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Monday, October 2, 2006 5:56 PM CDT

Hey everybody this is Andrew. I suppose I havent updated in awhile so i'll give my mom a break. I know she posted right after my hip surgery..It went great..it only lasted 45 minutes..now im about 3 weeks out of surgery and starting to walk without crutches already..the recovery is going great..im not having much pain in my right hip.. Now unfortunately my left hip is hurting more then my right hip which I just got surgery on..my next surgery is scheduled on November 14 so it is going to be a while..The surgeon told me that my left hip is already collapsed..haha so I dunno how painful my left hip is going to get..but I think by the time I get my next surgery I will be ready for it..until then..I will enjoy being off crutches..all my friends who I love like no other are coming home this weekend for homecoming weekend and I can wait to see all of them!! It will be the happiest weekend Ive had since they all left. Add to the fact that I will be off crutches also..So excited for it..but I suppose I have to start getting pumped for the packer game..for everyone that still looks at this I hope my update brings your day up a bit. :-)..Have a good day and thank you to everyone for the love and support.
Andrew

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 8:23 PM CDT

Hello,

Andrew's surgery was today and all went very well!
Dr. Grace had his right hip replaced in 45 min. He said that Andrew's right leg was 1" shorter than his left leg because his right hip had totally collapsed. Rehab will begin tomorrow morning. The "torture chamber" is right across from his room and he will visit it twice a day until he goes home. He should be able to go home by Friday already if he does what he needs to do to get discharged.

It's been a long day so I'll keep it short. Thanks for checking on Andrew.
Take care,
Lisa

Thursday, August 17, 2006 8:55 PM CDT

Hello,

Wow, it's hard to believe that our days are becoming shorter and our evenings and mornings, colder. Fall is in the air and school is right around the corner.

Adam started working a part-time job at Pioneer Metal Finishing a few weeks ago. He's very happy with it & loving the pay checks. He works 20 hours per week and will be able to continue during the school year. He'll be starting his senior year at Ashwaubenon H.S. right after labor day weekend, Lindsey is still in training learning lots at her new job at Humana and Andrew is being delayed for one semester from UW Milwaukee so he can have his hips replaced. He has a lot of pain but wanted to wait to have the surgery after his friends have went off to school and his cousin's wedding is passed (Sept. 8). He's scheduled for surgery on his right hip on Sept. 12 and hopefully, 6 weeks later he will have his left hip replaced. As can be expected, Andrew is sick of the crutches, the pain and the delays. It's very disappointing that the procedure that he had done in Milwaukee didn't work but they had only given us a 50% success rate so we're not totally surprised. We were just trying to be somewhat optimistic. With Avascular Necrosis the most commonly used procedure at advanced stages like Andrew's is hip replacement but they thought that with Andrew's age and baseball plans, they could delay the inevitable by 10 or 15 years. Oh well, it was worth trying but hind sight is 20/20. Now we regret that we didn't just go ahead with the replacements right from the start. On the very upside -- Andrew's scans continue to be clear meaning he has been in remission since transplant that began on Thanksgiving Day, 2004 (almost 2 years!) Woo Hoo!! What more can we hope for?

I will post shortly after Andrew's surgery to let you know how he's doing. Wishing you all a happy, safe & healthy rest of summer and fall. Love to you all!
~ Lisa

Thursday, July 13, 2006 5:12 PM CDT

Hey everybody..or whoever still looks at this..This is Andrew updating this time..i know you are all like "hmm about time!" I figured my mom hasn't updated for a while so i will take care of it for her..what a son, hey?

Anyways, We had a follow up with my the bad docter that did my last surgery..I emphisize bad because the surgeries didnt go as well as I would have liked. It turns out my left hip has already started to drop. What that means is I will need a double hip replacement. A little bad news but really everyone who knows me will know that i will breeze through the surgeries like I have the last 14 times, right?

Earlier today I had two shots to my hips which were very painful but at the same time they proved that I don't have avascular necrosis in my spine...So all I need now is a couple hip replacements..doesnt sound good for an 18 year old but as i've learned in the past few years...It could be a heck of a lot worse.

Sorry about my moms slackerness...JK MA!

Someone will update you when we find out when im getting my surgeries..
Thanks for all the support from my friends,family,even people that i dont know. I can't say it enough.

Docter Love..aka Andrew Dorner

Friday, April 14, 2006 8:19 PM CDT

Happy Easter & Happy Spring to you all!

We've had such beautiful weather this week! So much has been happening lately. Adam and his date, Caitlyn went to the Junior Prom last weekend. They had a great time and both looked so handsome & beautiful. At post-prom Adam was the very lucky winner of a $100 gift certificate to Dick's Sporting Goods and a $25 gift certificate to Hooters. He was so excited about his winnings. He and Andrew are looking forward to visiting the Hooters Girls. Hmmmm? I don't know what to think about that since I've never actually been to Hooters. I've been told that they have good food so at least I can be sure that they'll have a decent meal.

This past weekend Lindsey invited us to the St. Norbert Campus to celebrate Relay For Life. She and her sorority sponsored a table at the event. Andrew and his very good friend Anni came to celebrate life. Anni learned that she was in remission 3 weeks ago. They both have so much to celebrate!

Andrew & I are going to MadTown with Anni and her Mom this next weekend for the Madison Relay For Life. The campus is having an all night marathon with a band and many fun activities.

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy the beautiful weather & Happy Easter.
~ Lisa

Friday, March 31, 2006 8:28 PM CST

Dear Family & Friends,

Thank you once again for your thoughts & prayers during Andrew's recent hip surgery. All went very well. He was discharged from the hospital the day after surgery. This hip surgery was much easier on him than the last one. The trick now is to keep him on his crutches -- even after he feels like he doesn't need them. His orthopedic doctor has emphasized the importance of being patient so his bones can heal before he puts 100% of his weight on both hips.

Today we went to the UW Milwaukee Campus so Andrew could take placement testing for college this fall. He's undecided between Marian College in Fond du lac and UW Milwaukee. His interest lies in the Sports Marketing area. He wants to be your next Tom Ristow (Sports
Fox 11). I only say that because Andrew and Tom have become friends through his cancer journey and Tom often jokes with Andrew that he is getting more air time than he is. As most of you know, Andrew is a natural in front of the camera.

Andrew's Graduation day is coming up quickly -- June 4th. I thank God daily for giving us this day.

Lindsey will be graduating from St. Norbert's College in May so we will be having lots of reason for celebration this spring and summer.

Adam is very absorbed in baseball and his studies at this time. His coach has put him & the team through a tough workout for the spring season and they have academic requirements that have kept Adam very focused on the academics. He feels so bad that he can't be playing infield with Andrew just like it was when they were little and just like it should be at this time in their life. Unfortunately, life's thrown us a huge curve ball as far as baseball goes. As far as LIFE -- we've been blessed to have won the game!

Thank you for your love, prayers & support,

Lisa, Gene, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Friday, March 17, 2006 7:34 PM CST

Dear Family & Friends,

I hear now and then from my coworkers and friends that they've checked our website to see how things are going. I'm amazed and forever thankful that we have such caring family and friends in our lives. I will continue to post while I know that you are still checking this site now and then.

As I mentioned in the last posting -- Andrew had his appendix taken out and Adam had his wisdom teeth removed. Adam ran into some infection problems and has had to visit his dentist every other day for the past week. He's now pain free and feeling normal.

As I've said before -- In Andrew's case, no news is good news. I've used this site to gather encouragement and prayers during difficult times in the past. We've always received so much of that from all of you and we are so grateful! Fortunatly (quite an understatement) I can say that Andrew has been in remission for over a year. His follow up scans will be the last week of this month so we are very hopeful that we will get yet another good report. His left hip surgery is this Monday 3/20, bright and early at 7:00 am. We are hoping to get a room at the Ronald McDonald House once again. They have been such a blessing to us!

Thank you for caring enough to check up on Andrew and our family. Our prayers have been answered through all of you.

Love,
Gene, Lisa, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Sunday, March 5, 2006 7:57 PM CST

Hi All,

Andrew's surgery on his left hip was originally scheduled for tomorrow, March 6. His orthopedic doctor has postponed it to March 20th because he wants Andrew to have a little time to recover from his most recent unexpected surgery which was on Wednesday night. He had to have his appendix removed. We are very lucky that they didn't rupture because they were very large when they brought him in to surgery. Recovery has been a little slower than a normal appendectomy because Andrew has to use all of his upper body muscles to get around on his crutches. He's pretty sore so it's good that his hip surgery has been delayed.
On Friday Adam had all 4 of his wisdom teeth removed so he's a hurting unit this weekend too. Lindsey described this past few days perfectly when she said "our house seems like a hospital". Never a dull day that's for sure!

Have a great week,
~ Lisa

Thursday, January 12, 2006 7:24 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Andrew's surgery went very, very well. He was in surgery for 6-1/2 hours but the doctors are very pleased with how well it went. He hasn't been out of bed yet but they've already taken him off the morphine and put him on oral pain meds. He won't be able to put any weight on his right leg for quite some time but as soon as he can stay elevated and walk a little with his crutches, he will be able to come home. He really wants to be home by this weekend but I'm guessing he may be here until Monday.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
See you soon,
Lisa

Friday, December 16, 2005 8:33 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

We figured that we wouldn't know too much about Andrew's hip problems until after Christmas. Things are moving along much more quickly than we thought. The doctors determined that he has severe Avascular Necrosis in his right hip and the early stages of AVN in his left hip. This is all a result of the steroids that he had to be on when he was receiving radiation. He had to be on them for 5 months last summer which is quite a long time. An orthopedic specialist at Froedert in Milwaukee is going to do a vascular fibula graft on his right hip on Jan. 11th. Two months later, they plan on doing a "coring" procedure on his left hip that won't be so extensive and should prevent his left hip from getting as bad as the right one. For the first surgery, he will be in the hospital for 3 or 4 days and will be on crutches for 6 to 9 months following surgery. Since he's going to be on crutches any way, they suggested that the coring procedure be done sooner than later. Both of these procedures are being done to prevent Andrew from having hip replacements. He's far too young for that and replacements would put him out of baseball for life. He's not happy about being out of baseball for another year but he's taking it all in stride and we are so proud of him.

Adam is so bumbed that he won't be able to play ball with Andrew this spring and summer but he and we are all doing the best that we can to keep things in perspective. I used to tell people how baseball is Adam & Andrew's life--they've lived & breathed baseball since they were very little boys and as a result, they've both excelled in the sport. Yet, we've learned that their's a whole lot more to life than baseball! Life alone is enough--baseball is an extra bonus. Adam struggles with the idea of going on while Andrew is delayed. Even though they've got that sibling rivalry going on, they still worry a lot about one another.

Lindsey is very excited about the completion of her exams. She's done nothing more than study, work & sleep for the last week and a half. She will be graduating from college this spring with the highest honors. We are so proud of her.

Thank you for checking in on Andrew and our family. Merry Christmas!!

Friday, December 2, 2005 7:43 PM CST

Dear Family & Friends,

I haven't given you an Andrew update in quite some time, but as I always say, no news is good news. Andrew continues to do really well with no recurrence. We are so thankful to have him healthy again; however, he is starting to experience some of the late effects that some cancer survivors experience from all of the treatments. He had a bunch of tests and scans for his 1 year follow up. I was concerned because he was having a lot of hip pain. After having an MRI, we were very relieved that it wasn't bone cancer, but he needs to consult with an orthopedic doctor because the MRI indicates that he has degeneration in both of his hips. Evidently this is a common side effect of having to be on steroids for an extended period of time. The chemo, radiation and transplant also are a contributing factor to the bone softening. This is all something that can be fixed either through the combination of medication and exercise or surgery. We will be consulting with his orthopedic doctor this month.

I'll update you, after Christmas, as to where we stand with the hip problem. Other than that, all is well.

Wishing you a healthy & happy holiday,

Gene, Lisa, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Monday, August 29, 2005 1:24 PM CDT

Hey everybody..this is Andrew. Well its been like 2 months since my mom updated this website so i figured not much to do..why not just spend some time telling everyone how unbelievably good im doing right now.
Well since the last posting we went to CANADA..Its a little more layed back then New York. Instead of cars honking..you hear chirping birds. I had a blast. We definately caught fish and we all had fun...including Shadow. He had the funnest time chasing all the squirrals and animals around our cabin.
I just celebrated my 18th BIRTHDAY! It was the best birthday ive ever had. It started out with my finding a Mercury Cougar that i am going to buy. Followed with dinner with that family and my new girlfriend, Lindsey who has made me SO happy. We had a bonfire at my house so all my friends could get together and hang out.
As far as my health goes..counts are fine..alot of people are wondering "Where is the hair". I got a head biopsy to check how things were going in my head and they say its all alive so i should have hair in a short amount of time..FINALLY.
Well thats about all i have for now..We are nearing 20,000 hits on this website..Kinda exciting..Leave a message in the Guestbook if you have time id love to hear from you.

Thanks for Everything..Andrew

Tuesday, July 11, 2005 7:41 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Well, Andrew said that his wish was everything that he hoped for and them some! Of course he met his buddy, Derek – but, he also met other players and coaches and came home with a personally autographed baseball bat and other memorabilia. We got the full picture of big city living in a real hurry. We stayed on the 29th floor at the Double Tree Suites, right on Times Square. Our accommodations were wonderful and we were within walking distance of a lot of attractions. We experienced the subway system a couple of times, saw a Broadway Show -- The Lion King, visited the Empire State Building, checked out ESPN Zone 2 nights in a row, enjoyed several limo rides and thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Yankee Stadium. We now feel so “cultured”. The Yankees beat the Indians 7-2 and we were seated right behind home plate. We experienced “true” road rage at its best! I’ll take chirping birds over honking horns any day. When we looked out on Times Square in the evening, it seemed like daytime from all of the bright lights. It truly is “the city that doesn’t sleep”. And then, their was the cowboy who makes a living playing his guitar in only his underwear & cowboy boots on Times Square and gets paid to have pictures taken with the ladies. Eileen, our Make-A-Wish friend in New York said that he does this year round – brrrrrrrr! We had some very fine dining too. You can walk to just about any type of restaurant within blocks of your hotel, so all of our cravings were satisfied. We couldn’t have asked for more and are so thankful to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, our wish granters Steve & Wendy Dalberto from Green Bay & our Wish Day guide, Eileen, from New York, Dan Weiss from the Yankee Organization who gave us the grand tour of Yankee Stadium and all of you who have been so supportive of us through this all. Several of you have asked me where you can send a Make-A-Wish donation so that it stays local and with the correct “Wish” organization. Here you go…..

Make-A-Wish Foundation of WI
200 N. Durkee St.
Appleton, WI 54911

I've attached some photos but haven't figured out how to make them smaller so just bear with me. I'm still working on it & will get more pictures posted soon, hopefully.

Take care & thank you all for everything,
Lisa


Friday, July 1, 2005 8:16 PM CDT

Hello,

All is well with only good news as far as Andrew's health goes. He's feeling great and scans have come out normal. He's working REALLY hard to put on weight but still lost 2 pounds this past month. He's so active that he burns the calories faster than he can take them in. I'm sure that once baseball season is done, he will put on some weight.

The time has come for Andrew's wish to come true --
Make-A-Wish is sending us off to New York on July 5th so Andrew can meet his hero, Derek Jeter. He and we are getting very excited. Here's our itinerary.

July 5 - Arrive at Doubletree Hotel (right on Time Square), Empire State Building
July 6 - Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Southstreet Seaport, China Town, Little Italy
July 7 - WISH DAY!!! Morning at leisure: Rockefeller Center, NBA Store, Niketown. 5:00 pm - Meet Derek Jeter & get tour of Yankee Stadium. Game begins at 7:00 pm.
July 8 - At leisure: Central Park, Trump Tower, Departure

We are so excited that this is finally happening and are so grateful that Make-A-Wish was willing to postpone our trip until Andrew got better. I'll be sure to tell you all about our trip and post lots of pictures when we get back.

Have a fun & safe 4th of July,
Lisa

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 8:12 PM CDT

Hello Everyone,

AWESOME NEWS!

The Ashwaubenon Baseball Team is going to state for the first time in Ashwaubenon Jaguar history! This past Tuesday, regionals were held in Sheboygan. The Jaguars won both games, sending them to state! The student/parent fan support was unbelievable & we take some credit for getting them this far! Usually athletic events are held in Madison, but the Appleton Timber Rattler Field is the highest rated diamond in the state so that is where the games are being held. The games will be held this next Tuesday evening. Tomorrow night we (the parents) will get details as far as the exact time of the game and will be asked for the number of tickets that we would like to order. Please let me know, immediately, if you would like me to order tickets for any of you. Please spread the word!!!!! Fan support makes such a HUGE difference! Please email me at lisad100@aol.com or lisa.dorner@stvgb.org and let me know how many tickets you need.

Now, onto another subject--
Andrew has been asked to do the coin toss for the Blizzards game on Saturday night and, of course my "shy" son has accepted & I'm so proud of him. The GB Packers will be there also. This week is officially "cancer survivors week" so many organizations are involving cancer survivors in their events, so the news station will share a very brief bit of Andrew's story before the coin toss. If you have no other plans for Sat. night, check out the Blizzard game.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at lisad100@aol.com

Take Care,
Lisa


Wednesday, May 25, 2005 8:32 PM CDT

Hello,

Thanks to all you walkers and donors, the Ashwaubenon Student Council's Cancer Walk that was held this last Saturday was a huge success! The students raised over $10,000 to benefit cancer research and the local Families of Children with Cancer Group. It's incredible how these kids are doing so much good to benefit those affected in some way by cancer. The Student Council plans on doing these walks on an annual basis. This was only their 2nd year and it was once again, so well organized -- so, if you couldn't participate this year, there is always next year.

Take Care,
Lisa

Thursday, May 19, 2005 7:48 AM CDT

Check out www.greenbaypressgazette.com. The below article is in today's sports section of the paper along with a photo of Andrew.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Prep baseball: Having survived cancer, Ashwaubenon’s Dorner gets back the game he loves


Ashwaubenon second baseman Andrew Dorner, who’s continuing his comeback from cancer, warms up before a game on Tuesday. Corey Wilson/Press-Gazette


By Scott Venci
svenci@greenbaypressgazette.com

How you can help fight cancer, too
Ashwaubenon High School, which Andrew Dorner attends, will host a Walk to Beat Cancer event this weekend.

• Friday: A battle of the bands begins at 7 p.m. in the school’s auxiliary gymnasium. Area high school students will compete in the event.

• Saturday: A 4-mile walk begins at 9:30 a.m. at the school. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with a minimum donation of $20 per person or $50 per family. Refreshments will be provided.




Andrew Dorner is feeling good, and the Ashwaubenon High School baseball player wants everyone to know it. He wakes up each day with an extra spring in his step, knowing he has stared cancer in the face and won.

It has been almost six months since the junior came home from a 30-day stay in a Milwaukee hospital, having undergone a stem cell transplant in his fight against a cancerous tumor that started in his chest two years ago and spread to his brain.

Since then, Dorner has returned to school, first going half days and working his way up to full days.

His life, as he says, is back to normal. He is having fun again, spending time with his family, his girlfriend and the friends who never left his side during his battle.

“I am a cancer survivor,” Dorner says proudly. “That thought stays with me always. I don’t think I go a minute of any day without thinking about that. That is more on my mind than if it could come back or whatever. I knew that once I got through the original surgery two years ago that nothing compared to that.”

The comeback wasn’t complete, however, until he stepped onto the baseball diamond again this spring.

Dorner doesn’t just like baseball, mind you. He loves it. He lives for it. Nothing, not even cancer, can take him away from it.

On April 15 against Green Bay Southwest, Dorner trotted out to second base for his first game since the early part of his sophomore season, which ended after just three games when the cancer returned.

“At that point, I was trying to prove to my coach that I could play in a game,” Dorner said.

He proved it against the Trojans, but it put him in the hospital.

In the final inning of the Jaguars’ 9-5 win, Dorner raced to second to cover the base on a steal attempt by a Southwest player. Seconds later, instead of sliding into the base, the player lowered his shoulder and slammed into Dorner, knocking him flat on the ground.

He sustained scrapes on his knee and a big one on an arm. A few days later, Dorner came down with a 104-degree temperature. He went to the hospital and didn’t leave for a week after doctors diagnosed an infection, although it wasn’t believed to have been caused by the scrapes.

Dorner had been working on regaining the strength he lost while fighting cancer, and a one-week stay in the hospital didn’t help. He has since moved down to the junior varsity team and is starting at shortstop. It’s not exactly where he wants to be, but it’s still baseball, and that’s what matters most.

“It gets him some playing time and into games, but it also gives him an opportunity to develop his strength in game situations,” Ashwaubenon coach Tim Jorgensen said.

“The coaching staff approached him about his thoughts on playing JV. He was reluctant at first, and rightfully so, but he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ He has been doing a great job down there, and ever since, he has been back to the fun-loving kid (we all know). We certainly know he has the talent and ability to play at the varsity level. He has handled it very well.

“He has truly been an inspiration to the kids, as well as the coaching staff.”

Dorner is expected to remain at the JV level for the rest of the season. But he has accomplished what he set out to do, and he is happy about it.

He had been getting a medical checkup every other week since getting out of the hospital, but the doctors have changed it to once a month for the next year. After that, it will be every six months for five years.

“It does nothing but good,” Dorner said. “It reassures me that it is still gone. Every test gives you so much more guarantee that the disease is gone.

“I am getting back to my normal life, and things are going good.”


Tuesday, May 17, 2005 8:59 PM CDT

Hello,

Today Andrew woke up with a migraine which didn't go away after taking imitrex. Since he'd never experienced migraines before he was sick, every time that he gets a bad headache now, I have to admit that I may get a bit over reactive -- the doctor says that this is a very normal reaction for parents who's children have just went into remission. Andrew's appointment was previously scheduled for tomorrow, so Dr. Brandt saw him a day early and ordered a CT scan which looked normal. Even though Andrew hasn't had migraines in the past, he may get them occasionally as a result of all the trauma & stress that he's been through. We will worry for a while so it just seems so necessary to get that confirmation that everything is still okay.

If you get the GB Press-Gazette, watch for a follow-up article in the sports section on Thursday about Andrew. Scott from the Press-Gazette had interviewed Andrew and I right before his transplant. Scott wrote a very nice article, so when he asked Andrew if he could do a follow-up, Andrew was very happy to do it -- he's not shy as most of you know.

More details about the Ashwaubenon High School Student's Cancer Walk -- Registration begins on Sat. at 8:30 am at the high school. The walk entry fee is $20. Andrew, Adam, Lindsey & I will be walking. If you don't plan on walking but would like to make a pledge, please let me know by emailing me at lisad100@aol.com. The walk begins at 9:30 and will be approximately 4 miles. These kids had such a great turn out last year & I'm hoping that it will be even better this year. Please spread the word & pray for a beautiful day weather-wise......bring your umbrellas just in case He has more important requests to attend to.

Take care & God bless,
Lisa

Friday, May 13, 2005 8:14 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

I'm so glad that Andrew has this website because it comes in handy for more than updating you on his progress. It's also a great way to get the word out when an event is being held to benefit anyone affected by cancer. I just learned tonight from my children that Ashwaubenon High School students will be having their 2nd Annual Cancer Walk next Saturday.

When Andrew was first diagnosed with cancer, one of his good friends, Austin, called to say that the Student Council at Ashwaubenon High School wanted to do something for our family. I told Austin that I worked at St. Vincent Hospital which has an incredible cancer research program and would be so greatful if they would honor Andrew & our family by making a donation to cancer research. Well, they went all out and organized their first Cancer Walk. All of the money they raised was donated to St. Vincent's Cancer Research Program. The walk was awesome & even though it was raining, it didn't dampen the walk -- the umbrellas worked just fine. I was so proud of these kids. They took on a very huge event & did a great job! The only way that I feel I can show sufficient appreciation to these kids is by supporting them in future years since they want to make this an annual event. I'm sure that every year, they will have a different cause which affects their peers who are touched by cancer. Please support their cause and participate in the walk next Saturday. If you can't walk and would still like to support their walk, you can send a donation made payable to "Ashwaubenon HS Cancer Walk" & send it to Ashwaubenon High School, 2391 S. Ridge Rd., Green Bay, WI 54304. If you want this gift to be made in honor of Andrew, please note that in the memo section of your check.

Now, a quick Dorner update -- Adam & Andrew are having the time of their life playing baseball together. As a result of all the transplant procedures, Andrew is still too weak to play Varsity baseball so he is building his strength with the JV team. He and Adam are the Dorner duo on the diamond. Andrew is playing short stop and Adam is playing second base. They've already turned a double play. Life is good! -- Andrew's back to doing what he loves most and Adam is so excited to be playing infield with his brother.
Lindsey is in the midst of college finals so she's very busy. She's been on the dean's list for the last three years. During the past year and a half, when our life was at its ultimate low & ultimate high stress level, Lindsey still kept up her grades. She's an amazing kid. -- okay, my bragging session is over.

Thanks for checking in for an update

Lisa

Thursday, May 5, 2005 7:18 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

I've learned that we have dear family & friends that still check this website so I'll be sure to post now and then. I'll warn you once again that this is going to be a long one.

Andrew and I have received so much positive feedback about our debut on channel 5. Even though I was very far out of my comfort zone, I'm very glad that we did it. Lisa Malak and her camera crew did such a good job piecing it all together and I was so proud of Andrew! I recorded it so if anyone wants to see it that couldn't stay up that late, just give me a call or email; otherwise, if you go to WFRV.com very soon, you can scroll down to the video titled "Website gives peace to local family during son's battle for life". Our video is at the very bottom of the list of videos so I'm assuming that it will be gone very soon, so check it out soon if you want.

Andrew's weekly clinic visits at St. Vincent's with
Dr. Brandt & at Children's Hospital have turned into monthly visits so that is great progress. No more infection and no more contraptions attached to his body are even more progress. He is now back to school full days and is giving it his all at his baseball practices. Unfortunately, he is weaker than he was expecting to be at this point. This is putting limitations on him which he has little patience for. His coach said that if he could give Andrew 50% of his strength, he would do it in a minute. It will all come in due time. Patience is a virtue and builds character so Andrew will really be a quite a "character" when this is all behind him.

An MRI will be done the end of this month and we will go to Milwaukee for Andrew's clinic appointment on June 6th. They are still keeping very close tabs on him and all is continuing to indicate that he is in remission. We have so much reason to believe that Andrew will be a "survivor" for many years to come.

On June 4th a very special family will be having a miniature golf outing in memory of their son, Bryan Wulf. All proceeds of this outing go to benefit families of children with cancer. Their support was such a blessing to us during our difficult times and I am asking you to get this event on your calendar and talk about it so others can participate in it. I will provide more details in the near future.

Thank you for checking in once again,

Lisa





Tuesday, May 3, 2005 3:15 PM CDT

Hey everyone this is Andrew...this cant be a long posting because i have baseball in about an hour so I guess I just need to remind everyone to watch the channel 5 news at 10 pm tonight. Lisa Malik did a story on our family and this website so if you want to see it and miss it for some bogus reason...ask me becz I know we will be taping it.
Time to go eat.
Bye everyone

Sunday, April 24, 2005 7:47 AM CDT

Good Morning,

Andrew is home from the hospital at last. He had a central line put in his upper arm to administer IV antibiotics for the next 6 days. On Friday, he will get that unit out and will be "free" of all foreign objects attached to his body. Yeah!

Have a great day,
Lisa

Thursday, April 21, 2005 4:04 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Andrew had surgery this afternoon to remove his central line in his chest. Since the line was infected, they had to install a PIC line on his upper left arm to be used to administer his antibiotic for the infection. Hopefully he will only have to have it in for 5 days. If Andrew's culture comes up negative tomorrow, he will be able to go home so he is very excited. Andrew's surgery was done by 3:45 so he is still in recovery. He usually has such little appetite, but today, because he couldn't eat, he was starving all day. He told us before surgery that the first thing he wants to eat after surgery is a Krolls cheeseburger so I'm guessing that Gene or I will be making a Krolls run later tonight.

It's such a good feeling to know that the surgeries & chemo are done. It's like the removal of his line puts closure to a very difficult time in his and our family's life.

Thanks for caring,
Lisa

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 9:04 PM CDT

Hello to anyone that still checks up on Andrew on this website,

Andrew has been progressing so well. His 5'10" frame is up to a whopping 138 lbs!! He has been practicing daily with the baseball team and played in his first game this last Friday. It was so good to see him out doing what he loves so much!

Saturday was such a beautiful spring day that we all enjoyed so much but, unfortunately, by Saturday night Andrew was feeling nausius and by early Sunday morning he was having flu-like symptoms. By the end of the day, his temperature was up to 103.4 so the doctor said that he needed to be admitted to the hospital.

Andrew has been at St. Vincent Hospital since then and is being treated with antibiotics for an infection. Blood cultures have indicated that the infection is from his central line but his Oncologist wants to make sure that that is the only source of infection.

We were able take Andrew out of the hospital, this evening, to watch his brother's baseball game at Ashwaubomay Park. The fresh air was so good for him. He had to be readmitted by 8:00 p.m.

We're assuming from what the doctor has said, so far, that Andrew will be able to go home by Thursday.

Thank you for caring enough to visit Andrew's website.

Lisa



Thursday, April 14, 2005 10:07 AM CDT

Well everyone this is Andrew updating the site this time. I kept telling my mom to do it and she just couldn't find the time to do it. I have a lot to talk about that has happened since the last posting. I am actually in school right now but one of my classes is a study hall so i have plenty of time to do what i want.

So im sure most of you have heard that our prom was a huge success. I haven't talked to anyone that didnt have a good time. And also a piece of information that everyone knows by now is that i was voted prom king with my queen (Jessica Gardner). It was an awesome night and i guess that just topped everything off. Post prom was at Ashwaubenon Bowling lanes. Although i haven't bowled in 2 years i somehow managed to bowl a 200...(i guess the luck was with me that night).

Our baseball team is off to an O.K. start. We started out a little rusty but we battled back we are 1-1 in conference and 1-3 overall...(conference is all that matters).

Lets see here..what else has happened..I GOT A GIRLFRIEND..very exciting. She goes to Depere highschool. She is beautiful and her name is Ashley.

I suppose since everyone comes here to check up on my health i should shed some light on that. The first and only issue ive had was my ugly toe. I had an ingrown toenail which had to be removed and it wasnt pretty. I have pictures of the ugly toe on my moms camara so if u wanna see it just stop by i will show you.

The only irregular thing going on with my health now are the tubes sticking out of my chest. Yesterday i had an appointment with Dr. Brandt and i made a list of reason why i needed to get them pulled out. This list did its job and the tubes are finally coming out the 20th of this month.
Well ive done enough rambling i need to get back to work..

thanks for everything
Andrew J Dorner

Friday, March 11, 2005 9:20 PM CST

Dear Family & Friends,

I'm happy to say that all is well in the Dorner household. Your support & prayers carried us through the toughest time that our family has ever went through. We have truly learned the power of prayer, family & friends.

Andrew gained 3 pounds this past week. His 5'10" frame is up to a whopping 140 pounds. We are very pleased. He still receives IV nutrition but is eating a little more every day. I've finally started making single portions of the Olive Garden chicken alfredo recipe because Andrew craves this often and is the only one in our family that needs those super high calorie dishes.

Another MRI was done this past week that indicated no change since the last MRI which is fantastic news! Andrew's doctors feel that what is left, is dead tissue; however, they are always very cautious so they haven't officially given us the official word that Andrew is in remission, but it doesn't matter -- We know that because of Andrew's blood tests and his MRI's, Andrew is officially a cancer survivor.

It's obvious that our life is getting somewhat back to normal, we're starting to have to deal with regular teenage issues like -- Andrew now wants to get a "Cancer Survivor" tatoo and he's serious! Andrew's received support from his nurses & friends, but from a parents perspective, I have to admit that this would be a serious problem for me because it's so permanent. I'm hoping that some of you sensible parents will assist me in talking some sense into my son.

Andrew is a Junior this year. Junior Prom is on April 9th. Who would have ever thought that he would be well enough to go to it, but he is! Praise the Lord!

Saturday, February 26, 2005 8:03 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

As most of you know, when I haven't posted for a while, the posting is quite lengthy. Well, here we go..........

Life has become very busy in a different way for us. We still have tons of medical appointments in Green Bay & Milwaukee but we are rejoicing in the fact that normal life can immerge in the midst of all of this. Life is never the same after you've watched someone you love walk the cancer journey. I rejoice in seeing Andrew doing the things he did before he was diagnosed with cancer. Tonight a bunch of Ashwaubenon guys faced some DePere guys in a game of flag football. Andrew coached his friends to a victory and received a standing ovation from the parents. It was all in fun and he didn't have the appearance of your typical coach -- He was dressed rather "interesting". I will work on getting a picture of him posted on this website - it'll make you laugh & see just how silly Andrew can be. I'll have my high-tech daughter, Lindsey post it since this is beyond my expertise.

Shortly before Andrew was diagnosed with cancer, I asked him how he can be so happy all the time -- he told me, in his words -- "I just love my life". Well, he's back to loving his life. Other than his lack of appetite and loss of weight, you would never know that he was ever sick. He's been to several indoor baseball practices and is planning on being on the diamond this spring.

In the past, I've often wondered, after watching the news, how people could get through such crisis in their lives. Well, we've learned from personal experience that God truly does provide just what you need just when you need it. When we first received the news that Andrew had a malignant tumor in his chest, we honestly felt helpless & wished that we could all trade places with him. We thank God for sending all of you into our lives since then (11/2/03).

Andrew's next appointment will be in Milwaukee on March 7th. He will have labs done & an MRI. MRI's will be done for quite a while, just to make sure that the tumor that still shows up on Andrew's MRI's is truly dead. The doctors and we have all reason to believe that the final round of chemo, prior to transplant, killed any remaining cancer cells. Follow ups will be done just to confirm that.

Thank you for caring enough to follow Andrew's progess. I or Andrew will continue to update this site.

Love to you all,
Gene, Lisa, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam Dorner

Wednesday, February 9, 2005 10:28 PM CST

HEY EVERYONE!!! Its me Andrew. I told my mom to update my site and she came back with the..."You do it". So at that point I realized I wasn't going to get her to do it. Well as most of you know I had my scans yesterday to determine whether or not I am in remission. Well..I am hear to say that you are now visiting the site of a cancer survivor!! The news was AWESOME!! They said the scans look awesome and i am officially in remission.

I just need to take the time to tell everyone thank you SO much for the love, support, and prayers that i got from Novemember 2, 2003 to now. Without it I know I wouldn't have had such a good attitude.

Although I am in pretty good shape, there is still a person that I know that is going through a hard time like mine with his father. Ross degrands dad was diagnosed with cancer 5 months ago. He is in the hospital sick now and I really want everything to be OK with him. I guess what I am trying to say is to keep Mr. Degrand in your prayers like you did me. Ross, ill try my best to get you through this man.

Well Thank you again for everything. I will actually be updating the site every once and a while so people dont get to bored with us.

~Andrew~

Sunday, February 6, 2005 8:22 AM CST

Hello Everyone,

What a beautiful weekend it's been - weather wise and just in general.

Last night their was a Talent Show at Ashwaubenon High School. Andrew's friend, Austin sang a beautiful christian song, dedicated to Andrew. The original title of the song is "He's My Son" but Austin made it more fitting by singing "He's My Bud". He talked about Andrew and his walk with cancer before the song and had me and many others in tears before the song even began. Austin - if you're reading this, thank you so much! You did a fantastic job! Luckily, we can tape the whole talent show off of the Jag TV channel that we get on cable.

Since Andrew was first diagnosed with cancer in Nov, 2003, I've seen so many neat things take place amongst his friends and the high school in general. This spring the National Honor Society and the Student Council are going to have a "Rock to Beat Cancer Weekend". I'm convinced that God has been using Andrew from the beginning to inspire many kids to do something good about a disease that has touched most every family in some way. Their really is good that can come from adversity even though, while Andrew was experiencing the side effects of chemo & radiation, we couldn't see them. We're seeing them now. I am so proud of the kids at Ashwaubenon High School! Wow, I'm really on a roll this morning but that's just the way I feel.

Well, Andrew's MRI will finally be done on Tuesday. We're very confident that what little tumor is left on Andrew's motor strip is dead but it will be reassuring to find out that the tumor hasn't grown since his transplant. That will confirm that he is in remission and as Austin said at the talent show, "that he's beat cancer twice".

Have a great week and God bless you all,
Lisa

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 9:35 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Things are going pretty well with Andrew. He's been back to school since last Tuesday for half days. The only thing slowing him down at this point is his poor appetite. The doctor put Andrew on a different appetite stimulant today and it's already working better than the last one. He's eaten more tonight than he has eaten in the last 2 days so we're very happy about that. Andrew's lost too much weight so the doctor said that within the next week he has to start eating and putting on weight or get a tube put in for feeding. He's not liking that idea one single bit so between his motivation and his meds I think he will be packing down some calories.

Andrew's next appointment will be in Milwaukee on Feb. 7th and his MRI will be done in Green Bay on Feb. 8th so next week will be a big week.

Well, that's all the news I have for now. Take care and have a great week.

Lisa

Saturday, January 22, 2005 10:50 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

I apologize for my long delay in posting. Things have been going very well and as you all know, no news is good news. Since Andrew's days have been very quiet, there's been little to report. He feels great when he's up and about but tires quickly and sleeps more than he used to.

Adam has a cold and Lindsey feels that she has one coming on so they are both worried that Andrew might get it but Andrew is so pumped up with prevention medications that I would be very surprised if he got sick. The next term for school starts this Tuesday and Andrew will be returning finally. He will start with half days and work up to full days. We will have to take him out if their is a serious outbreak of the flu or if their is a case of the chicken pox. Andrew's counts are looking better every day and his appetite is also improving so it's time to get a routine going again. We go for follow up visits to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee every 10th day and Dr. Brandt sees him once a week at St. Vincent's so Andrew is being very well cared for. MRI's are being done every 6 weeks and his next one will be done on Feb. 8th. Every lab, exam and scan will be stressful for all of us for a while, but we are optimistic that we will get the official word that Andrew is in remission after this next MRI.

Since all is going so well, I will probably not post until after Andrew's next scan on Feb. 8th. Thanks for checking in on Andrew and thank you for your prayers.

Take care & God bless you all,
Gene, Lisa, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Tuesday, January 11, 2005 9:56 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since I've posted but our days have been pretty uneventful since Andrew got out of the hospital which, as you know, is great news. He hasn't had an infection or fever through this all, his appetite is continuing to very slowly pick up and his blood counts are rising very nicely. Andrew's doctor in Milwaukee has given him the okay to go back to school for this next term. The term begins on Jan. 24th but he will start on the 25th because he has his Milwaukee appointment on the 24th. Andrew sees Dr. Brandt, here in GB twice a week and then sees his doctors in Milwaukee every 10 days so he is being very closely monitored. He is on many different kinds of antibiotics and prevention medications but the doctor added one more this week since he will be returning to school soon. It is a medication that will make him less vulnerable to the flu. It makes me nervous to send him back to school, but his counts are climbing and it's time to get some routine and education back in his life.

Andrew's next MRI will be on Feb. 8th. He will have one done every 6 weeks after that. If the one tumor that is left doesn't grow over the next few months, we will be able to assume that it is dead. We are very optimistic that the cancer is gone because a certain indicator on his blood tests that measures his protein level is within the normal range.

Thank you for your prayers. I believe that they are making all of the difference in how Andrew and our family are living through this challenging time in our life.

God Bless,
Lisa, Gene, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Friday, December 31, 2004 10:32 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As most of you know, 2003 and 2004 have brought us many challenges with Andrew's health, but 2005 is off to a great start. We had an appointment in Green Bay today with Dr. Brandt. He and the doctors in Milwaukee have discussed the results of Andrew's MRI. The only tumor remaining, has shrunk from 4mm to 3mm which in our language would mean that it is about the size of a tic tac mint. From looking at Andrew's MRI and his blood tests, the doctors feel that the tumor is dead but can't confirm it since they can't do surgery. They will do frequent MRI's and blood tests. Of course, we were hoping that we could get news that the tumor was 100one so we could put closure on this chapter in our life but that just isn't the case; so, we will continue to take one day at a time, trust God and appreciate all of the simple things that we once took for granted and didn't even realize it.

The one worry that we and the doctors have is the fact that Andrew still can't taste food and has little desire to eat. His taste may not come back for another two to three weeks so it is a matter of giving him foods that have good texture. Pasta just doesn't work for him right now. He is getting IV fluids daily which help a lot but it's not enough, so we've been running to the store at every little craving that Andrew has in hope that he will eat.

Thank you for your many ways of showing support to Andrew and our family this past year. May God bless you all in the coming year.

Happy New year,
Gene, Lisa, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Thursday, December 23, 2004 11:33 AM CST

Hi Everyone,

Andrew is home at last! What a wonderful Christmas this will be. We will go to St. Vincent's tomorrow for a platelet transfusion and back to Milwaukee for a follow-up visit on Monday. Later next week, they are going to do an MRI at Children's Hospital. We will have weekly follow-up visits in Milwaukee for the next month.

Take a look at page C-5 of the Thursday Press-Gazette. Their is a very neat article about Andrew in the Sports section.

Take care,
Lisa

Wednesday, December 22, 2004 10:53 PM CST

Wow, it's been a big day! Andrew is home at last. I don't know who is more excited - Andrew, dog, parents, brother & sister or friends. All I know for sure is that this is a Christmas that we will never forget. Andrew's counts have dropped quite a bit since the hospital quit giving him a medication to help boost his white cell count; therefore, it will be a quiet holiday which will be nice. Andrew will get platelets at St. Vincent's on Friday which will help his counts.

As I'm posting this message, I hear Andrew whistling in the other room which is music to my ears.

We have been blessed by so many good people who have helped us to prepare for Andrew's homecoming. Andrew was very excited when he got home to find his bedroom walls washed and freshly painted. We told Andrew about all of these people who he and we didn't even know who offered to help do a makeover on his bedroom for his homecoming. New carpeting was delivered today that will be laid tomorrow morning. God bless you all! Their are no words that can express just how grateful we are to all of you.

Merry Christmas to you all and best wishes for a
Happy New Year!


Tuesday, December 21, 2004 10:02 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Andrew is right on schedule with his homecoming. We get to bring him home tomorrow. He's had no fevers and has been taken off of most of his medications. He still doesn't have his sense of taste so he isn't eating yet but that will come. We will have to go to St. Vincent's this Friday for a platelet transfusion and will come back to Milwaukee on Monday for some tests and an MRI. After that, we will come for one follow up visit in Milwaukee every week.

This past week Andrew received visits from 9 of the Milwaukee Bucks and today Craig Counsel visited with Andrew for 45 minutes. We have some very neat pictures and autographed gifts.

Well, we're anxious to see you all soon and our dog will once again be happy. Take care.
Lisa

Thursday, December 16, 2004 8:06 AM CST

Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday the doctor took Andrew off of the GCSF which is used to help raise his counts. His white count is now 4.2 and his ANC is 2,226! Yes, you read that right -- his counts are soring along with his spirit(he was back to whistling yesterday). He's only getting platlets once a day now. Andrew's mouth and throat sores are healing quickly and his pain medication is being cut back a little bit daily. We walked a couple of laps around 5th floor outside of his room last night in place of physical therapy. Eating is coming slow. Andrew's diet yesterday consisted of 2 spoonfuls of chicken noodle soup and 3 spoonfuls of jello so as you can see, it's going to be a slow process before he will be ready to go back to Buffalo Wild Wings with the guys. He's able to keep his weight in the normal range because of the IV nutrition and he looks remarkably well considering all that he has been through. While Andrew is recovering, he is taking on his family and the nursing staff with many games of Yahtzee and cards. I was telling him last night that he should be able to get a little credit in his math class for all of the strategic brain work used this past week:-) We credit Andrew's speedy recovery & determination to God and all of you for your prayers & support. Thank you so very much.
God Bless,
Lisa, Gene, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Tuesday, December 14, 2004 8:50 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. Andrew's white blood counts are getting higher and higher every day. His counts have went up from 0.4 on Sunday to 2.9 as of today. As I mentioned in a past posting, the normal range is between 4.0 and 12.0. Andrew is getting Neupogen shots which help to up his counts a little faster. Some of you are familiar with the ANC count that we also keep track of. It's a count that keeps track of his red & white blood cells. Dr. Brandt would say when he was having chemo that when Andrew's ANC was under 500, he would be under "house arrest". Well Andrew's ANC now is 1,600 so the medical staff don't even have to wear masks anymore. Things are going really well! The doctor did caution us though that even though Andrew's counts are coming up, we still need to be very cautious about visitors, especially because it is flu & cold season. We don't want to take any chances right now that might delay Andrew's getting home for the holidays so we still have to discourage visitors. We appreciate your willingness to visit and hope that you understand. Andrew is so anxious to get home, especially now that his counts are climbing so quickly. As you know, the prerequisite to being discharged is that he can take all of his oral medications and can eat and drink. He is now taking one of his oral meds so that is progress. He was going to attempt chicken noodle soup today but just couldn't get it down so we'll try again tomorrow. It's just going to take some time since he hasn't eaten since Nov 25, Thanksgiving day.

Our family is so grateful to all of you who have been so good to us over this past year. We have the best family and friends in the whole world. Your kinds words of encouragement, prayer, delicious home-cooked meals, gifts & friendship will never be forgotten.

God bless you all & Happy Holidays,
Gene, Lisa, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Saturday, December 11, 2004 6:39 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Andrew's been feeling very good this past two days. His white count is still 0.1 but that will start climbing soon. He can start having visitors when it gets to 0.5 which should be within the next week. He hasn't been sick since Thursday, his throat and mouth are starting to heal and he hasn't had any fevers so things are going really well.

Andrew's past couple days have been filled with lots of good tv, Yahtzee, Poker, Skip-Bo, Uno, a little homework, a little physical therapy and lots of nice, pretty nurses. There are a few perks to being stuck in the hospital for a long time. He's making the best of it and more determined than ever to be home in time for Christmas.

Take care,
Lisa



Thursday, December 9, 2004 11:10 AM CST

Hi Everyone,

Things are going well. They once again upped Andrew's morphine so he is being kept very comfortable. He is now getting his oral meds crushed in ice cream to help with the nausia. I stocked up on DVDs of the Seinfeld series and That 70's Show and he is getting many laughs from them. The doctors & nurses are taking great care of him. His teacher will come and work with him this afternoon for an hour and the physical therapist should be here around 2:00 so he is developing somewhat of a routine. You would think that with all the meds he's on, he would sleep a lot but that isn't the case. He has been sleeping for 3 hours in the evening with the aid of a sleeping pill and staying up most of the day. Andrew's white blood count is coming up. The past two days it was at <0.1 and now it is 0.1. The normal range is 4.0 - 12.0 so we have a long ways to go. Well, that's all I know for now. Take care & I'll update you again soon.

Lisa

Wednesday, December 8, 2004 11:12 AM CST

Hello,

Andrew is doing as well as can be expected this soon after chemo & transplant. The usual discomforts/side effects of this high-dose chemo should subside in the next week or two. In the mean time, they are keeping Andrew comfortable with morphine and anti-nausia meds. The biggest fear is infection, which he has no sign of, so things are looking good!

Andrew continues to check the website and his emails daily so thanks for posting/emailing. (djeterisdabomb2@aol.com)

Take care & God Bless,
Lisa

Saturday, December 4, 2004 9:12 PM CST

Hello,

Andrew's spirits are still up. He isn't getting restless yet about being isolated to his room. That will come in about 2 weeks when he's feeling well enough to be up and about without feeling sick. Today the extent of his activity included a 1/2 hour of physical therapy in his room. That little bit of activity made him pretty sick. He had two platelet transfusions today. To all of you blood donors - - THANK YOU! We have gained a whole new appreciation of people who donate their blood. Andrew will need transfusions daily, for the next 2 to 3 weeks.

Andrew checks his emails and this website daily. Your postings & emails mean so much to him. Thanks for taking the time to drop a line.

Take care,
Lisa

Friday, December 3, 2004 1:05 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Well, we had been told by the doctors that the days after transplant would probably be worse than the high-dose chemo itself. I guess you just don't believe it until you see it. The high-dose chemo causes a lot of immediate but temperary side effects/discomforts. Today they put Andrew on continuous low-dose morphine to control mouth and throat pain which is going to get much worse over the next week from what they say. It will be 2 or 3 weeks before Andrew's body starts producing white blood cells on its own so in the mean time he is getting platelet transfusions every day. He has lost his sense of taste and has no appetite so he is receiving all of his nutrition through IV. Because his immune system is pretty much nonexistent at this time, we have to discourage visitation until his body starts producing white cells again. This morning was a busy one for Andrew. The hospital teacher worked with him for an hour this morning and then he had a half hour of physical therapy so he's pretty exhausted this afternoon. Some day when this is all behind us, we will look back on these days and be that much more grateful for a normal, uneventful, bording kind of day.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate it.

Lisa

Wednesday, December 1, 2004 5:09 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Today Andrew got his frozen cells back (thawed out of course) and it was very uneventful. The whole process took all of 60 minutes. Dr. Browning, the transplant doctor told us that it will take 2 or 3 weeks for Andrew's body to begin producing it's own cells again. He will be highly at risk for viral infections during this time so she recommended that we keep visitation very limited. Andrew checks this website and his emails very frequently so please keep in touch. Thanks to the Information Services staff at St. Vincent Hospital where I work, Andrew was able to borrow a laptop computer during his hospital stay here. He's loving it and so am I.

Tonight we put a beautiful little fiber optic christmas tree up in Andrew's room. It's so perfect -- bright and cheery. I found it at Target.

Well, that's all I know for now.
Take care,
Lisa

Monday, November 29, 2004 9:35 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Wow, I didn't realize how dependent I am on this website to help me keep in contact with people. This is the first time it's been down so long.

Andrew's first 3 days of chemo went pretty smoothly. On day 3 (Thanksgiving Day) he was feeling weak but well enough nausia wise to get a pass to go over to the Ronald McDonald House for 4 hours. Volunteers made a turkey dinner for all of the guests and Andrew ate a small plate. We were all amazed that he could eat anything or leave his hospital bed in the midst of chemo. That alone made our Thanksgiving very special. Our whole family hung out at the Ronald McDonald House and the kids played nother other than Texas Hold'em with Andrew's new chips & cards.

The chemo caught up with Andrew on day 4 (Friday). These last 3 days have been much tougher, but the good news is that chemo is now done!! The doctor said that if Andrew was feeling up to it, we could've left the hospital with him for an hour today but he wasn't ready yet. He needs one more day to flush his system so maybe tomorrow he will get out for a little while. With his low counts, he is very weak and it takes a whole lot just to talk so he's not going to be up to visitors or phone calls for a while yet. On Wed. Andrew will get his own stem cells back. He's still planning on being home in time for Christmas which isn't unrealistic given his determination.

In the mean time, please drop Andrew a note on either this website or his email address which is djeterisdabomb2@aol.com.

Take care,
Lisa

Tuesday, November 23, 2004 8:16 PM CST

Hi Everyone

ADay one of chemo is done - YES! So far so good. Andrew asked the doctor just how soon after transplant he would have to go home to set another record. She said that the soonest she's seen someone go home after transplant is 17 days. She also said that his chance of getting out sooner is greatly improved if he eats during his treatments which he hasn't been able to do in the past. Tonight he had a huge dinner. I have a feeling he's going to be keeping the Food Services staff very busy, if possible, so he can get home soon.

Andrew's MRI today still showed active tumor so we're praying that this chemo will get rid of it once and for all. The doctors have a couple of back up plans if need be so, one way or another, he's going to be back to school & the baseball field by spring.

Thank you all for your prayers & support. We are getting our strength from all of you.

Love,
Lisa Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Friday, November 19, 2004 8:31 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

It's been another busy week. Andrew had a full day of tests in Milwaukee on Wednesday. We left home at 4:00 a.m. to get to his 6:30 appointment and got home at 7:30 that night. It was a long day but they got a lot accomplished to prepare Andrew for transplant.

Andrew said that he is feeling better now than he's felt since before he was diagnosed last November. His counts are up and he's been out of chemo long enough to be feeling healthy & strong. He's feeling so good that I'd be shipping him back to school if he didn't have to go through this final step. Andrew's higher-dose chemo will start at Children's Hospital on Tuesday Nov. 23. He will have chemo for 6 days and then they will do the transplant on Dec. 1. From that point on, we will hope that his immune system builds itself back up quickly. Andrew is determined to be home by Christmas. After seeing how he's bounced back from surgeries and procedures in the past, I wouldn't be at all surprised to have him home by Christmas Eve.

My co-workers at St. Vincent Hospital are having a prayer service for Andrew & our family in the hospital chapel at 12:00 on Tuesday. All are welcome to attend. So many people have asked what they can do for us. Your prayers are so very powerful.

I believe that the reason Andrew is getting through this so well is because he has such amazing friends & family praying for him and keeping in touch with him through cards, phone calls & visits. We look forward to the day when this is all behind us and we can start giving back.

Thank you so much for everything. Best wishes to all of you for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa, Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Saturday, November 13, 2004 10:13 AM CST

Hi Everyone,

Andrew's been doing great since his surgery. He is very excited over the latest development. Children's Hospital is going to do one transplant instead of two as previously planned, so he will not be in the hospital nearly as long. He's being very optimistic that he will be home earlier than the 30 to 40 days which is the normal hospital stay for this procedure. He figures that if he could beat a record for being home 2 days after brain surgery, he can get through transplant and be home in time for Christmas. That would be so awesome, but if that just can't happen, he and we will make the best of it. We are going to Milwaukee this Wed. for a bunch of tests that will prepare Andrew for transplant. They are planning on admitting him to the hospital on Mon. Nov. 22. The timing will be okay, because our family is going to celebrate Thanksgiving on Sun. Nov. 21, and a lot is going on that weekend that Andrew would like to do. He's just so happy that he only has to do this once instead of the original plan of two transplants. It'll be hard on him, but he's ready to get this over with & as we all know, he's a tough one. We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We have the best support system that anyone could ever hope for!

Thank you & God bless you all,

Lisa, Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Thursday, November 4, 2004 6:19 PM CST

Hi Everyone,

Andrew is doing great!! He would have been able to go home today, but Dr. Lew said that he didn't feel comfortable sending him home so soon after surgery. He said that Andrew can go home tomorrow (fri) and will hold a record for the shortest hospital stay after brain surgery. He is talking fine, eating even better and has been up all day. He even played a game of Texas Hold'em on the computer.

For any of you who aren't aware of this - Calvary Church is having a benefit for Andrew on Sunday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. They are selling chili to take out. We were bothered that we wouldn't be able to be there, but the way it's turning out, we can be there after all. Andrew's even thinking he might feel good enough to show up for a little while. He's just amazing!

Thanks for your prayers & kind words of support. We have been blessed in so many ways!

Love,
Lisa, Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Wednesday, November 3, 2004 11:30 AM CST

Hi Everyone,

Andrew's surgery is over and things went very well. He will wake up with a mean headache and pain chewing but the tumor is out and visually appears to be dead. Radiation will be done on the other tumor this next week and transplant will stay on schedule two weeks from today. Thank you for your prayers & support.

Love,
Lisa, Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Friday, October 29, 2004 8:13 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Once again, it's been a very long week just waiting for Andrew's appointment with the Neurosurgeon today. We feel much better now that we've met with him. He feels confident that he can remove the remaining tumor that is in the temperal region of the brain with very minimal chance of side affects. The surgery will be done at 8:00 am on Wednesday morning and the surgeon expects that Andrew will be able to go home by Sunday already. The tumor on the motor strip will be treated through radiosurgery which would have fewer risks than surgery. They will zone in on the tumor with a very high dose of radiation to kill it. The transplant doctor wants to start Andrew's chemo & transplant 2 weeks after the surgery so he'll be able to come home and heal from the surgery for a week before heading back to Milwaukee for the transplants.

The two transplants that they plan on doing will keep Andrew at Children's Hospital where he can't leave his room for 2 to 3 months. He is worried that because he'll be so far from home, he won't see his friends. I want you all to know that even though he will be isolated to his room, he can still have visitors when he's not in active chemo and his counts are up. I will let you know on this website when it is ok to visit or when I really need you to visit to help keep Andrew's spirits up. The only requirement of the hospital is that you wear a mask, wash your hands before you enter the room, and that you or a family member don't have flu or cold symptoms. Andrew's bringing Play Station 2 games, cards, his new poker chips and of course, homework. I'm working on getting a laptop for him so that he can have internet access for communication and homework. It'll be a long winter but we're expecting to see him on that baseball field by spring.

Thank you for your many prayers & many other ways of supporting Andrew & our family.

Love,
Lisa, Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey


Thursday, October 21, 2004 10:14 AM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Well, we have heard from Milwaukee. Andrew will need to have surgery & a double transplant -- not the news we wanted to hear, but we will continue to move forward and trust God & our doctors to get him better so he can be out on that baseball field this spring.

Thank you for your support.

Lisa

Thursday, October 14, 2004 7:27 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Today was another long day. Andrew had lots of tests. The CT & bone scans came out good. The MRI shows two small areas of concern. Neurologists in Milwaukee will get the films tomorrow to see if surgery is necessary/possible or if he should go right into transplant. So again we will wait to find out what's next. We have all learned the true meaning of "patience" through this past year.

Thank you for your concern & prayers.

Lisa

Thursday, October 7, 2004 8:37 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

The week is slowly coming to an end. It's been extremely long because we are anxious to see what this last round of chemo did. By next Friday, we will have test results from a Cat scan & an MRI. Then we will know what's next. Andrew's counts are not coming back up like they were at the beginning of his treatments. On Monday he had two platelet transfusions, but his counts are still really low so they're going to do another transfusion tomorrow.

Because of the low counts, Andrew sleeps a lot but as usual, he has that upbeat, positive attitude that has carried him and us through this past year.

Not much more news for now. Have a great weekend. TGIF!!

Lisa

Friday, October 1, 2004 9:55 PM CDT

Wow, I can't believe that it's October already! We are all enjoying the nice cool fall weather. As many of you know, this is Ashwaubenon's Homecoming Weekend. Ashwaubenon won their game against New London in the midst of pooring rain & very high winds. It was too close to call at half time but was very exciting. We watched it on Jaguar TV. This is the first game that Andrew's been feeling well enough to watch so it was quite exciting.

After Andrew's 10 day involuntary fasting experience, he's now making up for it. He gets strong cravings occasionally. His most recent craving was chicken alfredo. He's NEVER liked anything with white sauce! It's obvious that his taste buds have changed through all of this. Thanks to a friend of mine at work, I was able to get a recipe that is the same or close to the Olive Garden recipe. All I know is that it was a hit with the kids. Andrew had a heaping plate full and ate every last bit. I had just a taste to make sure it was better than the jar sauce like I've gotten in the past -- Big difference, it's worth the extra work & calories. It definitely passed the taste test. Here's the recipe: This recipe serves 4

Cut 1-1/2# (2 or 3 chicken breast halves)in bite size pieces and cook on medium heat in skillet with extra virgin olive oil. Slowly melt 1 stick of butter in a medium size sauce pan, add 1 pint of extra heavy whipping cream (we only live once so for this one time, just forget about the calories & enjoy), 1 or 2 cloves of fresh garlic or garlic powder, & pepper to taste. Cook on medium-high until it comes to a soft boil. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens - it really will thicken but it takes a while so be patient. After sauce is thickened to your liking, add 1/4 cup of fresh shredded parmesan cheese (don't use the Kraft powdered stuff). Boil 6 oz. of fettucine noodles as instructed on the pasta box. Put cooked chicken in the thickened sauce & add cooked noodles. You're in for a treat - it's worth the calories once in a great while.

Ok, enough about the chicken alfredo -

Now on to my soda/soup/beer tab mission - Thank you so much for your unbelievable response to my request to collect tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. I will be bringing a HUGE amount of tabs to the Ronald McDonald House. Since I asked you to start saving your tabs, St. Vincent Hospital, where I work, has started the "Tabs for Kids" project. Please continue collecting your tabs and feel free to drop them off at our house or at St. Vincent Hospital. 100 percent of the recycled profit is used to purchase toys, video games & hi-tech stuff for children from 1 to 18 years old who are patients on the Pediatric floor. I will continue to drop them off at St. Vincent as long as you keep them coming. Our Child Life Specialist & the nurses are making great things happen on the Pediatric Floor to help the kids have some fun in the midst of all their treatments & procedures -- so keep them coming.

Take Care & God Bless,
Lisa


Wednesday, September 29, 2004 10:08 PM CDT

Well, things are much better with Andrew today. He has been eating really well today with very little anti-nausia meds. He has been getting IV fluids at home to help flush the chemo out of his system. Tomorrow we have an appointment at the clinic to draw labs to see where Andrew's blood counts are at. They take a plunge about a week after chemo. Andrew's chemo ended on Sat., Sept. 25th, so we are expecting his counts to drop very soon. We are all hoping that his counts don't drop until after the weekend -- it is Homecoming week in Ashwaubenon and we would love for him to be able to go to the game & dance but won't risk it if his counts are down. Andrew & Adam's friends have made sure that we feel the spirit of Homecoming by TPing our house two nights in a row. If you take a ride down Commanche Avenue you will see where we live -- we're the whitest yard on the block, but at least we don't have road construction signs in our yard like our neighbors next door.

We will have a CT scan done on Oct. 11th and an MRI done on Oct. 14th. We will then know where we go from here.

Thank you for checking on Andrew's progress & for your prayers and postings. You have no idea just how much your support means to Andrew & our family.

I will give you an update on Oct. 15th. At that time we will know just what where we go from here.

Take care & God bless you all.

Lisa

Monday, September 27, 2004 10:07 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Andrew came home from the hospital on Sunday evening. He experienced more nausia than usual, but this was his last treatment of chemo in Green Bay so it felt good to leave the hospital with the hope that Andrew's hospital stays in Green Bay are behind us. The past week has been very hard on him, but today was a good day. We were able to keep the nausia under control. Lindsey suggested that he try some ice cream -- the first food, other than popsicles, that
has entered his mouth since last Tuesday. Andrew has a very sore throat from being so sick so Lindsey's ice cream idea was a hit.

Adam's shoulder is feeling much better. He no longer needs pain meds and is already wanting to go without his sling but the surgeon emphasized the importance of keeping the sling on for 3 weeks.

Thank you for your support & prayers. Have a great week.

Love,
Gene, Lisa, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam

Friday, September 24, 2004 10:14 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Tonight Andrew had the last of his chemo for this round. He's been sleeping a lot but tonight he was very sick. He should come home tomorrow night or Sunday depending on when he can start keeping liquids down. Now we will wait until Oct 11 for his CT scan & Oct 14 for his MRI to find out what's next.

Adam's shoulder is feeling much better today than yesterday. He was able to cut back on his pain meds and will see the doctor next week. That's when he'll start rehab exercises.

It's been a long week and a very long day. So glad it's the weekend! Have a good one.

Lisa

Tuesday, September 21, 2004 10:01 PM CDT

Wow, it's been a long day but a good one. Adam had his shoulder surgery and everything went really well. They were able to do everything with a scope, therefore, he didn't have to stay overnight at the hospital. His shoulder was a lot more torn up inside than the doctor figured so Adam will be pretty sore for a while and will have a lot of rehab exercises to do. It feels good to know that he's on the mend now - his baseball coach was very anxious for him to get this surgery done so he could start healing for spring baseball.

Andrew's admit day was changed to tomorrow, so he was happy to have one more day off before chemo. We will admit him in the morning and chemo will begin in the evening. The routine is the same as usual - 3 days of chemo and 1 or 2 days of hydration before he comes home. As most of you know, during chemo, Andrew is too sick for visitors or phone calls so your thoughts, prayers & postings are very much appreciated. As usual, I will print the postings off for Andrew. Your messages cheer him up & since the anti-nausia meds keep him so groggy, I can read them over and over to him because he doesn't remember them from one day to the next while he's in the hospital.

Thank you for checking in on Adam & Andrew. Take care.

Lisa

Thursday, September 16, 2004 8:51 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Andrew had his CT scan done today. It showed that their is still some tumor remaining, so he will begin another round of chemo on Monday if his counts are high enough. We are optimistic that this next round will kill what's left of the tumor. If not, they will do surgery in Milwaukee to remove what's left. All of the tumor needs to be gone one way or another before they can do the transplant. We have been encouraged by stories of so many kids who are doing great, years later after transplant. It is amazing what can be done to treat cancer now adays.

It's looking more & more like Andrew & Adam will be patients on 10th floor at the same time. Adam will only be in for one night for his shoulder surgery which will be done on Tuesday.

Thank you for your ongoing support & prayers. We wouldn't be getting through these days as well as we are if it weren't for our family & friends.

Take care & God Bless,
Lisa

Tuesday, September 14, 2004 8:58 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Andrew didn't have his CT scan yesterday because he wasn't feeling well enough to go to the hospital, so it will be done on Thursday and an MRI is being done on Friday. By the weekend, we should know what's next.

Adam met with an orthopedic doctor today. He is going to have surgery on his left shoulder this Tuesday. Who knows, maybe he and Andrew will be roommates and we can get a discounted room rate :-)

I'll post on Friday night to let you know any new news of the week. Take care.

Lisa

Sunday, September 12, 2004 9:02 PM CDT

Dear Family & Friends,

The weekend went by way too fast! Gene brought Andrew to St. Vincent's on Saturday for a couple of blood transfusions. It took most of the day, but by evening, he was feeling well enough to go up north with a couple of his friends. The transfusions give him an energy boost, so he & his friends got little sleep but had a great time. We were glad he felt good enough to spend time with his friends, because that really lifts his spirit.

On Monday, Andrew will have a CT scan and if any tumor is remaining, he will begin his chemotherapy at St. Vincent's on Tuesday. If it appears to be gone, we may be on our way to Milwaukee for transplant. Things are happening so quickly!

Of course, we long for the days when Andrew is in remission. The first time he beat the cancer we assumed he was "cured" and that this was all behind us. This second time around we realize that Andrew is not "cured" until he has had no recurrence for 2-3 years, so we will pray for patience and trust in God's plan.

Thank you for your continued prayers,

Lisa

Thursday, September 9, 2004 8:46 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Andrew is doing much better than he was on the weekend. He has much less bone pain. He saw the doctor today. His counts are still very low, so we will go to St. Vincent's on Sat. to see if another transfusion is needed. CT's will be done on Monday to see if he goes in for chemo on Tuesday. These final treatments are going very slow. Andrew's tired of having to take all the meds and has accused me of being the "medicine nazi". Well, I better cut this short since Andrew needs his shot, IV meds & his oral meds. I wouldn't want to start slouching on this med routine now, since I've just earned this honorable title.

Take care & have a great weekend.

Lisa

Monday, September 6, 2004 9:29 PM CDT

Hi All,

Wow, it was great to have a nice long weekend! I hope yours was safe, fun & productive. Andrew & I are enjoying your postings. Thanks for keeping in touch.

On Saturday Andrew went to his friends cottage and had a great day! He had so much fun but wished that he could have plunged into the lake. Because of the catheter in his chest that receives the chemo, he can not get it wet. I reminded him that he can swim as much as he wants next summer. The limitations on what Andrew could do this spring, summer & fall are just temporary but yet, even though he hasn't complained, we know that they've been very hard for him!

On Sunday, Andrew woke up with a lot of pain due to the shots that I give him daily to boost his white blood cell count. After we got the pain under control through some medications, we went to St. Vincent's for 6 hours to get a couple of blood transfusions. His counts were just way too low. The medication makes the bone marrow work extra hard to produce more white cells which causes a lot of pain in the joints and the bottom of Andrew's feet -- today was a tough one. Andrew asked if we could skip the shot for one night & believe me, it was so tempting, yet I know that this is something that must be done on a regular basis to keep the treatments on schedule to get Andrew well again. It's tough to inflict pain on your child even if it's for their benefit.

Monday was a quiet day at our house. Andrew's pain increased so we increased the meds. We had a nice day -- we watched the golf tournament & enjoyed some of my good home cooking which doesn't happen all that often since I work full-time.

Thank you for checking in on Andrew's progress & God bless you all.

Live strong,

Gene, Lisa, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Saturday, September 4, 2004 10:31 AM CDT

Dear Family & Friends,

This week has been a week of many emotions for our family and many others who knew a very special young man. Andrew has a friend who's 15 year old brother, Josh was called to be with his Grandpa in heaven on Wednesday. He was born with Cystic Hygroma and has had 22 surgeries in his short lifetime. He was diagnosed with cancer in April. Josh never complained, He lived with such optimism, and he was his brother, Dan's most loyal fan at his baseball games. The faith, dignity & strength that Josh and his family have shown during this final battle have taught our family so much.

Last night, before the Ashwaubenon vs West DePere football game, friends of Josh & Andrew & many parents had a tailgate benefit for them. We were so humbled to see all of the people that came. It made me realize just how much cancer has affected more than just Josh's family and our family -- it's affected the lives of many of the kids and families in our community. To those of you who worked so hard to put this benefit together and took time to attend, thank you so very much for your kindness & generosity! We are so grateful and will never forget the many things that you have done for us.

Andrew will have an MRI done on Sept. 13th. If any tumor is still present, he will have one more round of chemo done here, in Green Bay. If it appears that all of the tumors are gone, we will go on to Milwaukee for the higher dose round of chemo and transplant. This final stretch will be a tough one for Andrew, but over the last year, we've found that we have one tough kid.

Well, that's enough for now - Take care & have a safe, fun labor day weekend.

Lisa

Saturday, August 28, 2004 2:24 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

I'm sending this posting from the hospital. Andrew had to be readmitted last night because he wasn't able to keep anything down and was becoming dehydrated. In order for him to "break out of here", he has to keep down 5 cans of soda. He's working on his 4th can and is anxiously awaiting his release papers. I can tell he's feeling MUCH better. He's trying to sweet talk the nurses into letting him go home sooner, but it's not working. Hmmm, I always thought he could talk his way into or out of anything.

Well, Andrew's 17th birthday wasn't the greatest, but he now has one more round of chemo behind him. I told him we'd make up for it on his 18th birthday.

Well, that's all I know for now. Thanks for posting & for your birthday greetings.

Take care,
Lisa

Tuesday, August 24, 2004 10:36 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick update on Andrew.

August was a busy, fun-filled month. It began with a Brewer game with the Ashwaubenon JV & Varsity baseball teams (thanks to the coaches & sponsors), a GB Packers game (thanks to an anonymous donor through the Make-A-Wish Foundation), some incredibly memorable PGA events in Kohler (thanks to the local chapter of Families of Children with Cancer Group), many poker games (thanks to Drs. Brandt, Jogal & Vanderwall who strongly encouraged Andrew to stay out of the sun during his treatments -- what else is there to do if you're a teenager & you have to stay out of the sun?) and last but certainly not least - the Metallica concert (thanks to Andrew's friends). The month really did end with a bang! Andrew said that the concert was "UNBELIEVABLE!". His friends surprised him with tickets to this concert. He said that it was even better than he had expected. He mentioned that their were as many "old people" as their were teenagers. I asked him to translate "old people" which in his definition was people about my age! - which would mean, any of you who are between the age of 40-50. So, if any of you "old people" feel inclined to give Andrew a hard time about this comment, feel free to do so -- he can take it:-) Andrew's final word about the month of August - "It's been the best summer I've ever had!" Thank you to all of you for making this happen!

On a less fun note - Andrew was admitted to the hospital on Monday. The chemo & anti-nausia meds make him sleep most of the time, which is just the way he & we like it since when he's not sleeping, he feels sick. A scan was done yesterday that indicated that their were no more signs of infection and only one small tumor still remaining. The radiation & chemo appear to be doing what they need to do (thanks to God & medical technology).

Our family continues to be in awe of the many ways that we have received support from our family, friends, & people who we don't even know -- people who have asked to remain anonymous. Take care & may God bless you all.

Gene, Lisa, Lindsey, Andrew & Adam







Friday, August 13, 2004 9:36 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since I've posted. In our case, no news is good news. It has been a very busy summer. August has been especially busy. We received tickets for the practice rounds at Whistling Straights through the Families of Children with Cancer Group. Gene brought Adam & Andrew to the practice rounds. They were within 5 yards of Tiger Woods! They were in awe of the course and hoped that they can get the chance to golf on it someday. I am so thankful that Andrew is feeling good enough to enjoy the events that Make-A-Wish and the Families of Children with Cancer Group have offered us. All of the activities have made Andrew's treatments go so much faster!!

Andrew has been doing what he needs to do to get better with minimal grumbling. He's experiencing a lot of nausia with the radiation and has been hating these final rounds -- but, the good news is -- Monday is Andrew's last radiation treatment! Like I mentioned in my last posting, he and his dad will celebrate his last treatment on Monday night in sky box seats at Lambeau Field thanks to some very kind people that donated these seats through Make-A-Wish. I don't know who's more excited, Andrew or Gene.

I misinterpreted the results of Andrew's last scan. Their is still tumor present so he will be admitted to St. V's to begin his chemo again on Aug. 23 as originally scheduled. If all goes well, we will go to Milwaukee for the transplant in early October. The chemo has responded so remarkably well in the past, so we are anxious to get these final rounds in. On Nov. 2 it will be a year since Andrew was diagnosed. It's been a tough year but he is getting better every day thanks to all of your prayers and the incredible pediatric doctors, surgeons and nurses in Green Bay & Milwaukee.

Thanks for saving all of your soda/beer tabs. The Ronald McDonald House will be very surprised when we show up with this huge bag of tabs.

Thanks for visiting Andrew's website & thank you for your love & support of our family.

Lisa

Thursday, August 5, 2004 9:23 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Andrew is nearing the end of his radiation -- Just 4 more treatments! Dr. Brandt and Dr. Vanderwall-Lois have been very good about working Andrew's medical procedures in around some really fun summertime activities.

Andrew had some scans done yesterday. They could not find any tumor left in the brain and no sign of infection. Praise God!! That was so encouraging!

Tomorrow, Gene and the boys are going to golf at Timberstone Golf Course in Michigan. They are very excited. Andrew got a golf club as an early birthday present so he can use it for a couple of weeks before he goes into the hospital. Chemo will begin again on August 23rd.

It's been a very busy, fun-filled summer considering the situation. The doctors have been so good about seeing that Andrew has some fun while he's feeling good. Fall will be a tough time so we are all very thankful for these days.

Make-A-Wish called today to offer Andrew 2 tickets to the GB Packers vs. the Seattle Seahawks Monday night pre-season game on August 16th. They are box seats that were donated to Make-A-Wish by an anonymous donor. Andrew and Gene are both VERY excited! So many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities have come our way this past year. We would give back every one of these opportunities to have Andrew's good health back, but until his health is restored, he and we will continue to thank God for our dear family & friends who have made this time pass much more quickly than we ever would have expected.

Thank you for checking in on Andrew and thank you for your prayers and support.

Love,
Gene, Lisa, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Monday, July 26, 2004 7:08 PM CDT

Dear Family & Friends,

It’s been a while since I’ve posted so this might be a long one. Andrew continues to do well with his radiation. He has to be careful in the sun since the radiation makes his skin very sensitive. This weekend he went through lots of sunscreen. We were in Manitowoc for the JV regional baseball tournament most of the weekend. Adam and a lot of Andrew’s friends were playing so it was a good time. It was such a beautiful weekend for baseball.

Andrew’s radiation treatments will end on either August 6th or August 13th . Chemo will begin the next week. Two 4-day rounds of chemo will be done here and the high-dose round will be done in Milwaukee, followed by the stem cell transplant. If things stay on schedule, we will probably be in Milwaukee in late September for 30 to 40 days. It’s looking like Andrew will not be in school for the first quarter. He will be taking some computer classes online.

August is going to be a very busy month. On August 1st we will be going to a Brewer Game where the Make-a-Wish Foundation is celebrating 20 years of granting wishes to children in Wisconsin. The PGA golf event in Kohler is coming up and we found out that Andrew & Adam (and hopefully David who is a new friend that Andrew met at Children’s Hospital) will be able to participate in a 3 hour golf camp and a round of golf with the pros. Andrew also has an opportunity to go to a Metalica concert in Milwaukee with some friends on August 20th. The doctors said that they will do everything they can to work around this date so that Andrew can go to the concert since it’s a very big deal to him. Fall will bring some tough days, so these summer days are very special gifts to Andrew & our family.

The summer is going by so fast and as you can see, Andrew’s not letting his illness get him down. Thanks for checking Andrew’s website. We have the best family and friends in the world. THANK YOU for your love & support!

Love, Gene, Lisa, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Friday, July 16, 2004 9:05 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Now that the weekend is upon us, Andrew is ready to go again. Here's the deal - - he hangs out with his friends on the weekend and rests, recuperates and grumbles all week long about how this daily 1-1/2 hour antibiotic IV ritual is affecting his social life:-) Sounds like a typical teenager doesn't he? As you can see, all is well and this past few weeks have almost seemed like the days before he was diagnosed. Radiation has been so much easier on Andrew than the chemo. He really needed the break from chemo, so I guess the delay due to this infection isn't all bad.

Thanks for checking in for an Andrew update and for posting. Your many ways of supporting Andrew and our family have helped more than you can imagine. Thank you & God bless you all.

Love,
Lisa, Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey



Wednesday, July 14, 2004 10:33 PM CDT

Dear Family & Friends,

I am just amazed at the response we've received about collecting soda & beer tabs. Tonight a baseball mom/friend of ours gave us a huge grocery bag of tabs to bring to Milwaukee when we go in September or October. I'm so excited! Anything we can do for the Ronald McDonald House means so much to us. They have been so good to us through all of this. At the shortest notice, they've always had a place for us to stay, right across the street from the hospital. Evidently they get a good price for recycling these tabs. All of their profits go right back into the house. Most of the staff are volunteers. Never in a million years did I think that we would become this familiar with the Ronald McDonald House since we never thought that we would have a seriously ill child. I pray that those of you reading this will never have to use this house, but if you do, just know that it is here and such a blessing to us and so many families we have met.

Enough praise of the McDonald House -- onto the Andrew update. Andrew has taken a couple of days off from golf. I think that just the fatigue from radiation & the nausia that,in his case, has come with it have slowed him down. Since he doesn't get radiation on the weekends, he seems to feel better on Sat. & Sun. Andrew had tests and his Dr. appointment today. All is well! The infection is not showing up in the chest, so obviously the antibiotics are working. Andrew wanted me to - in his words - "talk the doctor out of the two weeklong rounds of chemo here, so we can just go right to Milwaukee and get the high-dose chemo and transplant done so we can get this over with". Well, we weren't able to convince the doc to change the protocol -Oh well - I'm not surprised but at least we tried :-) Andrew is getting a little impatient as you can tell.

Thanks for checking on Andrew & our family,
The Dorners

Saturday, July 10, 2004 8:01 AM CDT

Good Morning,

It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day!

3 days ago Andrew was given the ok by his doctor to start golfing again. He has been out on the driving range and golf course every day since. His spirits are soaring! It's hard to keep him home these days because he's feeling so well. In between resting a little more than usual due to the radiation, he is hanging out with friends just like the days before he was sick. It is so nice to see!!

In August, Andrew & Adam have an opportunity to go to a golf camp and golf during the practice run with the pros at the championship being held in Kohler. Needless to say, they are very excited now that Andrew's received the word that he can golf again.

It's unfortunate that Andrew's chemo has been delayed for a while due to his infection, but it's turning out to be a blessing in disquise. He's having a very nice summer. Chemo will begin again in about 4 weeks, after he's been on antibiotics for a while and the radiation is done.

I've been meaning to ask for your help in supporting the Ronald McDonald House. Could you please start saving your soda tabs so I can bring them with us when we go to Children's Hospital this fall.

Thank you for your love & support. Have a great day!

The Dorners

Tuesday, July 6, 2004 10:06 PM CDT

Dear Family & Friends,

We now know that Andrew needs to take a daily anti-nausia medication to feel good during his radiation. Rest comes very easily for him these days, but he was still feeling well enough this weekend to enjoy some fireworks on Saturday night and a campfire with friends on Sunday evening. All in all, it was a great weekend!

Thank you for your many ways of supporting Andrew and our family.

Love, from the Dorners

Saturday, July 3, 2004 7:27 PM CDT

Dear Family & Friends,

Andrew has day 2 of radiation behind him. He is experiencing a little nausia and is feeling very, very tired. We have some good anti-nausia medication that is working good for him.

Have a safe, fun 4th of July weekend.
Lisa, Gene, Andrew, Adam & Lindsey

Saturday, July 3, 2004 7:22 PM CDT

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