network" have been busy working on a flight plan to get the Fritsch family home. The current plan includes a one hour drive south to South Pines NC for a flight to Battle Creek MI on Thursday, one day layover then a 4 hour drive to Waukegan Illinois for a 11am departure for Santa Ana CA where I'll pick them up Friday at about 1pm and return to Fresno by dinner time.

We look forward to seeing many of you Saturday evening at the "Light the Night" walk at Fresno State.

Grandpa

Thursday, September 29, 2005 3:08 PM CDT

Day 190

Grandpa here,

Melissa, Richard and Parker awoke long before the crack of dawn this morning for the long drive to Santa Monica. Arrived about 5:45am so we were early enought for a detour to Starbucks to satisfy Melissa and Parker. Richard and I had already settled for a McDonalds coffee. They checked in at the airport at 6:30 and were wheels up with their "Corporate Angel" at 7:15.

Just as I arrived home at 11:30 the phone rang, it was Melissa "We're in Charlotte". How about that, they crossed the continent in the same time it took me to drive back to Fresno.

Tomorrow, Parker gets to tour the Hendrick Motor Sport facility in Charlotte. This is a real treat for Parker as he is a long time Jeff Gordon fan. His 3 year old brother Connor is a Jimmie Johnson fan and is camping out with Grandma and I till next Thursday.

Grandpa

Tuesday, September 27, 2005 3:10 PM CDT

Day 188

We're packing! We leave Thursday morning at 2 AM for Duke! We will have Grandpa update while we are traveling. Parker has 2 full days of tests on Monday and Tuesday. We fly home next Thursday!

Parker is currently doing GREAT! He still has diarrhea, but he is feeling good, and eating and drinking fine, so the doctor is not concerned. He has had no GVHD skin issues in over a month! We just need some great test results back next week and we'll be celebrating LIFE!!!

Please continue to pray for AJ, Parker B., and Micha, who are all having difficult times.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, September 27, 2005 3:10 PM CDT

Thursday, September 22, 2005 9:22 PM CDT

Day 183

Wishing you a happy six months since transplant when you wake up tomorrow Pumpkin!!!!!!!
We are soooooo proud of you! Love, Mommy and Daddy
________________________________________________________________

I woke up with a cold this morning, so we packed the boys up and shipped them off to Grandma and Grandpa’s for a couple of days. Don’t want to take any chances. We are cleaning and disinfecting the whole house AGAIN tomorrow so that Parker will be safe upon his return. I miss them so much already! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking good care of them. We love you!

Parker has had two weeks and two days of diarrhea now. We are waiting to hear from Dr. K about what to do now. He is still eating, drinking and playing, so we are hoping that his body is just taking awhile to respond to the C-Dif medication. We did hear that because he has this, he would be on isolation when we head to Duke.

It was unfortunate that we had a bad experience with Parker’s home hospital schooling these past 4 weeks. After receiving only 2 ½ hours of instruction for an entire month, we finally got a new teacher. It’s a long story and we’re not going to sweat the small stuff in life. It all worked out fine. Parker’s new home hospital teacher is AWESOME! We love you Theresa Pope. How cool is it that she is the mom of one of the kids we met at the hospital! See Rhyan’s link above. Parker and Rhyan met in the main playroom about 2 years ago. He is loving school AND Mrs. Pope! :)

We’re still waiting for some corporation to pick up our Corporate Angel flight next week. Please say a little prayer that we don’t have trouble getting to Duke for Parker’s check up. Also pray for our little friend AJ who is fighting for his life in the PICU. We are so frightened for him and his family. He’s 4 years old, beautiful and sweet. It’s so unfair!!! Praying for a miracle!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa

Monday, September 19, 2005 3:06 PM CDT

Day 180

Parker is doing much better. The med. for his C-Dif was hard on his stomach on Friday, but the rest of the weekend he did great and even ate well. Yesterday I asked him, “On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best) how do you feel?” He said, “9.” I think that’s pretty good all things considered.

The boys got a private viewing of the new baby Giraffe at the zoo on Friday. They even got to feed them. Thanks Chris Trainer for inviting them! They had a total blast and could not stop talking about it when I got home from work that day.

Richard and I had a fabulous time at the Children’s Hospital Harvest Ball on Saturday night. Thank you to the Hodge family for extending the invitation! It is truly amazing to see people be so giving to a hospital that means so much to us. We also enjoy watching people look at Parker’s art. This is the fourth year in a row that he has done a painting to be auctioned off.

We are busy making plans to head for Duke at the end of next week for Parker’s “ 6 MONTH” (YEAH PARKER) check up. This Friday, Sept. 23, will be the BIG six-month mark, which is a HUGE milestone for leukemics with cord blood transplants. We have to fly Corporate Angel again, so we still have no idea what day we are leaving or are able to get back. We are hoping for a quick in and out. His appointments for all of his tests are Oct. 3 and Oct. 4.

Thanks for following Parker’s story. We are so blessed with the amount of support that we have felt during these past 3 ½ years.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, September 15, 2005 4:45 PM CDT

Update 5:30 PM

Dr. Kurtzberg has decided to treat Parker for C-Dif. Even though the tests came back negative last week, he is showing all the signs for C-Dif, and she feels that we should treat it this way. He will be taking a med. that is hard on his stomach and could possibly make him throw up from time to time. I just feel so bad that he has to deal with yet another thing! Please pray that he gets through this without any side effects.

Love,
Melissa
_______________________________________

Update Day 176

Parker's diarrhea is getting worse. He is hardly eating and complaining that his stomach is hurting. We paged Dr. K and are waiting for her reply.

Also, we have been unable to get or send e-mail for the past 4 days. If you are trying to get a hold of us, we are truly not ignoring you. We just don't know! :) Please call us if it is important (559)322-8438. We hope to have this fixed ASAP.

Sincerely,

Melissa
________________________________________

Day 175

An ok week for Parker.

He has still been battling diarrhea. It has been more than a week now and all the tests for C-Dif and viruses have come back negative. I believe that we are dealing with a GVHD issue now. It is unclear to us what the next step will be. I’m not sure just how long they are going to let this go without upping his steroid dose. We really had hoped that he would be off of them by now, but clearly that is not going to be the case.

Parker’s spirits are up and he has been pretty active. He even painted a BEAUTIFUL piece for the Children’s Hospital Harvest Ball, which is this weekend. (I will post a picture ASAP) It will be auctioned off that night to raise funds for the hospital. This is the 4th year that Parker has given them a piece,(which is pretty amazing given he is only 6) and they have all sold for over $1,600! Go Parker!!! Since transplant Parker has painted very little. In fact he told me about 2 months ago that he didn’t want to paint anymore. I told him that was fine, but he has obviously changed his mind!

His counts we pretty good. His chemistries were a little off. Probably due to the diarrhea. Even with the wrong brand of Cylosporine last week his level was right on target!

Our “Light the Night” team is coming together. Please join our family and friends for this very fun event! A $25 donation gets you the red balloon with the light in it and we will walk about 2 miles with them. It’s a snails pace, so even little kids can do it. We will have someone drive Parker by so we can all wave to him and he can see all the balloons that his team is carrying. He can’t be there, because there are just way too many people. To join “Parker’s Pals” call Bree Leighton at 288-3276.

“Parker’s Pals” are having a garage sale this Saturday, Sept. 17, to raise funds for Light the Night. If you have anything to sell for the cause, drop it off at 505 W. Alluvial (Between Willow and Peach) any time before Saturday.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, September 9, 2005 9:01 PM CDT

LIGHT THE NIGHT----Saturday, October 8th at Fresno State from 5:30 PM to 9ish!

Walk with our team "Parker's Pals" to raise money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. If you'd like to join our team or donate for the cause, please call one of our team captains, Bree Leighton (559)288-3276.
_____________________________

Update; Sunday, Sept. 11 @ 11 AM

Parker's tests have all come back negative so far. He is feeling much better and is normalizing (if you know what I mean). :)

We are watching Hurricane Ophelia closely as it nears the shores of North Carolina. We send our thoughts and prayers to our friends on Ocracoke Island as they batten down the hatches.

Keeping the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Day 169

Sorry for the delay in updating. Busy week! Parker is doing o.k. He is having some issues with diarrhea. They are testing him for C-Dif and a full ray of viruses. Unfortunately these have to culture and the results take awhile. His counts looked really good this week, but his chemistries had some low levels (mainly potassium). We are reading labels again, but Parker won’t each much of anything, so it’s really hard.

Wed. night totally stunk! I went to give Parker his 8 PM meds and when I opened the cupboard his NEW bottle of Cylosporine (anti-rejection drug) fell out and shattered on the counter, into a million pieces. All the pharmacies were closed, and he HAD TO HAVE IT, so I said, “Get you blankies, we’re going to the hospital!” Dr. Crouse agreed to meet us there.

Come to find out that no one carries the brand of Cylosporine that Dr. K insists that Parker have, so they had to call her (at midnight eastern standard time) and get her o.k. to give Parker a different brand. She said, “Just this once, but I want them to be at the hospital outpatient pharmacy (who keeps a supply for us) as soon as they open in the morning.” So, we had to buy a bottle of the wrong kind to give one dose and turn around and buy another bottle of the right kind in the morning. Which by the way was NOT covered because our insurance said that we just filled that prescription and it was too soon for a re-fill! UGH!!! That was the most expensive accident that I have ever had. I think that even my fender bender in High School was cheaper. He, he, he :) Got to just smile and go on! But, needless to say, we don’t keep the Cylosporine in the same place anymore. I won’t complain about our WONDERFUL insurance either, after all they HAVE covered over the past 3 years. Just a drop in the bucket when you look at the big picture! :)

We’re looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Parker wants French Toast for dinner, so I’m going to jump at the chance to get some calories in him!

Please keep our transplant friends in your prayers. Many of them are in deep need of prayer.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, August 31, 2005 7:42 PM CDT

Day 160

A devastating week for our fellow transplant families; Beautiful little Ryan and Maddy received their angel wings this week and are now dancing pain free in heaven. Micah is having difficulty getting in remission again so that he can proceed with a second transplant. AJ is struggling with liver issues after his second transplant, and nearly ended up in the PICU. Parker Bockhop was put on Morphine on day 5 of his transplant for pain issues. Courtney has been very sick and has spent many hours at the hospital. And, little Jack Evanosky is still having GVHD issues that need to be solved now, so that his new cells can once again flourish. Please join us in praying for these families. Our hearts are heavy as we weep for those we have lost and those who are having serious difficulties. We have traveled this road together with these families and they are very dear to us, as we carry a common bond forever and ever. You can also click on their links above to leave some encouraging words.

It seems difficult after that paragraph to tell you how wonderful Parker is doing. He has had no GVH issues, is eating, looks and feels wonderful. As long as his body stays cool, his skin does not get pink and we don’t have to use steroid creams, so I am very scared to see our electricity bill! :) His hospital visit yesterday was quick and uneventful, which is how we like it. His counts were PERFECT! ALL OF THEM!!! HGB=11.8, WBC=8.5, Plts=278,000 , and ANC=6,545. His Cylosporine was 210 (200 is right were we want it, so this is fabulous).

Parker started Home Hospital 1st Grade today! His teacher will come to our house 3 days a week and is directly working with his regular 1st grade teacher so that he does all the same stuff that his class is doing. I have been enjoying my days in my classroom, but dearly miss my husband whom I only see on the weekends. He is doing well in school at night, and is taking great care of the boys during the day. We pass for about 2 minutes everyday at 3 PM. I feel like I have a pen pal with all of the notes we leave each other in the kitchen. :)

We’re feeling quite down with all the bad news going on around us. It’s pick yourself up, dust yourself off and forge ahead time. It feels like the hundredth time we’ve had to do this.

Our prayers are also with all of the people who have just been devastated from Hurricane Katrina.

Keeping the faith!

Love,
Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, August 23, 2005 10:03 PM CDT

Day 153

Parker has had a FANTASTIC week! The best yet, medical wise. His counts today were GREAT; WBC=9.4 , HGB=11.4 , Plts=253,000 and ANC=7,230 . His Magnesium was back up (almost normal), and everything else was right on track. They are discussing weaning is Prednisone in HALF this week! YEAH (puffy Parker will disappear!).

On a totally fun and celebration of LIFE note; Before transplant a fabulous bunch of men got together to make sure that Parker was taken care of (medically and financially). They did all that they could to make sure that Parker received the cord blood transplant that he so needed. They also told him that when he returned from transplant they would get the chief of police to take him for a helicopter ride. Yesterday they made that happen!!!

The Chief of Police picked Parker and CJ up at the house in his police car and drove them to the airport (with Dad following behind). There, Parker and Chief Deyer joined the flight crew for a 25-minute flight around Fresno. They flew over our house and several of the landmarks that Parker loves including Grizzly stadium. They gave him a police flight jacket and a uniform shirt (totally cute). We want to say a HUGE “ THANK YOU” to Chief Jerry Deyer, my awesome Uncle Lee Gallaher, Dean Eller, and the INCREDIBLE Dave Holden! Thank you for caring sooooooo much. We will forever be greatful for all that you have done.

Please send well wishes to our dear little friend Parker Bockhop, who is receiving his transplant tomorrow (link above). GO PARKER!!!

Please continue to keep Maddy and Micah in your prayers. They are fighting really hard right now.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, August 20, 2005 9:30 AM CDT

Day 150 (Doesn’t this number look GREAT)

Sorry for the delay in an update, but always know that no news is good news! Be sure to check out the new pictures.

We had a very busy week in the Fritsch family. I started back to work with meetings and preparing my classroom for approx. 250 new Art students on Monday. I am very excited, for I work at a fabulous school site with wonderful people, in the best school district in the world! And, I LOVE the kids!

Richard started back to work on Monday and got re-registered for law school, which begins this coming week. Our schedule is crazy (I work till 3 PM, he goes to the office as soon as I get home, till 6 PM and then off to school till 10 PM). This is when we forget what each other looks like! :)

Parker took his placement test for school, however we have not heard the results yet. We will have his paperwork completed by Tuesday for putting him on home hospital. It looks like a teacher will come to our house 3 times a week.

On the medical front Parker is doing awesome! He feels great, looks great (sprouting up some beautiful blond hair), and is giving us a run for our money on behavior. :) We are still having trouble achieving a consistent Cylosporine level. It is either too high, or too low! We will never get off once a week hospital visits until this stays stable. His Magnesium has been rather low also. We have been giving him supplements, so we are hoping that this Tuesday’s labs will show an improvement. He was having little to no appetite last week, so Dr. K increased his Hydrocortisone and last night he ate a sandwich! I know that this does not sound amazing, but before he would only take 1 or 2 bites and say that he couldn’t eat anymore. We are thrilled with his new appetite! The rest of his counts were PERFECT!!!

Please keep praying for Parker to continue to do well, and say some extra prayers for our friends at Duke who could really use them; Maddy, Micah, and AJ (see links above). Pray for all the children on 5200, those who have left, those who have been there forever and want to go home, and those who are no longer with us and never did get to.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 9:42 AM CDT

Day 139

Today’s journal entry is dedicated to Marsha Sorensen. Marsha was a friend and member of the Team in Training whom we have grown to love with our involvement over the past 3 years. Marsha had a terrible accident while out cycling last week that ended up claiming her life. Our hearts are heavy losing yet another friend this year. Our prayers go out to the Sorensen family in this difficult time. May God give you comfort and strength! You were a GREAT lady Marsha and you will be truly missed.

Parker continues to do well. Thank you all for the birthday wishes via the guestbook. He LOVED having me read them to him. This week Parker will take a test to see if he qualifies for 1st grade. Parker will not be out of isolation until after flu season (approximately the end of March) If he does not pass, he will not qualify for home hospital, because kindergarten is not mandatory in California. I have a feeling that Parker is going to have no problem with this test. His fine motor skills in his hands have suffered some with all the chemo and radiation, but hey, maybe he’ll grow up to be a doctor. Everyone knows they all have lousy handwriting! :) He, he….

On the medical front Parker’s labs looked pretty good. WBC=7.7, HGB=11.8, Plts=262,000 and ANC=5130. He is having a little trouble with his magnesium and potassium levels, but we will adjust his meds and the food he intakes as much as we can. His appetite has been almost nonexistent, but Dr. Kurtzberg says that we should see that change in the next 2 weeks as we wean his meds down a little more.

I am looking forward to returning back to work next week. I see a little normalcy in my future! Richard has re-enrolled in Law School (again). It seems like Parker’s illness is never going to allow Richard to finish! :) I think we are on the 8-year plan now!

We should be all unpacked by the end of the weekend. I can’t believe what a BIG chore it was to leave and come back for 6 months. We definitely have too much STUFF! :) CJ is starting up in his gymnastics again today. He is soooooo excited! We will have to change his clothes and throw him in the tub as soon as he walks in so that we don’t bring any unwanted germs in.

We had good news from our friends the Evanoskys at Duke. Jack gets to go home this weekend!!! Yeah! We wish them a safe journey and a happy reunion with their family all under 1 roof again.

Please continue prayers for all the children on 5200, those in the PICU, and those who have graduated from the unit, for they still have a long road ahead.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, August 5, 2005 0:23 AM CDT

Day 134

Home Sweet Home!!!! We arrived Tuesday night around 10 PM. It was so great to see our house again. It was like Christmas again for the boys because they had forgotten what toys they had. We fell into bed around 11 PM and had to be at the hospital for clinic at 8 AM! Ugh

Clinic went well and pretty much uneventful. Parker’s labs were fantastic! HGB=11.9, Plts=225,000 , WBC=10.6 . His ANC was 7,640! Go Parker!!! His skin is still red from GvH, but we are managing it with the creams. He has to stay out of the sun and keep his body temperature down or he has a flare up. Even sunscreen does not help much. He told us that he thought that it was a good idea if he became nocturnal! We laughed and told him that that wasn’t a bad idea. Smart kid! J

It was so good to see his old nurses and other hospital families that we have missed. Although now when Parker goes into clinic he is on isolation and has to stay in a room the entire time. He passed the time playing Uno and watching Jurassic Park for the 5th time.

Next week we will receive Declusimab (I have no idea how to spell that one), and on the 23rd he will receive IVIG. They will also order a repeat CT scan next week to see if the sinus infection has improved, or they need to order another 6 weeks of antibiotics. I forgot to drop off his prescriptions at the hospital pharmacy and therefore will be making the trek back out there in the next hour or so.

A HUGE thank you to Chris Keller for the “nocturnal” tour of Washington D.C. last week, and for dinner and lunch the next day. We had a fantastic time and were so glad that we got the chance to visit with you. Hopefully we will fly in or out of D.C. again sometime!

Another HUGE thank you to the Evanosky family for the hospitality. It felt like a vacation staying with you in Chicago for 4 nights. The only problem was how much we missed you when we left! Have you discovered that I left my dress in you closet yet!

We ask everyone to join us in prayer for John and Christopher in their battle with MLD and for Jack to return home from transplant SOON! We are also asking for prayer for our friend AJ who in 6 days into his second transplant and for Maddy and Benji who are still in PICU. Micah needs a lot of prayers also as leukemia cells are rapidly multiplying in his body and he is currently trying to achieve another remission so that they can proceed with a second transplant. The children of 5200 and their parents have rough roads and come from near and far in a last effort to save their children. Each is amazing in their own way, and all of them are HERO’S for their tremendous courage.

Gotta go unpack! Can’t believe how much stuff we have. For those of you that have sent us emails asking what Parker would like for his birthday tomorrow, we are grateful for your thoughtfulness, but feel that he has really received too much lately. If you do insist on doing something, we would much rather you make a donation to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society or the Duke Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program in Parker’s name.

We are excited beyond explanation to see our little pumpkin turn 6 tomorrow!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, August 1, 2005 11:15 AM PDT

Day 131

Grandpa here,

The Fritsch family is heading home. The plan; finish packing, arrange for the family car to be picked up for shipment home, rent a car, drive to Virginia and have dinner at Chris Keller's home, spend night in hotel, fly from Dulles to Chicago with Corporate Angel "General Dynamics", fly from Chicago to Oakland California with Corporate Angel "Household International". Should arrive Oakland at 5pm Tuesday (just in time for evening rush hour), rent a car and head for home, then up early Wednesday and spend most of day at Children's Hospital Clinic. Look for a detailed report from Melissa when she recuperates from the trip, probably Thursday.

Our prayers are being answered,
Keep the faith

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 9:54 PM CDT

Day 125

This week has been filled with sorrow and joy. I guess many of our weeks here at Duke have been that way. Sunday at 4:30 PM our precious little friend Frannie went home to be with the Lord. She is no longer in pain and is dancing and singing in heaven. Until we meet again Frannie!

Today was our last clinic day at Duke (until October 2, that is). Parker’s labs looked awesome and he is feeling great! HGB=12.1, WBC=12.5, Plts=198,000

We are finishing our packing and are busy saying our goodbyes. It amazes us how many friends we have made in our 6 months here. Many of whom I am sure will last a lifetime.

Parker was thrilled yesterday to take his first dip in the pool! The management checked the chemicals 3 times to make sure it was perfectly safe. Thank you Alexan Farms! We have truly enjoyed living here. We know that we couldn’t have made a better decision.

Though we are leaving to go home, it is bitter sweet. I wish that we could take all of these children with us. So many of them are struggling right now and it just breaks our hearts. Please join us and pray for complete healing for Maddy, Micah, and Ryan. They are 3 beautiful souls who we have cherished getting to know.

John, Christopher, and Jack Evanosky are also in our prayers and have taken a pretty big spot in our hearts. We hope that Jack is allowed to go home to the rest of his family shortly and a cure is found to help John and Christopher. Their parents Bob and Sonya have a lot on their plate and we admire the grace and courage that they display on this difficult journey. They will “WIN IN THE END”!

We will try and update during our trip home. Please pray for a safe return to California.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 9:22 PM CDT

Friday, July 22, 2005 9:19 PM CDT

Day 121

Our hearts have again broken today with the news that Kameron on 5200 passed away early this morning and Frannie’s family has made the decision to turn off life support this Sunday afternoon. (Visit her web site by the link above to leave some encouraging words) Please pray for these families and all of the families on 5200 and those who have left the floor but continue the daily challenges that transplant kids have. Our little friend AJ found out on day 51 that his transplant did not work and that he would have to start all over again!

Our days have been busy with packing and getting things in order to return to our home in California. Our flight got changed around a little bit, so we had to change Parker’s appointment back at our hospital to August 3. We have mapped out the hospitals on our route just in case! We are excited because we get to fly home on the same jet that we flew out on and the pilots were awesome! (As you can see by the picture above of Parker pretending to fly the plane)

Parker has been waking up at the crack of dawn to play with his remote control speedboat that the Evanosky family gave him. He loves to drive it around the swimming pool early in the morning when there is no one there and the pool is in the shade. I have to grab my coffee to be awake for this daily event!

On the medical front, Parker is healing nicely from having his lines out. He should be swimming any day now. It is so nice to not have to change dressings, caps, and flush lines all of the time! He has had a whole week off of clinic. We have had to e-mail the doctor a couple of times. They tried to wean his steroid dose down, but he is not reacting well to it so they had to move it back where it was for a while longer. Other than that he is eating ok, and is in GREAT spirits. Tonight when I asked him, “On a scale of 1 to 10 how did you feel today?” He replied, “10”! Doesn’t get much better than that. Tuesday will be his last Duke visit until the end of September, when we are expected to return for his 6-month studies. Parker is a little stressed about having his port accessed for the first time, but his plan is to be brave for the little kids.

Please pray for a safe journey home and for no bumps in the road that could keep us away from our home longer.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, July 19, 2005 5:54 PM CDT

Day 118

A very long day…..

We arrived at the clinic at 8:30 this morning to have Parker’s labs drawn. We had to be there early, because we couldn’t give him his morning meds until they drew his blood. They had to take it out of his arm, because his port site is still healing. This of course was traumatic after 6 months with no pokes! After it was over, in tears Parker said, “Oh, that was easy!”

They told us that we could go home and come back later, because Dr. Kurtzberg was not going to be in until this afternoon. We thought that this was great, until we were driving away and remembered that Parker had hospital school at 11 AM. We messed around until it was school time by visiting Bennett Place, which is a historical home site where General Sherman and General Johnson signed an agreement to end the civil war. It was really interesting but it took quite a lot of explaining on our part for the kids to understand why we were there!

After hospital school we picked Parker up and enjoyed a nice outdoor (98 degree heat) lunch (in the shade of course) at Rockfish, which is a seafood place at the Southpoint Mall. Then we headed back to the hospital where we sat until 5:30 PM. Connor was fine all day until Dr. K walked in. Then he proceeded to throw one of the worse temper tantrums that he has had in his short 3 years of life. This made it clear to us that long hospital days are NOT the place for Connor. Because we only had today and next Tuesday left to see Dr. K, both Richard and I wanted to be there. Which of course meant that Connor had to go.

Anyway, Dr. K said that Parker is doing GREAT and that she contacted our oncologist back home in Fresno, and they are expecting us August 2, for an appointment! YEAH!!! We are still waiting to hear about a flight, but are hoping to find someone to fly us home next week.

Parker wounds are still healing, so no swimming yet. He is anxiously awaiting the go ahead to do a Cannonball into the inviting waters that he as longed to enter for months.

Please pray for our little friend AJ who just found out that his transplant did not work and they have to start all over. Click on the link above to leave some encouraging words. Pray for little Frannie who is struggling and Micah who’s leukemia has relapsed after transplant.

Keep the FAITH!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, July 15, 2005 12:41 AM CDT

Day 114

Labs this morning looked great and therefore surgery went on as planned. Parker did FABULOUS! He was such a brave boy and said that he didn't want to cry because it would scare the little kids having surgery. It is so funny how he views himself a big kid! :)

Surgery was right on time at 9:30 and they were finished in a half hour. NO MORE LINES!!! (External that is) He will still have his port for probably another year. His blood pressure went way up after surgery which they controled with meds. We are also giving blood pressure meds at home today and will take him in to have it checked again tomorrow.

A HUGE thank you to Sandy for taking such good care of Connor for us today. You ROCK Sandy and we LOVE you!

Thank you all for your prayers for Parker. We feel truly blessed by how well he is doing. Unfortunately there are many of our 5200 (transplant floor) friends who are having difficult times. Continue praying for Frannie, Micah, Bryce, and Ryan.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, July 12, 2005 5:42 PM CDT

Day 111

After a 9-hour clinic day, we are all beat. Parker made it through the night without any problems. They gave him more IV fluids this morning and more antibiotics. His WBC went down to 14.2 and chemistries seem to be slowly finding there way back to normal. His blood pressure is still low and therefore we are still holding his blood pressure meds. They also decided to give him a red blood transfusion because HGB=7.9. He goes back in early tomorrow morning for another dose of antibiotics and a blood pressure check. The cultures are negative so far. C-dif could still be a possibility and other things that take longer to culture.

We believe that it all started out by Starbucks making the mistake of giving him a milk base decaf Ice Mocha instead of Soy. We are not sure of course, but when he threw up the evidence showed milk (if you know what I mean). Sorry for the visual! These transplant kids just cannot handle lactose.

The doctors believe that this probably put his body into stress and it was not able to recover on his own. We now will be giving him Hydrocortisone tabs daily and have to give him a quick shot if he throws up and can’t get it down by mouth. THAT should be fun!

They are keeping the plan to send Parker to surgery on Friday to remove his lines. If he has any difficulties on Wed. or Thurs. they will cancel the surgery.

The new song on Parker’s web site was a gift from the “Songs of Love” foundation. We hope that you think that it is as wonderful as we do. There is a small mistake in it that says Parker’s best friends Austin and Dawson live in Durham, NC, instead of Fresno, CA, but hey…who is going to look a gift horse in the mouth?! :)

Thank you everyone for keeping Parker in your prayers. Please continue to do so and also pray for Frannie, Micha, and Ryan who are all having very difficult times.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, July 11, 2005 6:03 PM CDT

Update 9:30 PM

Their biggest concern was Parker's low blood pressure. We are holding all blood pressure meds at this time. His WBC came back at 23.9! This is leading them to believe that there is some sort of infection. They changed his antibiotic to a more broad spectrum one and are giving it IV. After 2 1/2 hours of IV fluids and getting his blood pressure up they let him come home. He has to report back at 8 AM tomorrow morning for more fluids and more IV antibiotics. If he throws up during the night it will be an automatic admit.

Please pray that this is just a minor glitch and not anything major. Pray for a good nights sleep and sweet dreams for Parker.

Love to all.

Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys
_______________________________________

Day 110

Just when we were getting a little cocky on how well Parker is doing, he began throwing up at 12:30 this afternoon and 4 hours later had to go to the hospital to be put on IV fluids, because he just couldn’t keep anything down. Richard is there with him now. They will make the decision in the next hour and a half whether to admit him or not. I’ll post later when I know more.

Melissa

Monday, July 11, 2005 5:19 PM CDT

Day 110

Just when we were getting a little cocky on how well Parker is doing, he began throwing up at 12:30 this afternoon and 4 hours later had to go to the hospital to be put on IV fluids, because he just couldn’t keep anything down. Richard is there with him now. They will make the decision in the next hour and a half whether to admit him or not. I’ll post later when I know more.

Melissa

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 5:20 PM CDT

Day 104

Let’s see…… should I tell you about today first, or about yesterday? Ok, I’ll start with yesterday;

Around 2 PM yesterday we decided to go to the UNC Chapel Hill Kenan Stadium where they were going to shoot off fireworks that evening. We thought that we would walk around and see if there was a good spot outside the stadium for Parker to view the fireworks without being around people. When we got there and saw that the stadium was much taller than we expected and completely surrounded by trees, so seeing the fireworks from outside seemed impossible. The gate was open, so I walked in and looked around. I saw that there was a man that worked at the stadium inside, so I decided to ask him if he had any ideas of where we could take Parker to see the show without putting him around people. He was so nice and told me to wait a minute and he would be right back. When he came back he said that he wanted to show me a place to see if I thought it would work. He took me up to where all of the skyboxes and the news commentator box were. He said that there wouldn’t be anyone up there, it was air-conditioned, and he could bring us in the side gate where there weren’t going to be any people. I said, “Yep, I think this will work!” :) We had a total blast! We were looking right into (not up at) the fireworks. Grandma Lou and Grandpa Mader were visiting too, so it was a very special 4th!

Clinic today started much later than usual. Partly because we stayed up too late and couldn’t get up early, and partly because Parker was scheduled for a 2 PM CT scan and therefore we couldn’t see getting to the hospital first thing in the morning when we had to be there all afternoon anyway.

His counts came back PERFECT! HGB=8.7, WBC=11.2, Plts=104,000. He had his weekly infusion of IVIG, had school, had his CT scan, and then we waited for Dr. Kurtzberg. I actually fell asleep in the waiting room! When I woke up I saw that Parker was asleep too! We could have been snoring for all that I knew! Anyway, Dr. K said that Parker’s CT showed the sinus infection was looking better, but not gone (which is what we expected). He will continue on his antibiotic for 4 ½ more weeks, and then we will just have to keep a very close eye on it. They will be setting up surgery to take out his lines sometime next week. She also told us that we can contact Corporate Angel Wings and tell them that we need a flight HOME between July 27 and Aug. 4. YEAH!!! Let the packing begin!

We were so excited that we called our hospital back home to tell them we will be back SOON, only to find out that our Oncologist is LEAVING! They have 2 others, but Dr. Lammers has been with us from the beginning, so it is a little concerning. I guess we’ll just deal with it.

We are hoping that our little friend Jack Evanosky is discharged SOON! We just miss him too much! Please continue prayers for Jack, and Frannie is still in PICU with breathing issues. Add Micha to your prayers also. He was on 5200 with us and had a bone marrow aspiration today to see if his leukemia has returned. We pray that this is NOT the case.

Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Friday, July 1, 2005 6:53 AM CDT

Update, July 1, 2005 6:30 PM CDT

We received a telephone call from Parker's NP, Sue. She indicated that in addition Parker reaching the 100 day milestone he has more reason to celebrate.

The results of Parker's FISH test show 100 percent donor cells and his chromosone test is negaitve for Philadelphia positive ALL cells, (Bad cells).

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, My oh my what a wonderful day!

Happy Day 100 Parker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a HUGE milestone for transplant families. Acute Graft vs. Host Disease usually occurs during the first 100 days and can be life threatening. Parker has been extremely lucky with some minor rashes in the beginning and this small bump in the road with his sinus infection that seems to be under control and we will keep a close eye on. Chronic Graft vs. Host Disease can occur for the next 2 years.

We are hoping to receive the results to Parker’s fish test when we meet with Dr. K on Tuesday. This will tell us if he is still 100 percent donor cells. Baring the results of his CT scan, we should have a date to have his lines taken out also!

We are trying to stay cool in the good old air-conditioned apartment. Parker is LOVING his new telescope. We are just waiting for a night without clouds so the he can actually use it. Do they have nights without clouds in North Carolina???

Connor continues to make us laugh with his sleepwalking ritual. We had to put the dinning room chairs around his bed to keep him from falling out, but that doesn’t keep him from getting out to take a stroll around the house. We never know where we are going to find him in the morning! It’s usually on the floor some place, but sometimes he is in someone else’s bed. He says the funniest things while he is asleep too, “Don’t take the green one”, “I already did it”, or my favorite, “The force be with you”!

Please say some prayers for our little friend Jack Evanosky who ended up back on 5200 yesterday with some complications. Frannie is still in PICU and another 5200 family had to let their little girl receive her angel wings this week. There is also a new family at our apartment complex that found out through an amniocentesis that their baby had a genetic disease and would die from it if they did not seek a bone marrow transplant. They will be taking the baby 5 week early next week, do the search for a donor, and check into 5200 for their baby to undergo the procedure. Surreal is all that I can say!

Thank you to Barb Hoskins for the fabulous easy reader books for Parker! We truly appreciate having the tools to keep up his schoolwork. Thank you also to the Craven family, the Davidson family, and the Morgan’s who have made donations to CaringBridge in Parker’s name. This is an incredible organization that allows families to keep a free web site so that other family and friends stay updated on love one’s illnesses. It is quite moving to see the names of the people who have donated to CaringBridge in their loved one’s names. http://www.caringbridge.org/donorthanks.htm

For those of you who know my Mom, please give her a call, or shoot her an e-mail today. Her precious little doggie Gucci passed away yesterday and we know that she must be very sad and could use some cheering up.

Keep the faith! Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, June 28, 2005 8:46 PM CDT

Day 97

Parker hasn’t had a fever since Friday afternoon. He started out a very long day at the hospital at 8:30 this morning. Richard took him in to begin some of his 100-day tests. The chest x-ray, echo, and pulmonary function tests all came back normal. Next Tuesday he will do the rest of the tests. Because it would be too long of a day for Connor to be at the hospital for 7 hours, I took him to the Planetarium in Chapel Hill today. We saw a wonderful space show that AMAZED both of us, had lunch at his favorite place, “McDonald’s” and still made it back to the hospital in time for Parker’s IVIG infusion and exam by Sue and Dr. K.

We were expecting for Parker to get a transfusion today, however when they checked his HGB he was making red cells! We will watch his HGB to see if it keeps climbing. It was 9.1 today. All other labs looked GREAT!

Dr. Kurtzberg said that she wants to run a repeat CT scan next week to make sure that the antibiotic is working well on Parker’s sinus infection. If all looks good, and she expects it to, they will schedule a surgery to take his lines out and we can start to make plans to head home in about 30 days (ish). Yeah!!!

We have been enjoying some great walks, bike rides, and Parker begs to just go for a ride in the car a few times a week. The other night we put them in their Pj’s, brushed their teeth and put them in the car for a nighttime critter hunt. We saw thousands of fireflies and happened upon an entire field of deer. They kept their eyes peeled for a raccoon, but we never found one. It was a very fun adventure. Especially because we are city folk whom only see critters in the neighborhood like cats and dogs. We will truly miss the greenery, hills, and wildlife here.

Oh, I almost forgot…..We got the ok today to take the boys to the zoo! We have to be very careful to stay away from people and avoid any indoor areas, but this is still HUGE! Now, we just have to wait for a day that is not raining or boiling HOT. I don’t know if that day will come, but we hope so.

Thank you so much to the Central Valley and South Valley Team in Trainings for the care packages! They brought HUGE smiles to our boys and we are eternally grateful. Thank you also to Ashley McConnell for sending Parker an Amazon.com gift certificate. He had a BALL shopping on-line! After 2 days, he finally settled on a telescope and a train car for Connor.

HUGE thanks to Terri Taylor for the FANTASTIC idea of putting Parker’s YUCKY tasting meds in gel caps! It works like a charm, and he is ever so happy to not have to drink any more of that stuff. You are a lifesaver!

We have become so close to some of these families and it will be hard to say good-bye to them. Particularly the Evanosky family whom we have spent a lot of time with. We know that after transplant, we share a lifetime bond.

Please continue your prayers for Frannie. This family has been through so much, and yet they continue to give to others in their darkest hours. We pray for strength for all of them and for complete healing for dear little Frannie.

Love to all. Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Friday, June 24, 2005 8:04 AM CDT

Update to Day 93

We received our regular phone call from the Day Hospital in regard to Parker's labs. What we were wanting to see is his Cyclosporine level. We have been playing with giving him 6 vs. 5 pills dialy to obtain a therapeutic level. On six daily, his levels were too high and on 5 pills, too low.

Well his level was 294, with a desired therapeutic level being 200, so after some discussion Parker is now on liquid Cyclosporine. Although Parker does not do liquids well, he understands that he needs to take this so that his good cells continue to grow. In addition, he gets a treat after taking the dose. From what we understand it does not taste too good. But, he is only getting .65 ml two times a day.

Other than this his labs looked great. He might need a blood transfusion come Tuesday, as his hemoglobin is at 8.8. Dr. K felt two weeks ago that Parker would require at least 1 more transfusion. So we are hoping that this will be his last one and that his body will be producing his own blood.

Day 93

Parker began his new antibiotic last night. Something is definately working, for his fevers are no longer constant, but seem to come and go. They are never above 100.5 either, which is a blessing.

His spirits are up and he is looking and feeling great! A minor bump in the road is how we are viewing it.

Richard dropped off labs this morning, and therefore we should have those results this afternoon.

Thanks Chris Trainer and the Davidson Family for the care packages! Your timing was PERFECT for a pick-me-up! :)

Have a happy Friday! Please continue your prayers for Parker, Frannie and all of the children on 5200.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, June 23, 2005 1:20 PM CDT

Update; 2:30 PM local time

The fever is back (still low grade). We just received a phone call from the hospital that Parker's CT scan showed positive for a sinus infection. This of course did not make us happy. He will be on an antibiotic for the infection for a very long time. They're thinking about 2 months. We pray that we have caught this early and the antibiotic keeps it under control.

I just can hardly believe it. Parker had sinus surgery before transplant, and was on an antibiotic to wipe it out for 6 weeks before transplant and for 2 weeks after transplant! It makes me think that we are not just fighting an infection, but a stubborn one! This makes me worry.

They believe that if it stays under control we will not have to be admitted. We are not quite sure where they would put him anyway, because we are hearing that 5200 is full.

We are also not sure where this puts us with going home at the end of July.

Keep the prayers coming!

Love,

Melissa
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Day 91

Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Update 2 PM local time

We kept Parker's fever down last night with Tylenol and brought him into the clinic this morning for another dose of antibiotics. He was still running a low grade fever this morning. All cultures so far are negative, so the cause of the fever is still unknown. The blood will continue culturing for the next few days. They also ran urine cultures today. We will return to the clinic tomorrow for another dose of antibiotics.

Please continue your prayers.

Love,

Melissa and Richard
________________________________________

Update 6:15 PM local time

Fever's back 101.4! Watching it and hoping it goes down.
________________________________________
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 1:20 PM CDT

Day 90

Parker began having chills last night around 8:30 followed by a low grade fever. We called the Fellow on 5200 and were told to keep an eye on him and bring him in if it gets to 100.5 and holds. 99.9, 100.4....We checked him every hour all night long. We headed to the clinic very early this morning because we were VERY concerned. Wouldn't you just know it that when they took his temperature it was normal!

We stayed for our usual Tuesday IVIG infusion and had Dr. Parikh take a look at him. While we were there, Parker again ran a temp. of 100.5, but it quickly went back down.

Stumped, because Parker looks and feels great, they decided to run an antibiotic as a precausion. They took cultures and we will return to the clinic tomorrow so that Dr. Parikh can take a quick look at him again.

It could be an infection in his lines. We hope that we have caught it early and the antibiotics knock it out if indeed that is the case. He may receive another infusion of antibiotics tomorrow. Line infections show up fairly quickly in cultures, so we should know soon.

Please pray that this is nothing and that the fevers stay away.

All other labs looked GREAT! WBC=12.4, HGB=9.4, Plts=82,000

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, June 17, 2005 7:33 PM CDT

Day 87

Our sadness has yet again surfaced with the passing of Tyler yesterday. Tyler was the little boy (about 3 yrs. old) that was in the room next door to us on 5200. Our prayers go out to Tyler’s parents as they grieve the loss of their beautiful baby boy. How very difficult the days to come will be for them. We pray that they will somehow find peace in knowing that their precious darling is no longer in pain and is in a beautiful place with his lovely angel wings.

We also ask for prayers for Frannie, Rhyan and Ryan (see links above). They are each having setbacks and have traveled long difficult journeys.

Well, I kind of stressed myself into a hole since the white count issue with Parker surfaced. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat (actually probably a good thing), and TONS of my hair fell out. I have calmed down some with the doctors telling us that it could be nothing, and Parkers WBC is slowly going down. Today it was 14. It is just so hard sometimes to stay positive when we have lost so many children that we have come to know and love on this journey. I am picking myself up (yet again), dusting myself off, and forging ahead!

On a good note, Parker got back on a bike yesterday!!! His equilibrium is off because of his new weight disbursement and he didn’t have the muscles that he needed to turn the handlebars or peddles. He was sad for a few minutes when he realized that he couldn’t ride like he used to, but then we put his training wheels back on and away he went with BIG smiles and laughter. Of course we had to push him A LOT, but we know that he will get there soon!

HGB=9.4 today (I see a red blood transfusion in his future in about a week and a half). ALL other labs looked GREAT! Currently he is pretty green looking and we are hoping that he feels better soon.

Wishing all of you dads a happy Father’s Day this Sunday. Hug your kids tight and cherish each moment you have together.

To my Dad; You are the BEST father that I could ever ask for! You have been a rock these past 3 years and I love you for all of the love and support that you have given my family. I’m sorry that you and Mom missed your big 40th anniversary trip this year to help us through the rough spots. I hope to make it up to you someday. I wish that I could spend Sunday with you, but you will be in my thoughts throughout this Father’s Day. P.S. Your gift is probably going to be late. Shipped it Thursday. Sorry :)

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 2:01 PM CDT

Day 83

Today was Parker’s scheduled clinic visit to Duke’s day hospital. This entailed early morning labs, (7:00 a.m.) for ABC, chemistry, and cyclosporine levels followed by an IVIG infusion at the clinic and Parker’s assessment by Dr. Kurtzberg.

However, for the next two weeks Dr. Kurtzberg is doing her rotation on the floor, 5200-Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic. So we had the opportunity to meet Dr. Parikh, who examined Parker and answered all of our questions. The most important for us was Parker’s elevated white count.

Dr. Parikh actually said that Parker looks great and is doing well. His counts are good and as for the white count it is nothing to be concerned over, as Parker has not had any fevers or symptoms of being sick. Dr. Parikh did indicate that some children will have an elevated white count after transplant. But we are going to keep a close watch on Parker’s white counts and if they continue to be elevated Dr. Parikh indicated that they may schedule another sinus CT scan to rule out any type of sinus infection. (Parker previously had surgery and treatment for a sinus infection prior to transplant). Parker’s white count today was 16,000, which is lower than Saturdays (17,100) and Thursdays (17,400).

Since Parker’s platelets have been above 50,000 over the last 3 labs, we went ahead and assembled his new bike. He was all excited, as it is blue with cool decals. The only downer was that after assembly Parker attempted to put his helmet on and it would not fit. His head is getter bigger from all the North Carolina schooling, not from getting a big head. So we are going to try on the Jeff Gordon helmet that Parker received from Hendrick’s Motor Sports. We are hoping that this will fit.

We don’t have to return to clinic until next Tuesday, but have labs set for Friday.

Keep the faith and thank you all for reading Parker’s page and taking the opportunity to sign his guest book.

Richard, Melissa and the boys.

Monday June 13. 2005

Day 82 @ 3 PM

Dr. Kurtzberg said that sometimes transplant kids can linger in the teens with their WBC. He is not showing any signs of infection and Dr. K is NOT leaning towards relapse (praise the Lord)which sometimes can be detected by a high white count. She said that all we can do is watch him closly.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys
________________________________________

Monday June 13. 2005

Day 82

Good news; We have the phosphorus under control and his Plts= 64,000! Not so good news; WBC=17.1 We are waiting to hear from Dr. K .

Saturday June 11. 2005

Day 80

Can you say stress?! Parker's phosphorus is still low. We are scrambling reading food labels to find something high in phosphorus. So far Mini Wheats are the best thing that we can find. Chips are also good, however Parker does not like them, so this is very difficult.

Parker's WBC came back high at 12. This high count is characteristic of an infection, however Parker has had no fever. They told us to watch him closely (have we done anything but?).

Please say prayers that this isn't something bigger than just an off day of counts. We will draw labs again on Monday.

Love,

Melissa and the boys
_______________________________________

Friday, June 10, 2005 3:30 PM CDT

Day 79

I decided today that for the second time since we arrived in North Carolina that I would take some time out for myself and go see a movie. I chose “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”….A chick flick that low and behold has a little girl in it that DIES from leukemia. What the heck were the chances of me choosing THAT?!!! Sobbing I left the theater not knowing that I dropped my cell phone. I had to redeem myself at the car and go back in to find it. Needless to say, not a good day for me.

Parker on the other hand is doing well. He is still not his chipper self, but is improving with each passing day. Yesterday when the hospital called to give us his blood counts they said that Parker’s platelets went from 33,000 to 45,000! Go Parker! They are concerned about his phosphorus though. He is running low, which could be from nausea or diarrhea, only he has neither. We will check it again tomorrow morning. Dr. K had some pretty good medicine for his depression. It came in the form of some plastic wrapped around his middle to protect his central lines and running through the sprinklers! He was thrilled!

Connor is doing well in swimming lessons and Richard has been having a much more pleasant experience riding his bike. We are still in and out of storms here. The weather is amazingly unpredictable. There is so much moisture in the air that it feels like you could cut it with a knife. I have given up on wearing my hair down. It just turns into a ball of frizz and I end up putting it up anyway.

Now for the critters of North Carolina; This week out on our walks we ran into deer, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, birds, an assortment of interesting bugs, some enchanting fire flies (those are pretty cool) and a lovely 6 foot black snake! I’m ready to be home now!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Shelsie Garcia’s family back home in Fresno. Shelsie is now dancing cancer free in heaven. Her pain is over, but her amazing spirit will live on in our hearts forever. Shelsie was transplanted one day ahead of Parker at Stanford. They had their picture taken together on Santa’s lap last Christmas. My heart has yet again been broken.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 4:52 PM CDT

Day 77

2 PM; The thyroid test came back fine! Thank the Lord!

Melissa
______________________________________

Day 76

Parker has been feeling very sad, depressed, and sometimes angry lately. He hardly talks, never laughs, and just wants to sit around quietly. We thought that perhaps he was still having pain, but he says no. He threw up again last night. Dr. K ran some tests today. Everything turned out negative. She is still waiting for a thyroid test to come back tomorrow. If it turns out low, it means that his thyroid took a hit from the radiation and he will have to be on medication for that for the rest of his life. She also thinks that it is slightly possible that there is fluid on the brain, but she is leaning against that at this time. We are hoping that it is just the steroids causing moodiness. He is just not himself. Please pray for perky Parker to return!

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to our awesome family and friends who proudly handed out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the Leukemia Lymphoma Societies Team in Training this weekend as the cycled 100 miles around Lake Tahoe, CA. “Parker’s Pals” were out in full force and we love them for doing it! Congratulations to all the riders who participated! A cure is on the horizon, I can just feel it!

I enrolled Connor in swim school here. He starts tomorrow and is VERY upset about it. He just doesn’t see why he needs to learn how to swim! Say a prayer for Connor’s teacher! :)

We are having a huge thunderstorm here right now. All of Durham County is on flash flood alert until 6:30 PM. Can you guess where Richard was when all of it started? Yep, out on his bike about 20 miles from the apartment. I have never seen so much lightning in my life. It felt like it was striking all around us as we raced out to pick up Richard. We are all home and dry now waiting it out with an episode of Harry Potter 2.

Now,I want to tell you about a little boy named Varun. We met him and his parents up on 5200. He fought a long and courageous fight. Varun earned his angel wings this week. He was the only son of two wonderful people who waited 7 years for his arrival. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Deepak and Ramya during this time of grieving. We know that Varun is a beautiful angel who is pain free now.

Keep the faith.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, May 31, 2005 7:35 PM CDT

Saturday June 4th

Day 73

Spent the evening in the hospital because Parker was having abdominal pain. After an exam, labs, and an x-ray, they determined that his bowls are backed up. We gave him a med to rectify the situation and are hoping for a good OUTCOME! (Sorry, couldn't resist that one) :)

Love,
Meliss
________________________________________

Friday June 3rd

Day 72

Just when we were getting a little comfortable, the hospital called this morning and said that we needed to bring Parker in right away. From his morning labs they determined that his platelets were 12,000! We were shocked! I still am having a hard time with why. I thought that once you were making your own platelets they would just keep going up. I guess that I am wrong. But then again I never claimed to be an expert right?! I really thought that we had the platelet transfusion thing behind us though.

We are still trying to get rid of Parker's new GvH rash. He kind of looks like he has a bad sunburn. It is getting better daily with the use of the creams.

All in all with about a 4 hour day at the hospital we are doing well.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

________________________________________

Day 70 (Wow, 30 days till 100)

Dr. K also said to go ahead and discontinue the creams since his skin has been rash free for quite awhile. Well, we skipped last nights dose and today we had a spotted tomato boy! :) We had to double dose the cream today to try and get the GvH rash under control. Hoping for a better tomorrow.

Love,

Meliss
________________________________________

Day 69

Dr. K day was long as predicted. However, when they checked Parker’s platelet count for a transfusion he went up to 25,000!(He was 17,000 on Saturday) Go Parker!!! His HGB however was 7.2 . It’s never been that low before. After a type and screen (determining if he was his old blood type A or the donors O-) he had a BIG 3 hour transfusion. His blood type is still A by the way. Dr. K said that it takes a long time for that to completely switch over (about 9 months).

After we left the clinic we headed up to 5200 with Bob and Baby Jack Evanosky (fellow transplant family). We brought a birthday cake and a few surprises to Viesta, who is the mother of Franny. They have been on 5200 since January! She is an amazing mother and friend. When we were on the floor, Franny wasn’t doing so good. Viesta asked someone to take her to the store and she came back and made dinner for all the families on 5200. Amazing! It was our turn to do something nice for her. We had a total blast by the way! Happy Birthday Viesta!!!

For those of you back home in Fresno....On Thursday at the Blood Bank on Cedar and Nees, there will be a blood drive in Parker's honor as well as several other kids who need constant transfusions. If you have the time to save a life, please stop by!

Good news; Dr. K took Parker off his last I.V. drug today!!! Yeah!!! All his meds are oral now except a 5 min. push through his line in the morning and evening. Our lives just got MUCH easier! Parker will also feel much more free without a line and pump attached to him. We have been playing a dancing game on the PlayStation and he is getting quite good. He always had to sit out while he was hooked up. Well…..Dance on Parker, dance on!!!

Please say some prayers for Varun. He is not doing well and his parents are having to make some very tough decisions in the next couple of days. They are still hoping and praying for a miracle.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, May 28, 2005 8:41 PM CDT

Day 66

Our thoughts go to our troops today. Thanks go out to all of the men and women who serve our glorious country. Because of you, we are able to focus on our son’s illness and feel safe when we are 3,000 miles away from home. Our prayers are with you and your families. Thank you for all that you do!

Parker continues to do well. His HGB is hanging in at 8.3, therefore we are not transfusing yet. His Plts= 17,000 today, so we are watching that one too. Our usual Tuesday in clinic could be a VERY long day. He will receive his weekly IVIG and possibly red blood AND platelets. So, here is my urging to all of you donors. Because two people who took a little time out of one of their days they will again save our son’s life with their donations. Take some time out of YOUR day and save a life. Give blood or platelets.

Some times it feels like we are worlds away in the land of the sweet tea and fried everything. On the news the other night we saw crosses burning in front of churches all over Durham. How 1950’s is that! Unbelievable! I didn’t even know that there was a kkk (sorry I REFUSE to capitalize that) anymore. It was straight out of a movie.

We are still doing I.V. meds twice a day and a whole jar of pills (feels like a jar anyways). Parker’s GvH rash is nonexistent and we are hoping that Dr. K will allow us to stop the creams soon. The side effects of the creams are not pretty. Parker is still quite puffy and is growing dark hair due to one of the meds. Since he his very sensitive to his looks, I probably will not post any pictures during this phase.

The home schooling is going very well. Teaching kindergarten is a whole different world compared to my junior high school position. I can’t imagine an entire classroom of 5 year olds! Parker is however staying dedicated and is being a very good pupil.

Today we were able to go to a BBQ at the park for the local Team in Training. They were very good about keeping their distance from Parker and since it was outside and not windy, he didn’t have to wear a mask. The team here will join our team up in Lake Tahoe, CA next Friday to prepare for Sundays 100 mile ride around the lake. Go North Carolina and Central Valley Teams in Training! Thank you for dedicating your time and efforts to finding a cure. We will see all of you up there next year! Our extended family is already up there ready to root you on!

Speaking of Team in Training; Richard has been doing his best to keep training while we are out here. On Thursday, about ½ hour after he left for his ride I got a phone call, “Hey Meliss, you’re going to have to come and get me.” His chain broke and gave him a nice little crash. Just some bruises and a little road rash, but that didn’t stop him from fixing the chain and getting right back on. Thank goodness he was able to give me directions to where he was, because I really don’t know that many of the roads around here. He was about 20 miles from the apartment too!

Wishing you all a great holiday weekend. Please keep Parker as well as our fellow transplant friends in your prayers.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 6:27 PM CDT

Day 62

Parker is doing GREAT! He is continuing to make his own platelets and the diarrhea is gone. His HGB is still slowly dropping (8.3 today). They ran a type and screen anticipating a transfusion near the end of the week. I was kind of bummed, but they said that the average transplant patient starts making red blood around day 80. It has been a month since he has had a red blood transfusion, so Dr. K was very pleased.

Today was his last day of school (for the traditional school year that is) but he will start summer school on June 8. What FANTASTIC teachers he has had here at Duke. Thanks Marshal and Elaine! We will truly miss seeing their faces every day. They had him doing 1st and 2nd grade math and he is right where he need to be for reading. Our hope is to keep him on home hospital until Dr. Kurtzberg gives him the ok to return to school (probably March), and then put him right in with the same kids who will move up to 1st grade in August. He was the youngest one in his class, so repeating kindergarten would be no big deal. However, he is doing quite well and we feel that it would be a waste of time for him to repeat. We just have to keep a strict home school plan. Not my strength, but I’ll do my best.

We are having fun exploring some of the outside eating establishments in the area. We tried our friend Spencer Rockets favorite Maggiano’s yesterday. It was FABULOUS! They gave us our own private patio and free chocolate cake! YUMMY!

Thanks Brandy for the t-shirts for the boys and for EVERYTHING! We miss you
tons!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, May 20, 2005 4:35 PM CDT

Day 58

Wow! The messages on the guestbook have been such a comfort and kind of our bridge to HOME. Thank you everyone! It always amazes me the people who leave messages that we didn't even know were following our journey. Hello Friesen family! Good to hear from you!!! And YES, Parker LOVES Krispy Kreme Nancy! A HUGE "HELLO" to our friends in Ocracoke (the Outerbanks). We'd LOVE to come back for a visit, unfortunately because of bacteria, Parker isn't allowed anywhere near the beach. We will definately make it back someday though. Maybe on our 1 year check-up! The mini Coast Guard boats have taken MANY trips around the pool. TOO COOL!!! Thanks Grandma Morgan and Grandma McBee for the awesome cookies! YUM, YUM!

Parker continues to do well. He is still battling diarrhea which they are thinking is a GvH (graft vs. host) reaction. They still took a culture today to be sure and unfortunately had to increase his steroids to alleviate the problem.

He is enjoying the little bit of freedom that Dr. K gave him this week. She said that he could start having his FAVORITE treat again, Starbucks! He couldn't go inside, but he was still VERY excited. He ordered a decaf mocha (soy of course). I know weird 5 year old huh?! We always say that he is 5 going on 12. His auntie got him hooked on those. THANKS Chachie (Auntie Mel). Speaking of Chachie, we had a great time with her these last few days. She headed back home to California this afternoon.

We are wishing our TEAM IN TRAINING friends a great time in Tahoe! PLAN on us being there next year! :)

Please pray for our little friend Shelsie. She was transplanted 1 day ahead of Parker at Stanford and is having a very difficult time.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, May 17, 2005 8:47 PM CDT

Update Wed. 2 PM

I went to check on Parker at 6:45 this morning. He was awake laying in his bed when he saw me enter. The biggest smile came across his face, he sprung up and gave me the BEST hug with a giggle. "You MUST be feeling better," I said. He shook his head quickly up and down and said, "What's for breakfast?"

It was like it never happened. He went off to school happy go lucky.

Love,

Melissa

Day 55......A very long day!

The day started out with what we know as normalcy, what that means to the rest of the world we have long since forgotten. Labs were drawn at 7 AM and run to the hospital by our new very good friend Bob Evanosky (please read the link to his family web site) who lives (temporarily of course) in the next building over with his son Jack who was transplanted 9 days after Parker. Thanks Bob! Morning meds were administered and then Parker headed to Duke for school and Dr. Kurtzberg day. Connor and I dropped Parker and Dad off and headed back to the apartment for last minute packing completion. The movers were already there, so we quickly got out of their way after packing a lunch and heading back to the hospital. For those of you who are confused by this, we had to temporally move to another apartment because of some construction by our original apartment. Today we get to go back. This returns us to Internet connection, a telephone, and cable TV! As well as our beloved bird feeder which has given us endless hours of North Carolina bird education. Sounds like we don’t get out much huh?!

Parker did great for his weekly IVIG infusion. Those of you who have been following our story for a long time might remember this drug referred to by us as “The Headache Drug”. Luckily, ever since transplant, Parker hasn’t experienced any (knock on wood) of the terrible headaches that he used to get after these infusions. Dr. K again said that she was very pleased with the progress that Parker is making. We discussed some concerns about some diarrhea issues, but she just said to watch him. Well, watch him we did….Around 1 PM he complained of stomach pain. Around 3 PM he threw up and we had to call in. They had us step up one of his meds. 8:45 PM more diarrhea with blood. Called the fellow on call that in turn called Dr. K. She said that because Parker is still eating and drinking a little she doesn’t think that we need to bring him into 5200 tonight. If things get worse, this will of course change.

Currently Parker is sleeping. We were able to get his evening meds in him enticed by a 7-Up.

My sister Melanie is flying in tonight and Richard is presently heading to the airport. She was in Florida on business and decided to stop in to check on her nephews for a few days. Hopefully things will improve on the Parker front and we will have a nice visit.

Please pray for Parker to feel better soon.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, May 16, 2005 9:04 PM CDT

Day54

Grandpa here,

It's moving day in Durham. The Fritsches moved most of their small stuff today and the movers will do the rest tomorrow. The boys are looking forward to getting back to their own apartment where they can watch the birds enjoy the feeder on their porch. Parker was taking a bath this morning and called to mommy "my nose is running". It was running, running blood. This was not a scheduled lab day so they hooked onto Parker's central line and drew blood for the lab. Melissa and Parker drove to the hospital and waited for results from the lab. Platelets were 15,000 which is marginal as his threshold for transfusion is 15,000. After discussing the situation with the nurse practitioner they decided on a platelet transfusion which made for a long day at the hospital. Thanks to the Evanosky family for taking the Fritsch car back to the apartment so Richard could use it to move the small stuff to their apartment. Tomorrow is Tuesday which is Dr. K day so we hope to get an update later in the day.

We received a letter from Caringbridge today. It seems they have an ever growing demand for their service. As many as 1,000 new pages are being created each month but the number of donors is down. Grandma and I will again send a donation and ask you consider helping too. For details Caringbridge .

Saturday, May 14, 2005 7:28 AM CDT
Day 52

The last couple of days (Thursday and Friday), have be fantastic for the Fritsch family. Parker continues to be little trooper in the sense that his labs are great, (no need for platelets or other IV infusions at the day hospital), takes his meds (24 pills per day), is always up by 6:30 waiting on Dad to draw his labs and administer his morning infusions, going to school, and taking daily family walks around the complex.

On Thursday after Parker went to school, and an attempt was made to find a outside Putt Putt Center (miniature golf) in Chapel Hill. However, our navigator/GPS-Mom was not working. Parker and Connor have been asking to play golf, so we thought it would be a good idea for an early afternoon outing. Well, we never found it but we did drive around Chapel Hill for a while. This was however a blessing as approximately 45 minutes into our excursion we began to see lighting. 15 minutes later we were in the midst of a downpour. So better safe and dry than wet with lightning rods in our hands.

On Friday Parker went to school and clinic. Thereafter we had to make a run to the local Whole Foods for some lactose free ice cream. (Parker is still not able to have regular milk or milk products due to GVH). Melissa never found the lactose free variety, but found some soy ice cream (Yum, yum). Well it must be good as Parker had a bowl, with chocolate syrup.

Hopefully this weekend, weather permitting, we can get in a round of miniature golf and also catch a Duke baseball game. We promised Parker that we would take him to a game.

Although we cannot personally thank all of the people that have and are continuing to pray for Parker, we want thank you. We know that God hears all prayers and has his hands upon Parker.

Keep the faith!!!

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 7:25 AM CDT
Day 49

Yesterday was a GREAT day. We drew labs at 7 AM and then headed to the clinic at 8:45 ready for a LONG Dr. K day. On Monday Parker’s platelets were 17,000 so we were ready for a transfusion, but when his lab results came back they showed a platelet count of 18,000! This means that he is MAKING HIS OWN! YEAH!!! Even his HGB went up a little. Dr. Kurtzberg was very pleased. She said that IF Parker continues doing so well, she doesn’t see any reason why we can’t head home in the end of July!!! This would be two months early! We were sooooooo excited! We would still have to come back in September, December, and March for tests, but that is OK.

We also had a fabulous time at the park with Kerri, Brian, and Spencer Rocket. We were there for hours. It is so good to see them one year past transplant doing so well. We wish them a safe trip back to California.

We were actually given a break today with no labs and no clinic. We are a little concerned about some redness around the site where his lines go in, but we are watching it closely. Please pray for that to go away. When we had his lines put in the doctor told us that 1 in 5 gets infected! UGH! I sure hope that we are not the 1.

I’ve got to get Parker ready for school and then we are getting things ready to move back to the other apartment. Never a dull moment.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

P.S. I keep forgetting to thank Allison Jett for the collage at the top of Parker with some of his favorite nurses! There are also a couple new pictures in the photo album. I’ll get some of the rainbow of hero’s pictures on soon.

Monday, May 9, 2005 2:45 PM CDT
Day 47

I feel like a VERY blessed mother not just yesterday on Mother's Day, but every day, because I am Parker and Connors mother. They bring joy into my life each and every day and I thank God for every minute that I get to spend with them!

Parker continues to do well. Although he only has to go to the clinic at the hospital on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursdays, he still has school Monday thru Friday, so we still end up at the hospital every day except Saturday. Today we still had to draw blood and drop it off because Parker's platelets were 22,000 yesterday. He was 17,000 today so we didn't have to take him in. Tomorrow he will probably be less than 15,000 ,so he will get a platelet transfusion. HGB is still hovering at about 10.6 . It still seems amazing to me that he has only had 3 red blood transfusions since we got here. I'm thinking that is pretty good!

Saturday we participated in the "Rainbow of Hero's" walk. It was both a celebration for the children who have survived bone marrow transplants and a remembrance for those who didn't make it. It was a fun and yet emotional event. At the end we wrote names of the children on balloons and released them into the sky. This was a choked up moment for me. I not only remembered kids here, but all those that we have lost since we began this journey; Ethan, Sammy, Diego, Kyle, Elizabeth, Christopher, Jared, Jarad, and the list goes on and on...... I have known more children who have died than adults. This is so wrong! I can only pray that they find the cures to these terrible diseases soon, so that more children will not suffer.

Tomorrow is our big Dr. K day. We will pack our lunch and be ready to stay all day. Our friend Spencer Rocket from California will be there getting his 1 year check up tomorrow. We are so happy for him and his family! They have been a true blessing in our lives. We are hoping to be able to meet up with them at the park later today also. The sun is shinning pretty hot today, so we need to be careful of Parker's skin. We will probably wait until early evening.

We have been painting rocks and making them into bugs. Sounds pretty funny, but the boys are having a blast! We have a pretty "heavy" bug collection now! :)

They are finishing up the pool area these next couple of days and we are hoping to be back in our old apartment by the end of the week. I spent the morning over there getting it nice and clean! Alexan Farms management has been AMAZING throughout this whole dust thing! We are so thankful for choosing this complex to live in for our time in North Carolina.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, May 6, 2005 4:17 PM CDT
Day 44

Parker is doing great. His labs today looked PERFECT!

We are playing UNO and taking walks. Parker is now embarrassed of his looks and wants nothing to do with going where there are other kids. It just breaks my heart. We even had to have Connor wear a mask so that Parker would go outside. Connor LOVED it! :)

Tomorrow is the "Rainbow of Hero's" walk and we are very excited. We also do not have to go to the hospital tomorrow! That is HUGE!!! We have been moved down to 3 days a week; Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Love to all. Keep the FAITH!

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, May 5, 2005 6:07 PM CDT
Day 43

The hospital just called. One of Parker’s levels is dangerously high. They took him off his evening I.V. Cyclosporine infusion. They told us that the dangers are kidney damage and possible seizures. GREAT! :( He is at 400, and they want him at 200. He should be back down by morning. We will be watching him closely. Keep the faith, and say a prayer…..or two.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 4:53 PM CDT
Day 42

Parker's platelets fell to 13,000 today. This meant that he had to have a transfusion. They gave him a heavy dose of pre-meds to help with any reactions and then we said a prayer and crossed our fingers. The entire transfusion went in, and about 15 minutes later Parker got 1 hive on the top of his head. We hung out to watch for anymore for about a half hour, but none developed, so we were allowed to leave.

I got tired of not having internet, so I took the laptop over to the other apartment and am sitting on the empty living room floor. Two Cardinals are fighting over the bird feeder right outside the window. We sure have missed our bird feeder. We can't wait to come back to our old apartment. It is much more quiet.

Richard and Connor saw their first snake yesterday! Yes, snake! Did you know that there are 5 varities of poisonous snakes in North Carolina?! You don't go into the woods, you just look at how beautiful they are from the roads!

We are very tired doing the I.V. meds, running labs in at 7 AM and then doing the clinic thing every day. We are hoping that it will be cut down to 3 times a week soon.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

______________________________________

Day 41

God must have known that I needed a hug today. This is the form that it came in; Isaiah Brigham walked into our room at the day hospital today. He is 2 ½ years out from transplant after battling PH ALL (the same diagnosis as Parker). He looked WONDERFUL! He was smart, articulate, and very funny. It was just what I needed today. Thank you God! Thank you Isaiah!

Our Dr. K appointment went great today! She took him off GCSF (one of his I.V. meds that boosts his white count) and lowered the dosage of his steroids. By Friday his white count should be in the gutter. Only because it will be all his, no meds on board that will give us a false high count. She changed his transfusion level for platelets from 20,000 to 15,000. Today Parker was 17,000 so he will probably need a transfusion tomorrow. They said bringing his level down lower will force his body to start making its’ own platelets.

She also said that she didn’t see any reason that Parker couldn’t go to the “Rainbow of Hero’s” walk on Saturday. It’s outside, but he still has to wear a mask and stay on the outskirts of the bulk of people. We didn’t fund raise for this walk this year (obvious reasons) but it will be high on our list for next year.

We are looking forward to a great week. Our friend Spencer Rocket is here for his 1-year check-up. Happy Birthday Spencer!!! And Isaiah’s family will also be here all week. Pat, e-mail me if you want to get together (outside of course).

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, May 2, 2005 4:54 PM CDT
Day 40

Those of you who have been following our story will remember back to Parker’s first days on 5200. It was boring and very sad until Parker finally made his first friend, Ryan. Ryan also was discharge shortly after we arrived and we felt very excited for him as we threw confetti on his way out. Well, late yesterday afternoon, I finally got an internet connection for about 3 minutes. Long enough to read that Ryan had relapsed. He was about 65 days out. Don’t quote me on this, but I believe that when he came to transplant with the diagnosis of AML, he had relapsed and was in second remission. My heart sank. A sadness has come over me again that I am too familiar with. And, a new fear that reminds us that this is not over for us by a long shot. Please pray for Ryan and his family. I believe that they will be heading home tomorrow. I cannot sleep and I am on the verge of tears constantly. I think about Parker reading this journal 10 years from now, and finding out what happened to so many of his friends. When you live in the hospital for 200 plus days, most of the friends he has are from there.

Tomorrow Parker will probably get a platelet transfusion. It has us nervous since he had an allergic reaction to the last one. We will watch him closely. Other than that there is not much too report. The steroids are making him VERY puffy. I keep telling myself that this is only temporary, but it is still hard to see him not looking like the Parker we remember. It will be about 4 months before he looks like himself again.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, April 30, 2005 3:38 PM CDT
Day 38

We’re still unable to hold an Internet signal at our temporary apartment, and we have no phone line here. I had to write this update in “Word”, search for a signal and hurry up and post before it kicks me off. I wrote an update and got kicked off before it posted 3 times! It is VERY frustrating! We haven’t even been able to get my e-mail in days. It’s funny how you get used to your Internet connection.

Anyway, Parker is doing fine. He gave us a little scare yesterday with a reaction to a platelet transfusion but it turned out fine. We are going to be very nervous every time he gets a transfusion from now on.

Clinic days are interesting. Every time it’s my turn to take Parker it takes about 5 to 7 hours. Every time it’s Richards turn it takes less than 2 hours. What’s up with that?!

Tuesday is our first Dr. K day. Meaning we get checked our by our nurse Sue (who ROCKS by the way), Parker gets an IVIG infusion, he also will get any other transfusions or infusions that he needs, and then we wait in line to see Dr. Kurtzberg. We were already warned that every Tuesday will be our LONG days. Guess who takes Parker on Tuesday?! I am hoping that Richard will feel sorry for me and give me next Saturday off so that I can participate in the “Rainbow of Hero’s Walk” that is an annual event to raise funds and awareness for pediatric bone marrow transplant diseases treated at Duke Medical Center. We will walk 5200 yards in honor of those on the unit 5200, or those who have been there. I’m sure it will be an emotional day, but I feel very strong that I need to be there to represent our family. We are so very grateful to everyone at Duke for the amazing care that Parker is receiving.

Keep the faith.

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, April 29, 2005 8:40 PM CDT

Day 37

Hello folks,

Today was an outpatient clinic day for Parker like everyday will be for the next 3 months. After receiving a platelet transfusion he had an allergic reaction that developed into hives from head to toe. They will have to watch for future reactions to platelets.

They were in the day hospital today when this happened and the doctors had given him Benadryl before the transfusion which is normal and then, due to the reaction, they gave him more Benadryl afterwards and that seemed to do the trick. Parker is fine now and they will be going back to the clinic tomorrow.

Grandma

Thursday, April 28, 2005 8:48 PM CDT

Day 36

Grandpa here,

It's 6:30pm here in Fresno and I just got off the phone with Richard and Melissa. They are in temporary housing that is located at the far end of a large apartment complex, far away from the sand blasting area. Temp housing does not have a phone line nor is it near an internet hot spot. As Melissa could not update the website tonight without a connection to the Internet she called on dear old dad to help out. When I suggested she walk over to the other end of the complex where there is an Internet hot spot she informed me it's 9:30 at night, it's cold, it's raining and it's dark out there; so here is what I gathered from our conversation:

Early this morning Richard hooked onto Parker's central line and withdrew blood to take to the lab (he does this every morning). Melissa drove the blood to the lab at 7:30 this morning so the results would be ready when Richard and Parker arrived at 9 o'clock. Richard and Parker waited about 2 hours to get checked out and the result was "he doesn't need anything today". Looks like platelets tomorrow as the count was about 28,000. After lunch it was naps for all. After nap time there was a futile attempt to fly a kite in a windless area. Melissa claims to have taken a 4 mile walk afterwards. Look for Melissa's update tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks to all for prayers and support.

Grandpa

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 6:06 PM CDT
Check out the new photos!

Day 35

Ohhhhhhhh.....I am sooooooo tired! Parker didn't sleep AT ALL last night. I'm not sure if it was a side effect from one of his meds, or if he was just so excited to be home that he couldn't sleep. Anyhow, he felt the need to come and wake us up every two hours, "I can't sleep. I'm still awake! Can I watch some tv? (that was at 4 AM) Can you PLEASE get up now?" (at 6 AM)

We had to wait until the home health nurse got here to watch us to see if we knew what we were doing with his I.V. meds. They didn't care that we had done this all before. So, we finally got to the clinic at 9:55. Not a good time to arrive, for everyone else comes about 9:00 and all the rooms were full. Parker's teacher showed up and took him off for school. I thought that it was PERFECT timing because we were just waiting anyway. What I didn't know was that the nurses wrote "school" on the board by his name, and when we were done nobody ever erased it. We were waiting for 3 hours! Parker was starving and I couldn't let him take off his mask unless we were in a room, so I begged them to let us use a regular exam room so that he could eat. That is when they realized their mistake. They put us into a regular exam room, I fed Parker and the nurse and doctor gave him the once over. They decided that he needed a magnesium infusion, so they would get us a day hospital room because it had to run over two hours. They went to get us a room and never came back. We figured that there still must not be a room available. Then I went to see and there WAS an empty room! I asked them when Parker was going to get a room and they said, "Oh, is he here to get something today?" GRRRRRRRRR

Anyway, 6 1/2 hours later we came home from our 2 hour infusion. Welcome to clinic days! It's dads turn tomorrow. :) He will probably need platelets, so it will be another long day. Plts= 33,000 today.

HGB=11.4 , WBC=14.5

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 6:53 PM CDT
Day 34

He's been sprung!!! We left 5200 at 12:15 today. They lined the halls to throw confetti like they always do when a kid leaves, only when Parker went through their tunnel they pulled out syringes and squirted him GOOD! It was hilarious!!! He laughed all the way back to the apartment. It is so good to have my entire family sleeping under the same roof.

We are giving three I.V. meds at home and pushing...Oh, I can't even count how many pills. LOTS!!! I will be taking Parker to the clinic tomorrow while Richard goes to put new tires on the car. We are hoping for a quick in and out, but we haven't heard of too many people having those kind of visits to the Duke clinic. Tuesdays will be our super LONG day at the hospital. He will get some I.V. meds and we have to wait in line to see Dr. Kurtzberg.

Send prayers to all the kids that we left behind today. We wish that we could have taken every one of them with us. Special prayers go out to Frannie. We pray for her pain to go away and for healing. We also pray for strength for her mother Viesta. She is a very special giving lady who will always have a special place in our hearts.

Love to all. Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Monday, April 25, 2005 7:04 PM CDT
Day 33

Today was a relaxing day for Parker. He was able to be unhooked from his IV pole for almost 9 hours today. I don’t think the nurses felt that it was a relaxing day with Parker being unhooked. It appears that while the parent were away a few water fights broke out on 5200. At the very least, Parker did get his laps in today. In addition, he had fine finger manipulation, lung therapy, along with cardio lower extremity work outs.

On the apartment front, we are officially temporarily moved. The rental companies (1 for the furniture and 1 for the washer and dryer) moved us. This afternoon Parker’s buddy Sandy came by and watched the boys while we went back to the apartment for what we thought was to move some necessities. Well, we only had to move a few things, mainly food, cleaning supplies and some clothes. We cannot thank management at Alxen Farms enough.

Today Parker was taken off of TPN, the liquid form of his nutrition for the last 32 days. No more IV nutrition. We just have to make sure that Parker is eating properly and drinking liquids along with 2 ½ cans of Boost.

We want to send our indebtness to all that have and are continuing to pray for Parker and his family. Parker is a sign of how the power of prayer works. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. We know that Parker is one of God’s children and he has heard all of the prayers on his behalf.

Counts for today; HGB=8.6 (He did not get a transfusion today, but will get one tomorrow morning before discharge), WBC=12.2, Plts=18,000 (probably a platelet transfusion before discharge tomorrow).

Keep the faith!

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Sunday, April 24, 2005 10:34 AM CDT

Day 32

Sorry, took a day off yesterday and didn't post. Parker is doing WONDERFUL! He is currently walking his little bootie off trying to break the record for walking laps on the floor before he goes home Tuesday. He has 139 laps to go to break the record. He's gonna be pooped! :) That will mean that he has walked 895 laps since he got here. 14 laps equals a mile, therefore I believe that will be 63 miles total! WOW!!! Go Parker!

They are still weaning him off his meds. They are going to try and take him off his I.V. nutrition tomorrow. He is eating pretty well so we are hoping! This will be one less I.V. thing that we will have to do at home. His gluclose is climbing, so we have to watch his sugar intake too. He is still on blood pressure medications and his kidney functions are climbing too. None of these things are unexpected for transplant kids. We still have a very long way to go and have to be very careful.

We are looking forward to a visit from Dean Eller on Wednesday ,the CEO of the blood bank back home. He is speaking at a conference in NC on Tuesday and flying out of Raleigh/Durham on Wednesday, so he said that he would stop by. We LOVE our blood bank!!!

Now, a huge THANK YOU for some AWESOME care packages that came this week; Chris Trainer, the boys LOVED all the stuff you sent, it was fun to watch them open everything. We made sure that the hats went to some of our favorite friends on the floor. Marsha and Ken Sorensen, what a YUMMY package that was! Are you trying to plump us up? :) It's working! The Barcelos family, how did you know that a Light Saber was the one weapon that the boys have been begging for! The force is with them now! Parker had a sword fight with Dr. Beam last night, who fought back using a plastic knife. Connor took on Nurse Vicky who used 2 spoons. It was too funny! Parker hooks it on his belt for walking his laps. And, Nurse Mary the joke book is a HUGE hit. You know how much Parker loves to make people laugh. Connor is putting his Hotwheels in his pockets and taking them everywhere he goes. I'll get out REAL thank you's as soon as I get out of here to get some stamps! :)

Counts for today; HGB=8.4 (he will probably get a transfusion in the next 24 hours) WBC=11.3, Plts=43,000 (probably another platelet transfusion is coming too)

Love to all. Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Friday, April 22, 2005 6:11 PM CDT
Day 30

Well, we are another day closer to being discharged and have our apartment problem fixed. Management at Alexan Farms is going to temporarily relocate us to another unit while the pool area is being fixed. When this is all done we will be relocated back to our original apartment. Management is going to have the rental company move every thing for us, at no cost. We greatly appreciate their concern and response to our situation.

As for Parker, we had another pass and went on a tour of Dukes campus. Parker’s best buddy Sandy took us to Blue Devil Stadium, where Connor raced Dad on the track. Then we headed to the famous Coach K court. Yes we actually walked on the basketball court at Duke. We didn’t see Coach K, but we did see where his office is located. Then we went to Blue Devil baseball stadium. After all of this we thought Parker was tired, however, when we checked back into 5200 he was at his old tricks. Squirting Nurse Vicki and throwing his nerf footballs at Nurse Bobbie, Bethany, Cheryl, Donna and Dr. Driscoll.

Counts for today: HGB = 9.8, PLT = 22 ( Had a transfusion this morning), and WBC = 9.0

Keep the faith and don’t forget to donate at your local Blood Bank.

Richard, Melissa and the boys.

Thursday, April 21, 2005 4:58 PM CDT
Day 29

Drum roll please...........100 percent donor cells!!!!!!!!
How's that for good news?!!!!! The test came back just now and the tears are still streaming down my face. I keep having to pinch myself to see if this is all for real. Parker just couldn't have done better than he has!

We spent the last 2 1/2 hours at Duke Gardens. It is so beautiful there and the boys LOVE it.

It looks like they can't keep us around 5200 with the counts that Parker has been generating. They are going to push us out the door on Tuesday. We still have a problem at the apartment complex with them resurfacing the deck of the pool right next to our unit. Our doctor wants us to change apartments. UGH! The apartment complex says that they don't have any other units available. We just don't know what to do or where to go. A hotel just wouldn't be clean enough. We hope that we can figure something out tomorrow. We have worked so hard to get the apartment spick and span so that Parker can come home, this just isn't fair. We've never even worn our shoes on the carpet and it was new when we moved in. Please pray that we find a resolution to this problem.

Gotta go, there is a chess game waiting for me. I guess that I am a glutton for punishment. :)

Love,

Meliss

Counts for today; HGB=9.4 , WBC=7.2 , Plts= 41,000

Minor update:

Forgot to mention that Richard had his tubes (central line) removed today. So now he is tubie free and he is lovin it...

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 7:27 PM CDT

Day 28

It was another great day. We got up early and made Daddy a birthday cake. Parker mixed it and frosted it and Connor wanted to sprinkle nuts on the top. Then, Parker got a 3 hour pass. We went to the park with his buddy Sandy and then we went to the apartment to hang out. Parker was very excited to go back there after so long.

They are scheduled to sandblast the pool area at our apartment on Tuesday. Parker's immune system cannot handle that air, so we will remain on 5200 until that has been finished for 24 hours. It is fine with us to keep him safe. He will continue to get passes to the outside world everyday.

There are some really great families here. The kindness is amazing! One of the other moms who's little girl has been here since January made everyone dinner the other night. She has had a real rough road, and yet she still gives to everyone else. It just inspires us to no end!

Counts for today; WBC=5.3, HGB=10.0 , Plts=85,000

They sent a blood sample out (called a fish test) to see what percentage of Parker's cells are donor cells. We of course are praying for 100 percent. We should have the results back in a few days. GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Keep the faith! Send love and prayers to all the children on 5200.

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 6:43 PM CDT

Day 27

Parker got a 1 hour Pass today!!! We took him to Duke Gardens to feed the ducks. Check out the new pictures.

When we returned to 5200 there was an emergency on the floor and we were told to go straight to our room. Someone coded, but we're not sure who. Parker didn't know what was happening. He just wanted to go look at the pictures that we took. It is such a sad place.

We discussed discharge with Dr. Driscoll again. Looks like it will be early next week if all holds steady. They are sand blasting and painting our apartment complex, so now we have a new wrench in the equation. Hopefully it will be mostly done in our area before we bring him home.

Counts for today;

WBC=5.1 , HGB=10.1 , Plts= 21,000

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, April 18, 2005 8:47 AM CDT
Day 26

The past three days were all about numbers, more particularly Parker’s ANC being above 500 for three consecutive days. Parker ROCKED in this category as his ANC was well above 500..
Now the doctors are saying that Parker is heading towards a discharge in one week. Yes, you did read correctly. The doctor said it will take one week to wean Parker from his current IV meds and to educate his parents on home care. What this means is that Melissa and myself will have to learn how to administer Parker’s meds at home, draw labs and change dressings. Dr. K explained it as we can not expect parents to be 24 hour nurses, but, we can train them to be 12 hour nurses.

Counts for today; HGB=10.8, PLTS=41,000, WBC=3.7, ANC=2,331.

Hey Spencer Rocket, do you recognize the nurse in this picture?! Yesterday on the floor Parker had fun chasing nurse Kitty, Brooke, Bethany and Vicky with his nerf footballs and syringes filled with water. He has quite an arm when it comes to throwing the nerf footballs. I only hope he is not sending the nurses home with black and blue marks. He also had time to get in a game of chess and war, which of course he won. Last night one of the parents on the floor made dinner for everyone. It was very delicious and appreciated by all.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Sunday, April 17, 2005 7:58 AM CDT

Day 25

Today is all about numbers;

Half way to 50, one quarter of the way to 100. We can do this!!! AND......

IT'S OFFICIAL........HE'S ENGRAFTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is the third day his ANC >500 (This is how they define engraftment). Counts for today; WBC=3.0 , HGB=10.8 ,Plts=100,000 (Don't get too excited about that one. He had a HUGE transfusion yesterday.) ANC=1,830 !!!

It's our 30th night on 5200 (we actually get a free parking pass after 30 days!) yippie!. It is Parker's 217th night spent in the hospital since diagnosis. The last night is coming.....I can just see it!

Richard is on duty tonight.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, April 16, 2005 3:56 PM CDT

Day 24

No pass tomorrow. Doesn't that picture just speak a thousand words?! The doctor doesn't want to jump the gun. Baby steps he says. I guess they are right. Parker will have the rest of his life to look at the sky. Let's just get that engraftment to stick for GOOD!

Counts for today; WBC=2.6 , HGB=11.6 , Plts=30,000 ANC=1,742

Just hanging out today; Watching movies, playing chess, and walking laps.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, April 15, 2005 9:28 PM CDT
Day 23

Parker has figured out how to soak in an oatmeal bath and watch cartoons at the same time by positioning the bathroom door (which has a mirror on it) at the right angle. I'm telling you.....He's 5 going on 12 !

Counts for today;

HGB=11.6 , WBC=2.2 , Plts=73,000 , ANC=1,386

Two more days of these kind of counts and we will be deemed engrafted! The platelet transfusions are still coming regularly, but the doctors have discontinued giving Parker Dad's white cells! They are going to leave Richard's line in for 1 week (just in case).

It is a sad day for us, because we said, "Good-bye" to Grandma and Grandpa Morgan. They have been here with us since the beginning of February. We are FOREVER greatful for their support; watching Connor when needed, bringing us dinner regularly, helping with laundry and housework at the apartment, and for being well needed family during a difficult and emotional time. We wish them a good trip back to California and will look forward to seeing them again at the end of the summer with their healthy little grandson.

The brothers on 5200 received their transplant today. We are sending them good thoughts and prayers. GROW CELLS GROW! We also have some new cell mates. Three new children will now call 5200 their (temporary) home. There is just no end to the cycle. A child leaves.....a child arrives. Sadness unfolds deep within my heart as these children suffer. It is unimaginable the things we witness here. Luckily......we also see miracles, bright smiles, and the sweet sound of laughter. We thank God for Dr. K and her team, for the knowledge they have incurred, and the temendous amount of love that they put into their job.

Parker continues to squirt the nurses with water, run up and down the halls, and he put me in "Check Mate" today! Oh my goodness.....how embarrassing was that?! I am going to blame it on the stress and not being able to concentrate. :)

Keep the faith. GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, April 14, 2005 1:43 PM CDT
Day 22

Still plugging along. We aren't breaking any records getting out of here, but that is ok. Parker is still on way too many meds and getting too many platelet transfusions for him to go home (to the appartment that is). They will start checking his ANC tomorrow. They say if you have an ANC greater than 500 for 3 days in a row, then you have engrafted. WBC=2.0 today, so he is ON HIS WAY!!!

The doctor said that today was probably Richards last time that they will need him to donate white cells to Parker. YEAH!!! Richard will probably have surgery next week to get his line out. We'll see.

We won't get a day pass until Parker can be off his I.V. meds for 2 hours or more. Today the weather is looking a little nicer, so hopefully we'll get to show him the sky soon. I just can't imagine not going out side for 30 days. I bet he'll be pretty excited!

A huge thank you to Carolyn, Joel, and Chris Keller for the HUGE package. We are going to have to open a toy store pretty soon! :)

Love to all. Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 8:42 PM CDT
Day 21

What more can we say on updating Parker’s page but that he “ROCKS.” From a long nights rest, he woke up at about 10:00 a.m.; he had a very fun day. Grandpa stopped in, and of course Parker had to play him a game or two of PS2. In addition, Parker played Grandpa in a game of chess. Well needless to say Parker won at PS2 and Grandpa barely won at chess.

In addition to Grandpa’s visit, Parker’s buddy Sandy stopped by today. From what I understand she was Parker’s cheering squad during the PS2 games. Thereafter, Sandy and Parker were of for a game of bingo. Parker picked up a set of Ninja Turtle playing cards and some nerf footballs. The footballs were a hit, literally. Parker was roaming the hall throwing them at whoever dared crossed his path. (The nurses) Parker also got into yet another water fight with Nurse Jenn. At the end of the day a truce was called.

Lastly Parker was extremely excited when the nurses gave Dad his bi-weekly “G” shots. He was grinning was ear-to-ear and laughing too. I guess paybacks are in order as Dad was the one that gave Parker his “G” shots back home.

Counts for today: HGB – 7.4, WBC – 1.2 (yesterdays were actually .9), PLT – 51.

Keep the faith and remember to donate at your local Blood Bank…

Richard, Melissa and the boys.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 7:56 PM CDT

Update; April 12 @ 9:45 AM

Day 21

WBC= 1.2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
________________________________________

Day 20

It was a pretty uneventful day. That is a GOOD day on 5200. It started out with a WBC=.9 and the usual oatmeal baths and creams that were spread over Parker's entire body. Parker ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast and 4 bites of a hamburger for lunch, followed by more cereal for dinner. Very nutritious uh?! They said, "If he wants to eat something, let him!

Parker is receiving platelets about two to three times a day now. If you have the time, PLEASE head to your local blood bank and donate. These kids really need YOU!

About 8 PM tonight Parker started getting hives on his head. Apparently he was having an allergic reaction to his TPN (I.V. nutrition). We are keeping him awake for a while to see if we can get it under control.

Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts and prayers. I long for the day when Parker is older to be able to go back and read this journal and all the guest book entries. It is truly amazing how many people have touched our lives due to this terrible disease.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, April 11, 2005 8:01 AM CDT

Day 19

Drum roll please...........With none of Richards white cells on board Parker's WBC=.7 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HGB=8.4 and ANC=370 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Parker, go Parker, yes, oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are hoping for a hall pass to take him outside for a 2 hour recess by the end of the week. Maybe a picnic in Duke gardens! We are expecting rain tomorrow, so hopefully it will pass soon!

On to do an oatmeal bath followed by more cream. I'm on duty for tonight and tomorrow night.

Keep the faith! Your prayers are WORKING!!!!!

Love,

Meliss

Sunday, April 10, 2005 8:24 PM CDT
Day 18

we still have the GVHD, but Parker is doing better. The oatmeal baths and cream applications have lessened the itching. He has been having a blast on the floor. Yesterday we were able to run the halls, play soccer and shoot some hoops and of course complete 35 laps. He had fun teasing the nurses while roaming and running in the hall.

Parker and I stayed up until 11:00 watching Harry Potter. I guess taking a nap at 6:00 p.m. is not such a good idea. But it was fun and Parker said the movie was “OK.” I guess Melissa may be in for some late nights as she is on Monday and Tuesday.

Today Parker and I played some more hoops and ran around the halls when he was unhooked. We also went to the playroom and had some fun with the matchbox cars.

Counts for today; HGB= 8.8, WBC=.5 , Plts = 4 (He had a transfusion early this morning.)

Keep the faith and don’t forget to donate at your local Blood Bank!!!

Love,

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Saturday, April 9, 2005 8:17 AM CDT

Day 17

This GVHD (graft vs. host disease) is NOT fun! Just when I thought we had the itching under control, he turned into a tomato last night and had a NASTY flare up. I am soaking him in an oatmeal bath right now that will be followed by more cream. Poor baby is miserable!

Parker did 25 laps yesterday (some of them running!). He played with nurse Vicky and DID NOT want to go to bed. I am trying to get his sleeping in till noon thing under control, but he is fighting me every step of the way! :) But I am winning, because he is up and it is 9:30! :)

Richard is back on duty tonight. He says that Connor is all better. We will watch him for a few days to make sure before we let him come visit Parker.

Counts for today; HGB= 9.0 (We can't believe that this count keeps recovering. Parker has had only 1 red blood transfusion since we got here) WBC=.5 , Plts = 33,000 (He has been getting platelets about every 4 days).

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, April 8, 2005 8:25 AM CDT
Update 1:30 PM

Parker is doing MUCH better! He is hardly scratching and has already walked 10 laps. And.......he ATE a bowl of cereal today!!! YEAH

His latest chest x-ray from yesterday again came back negative. Thank the Lord! Now....let's just STOP coughing! :)

Hopefully we are on the up swing of things now!

Love,

Meliss

________________________________________

Day 16

It's like watching grass grow. I keep thinking everyday that his white count is going to take off, yet every day it is about the same. He continues to cough and his itching is poison ivy X 10. They gave him a HUGE pulse of steroids (GREAT!) to try and get the graft vs. host disease under control, and we are using creams and oatmeal baths. They are predicting that the itching should be gone today. Parker should be waking up soon, so we'll see. He has been sleeping more than he has been awake the last couple of days, and I had to drag him to do 5 laps yesterday. It was probably for the best though, because he walked and scratched, scratched, scratched. We found it much better to let him do something like a video game that kept BOTH hands busy! :)

Connor is finally home. He totally knows that he cannot get anyone sick and tries hard to stay in his own bed at night and even wears a mask in the appartment and the car without a fuss. His cough is ALMOST gone, but every now and then he lets out a nice one. He can't come anywhere near the hospital and we have to make sure that we are wearing Connor free clothes when we come to see Parker. Oh the joys of this process! Thank you Mom and Dad for taking such great care of him! We LOVE you!

There is a new family on the floor this week. If I start to think that life is tough, I think of them. They have TWO boys going through transplant at the SAME TIME!!! I can't even imagine. Please pray for all of the families on 5200, the ones that we have lost and the ones fighting really hard. Pray for Parker's cough and rash to GO AWAY, and for Connor to be 100 percent healthy soon. And then....pray GROW CELLS GROW!!!!

Counts for today; HGB= 8.4 , WBC= .5 , Plts= 64,000 , ANC= 0. I am sure that he will get ANOTHER red blood transfusion today. They gave him O- right from the beginning. Thank you all of our O- donors, keep it coming, we have just begun!

I think that I forgot to tell you what we found out about Parker's donor. We received her cord from UCLA, so she probably lives in the L.A. area. Isn't is great that he will keep California blood?! :) She was born May 10, 2002, so she is about to turn 3 next month. And, she has O-blood type. That is all that we will ever get to know. We don't get to thank them or have any contact at all. It is very different than the national donor list. They really need to keep it all secret to keep anyone from trying to go to the child to get more cells. I totally understand, but I hope that they at least tell them that their frozen cells were used to help save a child's life.

Keep the faith!

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 8:31 PM CDT
Day 14

Well, we still have some fevers, rash and a little person whose body is itchy. It seems that every awaken moment he is scratching some part of his body. On this front the doctor has started Parker on a steroid pulse, this is a high dose of steroid given 2 times. The doctor indicated that these symptoms are normal and are part of the graft vs. host disease. These pulses should reduce the bouts of fevers and itchiness.

Parker is also becoming known as the 5200 magician. Yesterday he showed Dr. Prasod a card trick (smoke and fire) and now the nurses and nurse practitioners are streaming to Parker’s door to see him perform his magic. He is having fun performing for his captive audience. In between performances he still finds the time to complete laps.

His counts today are: HGB – 9.5; WBC - .5; PLT – 35

On the CJ front, Mom had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and then took him back to the apartment. Mom couldn’t wait to take him home as she said the apartment was awfully quiet last night without him there. CJ was also excited finally be able to sleep at home. He understands as he would tell us that he had a cough and not to get near him as he didn’t want Parker to get sick. How cute is that?

Keep the faith, go donate blood at your local Blood Bank and pray for Karri’s family, from Virginia, who lost her battle with this terrible disease.

Richard, Melissa, and the boys.

Tuesday, April 5, 2005 3:14 PM CDT

Day 13

No big news today. The rash is itchy, the cough is a pain, and as usual Parker is a trooper! He hasn't had a fever since 2 AM, and he slept very well last night. He has developed some sores on his bottom which they are going to culture today. His WBC=.6 today, which was mostly due to Richards white cells. We won't get another "true" WBC until Monday, or if they really start rising, they will probably be because Parker's new cells are taking over. It is a very slow process and can go up and down for quite a while.

On the CJ front; We called his pediatrician back home today and they put him on 5 days of antibiotics as a precausionary measure. After he has it in his system for 24 hours I will go and pick him up from Grandma and Grandpa's. I miss him SOOOOOOO much, and it is a very hard thing to explain to a 3 year old why he can't come home yet.

Richard is on duty tonight. I am not looking forward to being alone at the appartment without Connor.

Parker is learning magic tricks and playing them on all of the doctors and nurses. You can hear everyone laughing down the halls. He is looking forward to being off of his I.V. lines for a little while so that he can run, play hopscotch, and hide and seek!

Please pray for his cells to continue growing, for no complications, and for good health for the rest of us.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, April 4, 2005 9:26 AM CDT

Day 12

Parker's cells are GROWING!!!! YIPPY

Without receiving white cells from Richard yesterday, they were able to get a true WBC this morning. Dr. Martin said that anything over .1 meant that he was making his own cells and we are ENGRAFTING! We are at .2!!!

Unfortunately this also came with temperatures up to 104, throwing up, nasty rash, and high blood pressure. I think Parker FINALLY fell asleep around 5 AM and is STILL snoozing (11 AM). Now....We want that WBC to climb, climb, climb! They will start testing it when it gets above .5. We had an incredible nurse last night that took GREAT care of Parker during some difficult hours. Thanks Bobby!

On the home front, CJ is still coughing and begging to come home. It just breaks our hearts. He feels fine, but that cough is still with him, so we are going to give it another day or so. Grandma and Grandpa are trying to keep his mind off things and are taking him to the zoo today. Thanks Mom and Dad! Have a great day!

Richard is donating white cells right now, and when he gets back I am going to get my hair done (it needs it BAD). They actually have a stylist come to 5200 to do parents hair once a month! Tonight it is Richard's turn to see the massage therapist! Their programs here ROCK!

Please pray for Parker and CJ to feel better soon, for those cells to keep growing, and for the rest of us to stay healthy! Keep the faith!

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, April 3, 2005 11:37 AM CDT
Update 9 AM Monday

We are engrafting, white blood count was .2 this morning.,

Update 10 PM

The mood has turned somber again on 5200 as two of our fellow fighters went to ICU tonight. Our prayers are with them and their families.

Parker's fever is 102 and he has a rash all over. They are still running cultures. He is also STILL coughing! Please pray that goes AWAY! Let's hope for a good WBC in the morning. GROW CELLS GROW!

The other thing that has gotten us down is that Connor came down with a cough. I had to take him to stay with Grandma and Grandpa. It just KILLS me that I can't even take care of my own sick child. It is just too risky right now. If Richard gets it, he won't be able to donate white cells to Parker, and if I get it Richard will be on his own 24/7. Let's hope it's just a 2 day bug. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

Keep the faith!

Love, Melissa and the boys
________________________________________

Day 11

Parker continues to have a fever and a rash. The fever is controlled with Tylenol and the rash is not causing any form of discomfort. However, he continues with his cough and the doctor ordered a chest x-ray to make sure he does not have pneumonia. He is also complaining that his feet are hurting. (The doctor said that the fever, rash and now bone discomfort is a good sign.)

The doctor also indicated that his counts are okay, but he will need platelets sometime today. His white blood cell count went down, but the doctor indicated that tomorrow mornings lab draw should show us something, as Parker will not be receiving granulocytes today. If his WBC is higher than .1 then his body is probably producing cells, if it is less than .1 then we will have to wait. So, GROW CELLS GROW.

Counts for today: HGB = 11.4; WBC = .8; PLT = 23,000.

Parker was also told that on 5200 14 laps is equal to a mile. So Parker is doing approximately 2 miles a day. (Even with his fevers.)

Keep the faith, donate blood at your local Blood Bank and pray for those cells to grow.

Richard, Melissa, Parker and Connor.

Saturday, April 2, 2005 11:16 AM CST
Update:

Parker continues to run a high fever, which is controlled with tylenol. We have not received the status of last nights cultures to see if it is an infection or engraftment. Of course we perfer the latter, engraft.

Day 10

Well so much for April Fools, I guess we can all have dreams. But Parker does have a reputation on 5200 for joking/scaring/conversing with the nurses and of course all of his laps.

Parker had a good day playing with his best buddy Sandy. Parker and Sandy made a bouquet of flower that read, “ I love mom and dad” at arts and crafts and then played PS2. Parker showed no mercy when it came to playing his game. This allowed for Melissa, Connor and myself to have a lunch date at a local Mexican restaurant.
Parker continues to have a fever. When the doctor came in he noted that Parker had a rash on his stomach and the palms of his hands. He reminded us that the fever and rash are signs of engraftment. His counts are good, with his WBC remaining the same. The doctor indicated that this could either be from receiving my granulocytes or that Parker was producing his own. We will know more on this front tomorrow, as Parker does not get granulocytes on Sunday. So, his Monday morning lap draw should show what his true counts are.
Counts for today are: WBC=2.0, HGB=11.4, Plts=41,000, ANC=0

Keep the faith, donate blood at the local Blood Bank and GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Love,

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Friday, April 1, 2005 5:40 PM CST
Update 8:30 PM

We have fever! 101.7 They are cultering his lines to make sure it is not an infection. Hopefully this is fever, rash, engraft!

Keep the faith!

Melissa
_______________________________________

Day 9

Parker was choosen by Duke University Medical Center as patient of the month!!! With this honor they wipe out all medical expenses owed to the institution, give you 2 years of FREE meds., paid our appartment expenses off in full through August, give us expense money each month that we are here, have managed to make a deal with our mortgage company back home and have completely paid it off, and contacted Richards law school and had his entire student loan wiped out!!! April Fools! But, oh....that sounded sooooooo good hu?! :) Sorry, couldn't resist!

Parker is having too much fun today playing April Fools jokes on the nurses. He keeps telling them that he brought them some chocolate! Don't mess with women and their chocolate Parker! :)

All is steady on the medical front. Counts for today are; WBC=2.0 , HGB=11.4 , Plts=68,000 , ANC=0

The doctor said that this high white count could be the beginnings of engrafting, but with Richard donating white cells to Parker, there is no way to know at this point who's cells are who's. The next few days will tell! We are hoping for an even higher white count tomorrow. We still haven't had the wanted fevers or rash, so they might just be Richard's cells.

Pray hard....GROW CELLS GROW! Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

P.S. To the Barcelos Family, Nurse Kimmers, and Parker's kindergarten class, "Thanks sooooo much for the care packages!" The smiles that you brought our boys are priceless. WE LOVE YOU!!!

Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:23 PM CST
Day 8

Parker has received red blood, Richard's white blood cells, platelets, and two high blood pressure meds since last night. All of which they are deeming "normal" for floor 5200 kids.Kind of an odd use of the word normal hu?! :)

He is still coughing, eating and doing his laps. He went to art class for 2 hours today and is currently watching T.V. and talking on the phone.

CJ went to the Life and Science Museum with Grandma and Grandpa today. Sounds like they had a lot of fun! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

Richard went to the clinic this morning to donate white cells then had to go home and lay down. He had a terrible headache (a common side effect for this procedure). He and Connor are on their way to the hospital right now to have dinner with us. I haven't seen CJ since yesterday and am going through withdrawls!

Keep the faith! GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, March 30, 2005 5:24 PM CST

Day 7

Ok, my advice for anyone who is going to go through either chemotherapy or radiation and is going to lose their hair....shave it off! WHAT A MESS!!! And, heart wrenching to watch it fall out in chunks. Parker has bald spots all over his head and hair is stuck to EVERYTHING all over the room. I have cleaned and cleaned and cleaned! It should be over in about 2 days. I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait! Last time, we shaved it off and it was much easier emotionally and physically.

Parker has done 27 laps today so far and he jogged 5 of them! It kind of cracks me up how this doesn't even faze him.

One of the little boys on 5200 just engrafted. It took 74 DAYS!!! UUUGH I pray that it doesn't take Parker that long. How mind racking that must have been for that family.

Parker has a new "Buddy". Her name is Sandy. She is a pre-med student at Duke. Sandy came by today and played with Parker for a few hours. Since she was here, Richard, CJ and I went out for lunch and had an ice cream. It felt normal, and yet NOT, since Parker was not with us. We stayed close to the hospital in case we had to come right back, but as usual Parker had an uneventful day, and he LOVES Sandy. :)

Thank you all for all the prayers and well wishes. Keep praying......GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, March 30, 2005 5:24 PM CST

Day 7

Ok, my advice for anyone who is going to go through either chemotherapy or radiation and is going to lose their hair....shave it off! WHAT A MESS!!! And, heart wrenching to watch it fall out in chunks. Parker has bald spots all over his head and hair is stuck to EVERYTHING all over the room. I have cleaned and cleaned and cleaned! It should be over in about 2 days. I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait! Last time, we shaved it off and it was much easier emotionally and physically.

Parker has done 27 laps today so far and he jogged 5 of them! It kind of cracks me up how this doesn't even faze him.

One of the little boys on 5200 just engrafted. It took 74 DAYS!!! UUUGH I pray that it doesn't take Parker that long. How mind racking that must have been for that family.

Parker has a new "Buddy". Her name is Sandy. She is a pre-med student at Duke. Sandy came by today and played with Parker for a few hours. Since she was here, Richard, CJ and I went out for lunch and had an ice cream. It felt normal, and yet NOT, since Parker was not with us. We stayed close to the hospital in case we had to come right back, but as usual Parker had an uneventful day, and he LOVES Sandy. :)

Thank you all for all the prayers and well wishes. Keep praying......GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, March 29, 2005 3:02 PM CST

Day 6

STILL EATING!!!

Parker's tests showed NEGATIVE for anything yucky! YEAH!!! His cough is just due to chemo!

So far he has walked 11 laps and attended a play session for KIDS ONLY. No parents allowed! He thought that was soooo funny! :)

Counts for today; WBC=.8 , HGB=8.5 (he will probably get a transfusion today) Plts=51,000 , and ANC=0

He is starting to get mouth sores from all the chemo and radiation. They will put him on pain meds. if they get too bad. The hair is coming out in CHUNKS! We would shave it off, but his platelets are too low and it is just not worth it. They said that some kids keep their hair through this whole thing. Not Parker. :(

I spent most of the day with Connor. He needed some mommy time. We are back at the hospital to have dinner as a family and watch a movie. Dad is on duty tonight again.

Keep the faithf!

GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, March 28, 2005 6:01 PM CST
Day 5

We are picking up hair EVERYWHERE. It is falling out, but Parker is totally fine with it. "It will grow back! Plus, we won't have to wash it," he told us when we informed him today that it was going to fall out again. Connor said, "Mine is going to fall out too!" Whatever Parker does Connor wants to do. We call them Pete and Repeat! :)

Parker is still coughing and STILL EATING!!! He is working on a bowl of Spaghetti O's as I type. Remarkable! The doctors are running tests to check on his cough, but say that he is doing GREAT!

His little friend Mikah (age 4) started growing his new cells today! It is so exciting! Mikah is on day 11. The signs are his WBC takes a jump, fever, and rash. They say...fever, rash, engraft! CELEBRATE!!! It is probably the only time you celebrate a fever. :)

Not only do the doctors and nurses at Duke ROCK, but their programs do too. Parker and Connor had an art class today, a local church brought all 15 families on the floor dinner, and after dinner I had an appointment with the massage therapist that comes EVERY MONDAY! Ooo la,la! Plus...every Tuesday they have bagels and Wednesdays they have pizza for all the families.

We should have the results to the tests they ran today in the morning. Please pray that it is just mucusitis from the chemo.

Counts today are HGB=8.5, WBC=<.1, Plts=68,000 , ANC=0

GROW CELLS GROW!!!!!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Sunday, March 27, 2005 3:58 PM CST
Ok, I couldn't resist taking that picture! It was just too cute with my 3 boys taking a nap together. Richard's gonna kill me that it is on the home page! :)

Day 4

Parker had a rough night. He was up most of it coughing, gagging, and it was causing him to throw up. He still sounds clear, so the doctors still think that it is mucusitis sluffing off in his G.I. track caused by the chemo, but they will run some tests tomorrow to be sure.

He is in really good spirits, doing many laps of the halls on foot and on a bike (must be a Team in Training influence). And, he is STILL EATING!!! He says that he isn't in any pain, and the doctors are astounded! They are probably going to give him Codine tonight though, so he can get some sleep.

The Easter Bunny came to room 5203 this morning. It was amazing how he came when Parker was taking his bath and Connor went to the kitchen to get some hot chocolate! There were eggs all over the room. :) Oh,what fun.

Grandma Morgan made us a fabulous Easter dinner and delivered it to the hospital! The ham was totally yummy Mom! Thanks a million!

Counts for today; WBC=.9, HGB=9.3, Plts= 94,000, ANC=0

Please pray for this cough to be nothing big, for Parker to have no complications, and for his new cells to GROW, GROW, GROW!!!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, March 26, 2005 10:28 AM CST
Update 8:30 PM

Parker has developed a raspy cough. The doctor said that it is probably just mucusitus (sp?) sluffing off from the heavy chemo. I sure hope they are right! To have a problem on day 3 scares the bajebas out of me!

Other than the cough, Parker has been running the halls, riding the excercise bike, and laughing and giggling at every opportunity. He is also becoming quite a chess player! AMAZING!!! He is also amazing everyone because he is still eating! Not very much, but he is eating!

He also received his first platelet transfusion today. His Plts = 15,000 by noon. This is just the beginning, so donate blood or platelets if you can!

GROW CELLS GROW!!!! PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys
________________________________________

Day 3

Another uneventful day, which we are very, very, very grateful for.

Parker’s best buddy, Sandy came by at 2 o’clock to take him to the floor activity, button making. They had a blast as Parker made 6 buttons, 3 with his picture and 3 with Connors. While in the activity room Parker was greeted by the Easter Bunny and received a big green stuffed Easter bunny. In addition, he made Sandy wear bunny ears. It seemed natural as she was wearing a pink hat.

After spending an hour in the activity room they returned to the room where Parker challenged Sandy to a game of PlayStation. Parker had fun playing with Sandy, as she was here until 5 o’clock. During the PlayStation games Parker received additional white cells that I had donated on Thursday. Thank you Sandy for spending time with Parker and making him smile and laugh. Sandy is coming back on Wednesday to play with Parker and hopefully Connor.

After dinner with Melissa and Connor, Parker and I settled in to watch the Duke basketball. Well Parker was saddened by Duke’s loss as he so wanted to tease one of his night nurses Jenn. Needless to say, we stayed in the room.

Counts for today: HGB=9.7, PLT=22,000, WBC=1.6 and ANC=0

This morning Parker is feeling good. In fact he ate all of the French toast on his breakfast tray. Right now he is out doing laps with Mom. Mom has duty tonight and Sunday. I have to be here Sunday night between 8 P.M. and 9 P.M. for my GCSF shots for my Monday morning white cell donation.

Keep the faith

Richard, Melissa and the boys.

Friday, March 25, 2005 12:18 AM CST
Day 2

Can we say uneventful, yes we can. Parker had an uneventful day and we are not complaining in the least. I guess the only events were Parker’s yelling out “Dad I have to go pottie” throughout the night. Believe me, I have no complaints or problems with that.

I guess the only highlight was when I went and did pheresis at 8:30 a.m. (Brian, Tiffany says hi) It took about 2 hours for 7000 ml’s of white blood cells to be collected from my central lines. I get to do this now on Mondays and Thursdays, accompanied with pokes on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Parker received some of my white cells yesterday at approximately 4:30. His A.M. labs showed a white blood cell count of 2.3. This is a vast improvement from yesterdays > .1.

On the floor Parker did a total of 25 laps, mainly on a big blue 3-wheeled tricycle. During the day, Parker and Connor participated in an Arts and Craft session while Melissa and I sat in on a family support meeting. Guess who had more fun? It was not Mom and Dad.

Counts for today: WBC= 2.3, HGB=9.9, PLTS=35, ANC=0 (N.B. The doctor indicated that the slight increase in Parker’s HGB and PLTS count might be a result of yesterday’s pheresis donation.)

The doctor stopped by this morning and evaluated Parker. On a short note, he stated that Parker is showing signs of developing mouth sores. We knew that the were coming, but just not when. He said that Parker will definitely require medication for these sores, so we should let the nurse know when it becomes a problem for Parker.

Also yesterday we received in the mail a package from the Fresno Zoo. An anonymous donor adopted the new baby giraffe in our name. The Fresno Zoo sent us a certificate and a stuffed giraffe. Thank you to whomever donated in our name. A giraffe, Children’s Hospitals mascot, is both Melissa’s and Parker’s favorite animal.

Keep the faith…

Richard, Melissa, Parker and Connor.

Thursday, March 24, 2005 7:21 AM CST
Update 7 PM

It was a somber mood on 5200 today. We lost the little boy in 5201 this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. I just can't explain how something like this reaffirms how dangerous this is, and how very precious life is.

It seems wrong to tell you after that, that Parker had a really good day. He has no idea what went on down the hall.

Richard donated white cells this morning, they were processed, and Parker received them around 4 PM. We made sure that every last drop went in! His 2 AM counts should tell how well it worked to boost his WBC.

Parker and Connor attended an afternoon art class on the unit. They both LOVED it (not too much of a surprise hu?).

We are pushing Parker to do his laps every day. His eating is almost nonexitant now, but he is on I.V. nutrition so it is ok.

He is learning how to play chess this evening (Thanks Uncle Michael and Aunt Terri!). I have no doubt that he will catch on fast.

Dad is on duty tonight. I bet he will have to endure another episode of "Star Wars". That will be the forth time in 2 days! :)

GROW CELLS GROW!!!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys
________________________________________

Day 1

It got a little nerve racking yesterday after the transplant when Parker's blood pressure went way up and he started urinating blood, but they said those were totally normal side effects from the new cells. He didn't seem bothered by either one, because he was asking to go play Bingo! Sure enough both side effects slowly went away. He took about a 3 hour nap in the afternoon, and he is still asleep this morning (9 AM) which is totally out of character for him.

The one thing that was totaly yucky was the smell of cream corn. Apparently the preservative that is in the cord blood makes their bodies smell like cream corn for 24 hours. Oh I am not just saying that it was a little smell now and then. It reeked half way down the hall! Parker thought that it was very funny! He smells much better this morning. :)

Counts for today; WBC= >.1 , HGB=9.1 , Plts= 33,000 ,
ANC= 0

His chemestries all look good. So far we aren't seeing his liver or kidneys taking a hit from the chemo. YEAH!!!

Continue praying for those cells to GROW, GROW, GROW!!!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, March 23, 2005 11:54 AM CST
DAY 0

GROW CELLS GROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are dripping in through his line as I write this! We took pictures, Grandma brought a cake, and we sang "Happy Birthday".

It runs over about 35 minutes and makes his body smell like creamed corn.

Now the waiting game begins. Pray that these cells grow and multiply and that GVHD (graft vs. host disease) is minimal. We are hoping for engraftment in about 20 to 30 days.

GROW CELLS GROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 7:32 AM CST
Update 8:30 PM

Parker is eating less (but still eating), moving slower, and throwing up now and then. He is begging not to go out and walk laps, but we make him anyway. Got to keep the heart pumping! They give the kids beads for every lap that they walk, to make a necklace. Parker said, "I'm gonna sell these when I get out of here!" I said, "What for?" He said, "To raise money for the TEAM IN TRAINING!" How cute is that!!! I hope you are all familiar with the Leukemia Lymphoma Societies Team in Training. We love them!

We should find out around 9 AM tomorrow when Parker will receive his cord blood cells. His counts are bottomed out, so he is good to go! :)

I am on duty tonight. We are on a two nights on and two nights off schedule. Richard is feeling well, but a little tender (understandable).

Keep the faith!

Love,

Meliss
________________________________________

Day –1

Not an easy night, for me that was. Parker slept like a baby with the only interruptions being bathroom calls. As for me, I now have a great understanding and appreciation for what Parker went through when he received his central lines.

First, the surgery was very successful but it did not take 4 hours. It only took 30 minutes. So where did the other 3 ½ hours go? Well 2 hours was waiting in the “pre-waiting and waiting rooms” with 1 hour in the recovery room. As for now, I only have some minor discomfort about the neck area. Last night is a different topic as I was unable to find a comfortable position to sleep. I guess having 2 plastic lines pressing against you skin, coupled with the after effects of placing lines can hamper ones sleep.

After I returned from surgery Melissa went and picked up Connor to visit. He was totally funny. When he first walked in the room he wouldn’t hug me but only say hi and blow me a kiss. He said that he didn’t want to hurt me. Now how could you not just pick him up and give him a big hug? I did. We enjoyed some good family time and got to play some games.

After Melissa and Connor left Parker and I ventured into the halls to accomplish some more laps. Parker found this cool tricycle that he said was totally awesome. I guess he liked it as we did 10 laps. After our exercise session we got a movie and watched it in the room until bedtime. Oh the movie, if you were wondering, Hercules.

Today is considered a rest day for Parker, meaning no more chemo. He will still get the ATG, but since he had no side effects from yesterdays dose he should fly through this like the champ that he truly is. He is also getting a steroid, which from past experience will make him moody and very sensitive. This we can handle as it is short term; we are looking at the long-term result. A son that is cancer free!!!

Parkers 2 A.M. counts were: HGB = 9.1, WBC = <0.1, and Plts = 52,000. In addition, they are increasing his vanco doses to every six hours instead of every eight as the level in his system is still below 5. Yesterdays 4 o’clock draw showed a level of only 2.4.

Please continue to pray that Parker enjoys his rest day and have no complications from his last dose of ATG.

Keep the faith!!!

Richard, Melissa and the boys.

Monday, March 21, 2005 8:14 AM CST
Update 4:50 PM

Richards surgery went well. He was down stairs for 4 hours! I was getting worried. Ok.....Not getting, I was worried.

I had to leave Parker for a little while to go down stairs to get Richard. This also worried me because Parker had his ATG running.

When I came back Parker had conned Nurse Vicki into playing cards. They were laughing and having a ton of fun.

Anyway, Parker LAST DOSE OF CHEMO EVER, EVER, EVER went uneventful (Yeah). They expect his rash to get worse tonight, but his fevers to be lower.

Keep the faith!

Melissa
________________________________________

Day -2

Day three in 5200 was good, given what could have occurred from both chemo and ATG infusions. We know the side effects of chemo, but with ATG. We were told that Parker could develop high fevers, (105 degrees) rashes, or hives. Well Parker was a true champ all afternoon and evening. He did of 17 laps yesterday that consisted of driving the racecar, dribling the UNC Tarheels basketball and just plain ole walking. In addition he played Dad a game of HORSE and PIG. Then around 1O o’clock his temperature started to rise and he was complaining that his tummy hurt. Needless to say his developed a fever and an upset stomach. To be on the safe side cultures were taken from all of his lines. Parker also developed a rash around his eyes, which as of this morning are gone but it is now on his stomach, back and legs. I was up with Parker till 2 o’clock as he was feeling yucking and having to use the facilities.
This morning he is moving about slowly and complaining that his bottom hurts. His appetite is still far below what it was, but we are trying to encourage him to eat something.

Today Parker is getting his second dose ATG, the immune suppressant drug. We are told that day two side effects are less severe than day one. So, we are praying that this is true as from what the nurses are telling us Parker did great with the first dose.
As for me, I am scheduled to have surgery at 1 o’clock today. It should be uneventful enabling me to come back to Parker’s room this afternoon. I am also on duty again tonight.

Parkers counts at 2 AM were; WBC= .7, HGB= 9.5, and Plts= 92,000. His counts are on the downward slope, but this is normal and the protocol for transplant.

Please continue to pray that Parker tolerates his treatment with no complications, and that the side effects from the ATG are not as severe as last night.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Sunday, March 20, 2005 1:28 PM CST
Day -3

Our second night on 5200 was good. Parker's second dose of chemo went uneventful (Yeah) and can you believe he is still eating?!!! Last night he made Dad go to the store for Spaghetti O's. (I know Yuck) But hey, if he'll eat it, we'll get it. He downed about 1/3 of the can! His appetite is far below what it was, but he is still eating!

Parker has been walking laps in the halls, playing basketball with his new friends Ryan and Micha. Parker and Micha will be about 1 1/2 weeks apart in getting their new cells. Micha is on day 7 and looks GREAT! Ryan is farther out and looks like he is about ready to be sprung. Go Ryan!!!

I was mistaken when I asked for prayer for the little girl at the end of the hall. It is actually a little boy. He has been gathered around by family these past 2 days. Please continue to pray for strength for the little boy and his family in 5201.

Today Parker is getting his ATG immune suppressant drug. We were told that it comes from horse serum. How wierd is that?! They will give it slowly, because only about 1 in 500 patients does not have some sort of a reaction to it. They are expecting high fevers this evening.

Connor has been able to visit his brother yesterday and today. We'll have to see how well Parker does with his ATG to see if Connor can go back tonight. Grandma and Grandpa Morgan will take him for the majority of tomorrow because Richard is having his surgery to put in his central line. He was orignially scheduled for Tuesday, but they didn't have a time slot open so it will instead be tomorrow. Richard will begin to donate white cells to Parker in a few days.

Parkers counts at 2 AM were; WBC= 1.7, HGB= 9.4, and Plts= 165,000. Plainly on his way down. They expect his white count to be .1 by Wednesday. He will probably get a red blood cell transfusion within the next 24 hours. I am not sure if they will give his orignal A or his new donor cell type O-. O- is a universal donor type, so it would make sence that he would get that right from the beginning, but I really don't know. I think that they will transfuse when his HGB is less than 8.

Please continue to pray that Parker tolerates his treatment with no complications, and that the fevers tonight not get too high.

Dad is on duty tonight. I will stay the night at the appartment with Connor.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, March 19, 2005 2:55 PM CST
Day -4

It was a surreal night on 5200. The L shaped hallway that has 15 rooms and 5 crash carts had no vacancy. We watched a movie and turned in after we finally got Parker's meds from the pharmacy at 10:45. They came earlier, but were all in the form of liquids. Parker won't touch liquid meds. If it isn't in pill form, there is a GOOD chance that it will come right back at us. YUCK! So, it was worth the wait.

Just after I hit the lights, a mom somewhere on the L shaped hallway was screaming and crying. I feel awful, but I just didn't want to know. I turned the humitifier up, which was REALLY loud and laid back down. Parker fell quickly into lala land and I stared at the lava lamp that we brought in and said prayers for at least an hour. I guess I finally fell asleep. I just wanted to sprint out of there with my little boy and never come back!

Parker had his first dose of chemo at 11 AM today. He did totally fine. Tomorrow the hard stuff starts with side effects of nasty rashes, hives and up to 106 degree fevers. Please pray that he flies through this with no complications.

It's 4 PM Saturday and I am just now getting to run home for a shower. I am on again tonight, so I will head right back to the hospital. Please pray for the little girl in 5201. I don't know their story, but I have seen the mother in the hallway crying, and I know that they could use some strength.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Friday, March 18, 2005 7:30 PM CST
Day –5

Today started out just like Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We all got up had breakfast, Parker did his swishes (mouth treatments), and we headed off for the 8 A.M. radiation treatment. Parker handled this once again like a CHAMP…

After the morning radiation we went to check in at 5200, the Pediatric Bone Marrow Unit. Parker is in Room 5203. We meet one of Parker’s co-nurses Bethany who went over some pre-admission papers and said that we could either stay or go home and come back in the afternoon. We didn’t tell her, but we had already planned on just checking in and returning home for lunch, finish packing and to bring Connor back to hospital for Parker’s 2 P.M. radiation treatment and admission.

When we returned home we were finally able to go outside so that Connor could ride his new Power Ranger bike. He was so proud of his bike that he went to the rental office to show the girls and then rode it to the tennis courts. After riding around we returned home and had a family lunch. (Peanut butter and honey for myself, Melissa and Connor, with Parker having a basic PBJ.)

With the car loaded we headed off to Parker’s last radiation treatment. We rolled up one of Parker’s prints to give to the tech, Reona. We don’t know who was more excited, Melissa and myself as it was Parker’s last radiation treatment, or Connor as it was the first time this week we took him with us. Needless to say, the P.M. radiation treatment came and went without any problems. We were so proud of Parker during this phase of his treatment. We said our good byes to Reona and headed off to 5200.

As mentioned, we checked in and also got to meet Parker’s primary nurse. In addition Parker was able to finally see Cubby, Link, and Spike his stuffed animals that where chemically cleaned. He finally was able to put his Spiderman comforter on the bed and pull out his Grandma Fritsch blanket.

After a nap and dinner Connor and myself left at 8 P.M. as Parker was begging us to leave. This was a good thing as he wanted to ride the go-cart and/or the John Deere tractor (or as Parker calls it a Long John Deere). You maybe asking why Parker wanted us to leave? Well it is the floor policy that only patients are allowed in the hallways, not siblings. In addition, siblings cannot play with the toys in the hallway.

So, Connor and myself are at our temporary home with Parker and Melissa at the hospital. Parker starts his high dose chemotherapy tomorrow and continues on this through Monday.

Please continue to pray that Parker handles the chemotherapy treatments without any complications or side effects.

Love to all and KEEP THE FAITH

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Friday, March 18, 2005 7:30 PM CST
Day –5

Today started out just like Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We all got up had breakfast, Parker did his swishes (mouth treatments), and we headed off for the 8 A.M. radiation treatment. Parker handled this once again like a CHAMP…

After the morning radiation we went to check in at 5200, the Pediatric Bone Marrow Unit. Parker is in Room 5203. We meet one of Parker’s co-nurses Bethany who went over some pre-admission papers and said that we could either stay or go home and come back in the afternoon. We didn’t tell her, but we had already planned on just checking in and returning home for lunch, finish packing and to bring Connor back to hospital for Parker’s 2 P.M. radiation treatment and admission.

When we returned home we were finally able to go outside so that Connor could ride his new Power Ranger bike. He was so proud of his bike that he went to the rental office to show the girls and then rode it to the tennis courts. After riding around we returned home and had a family lunch. (Peanut butter and honey for myself, Melissa and Connor, with Parker having a basic PBJ.)

With the car loaded we headed off to Parker’s last radiation treatment. We rolled up one of Parker’s prints to give to the tech, Reona. We don’t know who was more excited, Melissa and myself as it was Parker’s last radiation treatment, or Connor as it was the first time this week we took him with us. Needless to say, the P.M. radiation treatment came and went without any problems. We were so proud of Parker during this phase of his treatment. We said our good byes to Reona and headed off to 5200.

As mentioned, we checked in and also got to meet Parker’s primary nurse. In addition Parker was able to finally see Cubby, Link, and Spike his stuffed animals that where chemically cleaned. He finally was able to put his Spiderman comforter on the bed and pull out his Grandma Fritsch blanket.

After a nap and dinner Connor and myself left at 8 P.M. as Parker was begging us to leave. This was a good thing as he wanted to ride the go-cart and/or the John Deere tractor (or as Parker calls it a Long John Deere). You maybe asking why Parker wanted us to leave? Well it is the floor policy that only patients are allowed in the hallways, not siblings. In addition, siblings cannot play with the toys in the hallway.

So, Connor and myself are at our temporary home with Parker and Melissa at the hospital. Parker starts his high dose chemotherapy tomorrow and continues on this through Monday.

Please continue to pray that Parker handles the chemotherapy treatments without any complications or side effects.

Love to all and KEEP THE FAITH

Richard, Melissa and the boys

Thursday, March 17, 2005 4:45 PM CST
Day -6

Parker's Vanco level is still low and his dose has been increased AGAIN. Richard was exhaused this morning after attending to Parker's med. at midnight and two AM. I let him sleep in this morning and took Parker to radiation and clinic myself.

Parker again took his radiation like a champ. His counts are starting to slowly drop. ANC = 1520, WBC = 1.8, HGB = 11.2, and PLT's = 244,000 The platelets are probably the most significant drop, because Parker is usually at 365,000, and white blood count is usually around 3.4. All in all, these counts are pretty decent. They will get hit hard on Saturday with his first heavy dose of chemo. His counts should be at nothing by March 23 (Day 0).

Parker's tubies have healed nicely. He actually really likes them because he doesn't have to get any pokes! It is very hard to wash him, because you cannot get them wet. I had to get very creative washing his hair, but I guess I won't have that problem much longer. :(

Tonight is our last night together as a family for a long, long time. Parker will get admitted tomorrow after his morning radiation. We are packing up his stuff. He is making sure that we don't forget anything (Playstation games, Leapster, Leap Pad, favorite DVD's, etc.) We had to send his favorite stuffed animals to be gased free of yucky germs on Tuesday. He is excited about getting them back tomorrow. Tonight he has to sleep without his Grandma Fritsch's blanket, because it is clean and ready to go to 5200 (that is what they call the bone marrow unit). This blankie has been through EVERYTHING with him, and he doesn't sleep well without it.

Love to all. Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 6:35 PM CST
Day –7

Another day closer to Day 0. Again Parker was a real champ for both his A.M. and P.M. radiation treatments. He walks right into the room and asks Dad to lift him up on the bed so and just sits back with his hands crossed over his chest. Then we walk out of the room, leaving him to receive his treatment. It is truly hard to stand on the other side of the wall on a small TV screen.

Today at clinic we were informed that they want us to administer Parker’s antibiotic (vanco) three times a day, every eight hours. This is the medicine to fight off his sinus infection. They have been checking the vanco levels in his system that we are being informed are not high enough. So, instead of higher doses every 12 hours, it is now lower does every 8 hours. So tonight Richard gets to run the vanco at midnight and then flush at 2 A.M., then off to radiation at 8:00 A.M.

Yesterday, Connor was totally excited as Grandma and Grandpa Morgan brought him a Power Ranger bike. A “RED” one. That was all he talked about last night and this morning it was delivered. He so dearly wanted to ride the bike outside, but it has been raining all day. He has been asking to go to the park and the tennis courts. The rain did not totally dampen his spirits as he rode the pick throughout the apartment.

Grandma and Grandpa also gave Parker a new game for his Leapster. It was Sponge Bob and it did not leave his side all day. In fact, he took it with him for both radiation treatments and was playing the games while he traversed the hallway at Duke South.

We cannot thank Grandma and Grandpa enough for what they are doing and providing us during this time.

Keep the faith!!!

Richard, Melissa and the boys.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 4:28 PM CST
Day –8

“Piece of cake,” Parker said as he finished his second radiation treatment today! His energy is still up, but his platelet count is on its way down. He may need blood products by the weekend. It is hard for him to not be able to go anywhere when he is feeling so good, but the radiation should probably take that feeling away in the next few days. They expect him to stop eating and go on I.V. nutrition by the end of next week (or so). We have been told that days 5 through 20 are the hardest. This is when you are waiting for the new cells to engraft.

Way to go “Parker’s Pals” for selling 1000 papers today and raising tons of money for Children’s Hospital of Central California!!! We heard you had a lot of “Keep the change,” and even some $100 bills. You guys are the GREATEST!!! We missed being out there soooooo much today. We are anxiously waiting for pictures! Can’t wait for next year!!! We don’t intend to miss this again!

And….To who ever sent me an anonymous gift certificate for a full body message and pedicure….YOU ROCK!!!! What a great surprise. I can’t wait to use that!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Monday, March 14, 2005 1:19 PM CST
Day –9

Hi Ho, hi ho, we’re off to get marrow……Let the games begin!

Well, we have been here since Feb. 4, and after a long anticipated wait, overcoming 2 infections, and kicking the butt out of a nasty rash, we are on our way to cancer free! Parker received his first dose of full body radiation at noon today. After a bout of crying because everything looked sooooo scary, he did great! I wish that I could say the same for mom. It is a surreal experience letting them strap your child down and locking them in a room with one and one half foot thick walls and doors, and then letting them zap the heck out of them with radiation while you watch them on a monitor.

Parker has to wear a mask everywhere we go in the hospital now. He is not allowed to go to any indoor public places (malls, restaurants, stores, etc.). All of his clothes have to be washed twice. No fresh fruits or vegetables because of bacteria. All of us wash our hands about 500 times a day, and we will limit visitors for his protection from here on out. We have 3 hepa-filters running in the apartment and he will have a negative pressure room in the hospital by the end of the week. Please do not feel bad if we ask you not to come. It is not personal. We will also have to be very careful of any germs that Connor is exposed to, so he does not transfer any unwanted stuff to his brother.

The delay of treatments due to his infections kind of put a kink in our plans, but Grandma and Grandpa Morgan have canceled their 40th anniversary trip to Hawaii in order to help us out. I hope to make it up to them some day. It is a HUGE comfort knowing that Connor will be well taken care of when we cannot be with him. Thanks Mom and Dad!!! In some ways I think that all of this will be harder for Connor than Parker. He just doesn’t understand why he is so often left behind.

Tomorrow is one dose of radiation at 8 AM, then labs in the clinic and radiation again at 2 PM.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

P.S. Please remember to give blood . . . and buy your "KIDS DAY PAPER at any intersection in Fresno on March 15th!!! "Parker's Pals" will be at the intersection of Cedar and Nees!

Friday, March 11, 2005 6:07 AM CST
A late e-mail from Dr. Kurtzberg last night said that Parker’s CT scan showed his infection looked better, but was not gone.
She also said that it was under control enough to go ahead with radiation on Monday. He does have to continue on the antibiotic for one more week though.

Parker’s rash is still looking worrisome. Dr. K wants to look at it this afternoon. We have to take him in for a dressing change anyway.

Please pray for his rash to clear up, for all of us to stay healthy, and for Parker to get through this without any complications. Then….Go give blood or platelets! Parker will need between 60 to 80 units of blood products in the next 10 weeks. It takes a couple weeks to process your blood before anyone can use it. Your gift could help save Parker’s life or someone else’s. We will be grateful forever!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 11:29 AM CST
The meeting with Parker’s doctor went very well today. She wants to repeat the CT scan tomorrow to make sure that his infection is gone or well under control. If it turns out as she thinks, and Parker doesn’t get a cold or anything, it will be full speed ahead on Monday. Parker has developed a rash, but she doesn’t seem concerned about it. She put him on a preventive medicine just in case.

It really was GREAT talking to Dr. Kurtzberg today. She is very comforting as well as reassuring. She says that with Parker’s diagnosis and still being in first remission, she feels very confident that he will do well. If there is one thing that I have learned while here, it’s that things could be much worse. We have met children with tougher diseases and far worse survival rates than Parker.

So, off to a CT scan tomorrow, check rash on Friday, and radiation (day –9) Monday.

Our good friend Chris Keller is visiting today, so gotta go!

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

P.S. Dr. K wants to keep Parker on the antibiotics until after his CT scan on Thursday. So, we are still giving antibiotics twice a day.

Monday, March 7, 2005 8:31 AM CST
Parker has recovered nicely from his surgery. He has a real rough time with the dressing changes and when they take the tape off. He HATES anything sticky. I am tending to think that it is worse for him than “pokes”.

My sister Melanie (the kids call her Chachie-long story) came on Friday. Saturday morning Chachie, Grandma, Richard, the kids and myself headed off to see the Biltmore Estate. What a beautiful place! The castle (as the boys call it) had over 100 bedrooms and 42 bathrooms. The gardens were in their winter dormant state, but I imagine that they are quite something in full bloom. We stayed the night and headed back on Sunday morning. Chachie had a 4:30 flight out which was very hard for all of us, because we have no idea when we will see her again.

We are still infusing I.V. antibiotics twice a day, which we pulled off beautifully on our weekend excursion I might add. It was nice to have my sister around for a little break since she was an oncology nurse for 10 years.

We take Parker in for a dressing change and counts tomorrow. This is going to be difficult, because he really has had enough of everything. He has been crying to go back to Fresno and that he doesn’t like Duke. It just breaks my heart. He just has no idea of what could happen if we didn’t move forward.

The fact is that we would all like to go home. I miss my friends, my house, my dog, the smell of my car, the weather, my classroom and students, Bobby Salazar’s Mexican food, my own bed, my neighbors, seeing my kids play with their friends, and the list goes on and on.

We just want to get this over with. We know that there will be horrible days ahead and we just want them done and behind us.

On a good note, Richards good buddy Brian who is a pilot, flew some clients here this weekend and we were able to have dinner with him and his friend on Friday night. That was really fun. Saturday was Connor’s birthday, but we celebrated it before we left California, so as not to confuse him, we didn’t bring it up. That was really weird, but we knew that if we didn’t have it early we might be in the hospital on his big day.

Wed. we meet with Dr. K for the FINAL signing of the paperwork. I dread hearing all the possible side effects and risks AGAIN.

Love to all. Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, March 3, 2005 7:30 PM CST
It was a very long, long day. Parker was very nervous about today and crying very hard when he went off to surgery. It just killed me!

A 1-hour surgery took 3 hours. We never really learned why except that they went very slow to get it right. He came out of surgery and when he awoke he began again with tears and, “Mommy please don’t let them do this!” After several minutes he calmed down when he learned that it was already done.

They did a spinal tap and a bone marrow aspiration while he was out to ensure that they will be sending Parker into transplant while he is still in remission. The fluid looked clear, but we won't have the results back for awhile. Please pray for no leukemia cells present!

We sat in recovery for quite some time. The little girl next to us was having trouble breathing and we were more concerned for her than for Parker. When Parker was finally discharged and we were going to get him dressed, he threw up, therefore the discharge was revoked.

Parker regained his coloring and we finally left the hospital around 6:30. He hasn’t felt too good this evening. He is very drowsy and nauseas. Grandma got some Jell-O in him around 8 PM.

Please pray for a quick recovery! Please continue giving blood at any blood bank in the country. Dr. Kurtzberg informed us that Parker would need between 60 to 80 transfusions in the next 10 weeks. Again O- is Parker’s new blood type. People with O- blood can give for any other blood type for a transfusion, but O- can only receive O- from a transfusion. Only 6 percent of the population is O-. This of course makes us nervous, but it could be worse. Only 1 percent of the population is AB-. :)

Remember: It doesn’t matter what blood type you are to donate in Parker’s name. If you have the time, a platelet donation would be greatly appreciated.

We will be taking it easy and waiting for a speedy recovery. I.V. meds will continue through Tuesday. We enter the dark tunnel (no looking back) with full body radiation a week from Monday.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Response from Dean Eller of the Central Califonia Blood Bank
Fresno, Ca. - Friday, March 4, 2005 11:00 AM CST

Melissa,

Your facts are correct about O-, but don't worry. The good news is, that people who know they have O- blood are always great donors! They know how important it is for them to give, and they are usually the ones who come in voluntarily on their own every 8 weeks. They put it on their calendar and come in. Blood centers accross the country also work very hard at recruiting O- donors, so don't worry...as you make the need known, all of the wonderful people out there will respond. They always have. And just as a point of clarification... AB- is .6 of one percent, not 1 percent, B- is 1.5 percent, AB is 3.4 percent, A- is 6.3 percent, O- is 6.6 percent, B is 8.5 percent, A is 35.8 percent, and O is 37.4 percent. All blood types are life saving and special and needed daily, so no matter what your blood type is, go in today because someone really does need you. There are lots of other "Parkers" out there that need your type. Thanks Melissa and Richard for keeping us posted and for being such great advocates for blood donation. You are awesome.

Dean Eller

Monday, February 28, 2005 9:49 AM CST
Todays clinic visit went o.k. Parker had a hard time again with them accessing his port. Fortunately, this will be the last time that they need to access it because his new line will be put in on Thursday, and it will have external lines (no pokes).

Richard is going to be Parker's white cell donor. We both passed labs, but Richard's hemoglobin was much higher than mine. His surgery will be March 22, the day before transplant.

Love to all. Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Calling all donors!!!!!!!!

We need you to go and give blood next week to make sure that all the blood banks are full. It takes 2 weeks to process blood, so give sooooon! You can give blood in Parker's name at any blood bank in the country. Parker's new blood type will be 0- , so if you are that rare type, PLEASE go give blood or platelets. Make an appointment for platelets!

Parker will be needing blood products daily, sometimes even twice a day during transplant. This will depleat the 0- supply quickly. If our area runs out they can borrow from any blood bank in the country. It makes me very nervous that he will now have a rare type of blood.

We are bored and lonely. Still giving I.V. antibiotics at home. We will be heading to the clinic tomorrow to get Parker's port re-accessed. It has to be done every 7 days. We told him that we would do it, but he wanted the GOOD nurses to do it. :)

We are also hoping to get our test results back to see which parent will be the lucky white cell donor.

Parker has surgery on Thursday, to get his Hickmen cathader put in (central line). One of us will have this same surgery next week so that giving Parker white cells will be easier.

Our humming bird feeder froze solid on Friday. It is snowing 30 minutes north of us, but so far we have been able to avoid it.

I feel like we are getting closer to a very dark tunnel. I just can't wait to come out the other side.

Keep the faith!

Love,

Melissa and the boys

Saturday, February 26, 2005 9:17 AM CST

Grandpa here;

It's Saturday morning in Durham and it is cold. At 7 this morning it was 26 degrees, but now (10:30), the sun is shinning and we expect it to warm to near 50.

Nurse Richard looked like a real pro this morning. He had several syringes, tubes and an electronic device that he nimbly assembled and connected to Parker's med port. Parker actually infused himself with a syringe of saline to clear his port.

Richard had made contact with the local Team in Training and left this morning for a bicycle ride with them. At first he wondered why they didn't start till 10am but when he awoke to freezing temperatures it all made sense.

Nurse Melissa is on duty now and in a few minutes will need to disconnect the device used to infuse Parker's antibiotic. This is her first time so Parker will be giving her instructions. No, I'm not kidding, Parker really does know the procedure for both installing and removing the I.V. and is quick to provide advice.

Melissa and Grandma are knitting scarves. They accessed the internet for instructions. This is both a diversion and a need as the scarves do help keep out the cold. We are making the best of the delay by sight seeing, playing games with the boys and checking out the local shops. The Southpoint Mall between Durham and Raliegh is by far the largest mall we have ever seen. Toured the Primate Center at Duke University where they are studying Lemurs.

Parker is becomming pretty good with Playstation games, at least good enough to embarass his Grandpa.

Keeping the faith,

Grandpa

Monday, February 21, 2005 9:36 PM CST
Update, Wed. Feb. 23 @ 9:30 AM

Parker had an allergic reaction to his I.V. antibiotic yesterday. His head turned bright red and he started yelling, "I'm itchy!" They had to stop it, run Benidryll (sp?), and slow it down. Then things went fine and his coloring returned to normal within 15 minutes.

We hung out in the hospital with Spencer's family while we waited for home hospital to come and teach us how to give Parker's I.V. antibiotic.

The first dose at home last night went very well. Nurse Richard is a pro! The med. ran over two hours and finished about 1 AM. It is just great that they trust us enough to do this at home. Being admitted for 2 weeks just didn't sound fun. We still are a little home bound with a child on I.V. lines, but that only affects us from 9 AM to noon and from 8 PM to 11 PM. It just so happens that as soon as Parker is finished with his morning med. it is nap time for Connor! :( Oh well, we'll figure it all out.

Richard and I also gave the hospital our blood to test to see which one of us will be Parker's white cell donor. Because I am a fainter, everyone (including Richard) is voting for Richard. I'll do what I have to though. We should find out those results next week.

Have a good trip home to the Spencer Rocket family! We feel blessed to have met you.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

_______________________________________

Where to start…..

We met with Dr. Kurtzberg at 5:30 tonight. First we learned that Parker’s infection is bacterial and not fungal. Good news except;

Bump in the road and delay number 3:

2 weeks of I.V. antibiotics. We start tomorrow, but this again sets us back. Big picture….It’s a good thing that they caught it, because it could have had a fatal outcome. His infection is called Viridans Streptococcus. It is being treated with Vancomycin, which is only available in I.V. form. We go to the clinic tomorrow for his first dose, which is twice a day. The second dose we will get at home after home hospital is set up. He finishes his antibiotic on March 9.

He is scheduled to have his central line put in on March 3rd. Day –9 TBI (total body radiation) begins on March 14, he gets admitted on March 18, chemo begins on March 19, and transplant day is March 23 (Day 0). I’ll put his schedule at the top of the page.

I just have no idea where February went. It seems like we just got here and yet the month of Feb. is gone.

His donor is a Caucasian female under the age of 4 with the blood type of O negative (yep….rare!). The cord was frozen in Los Angeles, CA. We should know the exact year tomorrow, which will tell us the age of the child. This is all the information that we will ever know. There is no contacting the donor like people on the national donor marrow registry. We will never get the chance to thank them. This makes me sad.

On a total good and happy note, we got to meet the Caserio family tonight. Spencer Caserio SpencerRocket (age 4) is almost 10 months out for a cord blood transplant at Duke. They are here from California for his 9-month check-up and he looks AWESOME!!! The boys had a total ball playing tonight. Parker and Spencer will have clinic together tomorrow and then we will see them back here again for Spencer’s 12-month check up in May (ish).

That was just what the doctor ordered. Seeing a great little kid who has done so well after such a dangerous treatment plan. Go Spencer!!!

We’ll let you know how the home hospital stuff goes tomorrow.

Keep the faith!

Melissa and the boys

Thursday, February 17, 2005 4:03 PM CST
Update, February 19 @ 9 AM

Parker is recovering nicely from his surgery. It has been tough to get him to stop running, jumping, and climbing (all of which will make his nose bleed). Poor baby has no idea that he is going to have another surgery in about a week or so. :(

We are having a great weekend with Chachie (my sister) Grandma and Grandpa. The girls found the Southpoint Mall yesterday. YEAH!!! We're in trouble now! Anyhow, it was just beautiful and we found some great places to walk after transplant.

Some friends via internet have landed here in North Carolina (also from California) for their son's Spencers 9 month check up since cord blood transplant. Spencer had a 4 out of a 6 match and is doing FABULOUS!!! He is just too cute. Check out his web site; caringbridge.org/ca/spencerrocket (sorry I don't know how to put a link in my caringbride update. It doesn't seem to work no matter what I try. I'll have to ask Spencers mommy, because I see that she has figured it out on Spencers page.

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys,

Grandpa here with the link to Spencer

SpencerRocket

_____________________________________

Today was in Parker’s top 3 most difficult days. They had trouble accessing his mediport, using a HUGE needle none the less. This meant that after all the trouble, they had to put in an I.V. line! Parker was just hysterical! Heck, I would have passed out cold!

2 hours later he came out of surgery crying and blood dripping from his nose. His entire face is swollen and he says that his eyes hurt. I just sent Grandma to the store for some Tylenol. We should have cultures back in the next few days. They started him on another antibiotic today. Dr. Kurtzberg also said that they are going to take white cells from either Richard or myself on a constant basis during transplant and transfuse them into Parker. This will help him fight some stuff off since his cells won’t have any infection fighters.

Grandpa and Richard had to drive an hour away to take our rental car back. Our own car finally got here today from California. Yeah!!! It was packed to the hilt with our stuff, so now we have more than a few days worth of clothes to wear. I was getting tired of seeing my family in the same clothes. Heck, I was tire of doing laundry so often too!

We canceled our appointment with Dr. Kurtzberg at 5:30 this evening. We just couldn’t leave Parker so soon after his surgery. She was more than understanding and rescheduled for Monday.

My sister flying in tonight and the boys are soooooo excited! It is also her birthday and we are going to bake her a cake. So off to the kitchen where I am making a cake with no mixer, measuring cups, and just one pan. Should be interesting!

Love to all,

Melissa and the boys

Tuesday, February 15, 2005 7:25 PM CST
Update: Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Parker goes to the hospital tomorrow morning at 9:15 to be prepped for an 11:15 surgery. Pointing at his nose Parker said “The booger monster, the plaque creatures, the finger nail fungus monster and the ear wax monster all met to have a party right here”, causing an infection. The surgical procedure is to clean out his sinuses and take a culture. We get the result of the culture in 2 to 7 days then they’ll know how to treat it. In the meantime he will be on penicillin.

Nothing about bone marrow transplant is easy…………

We have some good news and some bad news;

The good news is that we had a FABULOUS weekend! We drove down to the Outer Banks on Friday late afternoon. We passed Kitty Hawk and Cape Hatteras and then took a ferry to the island of Ocracoke. Seems a friend (Chris) told a friend on the island (Janell) that we were coming and soon the whole island knew we were on our way.

We stayed at a wonderful hotel called “The Captains Landing”. The very gracious owners Betty and George gave us a beautiful suite over looking the harbor. It was totally breath taking!

On Saturday, Janell arranged for the boys to go inside and climb to the top of Ocracoke lighthouse! Seems they hardly ever let anyone do that! What a view from up there! Then we got to meet the fire department and ride around town in the fire truck

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