History

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 2:38 PM CST

I can't express how amazing the feeling is right now!!! We went yesterday and he had the IV placed and received the radioactive dye and had bloodwork done and then we saw Dr Grupp. Everything looked good yesterday and we went this morning for the scan. He did great with everything as usual!

The follow up appointment last week for his foot went well also.

What an amazing Christmas Gift! This month is going to be wonderful!! We leave for Disney next Thursday for a few days with Grammy and Uncle Steve and then a week later we head to Pittsburgh to celebrate the holidays with all of our family!!

Thank You so much to everyone who kept us in their thoughts and prayers. I hope that everyone has a Blessed Holiday Season! We certainly will!

~Melissa

glitter-graphics.com

Monday, November 17, 2008 7:50 AM CST

Kolton is doing well. Him and Caidence had a very good time trick or treating! Here' a pic...

Kolton's foot is healing well and we are scheduled to go to the surgeon next week for one final follow up visit. I have also scheduled his yearly scans for Dec 2nd and 3rd. We will go on the 2nd for the injection and to see Dr. Grupp and then very early the next morning he will have the scan done. Please keep Kolton in your prayers that he remains with No Evidence of Disease!!

Caidence wore this to school last Monday when the Steelers played that night...GO STEELERS!!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:25 AM CDT

Kolton is doing very well. His appointment with the surgeon at CHOP went well yesterday. The graft looks good and the biopsy showed that they got everything. He is allowed to walk now for 2 weeks and then can resume normal activity after that. We don't need to go back now for a month!

Kolton's eye appointment went well last week as well. His cataracts are unchanged, so we go back again in March.

On Sunday Kolton's soccer team had their last game. We went to watch and Kolton got his medal and trophy. He was very excited!

Halloween Glitter Pictures

~Melissa

Monday, October 20, 2008 8:32 PM CDT

Kolton's appointment went very well this morning. The cast was removed and the surgeon took a look at the graft and graft donor site. He said that the graft looks great and seems to be taking. He left the cast off and bandaged it well. He remains on the crutches and isn't allowed to put any weight on that foot. Thankfully he is doing better on the crutches.

Tomorrow will be his first day back to school since the surgery. I'm a little nervous for him, but I'm sure he'll do fine.

We are scheduled to go back to CHOP to see the surgeon next Monday to check on the graft. Kolton also has an appt tomorrow afternoon at the eye doctor to check on his cataracts.

Over the weekend we took a Steam Train ride to a pumpkin patch and corn maze. We brought a wagon for Kolton to ride in, but he actually used his crutches a lot and did pretty well. Here's a pic of him and Caidence..

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 6:41 PM CDT

Kolton's surgery went well today. They allowed me to go back with him until he fell asleep. Zak and I were really glad that they let one of us go with him. The surgery lasted about an hour. They took an area about the size of a quarter from between his toes and also did the skin graft. He took the skin from the hip area and it's about 3 inches long. He put a cast on his foot and it's up to right below his knee. He's doing much better this evening with the crutches.

We will be going for a follow up visit to the surgeon next Monday to see if the graft is taking and then we'll find out if they'll be putting the cast back on or not. The first week is the most important time for the graft to take.

Thank you for checking in with us and for all the thoughts and prayers!
~Melissa

Tuesday, October 7, 2008 12:57 AM CDT

Yesterday we saw the pediatric dermatologist specialist and the plastic surgeon. The dermatologist also agrees with the decision that it isn't necessary to do the lymph node biopsy. She gave him a full exam and checked all other moles too.

We then went to CHOP to see the surgeon. We are scheduled for next Tuesday, the 14th for surgery. They will be doing about 1mm around the current scar and will also be doing a skin graft. They will take the skin from the hip area in the front. But, he won't be able to walk on that foot at all for about 2 weeks to allow the graft to take. They may even cast his foot to be sure there's no movement. So, he will need to use crutches. After the 2 weeks he may allow him to walk at that point but no running or jumping for another 2 weeks.

Well, I suppose this Saturday will be his last soccer game this season. He is doing so well too! Last Saturday he had 4 goals and 1 assist!!! But, there's always the spring season.

Please keep Kolton in your prayers that the surgery goes smoothly and he isn't too uncomfortable afterwards.

Thanks so much for checking in with us and for all of the prayers!!
~Melissa

Friday, September 26, 2008 1:31 PM CDT

Ok, quick update....GREAT NEWS!!

Ok, I called yesterday and was able to move up his appt with the Dr. From St. Lukes to this morning. I also was able to get ahold of his regular oncologist and had the pathology report sent to him and he got in touch with a dermatologist and plastic surgeon at CHOP who will be calling me today to set up an appt with them. They seem to feel that they will definitely need to do a wide excision on the foot but may not be necessary to do the lymph node biopsy.

We had the appt this morning and he also agrees that the lymph node biopsy is not necessary. They feel that it isn't melanoma!!! HOORAY!!

Now we wait till next week and go to CHOP to find out when they want to do the surgery on his foot.
Have a great weekend....we will!!
~Melissa

Monday, September 22, 2008 8:55 AM CDT

UPDATE: Yesterday we received a call that wasn't the best of news. The (second opinion)pathology report came back and apparently they still aren't sure if it's melanoma or not. It is so close that they had us make an appt with a local oncologist to discuss getting a Sentinel Node Biopsy to check the lymph nodes closest to the lesion on his foot. This news feels like a kick in the stomach. The feelings are all too familiar and scary.

I am trying to get ahold of Kolton's oncologist, Dr. Grupp, to see if he has seen this in any of the other patients or if he has anything to offer. We are also thinking that we would like to get a second opinion from a Dr. from CHOP. However, at this time we are set to see a Dr. from St. Lukes on Tuesday to discuss the biopsy.

So, as anything changes I will update.

PLEASE, Please, Please keep Kolton in your prayers.
___________________________________________

Happy Birthday Kolton!! WOW - 7 YEARS OLD!!! I can’t believe it!

We had a birthday party last Sunday. It was really hot out(again this year) but the kids played games outside and we had a piñata full of candy. It was really nice!

The first weekend of September we went to Pittsburgh to visit. It was a nice weekend seeing everyone!

Caidence and Manny ready to go

Last week we went to get Kolton’s stitches out. The stitch removal went fine but the biopsies are questionable. The mole on the arm showed to be abnormal but all of it was removed, however the mark on his foot showed to be severely abnormal and was sent off for a second opinion. He assured me it wasn’t cancer but will need to take more from the area. Depending on what the second opinion says depends on how much they will need to take and they may need to do a skin graft. Ugh!! I will call tomorrow to see if the results are in yet. I will update when I know more.

Happy Birthday to our little sweetie…and MANY MORE!!!
~Melissa

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Monday, August 25, 2008 3:24 PM CDT

HOLY COW, summer is over!! Today Kolton started his first day of first grade! He goes all day now. He’s getting so big!

We had a lot of fun over the summer. Kolton took his first boat fishing trip on Zak’s friend, Rian’s boat. He caught more fish than Zak and Rian did!! He really had a great time!

Zak also took Kolton and Caidence across the street to a pond to fish. They love it!

We went to the Jersey shore a bunch of times with friends and family. We usually go to Point Pleasant Beach because it has a boardwalk with rides for the kids.

On the Boardwalk after riding some rides and playing some games

We went swimming a lot too. Kolton learned how to swim underwater and loves jumping off the diving board! Caidence isn’t quite ready to put her head underwater yet though.

We went to a few amusement parks too. Zak and I took them to Knoebels and we also went to Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh when we went in for a few days in August. Kolton loves the big rides now. It’s a little trickier now with the two kids because Caidence isn’t quite ready for the bigger rides and Kolton doesn’t want bothered with the kiddie rides.

He looks so happy to ride with his sister, doesn’t he?

Kolton loves roller coasters!!

This is Kolton going up the big hill on the Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood!!

Zak also got Kolton his first bow. Kolton really enjoys target shooting with Zak, and he’s pretty good too!

Well, that’s pretty much a little of our summer. Kolton is doing very well otherwise. He isn’t scheduled to go for scans again till December and his next eye appt isn’t till October. He does however have a weird black mark in between his toes and a black mole on his arm that we saw a dermatologist for. He sent us to see a plastic surgeon last week and Kolton is scheduled to have them both removed next week. They will send them to pathology to be sure they aren’t abnormal but the doctor isn’t overly concerned but thought it best to have them removed.

Kolton turns 7 next month!! I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. He is really into Pokemon right now so he requested a Pokemon Party..haha!!

I hope everyone had a great summer!
~Melissa

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Sunday, May 11, 2008 7:34 PM CDT

5-14-2008 Update:
Kolton's eye appt went very well! His cataracts are unchanged. He isn't scheduled again until October. Hooray!!

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Hello! Everything is going very well here. Tomorrow is the 4 year anniversary of Kolton’s diagnosis. It has gone so fast! We are truly so blessed that he is healthy and continues to be in remission!!

We continue to be very busy enjoying life!! Wow, where do I start? In February Zak installed two wood stoves in the house for heat. We have two fireplaces and with the cost of oil we decided that we would give it a try. He did a terrific job installing them himself. They work great and keep the house really warm…it’s awesome! So Zak has been spending a lot of time cutting wood for next year. Kolton helped him run the wood splitter when he rented it(before he purchased one). It was so cute!!

In March we went to Pittsburgh the week before Easter during the kid’s spring break. It was a nice visit. We were very busy and did McDonald’s, Chuck E Cheese, and a lot more that I actually can’t remember right now. I just remember that we were busy busy. It was very nice.

Nana, Caidence, Kolton, and Aunt Phil

Easter was nice as well. Carol and Steve came out to celebrate with us.

Kolton and Caidence dying Easter Eggs

Looking for their Easter Baskets

Kolton had a well visit and dentist appt in March, and they both went very well. He is doing so well…he’s taller and weighs more than most kids his age!!

He is so excited that he is Finally able to go the entire way across the monkey bars at his school playground. So, Grammy took them up to play for an evening and she took this picture to capture it =)

Two weeks ago Grammy took Kolton and Caidence to Pittsburgh for the weekend. It was awesome for all of us. Zak and I had a great weekend together just the two of us and Kolton and Caidence was able to visit with a lot of the extended family. It was nice. Kolton and Caidence went to Charlie’s 2nd Birthday Party with the Appleby family on that Saturday. Here’s a picture of all of the grandkids with Great Grandma & Grandpa Appleby.

Today was a nice Mother’s Day for me! We went out to dinner last night and went to Rita’s for ice cream. This morning Caidence immediately wished me a happy birthday…LOL!! Zak made breakfast and bathed the kids and we went to watch Zak play football. We had a nice day together!

On Tuesday this week Kolton goes to the eye doctor again. Hopefully his cataracts haven’t grown!

Next Sunday our little princess turns 4!! Unbelievable how quickly the time has gone. Here’s a picture of an early birthday present…..

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Monday, February 25, 2008 4:10 PM CST

Hello!! I hope everyone is having a great New Year. Things are going well here.

I would like to tell everyone about an amazing foundation that Zak’s cousin, Tommy Dowd is participating in….it’s called the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. St. Baldrick's is the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. Thousands of volunteers shave their heads while requesting donations of support from friends and family. St. Baldrick's has exploded into the world's biggest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer! In eight years, events have raised over $34 million and shaved more than 46,000 heads!! Tommy is participating and going to shave his head on March 1st to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. If it wasn’t for research and the funding that made it possible, Kolton may not be here with us now. As we all go on with our lives each day, we sometimes don’t realize how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken away. Neuroblastoma has about a 50 percent prognosis, but ten years ago it was less than 15 percent. Kolton is in remission and doing great but we continue to pray for a cure for all of the children that have had to fight these diseases. Please visit his page at

http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/shavee_info.html?ParticipantKey=2008|32574

and make a donation to help us find a cure. Please give whatever you can afford, $5, $10, $20. Every dollar helps.

We would like to thank Tommy for participating!!

~Melissa

Thursday, January 17, 2008 7:08 AM CST

Hello and Happy New Year to Everyone!! I hope everyone had a great holiday as we certainly did here. After the wonderful news of Kolton’s normal scans we were able to really celebrate.

We’ve had a busy few weeks. On December 15th, Kolton and Caidence were taken into NewYork City with our friends Eric and Marsha to spend the afternoon and to see the Christmas Spectacular at the Radio City Music Hall!! This was the first time they were in the city and they loved it!! They had an incredible time all around…they saw the show, had lunch at their favorite restaurant, McDonald’s, they took them to toys r us and bought them some toys, I mean what more could a kid want?! Kolton has actually asked us quite a few times to take him back to the city. I think we definitely will this summer. Thanks again, Eric and Marsha!!

Kolton and Caidence both had their Christmas Parties in school. I was able to be at both of them and loved it!! Caidence only has 6 kids in her class, including her!! But they sang Christmas songs and Santa came.

Kolton’s party was fun as well. Myself and one other Mom were there. We didn’t really do a whole lot but the kids had cupcakes and played some games. They were really cute!

Kolton’s Kindergarten Class

Kolton passing out Candy Canes

On Friday the 21st, my Mom, Dad, Jason, Anthony, Sara and all 4 dogs came to celebrate Christmas here. We had a great time. Using my Grandma T’s secret recipe; my Mom, Dad and I made homemade raviolies on Saturday morning and we had them for dinner that evening. The kids were in heaven with everyone here and all of the gifts and new toys to play with. It was a really nice weekend.

This was the first Christmas that we didn’t go back to Pittsburgh. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was really nice to spend it in our own house…we missed seeing the extended families but hope to see them soon!

On Christmas Eve, we took the kids bowling and to see the Christmas Lights at ‘Lights in the Parkway’. Then late that night Carol and Steve came to celebrate Christmas day with us. The kids woke up early, but honestly not that bad. When we came downstairs we assumed two well behaved children lived here because there were many gifts from Santa. We had a terrific day!

On New Years Eve we went to two parties with the kids. They had a good time staying up late and playing with all of the kids! However, we came home at about 12:15 to get the kids to bed.

The next weekend, Zak took Kolton goose hunting with him. Kolton set up the decoys in whatever pattern he thought would work best and then he laid in Zak’s goose blind and waited. They didn’t have a lot of action but Kolton would like to go again.

Kolton arranging the geese

Peek A Boo!

Kolton had an eye Dr. appt on Wednesday evening to check the status of his cataract. After a long a painful wait because the office was running very far behind, we found that the cataract in his right eye remains unchanged, however he did see a very small one starting in his left eye now. We aren’t very happy to find another one starting, but continue to pray that they don’t grow until after he’s 9 years old(if at all). If he makes it past 9 he can have surgery and have it removed without all of the eye patching. If it starts to cause him problems before then we will have to start patching his eyes for so many hours each day so the brain doesn’t start favoring using one or the other.

Once again I’d like to mention something extremely important to us, ‘Lunch for Life’. It is a fundraiser that ALL of the proceeds go directly to Neuroblastoma Research. Even though Kolton is in remission and we pray and believe that he will beat this terrible disease, there are no guarantees and we would like every effort to be taken to find a cure for this disease not only for Kolton but for every child that fights against this cancer. Kolton has his own page at http://www.LunchforLife.org/KoltonAppleby . When you go to his page, click on giving tree on the upper left side to view his tree…or ‘Donate now’ to donate and add ornaments. Please help us find a cure.

We pray for a happy healthy 2008!

~Melissa

Wednesday, December 5, 2007 12:34 AM CST

HOORAY!!!! NORMAL SCANS!!!!

It has been one year since last scan time and we are thrilled to say that Kolton's scans have come back normal again!! What a true and wonderful blessing!!!! What a terrific holiday this will once again be!!

Kolton was once again quite the trooper with everything. We got there yesterday and he had the IV placed...twice cause the first stick wasn't successful :( And he had the radioactive dye injected and then onto his appointment with Dr. Grupp. The visit went well, he was pleased with everything he saw.

We went back down to CHOP this morning for the scan. He laid completely still and watched a Power Ranger Movie during the scan. It took about a half hour.

Thank You so Much to everyone's support and prayers! Have a Wonderful and Blessed Holiday as I know we will : )

Time to Celebrate!!!!

~Melissa

Tuesday, November 20, 2007 3:12 PM CST

Hello. I was finally able to schedule Kolton’s scans last week. He is scheduled for the MIBG injection and appt with Dr. Grupp on Dec 4th and the scan is scheduled for the 5th. Please keep Kolton in your prayers. This will be his 3 ½ year scan!

I would like to share some information on a fundraiser that is very near and dear to us…..Lunch for Life. ALL of the proceeds go directly to Neuroblastoma Research and initiatives. Kolton has his own page at http://www.LunchforLife.org/KoltonAppleby . He has his own Giving Tree that you can add ornaments to when you donate in his name. When you go to his page, click on giving tree on the upper left side to view his tree…or ‘Donate now’ to donate and add ornaments. We would like to Thank You in advance for all of your help in finding a cure for this terrible disease that so many kids are fighting.

Last week was busy. Carol came out on the 8th to watch the kids for us over the weekend while Zak and I went to a wedding. We had a great time!! The kids had a lot of fun too…they were running around everywhere with Grammy.

We had that awful stomach virus go through our house last week. Kolton had it Saturday night and Sunday, and Caidence had it Monday afternoon, and Carol had it Tuesday and Wednesday. Thankfully, Zak and I have avoided it!! Carol stayed the week then because I went to Pittsburgh on Thursday overnight to do an Opportunity Meeting for “Dove Chocolate at Home”. This new business is going very well…I really enjoy it!!

Last week was Kolton’s teacher conference and she had nothing but wonderful things to say. We were very pleased!!

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!
~Melissa

Tuesday, November 6, 2007 8:23 AM CST

Okay, so I’ve done it again and taken FOREVER to update Kolton’s webpage. We have been so busy over the past two months. Kolton and Caidence are enjoying school. Caidence would like to go everyday if she could. I think Kolton’s favorite part of school is picking out a new book each week at the library. I would have never thought it!

Kolton played soccer again for the YMCA. He was on the ‘Black’ team this season…his favorite color. His team did really well and so did Kolton. At his first game of the season he scored 3 goals!! His last game was last Saturday. He wanted to play basketball too but the school district basketball doesn’t start till age 7. So, he can play next year if he wants to.

Kolton after he received his medal after his last game

The second weekend of September we went to Penn State for the weekend and stayed at camp. Zak and I tailgated at the stadium and the kids stayed at camp with my parents and Aunt Phil and Uncle Gregg. It was a fun weekend….all except the neverending traffic both ways. It took us 7 hours to get home, and someone drifted back into my front end of my truck while sitting in traffic!

Kolton had a dentist appointment the next week and everything went great. It was just a cleaning and check up and he had no cavities!! Hooray!!

On the 22nd our little sweetie turned 6 years old!! We had a party at the house and invited a bunch of his friends. It was really nice!!

The second weekend in October the kids and I went into Pittsburgh. We went on Thursday after school and I came back on Saturday so Zak and I could go out for our Anniversary. Carol brought the kids back on Sunday and stayed for a few days. We went into town so I could go to Ligonier Days with my Mom, Aunt Phil, and Aunt Vicki. It’s tradition and I think we’ve gone every year(except the year Kolton was in treatment) since I was in middle school. The kids had a great time with everyone. Carol and Steve took them to the Buckwheat Festival at Laurel Hill State Park on Saturday afternoon and my brothers and Sara took them to McDonalds for dinner that evening and then had a bonfire at my parent’s house that night!! Exciting Day!!!

We are still on a sugar high at our house from all of the Halloween candy the kids got Trick or Treating last week! We went to Nicholas’ neighborhood, Kolton’s friend from preschool, to trick or treat. He lives in a huge neighborhood about 15 minutes away. It was a lot of fun! Caidence was so excited that she was running and was consistently one house ahead of us! My Mom and Aunt Phil came out that day and stayed till Friday…so it was good that we had 4 of us to watch the kids! Everyone had a great time though!

Our little Princess

Our Star Wars Clonetrooper

Caidence at the Pumpkin Patch

Kolton is due for his yearly scan in December. I have been trying to schedule it now for a MONTH!! I call almost everyday and have sent emails and can’t seem to get the Dr to send a script over. I will try again later and as soon as I get it scheduled I will update and add the date.

Thanks for checking in on us.
~Melissa

Friday, August 31, 2007 2:37 PM CDT

School has started… Autumn is here…. HOORAY!!

Well, let’s see ...what’s been going on? I had Kolton and Caidence allergy tested and they both are allergic to cats and dogs and some seasonal allergies as well. Caidence’s outdoor allergies are worse than Kolton’s, but Kolton is more allergic to the animals. We’ve decided to try one more winter with Manny. We don’t allow him upstairs anymore and it seems to be helping. The allergy Dr. suggested we see how they do this winter before we go getting rid of the family dog. Kolton also had asthma and was put on an inhaler. We are continuing with this now.

The last weekend of July we went back to Pittsburgh for a family reunion with Zak’s Mom’s side of the family (Stephans / Nehrig families). It was very nice to see all of the extended family. Here’s a picture of Kolton enjoying a ring pop at the reunion.

The rest of July and August we spent lots of time swimming at friends’ houses and going to the beach.

The second week of August, the kids and I went back into Pittsburgh for a few days. We got Kolton a quad the week before and we brought it with us so he could ride with Uncle Anth. Kolton had a blast!!

The next week we participated in an event by the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley called Kick 4 Kancer. It was a soccer day camp for kids with cancer and their siblings. They played soccer, games, had lunch and ice cream, a clown was there doing face painting and balloon animals, and they had a tent set up for the parents to relax and chat as well. It was a great event and the kids had a great time!! It was nice getting to chat with other moms who have gone through or are going through what we have with Kolton’s treatment. Zak’s Mom came into town the day before to visit for the week and she came with us as well. It was a nice day!

Caidence getting a ‘kitty cat’ on her face

The next day we went to Hershey Park. It rained in the morning on the way there but got nice as we were going into the park. The day was a little hot and humid but was still fun. We rode rides and went into the waterpark area as well.

On the 27th, Kolton started kindergarten!! He is in the afternoon session and gets to ride the bus both ways. He was so excited Monday morning that he drove me nuts asking when it was time to go to the bus stop!! He was ready to go early and had his backpack on at least an hour before we were to go to the bus stop. It was so cute!! Every big milestone is such an incredible blessing!! We are so thankful for everyday with both of our kids!

Caidence starts in a 3 year old class next week at the same church Kolton had his preschool. She will go 2 days a week in the afternoons.

We have a busy month coming up. Besides school starting, we are going to camp for a weekend and tailgating at a Penn State game. It should be a fun weekend. Kolton will be starting soccer again this fall soon. He also has a routine dentist appt and an eye appt to check on his cataract. And Kolton turns 6 in September. We are going to have a party for him here at the house. So, we will be getting ready for a fun and busy month!!

Thanks for checking in with us.
~Melissa

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 9:50 AM CDT

WOW – it’s been awhile again since I updated. Kolton is doing very well and enjoying his last summer before starting Kindergarten. We have been staying very busy and taking advantage of every day.

At the beginning of the month, we went to the Philadelphia Zoo with my friend Leslie and her kids, Kyle and Kaity, and Kaity’s friend Lyndsay. The weather was perfect. It was in the 70s and beautiful. We had a really great time!! Here’s some pictures from the day.

Little Bunny Rabbit Caidence

Kolton, Kyle, Caidence, Kaity, and Lyndsay

Kolton finished up soccer on June 16th. It was really great how much he learned and how much he improved over the season. On the last day they gave out medals and awards. It was so cute!!

Here’s Kolton with his medal.

The next weekend we took the kids to Knoebel’s Amusement Park. It was really a beautiful day. It is getting a little more difficult with Kolton and Caidence because Kolton is starting to like the adult rides and Caidence is still enjoying the kiddie rides. Zak and I split up some during the day to keep both kids happy.

On July 2nd Zak’s Mom came out to visit for a few days. We took the kids to Belmar Beach in New Jersey on the 3rd. It only takes an hour and a half to get there from our house. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a blast!!

On the 4th, Zak’s Mom took Kolton and Caidence back to Pittsburgh with her. They stayed with her that night and went to the Pittsburgh Museum on Thursday and then went and stayed at my Parents’ house Thursday night and went to Idlewild Park with my Mom and Aunt Phil on Friday. The kids had a blast!!

On Friday Zak and I drove into Pittsburgh and we had a Surprise 30th Anniversary Party for my parents on Saturday evening. It was so tricky not spilling the beans but all went well.

Happy 30th Anniversary Mom and Dad 7-11-07!!

Today and tomorrow I have appointments to take Kolton and Caidence to an allergy doctor. They have had coughs for months now on and off. I’m hoping it’s not the dog, but may very well be. I will update after I have them tested.

Have a wonderful summer and thanks for checking in on us!!
~Melissa

Thursday, May 31, 2007 2:32 PM CDT

6-11-2007 UPDATE: On Saturday Kolton scored his first goal at soccer!!! HOORAY!! After it went in the net he threw his arms up in the air and threw himself down on the ground. It was so cute!!!

Here's the Goal!

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** 3 YEARS SINCE DIAGNOSIS - MAY 12TH 2007**

Well, once again it’s been a month since I updated…sorry. Kolton is doing well and had a busy month. On May 12th it has been 3 years since he was diagnosed. It really seems so hard to believe. It seems like so long ago but at the same time it feels like it was just yesterday. I’m glad to be passed the 3 year mark and am looking forward to 2 more years until we can let out that real sigh of relief.

Kolton had a busy month at school with tons of fun days. We went to the Land of Make Believe in NJ for a field trip on the 9th and had lots of fun. It was great, the park opened up for a few schools and there literally were no lines for any of the rides. It is a park for younger kids and they also have a waterpark…but it wasn’t open yet. It was our first time there and it was great. I wish I had some pictures to share but our camera was broke.

Zak and the kids got me a new camera for Mother’s Day. I was very excited!! It was darling….Kolton handed it to me and said “Happy Mother’s Day Mom. Here’s a new camera for you”! It was so….cute!! I just grabbed him and squeezed him!!

The next weekend Grammy and Steve came out. It was a nice time. We went to Kolton’s soccer game on Saturday and we went and watched Zak play football on Sunday. He plays flag football every Sunday and we try to go watch him as much as we can.

On the 18th Caidence turned 3 Years Old!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Baby Girl!! It’s unreal again how fast the time has gone. I actually delivered her at the University of the Hospital of Philadelphia. Kolton was getting his first round of chemo and I went into labor and they took me by wheelchair next door to HUP. What a crazy time in our lives….it really makes us Thankful for each and everyday that our babies are with us and healthy!!!!

On the 22nd, Kolton had an eye doctor appt. He needs to go periodically because the chemo drugs and radiation he received can affect his eyes. He did very well at his appointment, but we didn’t get very good news. Kolton has a cataract starting in his right eye. We have to go back in 4 months to see how fast it is progressing. Depending on how fast it progresses depends on the treatment. As it grows, his brain will tell his eyes to favor the good one and not use the other one. So, eventually we will have to patch the good eye for so many hours each day and he will need to have it removed surgically someday. Each child is different on how quickly it progresses, anywhere from a few months to years till they need surgery. Because he had total body radiation, he could get more or even secondary ones after this one is removed. It was really disheartening to get this news. A wave of emotions came flooding back especially since it’s the same month he was diagnosed. But we have to keep it in perspective….he’s with us and doing great. It’s just hard to imagine that he has to go through surgery again. We are scheduled to go back in September…please keep him in your prayers.

On the 25th Kolton graduated from preschool. He had practice in the morning with both of the classes.

Kolton on the playground at his preschool on the last day of school after graduation practice.

The graduation ceremony was adorable. They had a video that they showed of pictures of all the kids from the year. It was very very cute…but extremely long. Then they had the kids going down the aisle of the church one by one. Kolton did a little dance as he passed us. It was so… cute!!

My parents came in that afternoon for the graduation and for Caidence’s Birthday Party on Saturday. Her party was very nice. Unfortunately there were a lot of people that weren’t able to attend, but we had a good time still. She is at the age that presents and cake are the two best things in the world!! She was tickled pink when we sang to her and ripped through her presents liked there was a bomb in one of them that needed discovered.

Well, we’re looking forward to a great and fun summer!!!

Thanks to everyone who continues to check in with us!! Have a Great Summer!!

~Melissa

Monday, April 16, 2007 8:38 AM CDT

Hello. Yikes…it’s been quite some time since I’ve updated. We’ve been pretty busy lately. The first week in March we took the kids fishing across the street to a farm that has a pond. They had a blast!!

The last few weeks we had a lot of family visiting. The second weekend in March my brothers Jason, Anthony, and Jason’s girlfriend, Sarah were out for the weekend. It was a nice weekend. We even got a babysitter and went out for dinner Saturday evening.

Then the next week we got the last(hopefully) snow storm of the season. The kids had a blast playing in the snow.

Caidence being pulled by Kyle’s sister, Kaity. She comes up and plays with Caidence all the time. Caidence loves it!!

Then later in the week my Mom and Aunt Phil came out for a few days. We stayed very busy and had a great time. We also took the kids to Jungle Fun and they had a blast.

Kolton playing a game and Aunt Phil holding his tickets for him.

Kolton helping Caidence up the jungle gym. I love seeing them work together!!

Caidence loved this ride!!

The next week Kolton had a well visit at the pediatrician. He received 4 vaccinations and was such a trooper. I didn’t tell him he was going to be receiving them so he didn’t have time to obsess and get worked up. He is also growing and gaining weight wonderfully!! Hooray!!

I registered Kolton for kindergarten the next day. It seems like such a big step! Our little boy is growing up. Everything went well until I met with the school nurse and she was a total witch! She gave me a hard time with Kolton’s vaccination record…even though I had a note from his Dr. stating that he is up to date with his vaccinations. I also had a copy of the ones he’s received since transplant. She was rude and to be quite honest, I don’t trust that if he had anything mildly serious that she would be able to handle it. I hope I don’t ever have to deal with her again. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my cool a second time. Sorry for the venting, but I still can’t believe they have someone like that working with little kids.

Zak’s Mom was out for the second half of that week. She drove Aunt Rita back home to NJ after their trip to Cancun and stayed here until Zak’s brother, Steve came out over the weekend to drive her home. They had a nice visit as well.

That Sunday afternoon was Zak’s company’s Easter Dinner. It was very nice. The Easter Bunny even made a visit to see the kids and bring them goody baskets. Kolton and Caidence behaved very well and had a good time.

The next day was Kolton’s Easter Party at his preschool. The parents come and the kids sing Easter songs on the stage. And once again the Easter Bunny made a visit. Kolton and Caidence were once again excited. It’s so cute seeing all the kids singing up on the stage!! Then Kolton’s Easter break started and he had 8 days off of school!

On Good Friday we let Kolton have his first sleepever at our house. His friend Kyle stayed over. They played all day long and then laid down and watched Star Wars in the evening. However, Kolton fell asleep by 10:00…in a laundry basket!!! Zak carried Kolton up to bed and I made Kyle’s bed for him.

Later that night, Zak’s Mom and brother, Steve, came out for the Easter Holiday. The next day, Carol took Kolton, Caidence, and Kyle to lunch and the movies. They went to see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Zak and Steve grabbed 2 chainsaws and went to cut down some trees for next year to burn in the fireplace. I had an afternoon to myself. I didn’t know what to do with myself until my head cold that started that morning just got worse and worse until I had to lay down. I was actually down and out the rest of the day on Saturday and most of Easter Sunday. I was so bummed!! We were going to dye Easter Eggs Saturday night, so I wasn’t feeling well enough to even be a part of it. But the kids had a good time with Grammy and Uncle Stevie. The next morning the Easter Bunny left baskets for two little kids. They had a great time looking for them and then tearing into them. Caidence ate SO.. much candy that by that evening she couldn’t even lay in bed she was so wound up. I have since put the candy up only for occasional treats.

Kolton started soccer this past weekend. It was so cute seeing him out there with the other kids! He did very well for not really knowing much about soccer. He really enjoyed himself too!!

This week I am starting a new business venture. It is called Dove Chocolate at Home. It is a home based business in direct sales. They were in the testing phase last year and have just started recruiting in March. I have my first party at my house this Wednesday. I have only ever been to one show, but it was a blast. I am really looking forward to starting this. Who doesn’t love chocolate, right??!!

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