History

Friday, June 12, 2009 9:53 PM CDT

Wow! It's been ages since I updated. I've had good intentions of updating, but I guess you know what that means...all is good!

Caleb is doing well. He's 11 years old now and finishing up the 5th grade. He's very active playing soccer in the fall and baseball in the spring. He's also been taking guitar lessons for awhile now.

Medical wise...no complaints. He goes to the doctor every other month and we've had no real issues. Of course, during the winter months we had a couple of episodes of not feeling well with fever, but no other real issues so that always scares the crap out of us, but virus' were running wild at that point. He just had an appointment last week and his counts were good, weight was 86 pounds and 4'10" tall. He's hoping to hit the 5 foot mark really soon. He has quite the social calendar to keep up with as it's a different friend every weekend that he's wanting to go spend the night with or have spend the night here.

As for Jared, he's 14, finishing up the 8th grade and almost 6' tall. He's staying busy with his various music endeavors. He's involved in both Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band at school. Then, he's involved in a local community band that practices three hours every Monday night. They perform at various functions and activities around the community. He's still doing karate, but that has taken sommewhat of a back seat since April because he ran track this spring running both the 800m and 1600m. He did pretty well and improved his 1600m time to 5:36 by time the district conference meet rolled around. He's going to run cross country in the fall for the high school and they stared pre-conditioning this past week and will continue to practice during the summer.

As for him, he had another passing out episode at school on Monday in shop class. He wasn't feeling well and sat down on a stool and put his head down and woke up on the floor and hit his head on the concrete. Paramedics were called out, but he was okay. However, since this is about the 6th time he has done this, I took him to the ER. There, they did the works on him...blood sugar, EKG, CAT Scan, full CBC. Everything checked out fine as it always has. However, the ER put in a referral to the pediatric clinic. The peds doctor put in a referral for a neurological diagnostic, as well as a referral to see the pediatric neurologist and cardiologist. The diagnostic takes place next week...should be fun because it has to be a sleep deprived test. The neurology appointment is the first week of July and the cardiology appointment is still in the works. I don't feel there are any issues, but we'll have everything checked out just to make sure especially in light of his chosen sports activities.

We are going to get back to camping this year. We used to camp all the time before Caleb was diagnosed and did some prior to his relapse, but haven't done any since then. We are renting a pop-up next month and will do a short weekend trip. Then, in August, we're going to head to Oregon and Crater Lake to exercise some ghosts. Crater Lake is where our journey into the cancer world began as we were camping when Caleb became sick and he was airlifted from Klammath Falls to Seattle. So, memories of such a beautiful place are not so beautiful. So, we are renting a pop-up and taking an entire week. Part of me is looking forward to it, but there's another part that's not wild about going. However, it will be good and we'll have fun and I am looking forward to using the pop-up as opposed to a tent. If we like it, we may look to buy a used one for next year.

In any event, that's pretty much it. If I can figure out how to use my scanner, I'll try and post some knew pictures...however, I think I've been saying that for a long time.

Thanks for taking time to stop by.

Deborah

Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:16 PM CST

Hi All,

As usual, it's been awhile since we updated...that's good. That means things are good and yes, they are good. Caleb went back to the doctor yesterday. We were a little off scheduled from the previous month's appointment, but there was no rush.

I don't have Caleb's counts as he had blood drawn from his arm yesterday and it was sent to the big lab under "routine". Routine is good. I'll have to call for those tomorrow. At the clinic, we saw the other Dr. F this trip. Haven't seen her in awhile. She checked him out and gave him the thumbs up. Weight wise, he was 81 pounds. Height wise, he was pretty much the same much to Caleb's dismay. Since he is just beyond a year off treatment, we started his immunizations. Caleb wasn't happy about that especially when he learned he was to get five shots. However, we're not doing them all at once. Yesterday, he received his DPT. He'll go back to the clinic in two months so I'll time the next shot for then. We also did the flu mist yesterday. He felt a bit under the weather last night and his leg was sore (he opted for the thigh as opposed to his arm), but he was fine by the time he got up this morning.

We stay pretty busy most weeks between work for Wil and I, Caleb still has soccer (two more games), guitar lessons for both on Saturdays and band related activities for Jared. The community band he's in practices on Monday nights, his school band has it's first concert at the district band festival next week. The commmunity band will be playing this night was well. This past Sunday, the jazz band (of the community band) played at the Tacoma Rescue Mission. While the kids played, I helped out with meals for the homeless. The concert band will be playing at the rescue mission next month and there are several other concerts coming up next month as well. Matter of fact, the community band has a concert one morning at 10:00 and his school band has a parade at 4:00. There's guitar sandwiched in between. Guess I won't get much done that day. It's all fun though.

Well, I guess that's pretty much it. I'll update soon enough. And yes, I will get those pictures up eventually.

Take care.

Deborah

Tuesday, September 30, 2008 11:46 PM CDT

Hi All,

Just thought I'd update while all is quiet. It's been awhile since I last posted and I hadn't really planned on it being that long; it just sort of worked out that way.

Caleb's been doing great. He went back to the doctor about two weeks ago for his monthly visit and all was good. His counts looked good, his weight is about the same and he might have gotten just a tad taller, but not much. Dr. F is now retired from the military and will be working as a civilian for the next year doing what he has been doing. It will be sad not to see him there once he does move on, but are happy to have him while we can.

While at this appointment we discussed the fact that Caleb's almost one year off treatment which means we get to start looking at staring his immunizations. At his next visit, Caleb will have blood drawn from the arm so they can run a full CBC to include liver functions and to see what his titers are to determine what he immunity he has. Once the results of the titers are back, then we can begin redoing the shots. I did ask that the shots be spread out so as to not totally shock his system and Dr. F was fine with that. Caleb is too as he's not wild about having to get all of these shots.

School wise, Caleb is doing well and having fun (although he'll never admit it). He turned 11 last week and is having a delayed birthday sleep over this Saturday night. I'll be having 4 other boys of the same age spending the night! Yikes!

Other than school, he's playing soccer and doing a lot of playing outside with kids on the block. He loves riding his bike and of course, baseball still.

As for Jared, he's doing well too. He did scare the crap out of Wil and I this morning with another one of those passing out episodes. This one happened at 5:45 this morning. I was just getting out of the shower, Wil wasn't up yet, and Jared had gone down to fix his breakfast when he decided after one bite he didn't feel well. He came upstairs to get me and let me know he felt like passing out when he passed out cold. Thank God he just missed hitting his head on our nightstand some how. His right arm is sore so I don't know if he hit it or just the way he fell, but there is no cut or bruise. In any event, we made our way to Madigan and he was taken right in. They did another EKG, checked his glucose, did additional blood for some other tests, but everything checked out. We were instructed to follow up with his doctor. On our way out, we stopped off at the clinic where Caleb goes to say hi to the two nurses there when Dr. F came out and wanted to know what we were up to. When I told him, he said go have him check in and he'd check him out. He ordered some additional blood tests which required a bit more blood. Unfortunately, he had to be stuck twice and almost passed out again with the second poke. I haven't talked to Dr. F myself, but he did call the house and told Jared the iron deficiency test they ran was fine. I'm not sure what the other tests included, but I will be calling him tomorrow. He has done this before, this being about the 5th time since he was about 6 years old that it's happened with the last time being March 2006. He's gotten so tall that it's a lot farther to fall now...not only that, but I don't think I could catch him anymore. They had his height today at 5'10" and 131 pounds so a good stiff wind could blow him over. He's grown an inch in just over a month and approximately 5 1/2 inches in the past year. Anyway, he's doing fine now and will go back to school tomorrow.

Well, that's pretty much it. I got a bit long winded, but that's to be expected I guess since I have updated in awhile. Hopefully, I can get some new pictures here soon.

Thanks for stopping by and checking on us.

Deborah

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 11:51 AM CDT

Wow...It's been awhile since I last updated! How the summer is flying by and we're already talking about school starting soon...September 2nd to be exact. Jared's ready to go back, but you'll never hear those words uttered from Caleb's lips. He's had fun this summer spending the night with friends and playing baseball.

Of course, we spent two weeks in Florida and we all had a good time. We all got a bit of sun so we're not quite as pale as when we left!

Medical wise, all is going great. Caleb returned to the doctor on Monday of this week for his regular monthly visit. His counts were really good and his platelets were up to 206 which is the highest they have been since he went off treatment. He even had blood taken from his arm this time with no emla and no bribery involved! Dr. F was happy to see cuts, bruises and scratches from a kid who is playing hard every day! Weight wise, he's still holding stead at 80 pounds and is 4'8". I don't think he's grown much from the previous month much to Caleb's displeasure. He is really wanting to hit the 5 foot mark. Close...but not yet.

As for Jared, I took him in on Friday for his annual sports/school physical. He's now 5'9". Yikes...that 6 foot mark is just around the corner and he's not even 14 yet. I just hope his school uniform pants fit.

Well, that's pretty much it. I hope to add some new photos soon, but knowing the way I get around to things lately...don't hold your breath. Anyway, I need to get busy so take care and thanks for stopping by.

Deborah

Friday, June 27, 2008 0:14 AM CDT

Well, it's been awhile since I last updated. We finally got our new computer, which helps, but then we've been busy. So, let's see...

The boys ended school on June 13th. Both had great years with very good grades. Jared ended the school year with a GPA of 3.8 for the entire year. He was actually sent home with paperwork to test for the honors program. He said he wasn't interested, but I didn't know that much about it so I'm going to be talking to the school and Wil and I have both talked to Jared about taking the test and what this could do for him in the future. So, we'll see.

As for Caleb, he ended the school year with some flare by breaking his right arm on June 12th. He was riding a scooter down the road and fell. I wasn't quite home from work yet when he called. Off to Madigan ER we go. Fortunately, it is (was!) only a buckle fracture. He was put in a splint and we were given instructions to make an appointment at the cast clinic. That was a week later. However, due to the nature of the break, he had the option of a short cast or a removable splint/brace. We opted for the brace so it could be removed for showers, swimming, etc. Plus, both boys were scheduled to go to Camp Goodtimes and a cast could have been a pain. He goes back to the doctor the week of the 7th, but the arm is not bothering him in the least.

Then, the first Monday he is out of school, he wakes up with a headache and fever. This goes on for three days and by Wednesday evening he quit running a fever. Since we had to go to the cast clinic anyway, I made an appointment for him to be seen by Dr. F and for a CBC. Everything looked good so we were off.

Just this past Sunday, we took both boys to Vashon Island for the start of Camp Goodtimes which is the camp for kids who are going through or gone through treatment for cancer and their sibling. We checked them in, saw them settled and caught the 3:10 ferry back to Tacoma. Wil and went to dinner and we're settling in for a quiet week. At 8:00 the phone rings and it's camp...Caleb's running a fever of 102. Grab by keys and purse and hit the door because I'm not sure what time the last ferry runs between Tacoma and the island. I ended up catching the 9:00 ferry, met the nurse and Caleb at the park and ride on the island so we could turn around and get back on the ferry as that was the last one of the evening. Had I had to go out to the camp, about 10 minutes away, I would have had to take a differnt ferry to Seattle and come around that way. That would not have been fun.

Caleb felt like crap and was all stuffed up. The fever continued through the morning and Wil took him in to see Dr. F. His CBC showed his white blood count was elevated, but all the other counts looked pretty good. He was having pain through the sinus area so they believe he has a sinus infection and put him on antibiotics. He started feeling better as the day went on and was pretty much back to himself on Tuesday. The camp had called to see if he felt up to coming back and we told them Wednesday. So, before heading to work yesterday, he and I caught the ferry again and I took him back. So, while he didn't get the full week, he should still have a good time. Weather has been absolutely great this week and is supposed to be really nice for the next few days. We pick them both up on Saturday.

Other than that, I guess all is well. Caleb's supposed to be playing summer baseball, but will miss the first game or two due to the arm possibly. Jared's taking the month of July off from both karate and guitar although he will go to karate next week for his next belt test.

Well, guess I had better go. This is much longer than I had anticipated. Take care and I'll update soon enough.

Deborah

Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:20 PM CDT

Hi All,

Boy, it's been awhile since I last updated...but all is going wonderfully. The hard drive on my laptop died back early in May and while we have a new computer coming, it won't be here until the end of the week. On top of that, I had a brain cramp and couldn't remember my password.

Anyway, as I stated all is well. Caleb went back to the doctor last Thursday, May 29th and his counts looked great. Platelets were still holding on in the low normal range, but normal it is. If you were to look at his legs when we went into the doctor, you would have thought his platelets were low based on the number and size of the bruises on his legs and arms. Granted, many of them were bicycle inflicted, but wow, is all I can say.

Baseball has been the main thing on the agenda lately. Caleb and his team participated in their first tournament this past weekend. We had three games on Saturday and one on Sunday. Unfortunately, they lost all four games. However, their defense had improved greatly by time the fourth game came around. Caleb pitched the first game on Saturday and pitched very well. He did allow a few runs in the first inning which hurt, especially in light of the defense was playing, but Caleb shut the other team down in the 2nd and third inning. Errors are killers at any level of baseball, but when you are talking 10 year olds, it can really put a game out of reach fast.

Caleb had another regular season game last night and pitched again. He didnt pitch bad, but he wasn't himself either; kept bouncing the ball right in front of the plate. Well, we found out after the game that the pitching rubber was almost 5 and half feet further back than it was supposed to be. So, that pretty much explained that one.

Jared is doing well and stayed busy with track during the month of May. He continued to run well and actually performed well enough to qualify for the subconference and conference finals for both the 800 and the mile. He didn't do so hot in the 800, but didn't do bad in the mile. I think he came in 8th or 9th out of about 18 kids and actually had his best time of the season. Most of the kids that placed in the top six were 9th graders so he did well. He's definately going to run it again next year and is looking forward to giving cross country a try in a couple of years.

Jared had his final band performance earlier this month and they all sounded great. Next year, he'll be in the Wind Ensamble band and his teacher has okayed him being in Jazz Band as well. The Jazz Band practices before school at 6:30 a.m. everyday so this could be interesting.

The boys last day of school is Friday, June 13th and they're both counting the days.

Other than that, not much else going on. Caleb will return to the doctor before the end of the month. Time wise will depend on whether they go to camp again. I'll update then. Also, once I get the new computer up and running I'll try and post some new pictures especially in light of the fact that Caleb had his hair cut really short!

Gotta run. Take care.

Deborah

Thursday, May 1, 2008 10:51 PM CDT

Hi All,

Well, it's been awhile, but all is going well. On the medical front, all is going very well. Caleb returned to the clinic yesterday. His counts were great with his platelets up to 158. He's no longer on any medication having taken his last Septra last Monday. Weight wise, he was holding at 79 pounds and his height was 4'6" I believe.

We've been busy of course. Caleb was having practice three days a week. He was supposed to have his first game this past Monday, but it was postponed once we got to the park due to the field conditions. So, now games until next week. He's also really getting into skateboarding. Can you say, Ugh! He took a clinic at the skateboard park last week and now he thinks he's Tony Hawk. Makes me nervous as heck especially if he starts skateboarding like he did with the snowboarding he tried this year which is kamakazee style! Scary either way you look at it.

As for Jared, he's running track for his junior high school. Last Thursday was the first meet and he did really well; matter of fact they bumped him up to the varsity squad after that meet. He ran the 800m and the 1600m, which is the 1/2 mile and mile. For the mile, he ran it in 6:01. Not bad for the first meet. I can't recall the number for the 800, but he did well in that one too. Today's meet didn't have a visible clock, so I'm not sure what his time was, but I think it was about the same or maybe a tad better. We'll see. He seems to really be liking in though.

Well, that's pretty much it. I'll update here again soon and I'll try to update the pictures too!

Take care.

Deborah

Friday, March 21, 2008 0:30 AM CDT

Hi All

Well it's been a while since I last updated. Hasn't been much to tell really. But, since Caleb did go to the doctor yesterday, I figured it was time. His counts were great although his platelets are still on the low end of normal. They were 135 yesterday so they are staying in the same general range. The doctors aren't concerned so we'll just keep plugging along. Caleb has to take Septra for another month and we'll see what happens to the platelet count when that is done. I know it can cause a decrease in the blood counts so it will be interesting to see what happens when he finishes the Septra. Weight wise he was at 81 pounds at 55 inches so he has grown a bit taller in the last month or so. It looks like his weight has leveled off now too as he's been around the same mark for the past two to three months.

Other than that, not much to report. Caleb's baseball practice is going strong. They've been doing most of their practices inside, but starting next week, they will all be outside finally. Not sure exactly when his season starts, but would imagine the first games are only about a month away.

Jared's doing well also. His school band is in a parade next month so he's been pretty excited about that and working hard to get the songs down by memory. He's really enjoying playing the trumpet and is planning on taking band again next year.

Well, that's pretty much it. Take care and I'll update soon enough.

Deborah

Thursday, February 21, 2008 11:12 PM CST

Hi All,

Hope this entry finds everyone well. Everyone is doing pretty well here. Jared and I both managed to come down the the junk that's been going around. While I felt pretty crappy over the weekend, Jared definately got the worst of it. He missed school last Thursday and Friday, was out of school Monday and Tuesday for the holiday and an inservice day, and then missed both yesterday and today. I'm keeping him out tomorrow as well. He ran a fever from Thursday pretty much through Monday. We thought the fever had finally had enough on Monday and was basically fever free most of the day only for it to go back up Monday night. So, as soon as the appointment line opened on Tuesday, I made him an appointment, but we couldn't get in until Tuesday night at 6:30. His cold apparently went into a sinus infection as his ears and lungs were clear. He's had a horrible cough and headache as well. He was given an antibiotic, nasal spray, some cold medicine and motrin. He's also lost about 8 pounds this past week. He's just had absolutely no appetite what so ever. He did eat a bit more tonight than he has in the past week. He's been sleeping a lot too. He seems to be feeling somewhat better finally.

As for Caleb, he's still coughing, but it hasn't slowed him down. He spent the night with his buddies Noah and Aaron on Sunday, had a good time there. Wil and I were supposed to go out to dinner as Jared was to have gone to a friend's house for his 13th birthday that same day. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I ended up with the crud anyway which kept me under the weather over the weekend.

Well, that's pretty much it. Take care and I'll update soon.

Thanks.

Deborah

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 11:14 PM CST

Hi All,

I realized I never updated following Caleb's fever and not feeling well. He's fine now; just something viral it appears as Jared is not feeling to great himself. I did take Caleb into the clinic because of the caugh and he saw our favorite Dr. F. While we were there and because of where we had to park, we went ahead and had counts done so he won't have to go back in next week. His counts were good as follows:

WBC - 6.4
HCT - 39.0
HGB - 14.0
PLT - 142

Platelets are still hanging where they've been, but with the fever he ran most of Saturday and Sunday, and taking Motrin, that's not too bad. I'd still like to see them come up some more, but I'll take it.

Other than that, all is well with Caleb. Jared is feeling a bit under the weather, but he's not running a temperature and has been taking some cold medicine. His throat is hurting too. Mine's a bit scratchy so I'm sure I'll be next.

Well, that's pretty much it. I'll update sometime soon.

Deborah

Sunday, February 10, 2008 2:40 PM CST

Well, I guess I should have known better than to update his page. No sooner had I finished updating it, I noticed Caleb's face was a nice shade of red and he was complaining of not feeling well. Sure enough, he was running a fever of 102! This is our first off-treatment fever and fortunately since he no longer has his central line, I could actually treat the fever as one would normally treat a fever in a child. I gave him some Tylenol. His throat appears a bit red and he's complaining of it hurting too. He perked up after the Tylenol, but then about 4:00 a.m. this morning, he was barking pretty bad so he and I sat in the bathroom with the shower on hot. That seemed to help and he was able to go back to sleep for awhile until it happened again a few hours later.

He's still feeling crappy and his fever is back up to almost 102. Unfortunately, his friends are still here. He's laying on the couch while they're playing video games. I'll be taking them home soon.

I guess we'll see what the rest of the evening and I'll call the clinic in the morning just to see if they want to check him out. Until then...

Deborah

Saturday, February 9, 2008 8:30 PM CST

Hi All,

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I last updated. There's not much to report, but I thought, what the heck.

Caleb is doing well. He's having two of his friends spend the night tonight. Jared is off at his friend's house as well. He spent the night off last night and is staying again tonight since Caleb is having his friends over. Makes for a much more peaceful evening.

Both boys had dental appointments this past Tuesday. Unfortunately, Caleb has not been to the dentist since August 2006! Every time we had an appointment scheduled, we'd have counts done before going to the appointment, and he'd be low so I'd have to cancel it. Finally, I just gave up and quit scheduling one. Jared's went well. Still no cavaties on his part. They always take height and weight at the appointment and he was 5'7 3/4" and 121 pounds. I can't remember what Caleb was, but there wasn't much change from his last clinic appointment. As for Caleb's dental appointment, it went better than I thought. He's had two very small cavaties for some time, but they have not gotten any bigger. He still has four baby teeth to lose and he already has two adult teeth coming in over them. I need to schedule him an appointment to have the two cavaties filled, as well as sealants and the two baby teeth removed if they aren't out soon. The dentist said he would expact the remaining teeth would be gone by his next six month visit as they were hanging on by a thread. An orthodontia consult has already been mentioned for Caleb down the road. Go figure! Jared should be okay on that end, but we'll see.

Not much else to report really. Jared did get his first semester report card earlier in the week and he ended up with a 3.8 GPA for the first semester. Pretty darn good! Those with a 3.0 or higher got to wear "civies" to school on Friday; meaning he didn't have to wear the required school uniform clothing. Caleb doesn't get another report card until the March timeframe.

Well, that's pretty much it. Caleb goes back to the clinic the week after next. So, I'll update after that.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

Deborah

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 8:07 PM CST

Hi All,

Long time, no update. All's well on this end. Caleb went to the clinic today for his regular monthly visit. His counts looked good. I haven't calculated his ANC, but his WBC was up, HGB and HCT was all about the same. His platelets were down just a bit to 133. They had been in the 160's the previous month. I would like to see them go higher and I think Dr. F would as well. However, he did say that he's bone marrow had been beaten up so the last few years that it's taking longer for all counts to move upward. He gave him the once over and pronounced him good to go. Weight wise he was at 81 pounds and his height was 54.5 inches. Not sure how that relates to previous months as I haven't had a chance to look.

Not much else going on but the usual...school, karate for Jared, baseball practice (sort of) for Caleb and anything and everything in between. Either friends are over at our house or they are over at someone else's house so needless to say, it stays busy. School has and is going well for both of them. Jared has his semester come to an end this Friday. So far, he has one "B" the whole year with the rest all "A's". Caleb's grades have been good too although he won't get another report card until March.

Well, I guess I had better go. Dinner is on the grill and I'm getting ready.

Deborah

Wednesday, January 2, 2008 9:03 PM CST

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm a bit late in wishing holiday greetings, but do hope everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. We had our pick pot of black eyed peas yesterday for the New Year. We've had a good couple of weeks. Obviously, the boys enjoyed being out of school for two weeks. They had a very good Christmas this year too. They both received video games, DVDs, clothes, and the item we splurged on was a new HD TV for the den. Sure is nice; heck, it's nicer than the one in the living room. Jared got a telescope for Christmas too, but unfortunately, we've had rain and/or clouds just about every night.

We didn't do a whole lot during the holidays as Wil and I both had to work. We did manage to take in a couple of local light attractions. Jared had his friend spend the night one night and then he stayed with his friend the next. Caleb ended up spending two nights with his buddy Noah, so he was happy. While they won't admit it, I think they were both glad to go back to school.

Nothing to report medical wise as Caleb doesn't go back to the clinic until the middle of January. He's felt good, had no issues as far as colds or anything like that. The next thing on his agenda is getting him back into the dentist. He's long overdue, but now that the port is out, there's no excuse. I also need to schedule him and Jared eye appointments.

Well, that's pretty much it. Again, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I'll update again here soon.

Deborah

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