Kaidan woke up early this morning with a fever of 102. We had a short visit to the clinic for the standard antibiotic and to check her blood counts. Her counts are insanely high. Her ANC has increased from 1400 on Wednesday to 6300 today. Her white count is over 7000. I'm nervous to say the least. I KNOW that the white count increases when you are fighting a virus, but I also KNOW that it increases with leukemia. They assured me that she is fine and she is just fighting something, so we'll take that for now. This is the highest I think her white count has ever been since diagnosis.
I'll update if anything changes; otherwise, it will be Tuesday evening when I'll post again. Thanks...
Friday, October 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
big days ahead...
I figured it's probably about time I update this thing. I feel like I haven't done it in forever! That is a good thing! No news is almost always good news. You'll have to forgive me if this update is long and all over the place. When I haven't posted anything for a long time there seems to be a lot more to say :)
Things are going really well. Kaidan has been having her weekly blood draws and her labs are good. They have increased her chemo quite a bit, I think she's at about 75% on both medications, so with that her counts have gone down substantially, but they are still good for a cancer kid. She had an MRI to check the progression of AVN in her legs. The oncology clinic said that it's improving, but that was all they said, so I called her orthopedic doctor to have him take a look at them, but he said that PCMC had locked the images, so he wasn't able to look at them. I now have to call and have those released to me so that I can get his opinion on them. I just want to make sure they look good before we remove her central line. By the way, the date for that surgery is next Tuesday!! Can you believe it?? I am a little nervous that they might postpone it because she has come down with a nasty cough the last couple of days and it seems to be getting worse, but I'm hoping it will clear up and she'll be good to go. I just want it done!! I have such mixed emotions about the whole thing that I think the only way to get over it is to just get it over with. Our life will be so weird without the weekly blood draws or the monthly IV chemo and the yucky stuff that comes with that. We are excited and scared all at the same time.
School is going well for everyone. Both girls are doing plays this month, which they absolutely love. They are both born performers, so it's a lot of fun for them. Preslee is doing great at soccer, playing goalie a lot of the time, but doing great at any position they put her in. She's a very athletic girl, so she's having a blast. Kaidan is still dancing, but it's been tough for her. Her legs have had a hard time getting used to going all day at school, so dance has suffered because of that. She still loves every minute of it and she also wants to play soccer next season. Cash is doing great in preschool. He asked me if I knew where the number 5 was and I told him I didn't. He looked at me like I was stupid and told me it is at his school! He's having a great time and loving his new friends and I think he likes the independence that comes with growing up. Porter...what can I say... He finally has teeth, 4 of them to be exact. He looks like a jack-o-lantern. He talks ALL the time, we just don't have any idea what he is saying. If you look up "cutest kid ever" in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure there is a picture of Porter there.
Next week will be here so soon, and November 5th, which is Kaidan's last day of chemotherapy, will be here quickly after that. I can't even describe what I feel. I've been humbled lately by other families and their stories. I know how blessed we are. Things could be so different right now, things could be so much worse. I have read too many stories lately of children being that are now free from their disease, leaving their families here to sort through the emotions of sadness that they are gone, but happiness that they are no longer suffering. I've read stories of kids that are still fighting, living a life of chemo and blood draws and hospital stays. Many of them have spent so much time fighting to live that it's the only life they really know. Every story hits home. This journey is not over. We will live with the fear of the unknown (which is also a fear of what we do know, if that makes any sense). Most recently, I read an update about a girl named Meghan. I have been following her story for a long time. She was 4 years old when she was diagnosed with ALL. She completed her treatment and was in remission for over 2 years before she relapsed in Jan 2008. Just two days ago, while in the hospital for fevers and low blood counts, she found out she now has a secondary cancer, AML. I am so sad for her and her family. She has been through so much already and now will have to have a bone marrow transplant along with more chemo. We need to figure out a way to get more awareness for childhood cancer. September was childhood cancer month, but there isn't much support out there for it. We need to see GOLD everywhere. You can buy anything you want in pink...and I mean anything...how can we get that kind of support in GOLD??? The treatments kids endure are terrible-sometimes causing secondary cancers-if there was more awareness that would lead to more funding, more funding leads to more research, and that would lead to better treatments!! There has to be a way!!
Okay, I'm done. I just want everyone to know that we are excited, but we are scared. We know we are in a great place now, we know that we are blessed that Kaidan is here and healthy, but we are so, so scared for what the future holds. We live each day to the fullest, we love every minute we have together, we are happy. The emotions are just very overwhelming at times.
November 7th is the date for our big PARTY!! It will be an open house from 6-9 p.m. I will post location information closer to that time. I will be sending out invitations, but if you don't receive one that doesn't mean you aren't invited!! PLEASE COME!! I am doing my best to remember everyone, but I think of someone every day that I have forgotten, so I have realized that I'm sure I'll forget a few. Please know that if you are reading this, if you love Kaidan, if you want to celebrate this happy time with us, then YOU ARE INVITED!!
I'll update again after the big day...next Tuesday, the 13th of October!!
Things are going really well. Kaidan has been having her weekly blood draws and her labs are good. They have increased her chemo quite a bit, I think she's at about 75% on both medications, so with that her counts have gone down substantially, but they are still good for a cancer kid. She had an MRI to check the progression of AVN in her legs. The oncology clinic said that it's improving, but that was all they said, so I called her orthopedic doctor to have him take a look at them, but he said that PCMC had locked the images, so he wasn't able to look at them. I now have to call and have those released to me so that I can get his opinion on them. I just want to make sure they look good before we remove her central line. By the way, the date for that surgery is next Tuesday!! Can you believe it?? I am a little nervous that they might postpone it because she has come down with a nasty cough the last couple of days and it seems to be getting worse, but I'm hoping it will clear up and she'll be good to go. I just want it done!! I have such mixed emotions about the whole thing that I think the only way to get over it is to just get it over with. Our life will be so weird without the weekly blood draws or the monthly IV chemo and the yucky stuff that comes with that. We are excited and scared all at the same time.
School is going well for everyone. Both girls are doing plays this month, which they absolutely love. They are both born performers, so it's a lot of fun for them. Preslee is doing great at soccer, playing goalie a lot of the time, but doing great at any position they put her in. She's a very athletic girl, so she's having a blast. Kaidan is still dancing, but it's been tough for her. Her legs have had a hard time getting used to going all day at school, so dance has suffered because of that. She still loves every minute of it and she also wants to play soccer next season. Cash is doing great in preschool. He asked me if I knew where the number 5 was and I told him I didn't. He looked at me like I was stupid and told me it is at his school! He's having a great time and loving his new friends and I think he likes the independence that comes with growing up. Porter...what can I say... He finally has teeth, 4 of them to be exact. He looks like a jack-o-lantern. He talks ALL the time, we just don't have any idea what he is saying. If you look up "cutest kid ever" in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure there is a picture of Porter there.
Next week will be here so soon, and November 5th, which is Kaidan's last day of chemotherapy, will be here quickly after that. I can't even describe what I feel. I've been humbled lately by other families and their stories. I know how blessed we are. Things could be so different right now, things could be so much worse. I have read too many stories lately of children being that are now free from their disease, leaving their families here to sort through the emotions of sadness that they are gone, but happiness that they are no longer suffering. I've read stories of kids that are still fighting, living a life of chemo and blood draws and hospital stays. Many of them have spent so much time fighting to live that it's the only life they really know. Every story hits home. This journey is not over. We will live with the fear of the unknown (which is also a fear of what we do know, if that makes any sense). Most recently, I read an update about a girl named Meghan. I have been following her story for a long time. She was 4 years old when she was diagnosed with ALL. She completed her treatment and was in remission for over 2 years before she relapsed in Jan 2008. Just two days ago, while in the hospital for fevers and low blood counts, she found out she now has a secondary cancer, AML. I am so sad for her and her family. She has been through so much already and now will have to have a bone marrow transplant along with more chemo. We need to figure out a way to get more awareness for childhood cancer. September was childhood cancer month, but there isn't much support out there for it. We need to see GOLD everywhere. You can buy anything you want in pink...and I mean anything...how can we get that kind of support in GOLD??? The treatments kids endure are terrible-sometimes causing secondary cancers-if there was more awareness that would lead to more funding, more funding leads to more research, and that would lead to better treatments!! There has to be a way!!
Okay, I'm done. I just want everyone to know that we are excited, but we are scared. We know we are in a great place now, we know that we are blessed that Kaidan is here and healthy, but we are so, so scared for what the future holds. We live each day to the fullest, we love every minute we have together, we are happy. The emotions are just very overwhelming at times.
November 7th is the date for our big PARTY!! It will be an open house from 6-9 p.m. I will post location information closer to that time. I will be sending out invitations, but if you don't receive one that doesn't mean you aren't invited!! PLEASE COME!! I am doing my best to remember everyone, but I think of someone every day that I have forgotten, so I have realized that I'm sure I'll forget a few. Please know that if you are reading this, if you love Kaidan, if you want to celebrate this happy time with us, then YOU ARE INVITED!!
I'll update again after the big day...next Tuesday, the 13th of October!!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
1 down, only 1 more to go...
Chemo went fine today. It was a pretty quick visit, which was nice because I had the boys with me. Kaidan's counts are great...in fact, they are increasing her chemo to lower them a bit. We are going to try a yogurt regime to see if we can control some of her stomach issues.
I really cannot believe that we are almost done. It's an interesting mix of emotions. I know I've said it before, but I'm scared! I really worry about the future for Kaidan and our family. I think that this is something that will never, ever go away. It might get easier or become less constant, but it won't ever go away. The doctor assured me today that everything I'm feeling is completely normal. It will definitely be a different life for us when we don't have to run to the ER for a fever!! So, the plan is for an MRI the 12th of October to check on the progression of AVN in Kaidan's legs, IV chemo the morning of the 13th, and then surgery to remove her port that afternoon. Then, she'll take oral chemo until November 5th. After that she will have monthly blood draws for a year.
BIG PARTY...Saturday November 7th...open house from 6-9 p.m....more info soon!!! Please save this date if you can. We want lots of people to celebrate with us.
I really cannot believe that we are almost done. It's an interesting mix of emotions. I know I've said it before, but I'm scared! I really worry about the future for Kaidan and our family. I think that this is something that will never, ever go away. It might get easier or become less constant, but it won't ever go away. The doctor assured me today that everything I'm feeling is completely normal. It will definitely be a different life for us when we don't have to run to the ER for a fever!! So, the plan is for an MRI the 12th of October to check on the progression of AVN in Kaidan's legs, IV chemo the morning of the 13th, and then surgery to remove her port that afternoon. Then, she'll take oral chemo until November 5th. After that she will have monthly blood draws for a year.
BIG PARTY...Saturday November 7th...open house from 6-9 p.m....more info soon!!! Please save this date if you can. We want lots of people to celebrate with us.
Monday, September 14, 2009
It's a Monday...
After Kaidan's blood counts dropped they shot right back up!! At last weeks blood draw her ANC was 3100. More than doubled from the week before. It's day 3 of school and she came home sick, but we're getting used to this constant stomach trouble. Chemo tomorrow...only 1 more to go after that!!!
BIG PARTY...Saturday November 7th...open house from 6-9 p.m....more info soon!!!
I'll update tomorrow after chemo.
BIG PARTY...Saturday November 7th...open house from 6-9 p.m....more info soon!!!
I'll update tomorrow after chemo.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
this week's blood counts...
Kaidan is doing well. Her ANC has dropped from over 3,000 2 weeks ago, to 2,500 last week to 1,400 this week...AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!
I thought we had finally gotten her counts under control. Oh well, we'll keep our fingers crossed for no fevers and check her counts again next Wednesday.
The ducky derby was fun!! We didn't quite meet our goal, but we were very close. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped us out with that. I know times are really tough right now for everyone, so thanks to you all. I promise I won't ask for money from you all for awhile:)
The planning for our "end of chemo party" is well under way. It will be the evening of November 7th, that is a Saturday. Please save that date. We really want this to be a great celebration! It's a very exciting thing for us all and we want to share it with everyone who has been a part of our lives during this long journey.
I have many, many mixed emotions about the months coming up. I am so, so very glad that we are coming to the date when Kaidan will not have her central line and, soon after that, the day when she will no longer have pills to take every night. I am also so, so very nervous about what that will be like. It's impossible to understand unless you've experienced it, but it is a weird feeling, there are no words to really describe the many emotions you can feel all at once. The fact that she will have nothing going into her body to stop the cancer cells from growing is SCARY!! As much as I hate chemo, I hate cancer more. Anyway...enough about that. The end is near and we are SUPER EXCITED!! We hope that you will all be able to stop by our party and add some fun!!
I'll update next week after blood counts. Thanks again for all the support!!
I thought we had finally gotten her counts under control. Oh well, we'll keep our fingers crossed for no fevers and check her counts again next Wednesday.
The ducky derby was fun!! We didn't quite meet our goal, but we were very close. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped us out with that. I know times are really tough right now for everyone, so thanks to you all. I promise I won't ask for money from you all for awhile:)
The planning for our "end of chemo party" is well under way. It will be the evening of November 7th, that is a Saturday. Please save that date. We really want this to be a great celebration! It's a very exciting thing for us all and we want to share it with everyone who has been a part of our lives during this long journey.
I have many, many mixed emotions about the months coming up. I am so, so very glad that we are coming to the date when Kaidan will not have her central line and, soon after that, the day when she will no longer have pills to take every night. I am also so, so very nervous about what that will be like. It's impossible to understand unless you've experienced it, but it is a weird feeling, there are no words to really describe the many emotions you can feel all at once. The fact that she will have nothing going into her body to stop the cancer cells from growing is SCARY!! As much as I hate chemo, I hate cancer more. Anyway...enough about that. The end is near and we are SUPER EXCITED!! We hope that you will all be able to stop by our party and add some fun!!
I'll update next week after blood counts. Thanks again for all the support!!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
ducks, ducks, ducks...
The deadline for buying ducks is this Friday. We are almost at $700. I have some cash I need to turn in and I need to buy a few myself. If you can, please support us. Thank you!!
Copy this link to go directly to our Make a Wish page:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=318740&u=318740-260812356&e=2605314071
Copy this link to go directly to our Make a Wish page:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=318740&u=318740-260812356&e=2605314071
Saturday, August 22, 2009
new pictures and ducks...
I have almost finished uploading tons of new photos to our picture site:
www.thesudburyfamily.shutterfly.com
Check them out when you get a chance.
Also...we are on the final stretch to reaching our goal of duckies. Our goal is $1000 and we have sold about $600. That is AWESOME!! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us. If you haven't yet, and you are able, please sponsor a duck, they are $5 each. You COULD win a car, and you WILL be helping to grant wishes for kids with life-threatening diseases. The link to buy a duck is:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=318740&u=318740-260812356&e=2605314071
Thanks again for all the support.
www.thesudburyfamily.shutterfly.com
Check them out when you get a chance.
Also...we are on the final stretch to reaching our goal of duckies. Our goal is $1000 and we have sold about $600. That is AWESOME!! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us. If you haven't yet, and you are able, please sponsor a duck, they are $5 each. You COULD win a car, and you WILL be helping to grant wishes for kids with life-threatening diseases. The link to buy a duck is:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=318740&u=318740-260812356&e=2605314071
Thanks again for all the support.
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