We just learned that one of Carson's fellow cancer warriors stopped fighting yesterday and our hearts are once again filled with a mixture of heartache and fear.
Although we were merely acquaintances, occasionally bumping into each other at the hospital or clinic, the outgoing, bubbly spirit of this warrior was always evident. She will be missed beyond measure.
I like to say the only thing we control in life is our response...and I think that is fitting here. And my response is prayer. Please join me and pray for comfort for her family, especially her loving father, who seemed to be by her side the entire time.
Paul.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Counts Check
Back to the Clinic
We went to the clinic today for a counts check. It turns out Carson's blood has rebounded very well since last week. His ANC was 920 and his platelets have risen to over 100. What's this mean? Time to start chemo again! (Ugh.)
He had vincristine through his port at the clinic. Then we were instructed to begin another round of steroids for the next 5 days. Also, we will be back on the 6MP and oral methotrexate. This time though, we'll be taking those drugs at half the dosage. We go back to the clinic in two weeks and check the blood again.
The doctor said, "Do you have any questions?" Carson said, "Can I go to Target?" Not exactly what I was thinking.
We did, and of course, we came home with another car or two.
Back to Playtime
We spent the afternoon out in the court. Carson and Nils have finally gotten strong enough to steer (I use this term loosely) the PowerWheels Hummer. They enjoy driving it around, taking periodic breaks to "fix" it and/or have a light sabre battle. This combines their current favorite things: cars and Star Wars quite nicely.
Once indoors, Carson resorts to a session of Rock Band. Of course he wants to play the drums. Who would want to play the guitar when you don't get to hit anything?!
Our new prayer is that the dosages work out.
-Jennifer
We went to the clinic today for a counts check. It turns out Carson's blood has rebounded very well since last week. His ANC was 920 and his platelets have risen to over 100. What's this mean? Time to start chemo again! (Ugh.)
He had vincristine through his port at the clinic. Then we were instructed to begin another round of steroids for the next 5 days. Also, we will be back on the 6MP and oral methotrexate. This time though, we'll be taking those drugs at half the dosage. We go back to the clinic in two weeks and check the blood again.
The doctor said, "Do you have any questions?" Carson said, "Can I go to Target?" Not exactly what I was thinking.
We did, and of course, we came home with another car or two.
Back to Playtime
We spent the afternoon out in the court. Carson and Nils have finally gotten strong enough to steer (I use this term loosely) the PowerWheels Hummer. They enjoy driving it around, taking periodic breaks to "fix" it and/or have a light sabre battle. This combines their current favorite things: cars and Star Wars quite nicely.
Once indoors, Carson resorts to a session of Rock Band. Of course he wants to play the drums. Who would want to play the guitar when you don't get to hit anything?!Our new prayer is that the dosages work out.
-Jennifer
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Speeches
I wanted to put these in the previous post, but for some reason the video upload feature wasn't working. (Where's an IT person when you need them?)
Although I've call these "videos," in reality they are for audio purposes. The video is that bad. In fact, I think it's more apt to call them Audios...just without the Spanish accent.
The lights in the stadium were "dimmed" (aka turned out) for the ceremony, leaving all of us (and my camera) in the dark. In Jennifer's audio you may see a blob of light moving around from time to time. She had a flashlight so she could read her speech. Turns out she's more animated than she thought.
So here is Jennifer telling our story. It's a little over seven minutes long (and I accidentally clipped off the last sentence and applause), but it is well worth your time.
What Delaney doesn't mention is that after her last diagnosis she had a bone marrow transplant. That's six months in the hospital, folks. Her brother, the one she admires so much, was a perfect match. What an amazing story!!
I think they both did an AMAZING job. Talk about strength. Every time I tell our story, I always end up bawling my eyes out.
Paul.
Although I've call these "videos," in reality they are for audio purposes. The video is that bad. In fact, I think it's more apt to call them Audios...just without the Spanish accent.
The lights in the stadium were "dimmed" (aka turned out) for the ceremony, leaving all of us (and my camera) in the dark. In Jennifer's audio you may see a blob of light moving around from time to time. She had a flashlight so she could read her speech. Turns out she's more animated than she thought.
So here is Jennifer telling our story. It's a little over seven minutes long (and I accidentally clipped off the last sentence and applause), but it is well worth your time.
And here is Delaney, a 15 year-old leukemia superstar! Listen as she recounts her diagnosis and relapses. Again, my "stop record" trigger finger accidentally clipped off a sentence at the beginning when she mentions how she admires her older brother and always wanted to play soccer just like him.
What Delaney doesn't mention is that after her last diagnosis she had a bone marrow transplant. That's six months in the hospital, folks. Her brother, the one she admires so much, was a perfect match. What an amazing story!!
I think they both did an AMAZING job. Talk about strength. Every time I tell our story, I always end up bawling my eyes out.
Paul.
Jennifer Leaves Relay for Life Crowd in Silence
Relay for Life
At 4:30 on Saturday we setup "camp" for Francesca's team - The Caped Crusaders. Most camps consisted of big canopies, tables, chairs, and enough snacks and drinks to stock a convenience store. The Caped Crusaders site consisted of two tents, two chairs, and a cooler. What we were lacking in "stuff" we made up for in spirit!
And having less turned out to be a VERY good thing because right after we setup the tents, it began to rain. It was only a light rain and it was only sporadic, but the foreshadowing card had been played.
There was a pizza run during a brief let up in the rain. As you can clearly see, the Caped Crusaders had the coolest shirts of the entire event!
Jennifer's Speech
Jennifer was asked to speak to the crowd from the caregiver's perspective. Right on schedule, the rain paused. All of the Relay for Lifers gathered around the stage and the lights in the stadium were dimmed. Jennifer spoke for a little more than seven minutes about our experience.
Jennifer was followed by Delaney, a 15 year old leukemia survivor who gave an absolutely riveting talk about her diagnosis and two (two!) relapses. Talk about a special girl!
Shannon, standing between her mom and team sign. No more full-head face paintings for this cutie!
Relay turns into Swimathon
Around 9:30pm the rain resumed. After a while it got a little heavier. And a little heavier. Luckily I had the full rain tarp on the old pup tent. It was nice and dry inside!
One of the many luminaries for Carson - all were limp from rain.
We still haven't received official word, but as of Saturday night Francesca was the top fundraiser by a mile. We'll let you know the final results just as soon as we do. All those dollars are going to a wonderful organization. Thank you so much for your generosity!
Still no video uploaded. Sorry! Still having some technical issues with it. We'll get that to you as soon as we can too.
-Paul
At 4:30 on Saturday we setup "camp" for Francesca's team - The Caped Crusaders. Most camps consisted of big canopies, tables, chairs, and enough snacks and drinks to stock a convenience store. The Caped Crusaders site consisted of two tents, two chairs, and a cooler. What we were lacking in "stuff" we made up for in spirit!
And having less turned out to be a VERY good thing because right after we setup the tents, it began to rain. It was only a light rain and it was only sporadic, but the foreshadowing card had been played.
There was a pizza run during a brief let up in the rain. As you can clearly see, the Caped Crusaders had the coolest shirts of the entire event!Jennifer's Speech
Jennifer was asked to speak to the crowd from the caregiver's perspective. Right on schedule, the rain paused. All of the Relay for Lifers gathered around the stage and the lights in the stadium were dimmed. Jennifer spoke for a little more than seven minutes about our experience.
Jennifer was followed by Delaney, a 15 year old leukemia survivor who gave an absolutely riveting talk about her diagnosis and two (two!) relapses. Talk about a special girl!
Several hundred middle and high school students stood in silence while both Jennifer and Delaney spoke. You could have heard a pin drop...and I think that pretty much sums up the mood. And when they were done, Delaney and Jennifer lead the crowd in a walk around the track with bagpipes playing Amazing Graze.
A Familiar Face
Everywhere we go we run into old friends. At the Relay for Life we ran into Shannon, whom we met at the hospital on our first day of our diagnosis.
I can close my eyes and see Shannon riding up and down the hallway of the Pediatric Oncology ward on her IV stand (yes, she was using her IV stand as a scooter!) AND she had a huge thunderbolt face painting on her bald head. That was on our "Day 1." Coincidentally, Shannon was there that day for a fever, just like we had last week.
Shannon, standing between her mom and team sign. No more full-head face paintings for this cutie!Relay turns into Swimathon
Around 9:30pm the rain resumed. After a while it got a little heavier. And a little heavier. Luckily I had the full rain tarp on the old pup tent. It was nice and dry inside!
One of the many luminaries for Carson - all were limp from rain. Finally, around 1:30 in the morning, lightening and thunder moved in and was predicted to stay. Relay for Life 2010 was officially concluded and the field was cleared. And with that, we all headed home to sleep in our nice warm (and DRY) beds.
Thank You to all those who donated!!
Thank You to all those who donated!!
We still haven't received official word, but as of Saturday night Francesca was the top fundraiser by a mile. We'll let you know the final results just as soon as we do. All those dollars are going to a wonderful organization. Thank you so much for your generosity!
Still no video uploaded. Sorry! Still having some technical issues with it. We'll get that to you as soon as we can too.
-Paul
Monday, May 24, 2010
Interim Update
Relay for Life
Well, the Relay went very well on Saturday. The rain was a problem, but otherwise it was a very special event. Paul is having some technical issue uploading some video; so stay tuned - for the video and a more detailed report.
We don't have official word yet, but it appears that Francesca was the top fundraiser for the event. She raised about $2700 and her team, The Caped Crusaders, was the third top fundraising team for the event. They raised about $4700 in total. Way to go!
Thanks to everyone for their contributions. Your dollars will make a difference!
Carson Update
Carson continues to make steady improvement. Until yesterday afternoon, he still seemed very tired and weak. His appetite was virtually non existent and he was sleeping quite a bit.
He's still sleeping a lot, but after nap yesterday, some of that energy returned. He went outside to play and chased bubbles around the court. He even had enough strength to steer his Little Tikes electric car for a lap or two.
The big news though was that yesterday evening he actually asked for something to eat, and then proceeded to eat it. We didn't have to bribe, cajole or threaten this time. I hope it continues this way. He really needs to eat to get back to his old self.
-Jennifer
Well, the Relay went very well on Saturday. The rain was a problem, but otherwise it was a very special event. Paul is having some technical issue uploading some video; so stay tuned - for the video and a more detailed report.
We don't have official word yet, but it appears that Francesca was the top fundraiser for the event. She raised about $2700 and her team, The Caped Crusaders, was the third top fundraising team for the event. They raised about $4700 in total. Way to go!
Thanks to everyone for their contributions. Your dollars will make a difference!
Carson Update
Carson continues to make steady improvement. Until yesterday afternoon, he still seemed very tired and weak. His appetite was virtually non existent and he was sleeping quite a bit.
He's still sleeping a lot, but after nap yesterday, some of that energy returned. He went outside to play and chased bubbles around the court. He even had enough strength to steer his Little Tikes electric car for a lap or two.
The big news though was that yesterday evening he actually asked for something to eat, and then proceeded to eat it. We didn't have to bribe, cajole or threaten this time. I hope it continues this way. He really needs to eat to get back to his old self.
-Jennifer
Friday, May 21, 2010
A Sigh of Relief
Day 313 since diagnosis.
Jennifer and I were somewhat apprehensive leaving the safety of the hospital yesterday. Carson's ANC was critically low and his hemoglobin was teetering on the brink of transfusion. With his hemoglobin trending down every day, we were certain Carson would be needing a transfusion at the clinic today. In fact, the doctors went ahead and ordered the pre-transfusion blood draw at the hospital.
What a difference a day makes.
Today's blood work showed dramatic increases across the board. His platelets, which had been hovering around 12 - 15, jumped to 22. His hemoglobin went from 8.1 to 9 - the first upward tic in days. His ANC went crazy - soaring from 79 to 320!
We had to bend down to pick our jaws up of the floor.
Getting back to normal
The plan now is to take it easy for a week and let the numbers continue to improve. We have an appointment scheduled for late next week. If Carson's ANC is back above 750 we'll start back on chemo - at HALF the dose as before and with more frequent clinic visits for monitoring.
Before leaving the clinic they removed Carson's tube...the right way, vice the way he ripped it out on Sunday night. He then spent the morning playing, ordering people around, and snacking on cookies. What a blessing!
Preparing for the Relay
We are putting together the final preparations for the big Relay for Life event this weekend. Jennifer probably hasn't mentioned it...but she is the Keynote Speaker! She is putting the final touches on her speech and I need to go get the tent out. The tent is circa 25 years old and hasn't seen the light of day since the year we were married (1992). So this should be interesting.
If you are thinking about donating, but haven't done so already. Or, if you have donated, but feel the urge to do so again...follow your instinct! (Forward this to your friends, too!)
Jennifer and I were somewhat apprehensive leaving the safety of the hospital yesterday. Carson's ANC was critically low and his hemoglobin was teetering on the brink of transfusion. With his hemoglobin trending down every day, we were certain Carson would be needing a transfusion at the clinic today. In fact, the doctors went ahead and ordered the pre-transfusion blood draw at the hospital.
What a difference a day makes.
Today's blood work showed dramatic increases across the board. His platelets, which had been hovering around 12 - 15, jumped to 22. His hemoglobin went from 8.1 to 9 - the first upward tic in days. His ANC went crazy - soaring from 79 to 320!
We had to bend down to pick our jaws up of the floor.
Getting back to normal
The plan now is to take it easy for a week and let the numbers continue to improve. We have an appointment scheduled for late next week. If Carson's ANC is back above 750 we'll start back on chemo - at HALF the dose as before and with more frequent clinic visits for monitoring.
Before leaving the clinic they removed Carson's tube...the right way, vice the way he ripped it out on Sunday night. He then spent the morning playing, ordering people around, and snacking on cookies. What a blessing!
Preparing for the Relay
We are putting together the final preparations for the big Relay for Life event this weekend. Jennifer probably hasn't mentioned it...but she is the Keynote Speaker! She is putting the final touches on her speech and I need to go get the tent out. The tent is circa 25 years old and hasn't seen the light of day since the year we were married (1992). So this should be interesting.
If you are thinking about donating, but haven't done so already. Or, if you have donated, but feel the urge to do so again...follow your instinct! (Forward this to your friends, too!)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Prayers Answered
Morning Update
Carson's blood work this morning showed continued signs of improvement. Although his ANC is still below 100 - making him critically susceptible to other illnesses - the monocytes and white blood cells are booming. The doctor is confident things are looking better and expects the ANC to rise in short order. In fact, right now the plan is to send us home later today. Thank you, Lord!
We still have a ways to go. We'll go to the outpatient clinic in the morning and Carson will probably need another blood transfusion before the weekend. (His hemoglobin level is right on the edge of needing a resupply.) And then the task of sorting out Carson's medications begin. The goal is to keep his ANC around 1,000. Obviously the previous dosages were WAY too heavy. Regardless, we are VERY thankful for the direction we are heading.
Thank you to everyone for the continued prayers and uplifting comments. If it weren't for the prayers, comments, and grace from our Lord, I don't know how we'd get through the day. Thank you!!
Paul
P.S. Only 2 days left until Relay for Life.
Carson's blood work this morning showed continued signs of improvement. Although his ANC is still below 100 - making him critically susceptible to other illnesses - the monocytes and white blood cells are booming. The doctor is confident things are looking better and expects the ANC to rise in short order. In fact, right now the plan is to send us home later today. Thank you, Lord!
We still have a ways to go. We'll go to the outpatient clinic in the morning and Carson will probably need another blood transfusion before the weekend. (His hemoglobin level is right on the edge of needing a resupply.) And then the task of sorting out Carson's medications begin. The goal is to keep his ANC around 1,000. Obviously the previous dosages were WAY too heavy. Regardless, we are VERY thankful for the direction we are heading.
Thank you to everyone for the continued prayers and uplifting comments. If it weren't for the prayers, comments, and grace from our Lord, I don't know how we'd get through the day. Thank you!!
Paul
P.S. Only 2 days left until Relay for Life.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday Evening Update
Evening Update
Despite this morning's blood work and resulting fears and questions, Carson had a really good day today. With the doctor's permission he unhooked from his IV and rode the big wheel in the outdoor play area both morning and afternoon. The exercise worked up a much needed appetite and some energy. He ate more than he has eaten in the past week combined and only took one nap.
We pray that these behaviors will translate into good blood results in the morning!
Relay for Life - This Saturday!
In other news: Only 3 days left until the Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The all night walk takes place this Saturday and Francesca is locked in a heated battle for top fundraiser spot for the entire event. It is not too late to donate and boost her numbers!
And Pictures...
It's been a while since we posted any photos...here are a couple of shots of a very happy boy from earlier this evening:
Carson turns the pull out bed into a construction area.
The "Throw Popcorn at Sissy" game turned out to be a HUGE hit!
Despite this morning's blood work and resulting fears and questions, Carson had a really good day today. With the doctor's permission he unhooked from his IV and rode the big wheel in the outdoor play area both morning and afternoon. The exercise worked up a much needed appetite and some energy. He ate more than he has eaten in the past week combined and only took one nap.
We pray that these behaviors will translate into good blood results in the morning!
Relay for Life - This Saturday!
In other news: Only 3 days left until the Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The all night walk takes place this Saturday and Francesca is locked in a heated battle for top fundraiser spot for the entire event. It is not too late to donate and boost her numbers!
And Pictures...
It's been a while since we posted any photos...here are a couple of shots of a very happy boy from earlier this evening:
Carson turns the pull out bed into a construction area.
The "Throw Popcorn at Sissy" game turned out to be a HUGE hit!Paul and Jennifer
Wait. See. Pray.
Morning Update
Carson's blood work this morning was a bag of mixed results. His hemoglobin remained low and steady, while his platelets rose slightly. What is troublesome is that his ANC took a nose dive - all the way down to 62. Critically low.
The larger question is why the ANC level has remained low and is not bouncing back. Is there something preventing the production of neutrophils in the bone marrow? A virus certainly complicates matters. But one possibility is a relapse - that the leukemia has returned and is preventing the production of the neutrophils.
Right now the doctor still feels as if we are experiencing the delayed effects of the virus. For a relapse we would expect to see steadily decreasing platelets, which we are not. Although seriously low, they haven't decreased for several days.
Another plus - Carson's monocytes, the precursor to neutrophils, are on the rise. In other words, we should see the ANC rising soon. If not, then we'll proceed with the bone marrow test to see if we are dealing with a relapse.
As you can imagine, we are hanging our hopes on the virus. The mere thought of a relapse brings an unimaginable hollow pain to our stomachs.
In the Meantime
Carson continues to rest and is increasingly wanting to play. This morning he spent a good half hour at the outdoor play yard running around and playing. That's more than anything he's done in the past week and a half. His appetite is getting stronger, albeit slowly. So we are hopeful.
We continue to wait and see what tomorrow's blood work will bring. (This will probably our same message tomorrow.) Until then, please pray for continued improvement...and that we aren't dealing with a relapse!
Paul.
Carson's blood work this morning was a bag of mixed results. His hemoglobin remained low and steady, while his platelets rose slightly. What is troublesome is that his ANC took a nose dive - all the way down to 62. Critically low.
The larger question is why the ANC level has remained low and is not bouncing back. Is there something preventing the production of neutrophils in the bone marrow? A virus certainly complicates matters. But one possibility is a relapse - that the leukemia has returned and is preventing the production of the neutrophils.
Right now the doctor still feels as if we are experiencing the delayed effects of the virus. For a relapse we would expect to see steadily decreasing platelets, which we are not. Although seriously low, they haven't decreased for several days.
Another plus - Carson's monocytes, the precursor to neutrophils, are on the rise. In other words, we should see the ANC rising soon. If not, then we'll proceed with the bone marrow test to see if we are dealing with a relapse.
As you can imagine, we are hanging our hopes on the virus. The mere thought of a relapse brings an unimaginable hollow pain to our stomachs.
In the Meantime
Carson continues to rest and is increasingly wanting to play. This morning he spent a good half hour at the outdoor play yard running around and playing. That's more than anything he's done in the past week and a half. His appetite is getting stronger, albeit slowly. So we are hopeful.
We continue to wait and see what tomorrow's blood work will bring. (This will probably our same message tomorrow.) Until then, please pray for continued improvement...and that we aren't dealing with a relapse!
Paul.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Slow Improvement
Morning Update
Carson had a good night and has remained fever free now for over 24 hours. His morning blood work revealed platelet levels about the same as yesterday and a slight dip in hemoglobin. However, his ANC level - an indicator of white blood cell count and overall ability to battle viruses and bacteria - jumped a hundred points to 243!! 243 is still on the low side, but it is a huge improvement over where we were.
What's all this mean? Well, at least for now, the bone marrow test has been canceled. We are now in wait-n-see mode - see what tomorrow's blood work will reveal.
Back Home
After nearly 30 hours of traveling, I arrived home late last night. When you are trying to rush home as fast as you can from halfway around the world, the already long trip seems to take more than an eternity. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I finally got to the hospital at 11:30 last night to find Jennifer and Carson sleeping peacefully.
I can't say enough about what a wonderful mother Jennifer is. She has been at the hospital though all of this uncertainty for almost a week with barely a break. I can't imagine the stress and worry this has created. It was bad enough for me, and I was thousands of miles away!
At one point on Sunday night after the dose of steroids, Carson began to hallucinate, screaming out for "momma." Jennifer said, "I'm right here." But then Carson shot back, "You're not my momma! My momma is Jennifer!" Normally this would be a joke, but he wasn't joking. It was shortly after this exchange that he became violent and ripped out his port. Talk about a horrific scene! Yet, Jennifer handled it with grace, style, and faith beyond measure. She truly is a blessing.
It's good to be home.
Paul.
Carson had a good night and has remained fever free now for over 24 hours. His morning blood work revealed platelet levels about the same as yesterday and a slight dip in hemoglobin. However, his ANC level - an indicator of white blood cell count and overall ability to battle viruses and bacteria - jumped a hundred points to 243!! 243 is still on the low side, but it is a huge improvement over where we were.
What's all this mean? Well, at least for now, the bone marrow test has been canceled. We are now in wait-n-see mode - see what tomorrow's blood work will reveal.
Back Home
After nearly 30 hours of traveling, I arrived home late last night. When you are trying to rush home as fast as you can from halfway around the world, the already long trip seems to take more than an eternity. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I finally got to the hospital at 11:30 last night to find Jennifer and Carson sleeping peacefully.
I can't say enough about what a wonderful mother Jennifer is. She has been at the hospital though all of this uncertainty for almost a week with barely a break. I can't imagine the stress and worry this has created. It was bad enough for me, and I was thousands of miles away!
At one point on Sunday night after the dose of steroids, Carson began to hallucinate, screaming out for "momma." Jennifer said, "I'm right here." But then Carson shot back, "You're not my momma! My momma is Jennifer!" Normally this would be a joke, but he wasn't joking. It was shortly after this exchange that he became violent and ripped out his port. Talk about a horrific scene! Yet, Jennifer handled it with grace, style, and faith beyond measure. She truly is a blessing.
It's good to be home.
Paul.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Day After
God continues to provide for us with answered prayer. After Carson's reaction to the infusion was over, both he and I slept very well for the next 5 hours. We didn't even know the nurse came in for vitals and to reset the IV pump. Sometime during those 5 hours, Carson's fever broke and he is still fever free this evening! He is eating and drinking better, and even playing with his toys.
Another answered prayer was Carson's IGG level. It was 350!! They will not try another infusion at the hospital!! That doesn't mean they won't try one at the clinic, but for now we don't have to worry about it.
Thank you for all the prayers and support today. It has truly been a blessing to our family.
And now, may I be so bold as to ask for more. As of this morning, Carson's platelets dipped very low and his other counts also remained low. Because of this, the doctor has scheduled him for a bone marrow test to determine if the virus and the chemo have essentially "wiped out the factory". She does not suspect a relapse, but would like to get a better understanding of what is going on and determine if he needs to take neupogen for a longer period of time. The catch....if his 4 AM blood draw shows fair improvement in counts and platelets, the bone marrow test will be canceled. The magic number for the platelets is "around 20".
This is now my new prayer....counts and platelets up, bone marrow test out. If you are reading this tonight, please pray with me.
-Jennifer
Another answered prayer was Carson's IGG level. It was 350!! They will not try another infusion at the hospital!! That doesn't mean they won't try one at the clinic, but for now we don't have to worry about it.
Thank you for all the prayers and support today. It has truly been a blessing to our family.
And now, may I be so bold as to ask for more. As of this morning, Carson's platelets dipped very low and his other counts also remained low. Because of this, the doctor has scheduled him for a bone marrow test to determine if the virus and the chemo have essentially "wiped out the factory". She does not suspect a relapse, but would like to get a better understanding of what is going on and determine if he needs to take neupogen for a longer period of time. The catch....if his 4 AM blood draw shows fair improvement in counts and platelets, the bone marrow test will be canceled. The magic number for the platelets is "around 20".
This is now my new prayer....counts and platelets up, bone marrow test out. If you are reading this tonight, please pray with me.
-Jennifer
Respite?
I am glad we had a brief break, but it wasn't enough for what happened right after my last post.
In a nutshell, Carson had a reaction about 30-40 minutes into the IGG infusion, which then caused a host of other problems and kept everyone around here busy until 2:00 AM.
To stop the uncontrollable shaking/chills, the vomiting and the diarrhea, Carson got an IV push of a steroid. Once the shaking stopped, he then had a bad reaction to the steroid - or maybe it was a continued reaction to the infusion-and literally went crazy.
He was confused, angry, scared and violent. He ripped out his IV port on his chest. They had to reaccess him with no numbing cream - and of course, it took 2 tries instead of 1.
Once accessed, they gave him adivan to stop the steroid reaction. His fever was still pretty high, so he also had more Tylenol. He finally calmed way down and was asleep by 2:00. He slept straight through until 7:30.
All the while, Paul is flying from Sydney to San Francisco with no idea what is happening. I don't quite know how I will tell him when he arrives here later tonight.
This morning, Carson is tired and weak, but doing fairly well. In fact, his fever has not come back since the 2 AM Tylenol dose. A piece of good news!!!
The doctors say that he only got 10% of the dosage of the IGG that he was to be given. Not exactly a lot to boost his levels. They will retest the levels again today and see if he has reached 250. Yesterday he was 165 and normal is around 450-500. If he isn't 250, they are going to consider trying the infusion again, with different (and more) premedications and a different brand of the IGG - and not late at night either.
I do not want to try again, I cannot take it. I cannot watch Carson go through that again. I will pray that his levels are 250. Please join me in that prayer today.
-Jennifer
In a nutshell, Carson had a reaction about 30-40 minutes into the IGG infusion, which then caused a host of other problems and kept everyone around here busy until 2:00 AM.
To stop the uncontrollable shaking/chills, the vomiting and the diarrhea, Carson got an IV push of a steroid. Once the shaking stopped, he then had a bad reaction to the steroid - or maybe it was a continued reaction to the infusion-and literally went crazy.
He was confused, angry, scared and violent. He ripped out his IV port on his chest. They had to reaccess him with no numbing cream - and of course, it took 2 tries instead of 1.
Once accessed, they gave him adivan to stop the steroid reaction. His fever was still pretty high, so he also had more Tylenol. He finally calmed way down and was asleep by 2:00. He slept straight through until 7:30.
All the while, Paul is flying from Sydney to San Francisco with no idea what is happening. I don't quite know how I will tell him when he arrives here later tonight.
This morning, Carson is tired and weak, but doing fairly well. In fact, his fever has not come back since the 2 AM Tylenol dose. A piece of good news!!!
The doctors say that he only got 10% of the dosage of the IGG that he was to be given. Not exactly a lot to boost his levels. They will retest the levels again today and see if he has reached 250. Yesterday he was 165 and normal is around 450-500. If he isn't 250, they are going to consider trying the infusion again, with different (and more) premedications and a different brand of the IGG - and not late at night either.
I do not want to try again, I cannot take it. I cannot watch Carson go through that again. I will pray that his levels are 250. Please join me in that prayer today.
-Jennifer
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Medicine
It is Sunday evening and Carson is playing Francesca's Nintendo in the bed next to me. Right now, his biggest complaint is that his Mario racer is stuck and he can't seem to finish his race. You wouldn't know that he's hooked up to machines that monitor his oxygen level , his heart rate and his blood pressure. You wouldn't know that he's also attached to a double pump that is pumping immunoglobulin (IGG) and dextrose into his port - hopefully giving his body the antibodies it needs to fight off this virus. Nurse Brenda comes in every 15 minutes to check everything and Carson barely notices. Thank God that all is going smoothly for awhile. I am thankful for a respite for both of us.
Just before the infusion, they put a small port in Carson's arm and gave him his first shot of neupogen. That went smoothly too, minimal crying and only one scream. He'll get this shot through the port once a day until his ANC count reaches about 1500. I'm told this will take about 3 days. I'm okay with that as long as the fevers stop and he can start feeling better.
Thank to all those who've said a prayer for our little Mister. We're not out of the woods yet, but at least we have a plan on which we're acting and things are quiet for the moment.
-Jennifer
Just before the infusion, they put a small port in Carson's arm and gave him his first shot of neupogen. That went smoothly too, minimal crying and only one scream. He'll get this shot through the port once a day until his ANC count reaches about 1500. I'm told this will take about 3 days. I'm okay with that as long as the fevers stop and he can start feeling better.
Thank to all those who've said a prayer for our little Mister. We're not out of the woods yet, but at least we have a plan on which we're acting and things are quiet for the moment.
-Jennifer
Fighting the Fevers
We are continuing to fight Carson's high fevers. He is running 101 degrees with Tylenol in full force and has spiked as high as 104.7 when the Tylenol starts to wear off - about every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Yesterday evening, we had an instance where the first dose of Tylenol didn't work - it took a second one to bring it down to an acceptable level. Our highest fever of 104.7 was at midnight, but he responded well to just one dose of the Tylenol. He also received a sponge bath. Let me tell you, he did not appreciate the bath, and neither did the rest of the Hem/Onc ward that was trying to sleep.
So, we've now had consistently high fever for well over 24 hours and our ANC is still very low (190 this morning). What do we do?
Well, first off, Paul is on his way home. He will be here late Monday night.
Secondly, we are waiting for the results of Carson's IGG levels to come back. If immunoglobulin is low, they plan to infuse him with that. This will help him fight whatever virus he might have.
Finally, Carson will be given the rescue drug known as neupogen. This is given in the form of a subcutaneous shot over a period of time. It will boost his white blood cell count and help his ability to fight infection. The doctor says the virus has opened up the floodgates and now the risk of infection is even higher. Since his body is taking its sweet time in producing the white blood cells, they will help it along.
So, for today, in our list of prayer requests, please pray for the end of fevers, no reaction to the immunoglobulin infusion and no reactions to neupogen. Carson has told me several times today that he wants to go home. I hear you buddy!
So, we've now had consistently high fever for well over 24 hours and our ANC is still very low (190 this morning). What do we do?
Well, first off, Paul is on his way home. He will be here late Monday night.
Secondly, we are waiting for the results of Carson's IGG levels to come back. If immunoglobulin is low, they plan to infuse him with that. This will help him fight whatever virus he might have.
Finally, Carson will be given the rescue drug known as neupogen. This is given in the form of a subcutaneous shot over a period of time. It will boost his white blood cell count and help his ability to fight infection. The doctor says the virus has opened up the floodgates and now the risk of infection is even higher. Since his body is taking its sweet time in producing the white blood cells, they will help it along.
So, for today, in our list of prayer requests, please pray for the end of fevers, no reaction to the immunoglobulin infusion and no reactions to neupogen. Carson has told me several times today that he wants to go home. I hear you buddy!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday Night/Saturday
Carson has been running a persistent fever since late Friday night and this morning his blood counts had gone a little lower. He's feeling really bad - he hasn't asked to ride the "hog" out in the hallway one time today.
The blood cultures that were taken the day he was admitted continue to be negative; so the doctors are fairly certain that he has a virus of some kind. In most people, it wouldn't be a big deal; but with his non existent immune system, it will be a longer, harder road for him. He will remain in the hospital until he is fever free and his ANC count gets somewhere around 500.
The new plan is to test his IGG at the 4AM blood draws tonight. IGG stands for something like Immunoglobulin - something that helps fight off illness. Anyway, if those levels are low Carson will receive an infusion of that tomorrow some time.
The doctor is also looking at the rules associated with Carson's protocol to see if he can be given the rescue drug neupogen. This will help boost his blood levels and give him another way to fight off whatever virus he has running around playing havoc with his body.
So, we have, at the very best, a few more days in the hospital. Thanks for the offers of help and food. Please keep praying that our little guy starts to come around real soon!
-Jennifer
The blood cultures that were taken the day he was admitted continue to be negative; so the doctors are fairly certain that he has a virus of some kind. In most people, it wouldn't be a big deal; but with his non existent immune system, it will be a longer, harder road for him. He will remain in the hospital until he is fever free and his ANC count gets somewhere around 500.
The new plan is to test his IGG at the 4AM blood draws tonight. IGG stands for something like Immunoglobulin - something that helps fight off illness. Anyway, if those levels are low Carson will receive an infusion of that tomorrow some time.
The doctor is also looking at the rules associated with Carson's protocol to see if he can be given the rescue drug neupogen. This will help boost his blood levels and give him another way to fight off whatever virus he has running around playing havoc with his body.
So, we have, at the very best, a few more days in the hospital. Thanks for the offers of help and food. Please keep praying that our little guy starts to come around real soon!
-Jennifer
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday Morning Update
Things are not really heading in the right direction for Carson right now, but they could, of course, be worse.
He had a temp of 102 last night. That essentially bought us another day here. They drew blood cultures again, even though the 24 hour blood cultures have turned up negative. His cough persists, although the doctors don't hear anything to be concerned about in the lungs.
As an insurance policy to our remaining here, Carson's ANC went lower overnight- 192; and he spiked another fever of 101 about 10 AM.
Other than that, our evening and night were uneventful. We will wait on the 48 hour blood cultures to see what that result might be. Perhaps he has picked up a slower growing bacteria; we will see. Thanks for the prayers...please continue. We are already weary of hospital life.
-Jennifer
He had a temp of 102 last night. That essentially bought us another day here. They drew blood cultures again, even though the 24 hour blood cultures have turned up negative. His cough persists, although the doctors don't hear anything to be concerned about in the lungs.
As an insurance policy to our remaining here, Carson's ANC went lower overnight- 192; and he spiked another fever of 101 about 10 AM.
Other than that, our evening and night were uneventful. We will wait on the 48 hour blood cultures to see what that result might be. Perhaps he has picked up a slower growing bacteria; we will see. Thanks for the prayers...please continue. We are already weary of hospital life.
-Jennifer
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Thursday Update
We've been here 24 hours now. We will be here at least for 24 more hours.
Here's what we need to get out of here:
-Jennifer
Here's what we need to get out of here:
- ANC count rising. Today his count was 230. A step in the right direction
- Negative blood cultures both today and tomorrow.
- No fevers. He had a temp of 101 about 10 this morning, but as of now, we have stayed in the normal range.
-Jennifer
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Hospital
Greetings from Inova Fairfax! We are here again as we continue to play the game "What's Carson's Correct Dosage?" So far, chemo has delivered two knock out punches and we have a big fat ZERO as our score.
Yesterday, Carson's appetite and energy plummeted. It is 6 weeks since radiation, so I wondered if the effects were kicking in; or could it be low hemoglobin again? We had a counts check scheduled at the clinic for Thursday, but I called and moved it to today because this morning he still wasn't eating and he was just laying on the couch.
At 9:30 we got to the clinic and by 11:00 we knew he had low hemoglobin, low platelets and a low ANC - 180. That's not supposed to happen on maintenance!! It is obvious to the doctors now that his oral chemos need to be adjusted, but they'll worry about that later. Right now, a little boy needs some blood and his counts need to come up.
Off to the hospital for the transfusion (in the pediatric sedation suite). We wait, the labs are drawn, and we wait. The Tylenol arrives and we wait. The blood arrives....his temperature is taken.....and.... he has a fever. "NO blood transfusion for YOU" - said in our best Seinfeld Soup Nazi voice.
We are admitted to the hospital and sent upstairs. The fever subsides after the Tylenol kicks in good. Carson gets a heavy dose of antibiotics around 4:00 PM and the blood transfusion finally happens around 6:00. Another dose of antibiotics is coming at midnight and 8 AM.
We will be here at least for tonight. Carson is asleep after a long day. He needs the rest and I'm going to join him in la-la land soon. Paul is in Australia, getting updates via text from me and going crazy. My parents are luckily here to help juggle everything.
Prayers tonight for fever only - no infection. We'll get home a lot sooner that way.
Yesterday, Carson's appetite and energy plummeted. It is 6 weeks since radiation, so I wondered if the effects were kicking in; or could it be low hemoglobin again? We had a counts check scheduled at the clinic for Thursday, but I called and moved it to today because this morning he still wasn't eating and he was just laying on the couch.
At 9:30 we got to the clinic and by 11:00 we knew he had low hemoglobin, low platelets and a low ANC - 180. That's not supposed to happen on maintenance!! It is obvious to the doctors now that his oral chemos need to be adjusted, but they'll worry about that later. Right now, a little boy needs some blood and his counts need to come up.
Off to the hospital for the transfusion (in the pediatric sedation suite). We wait, the labs are drawn, and we wait. The Tylenol arrives and we wait. The blood arrives....his temperature is taken.....and.... he has a fever. "NO blood transfusion for YOU" - said in our best Seinfeld Soup Nazi voice.
We are admitted to the hospital and sent upstairs. The fever subsides after the Tylenol kicks in good. Carson gets a heavy dose of antibiotics around 4:00 PM and the blood transfusion finally happens around 6:00. Another dose of antibiotics is coming at midnight and 8 AM.
We will be here at least for tonight. Carson is asleep after a long day. He needs the rest and I'm going to join him in la-la land soon. Paul is in Australia, getting updates via text from me and going crazy. My parents are luckily here to help juggle everything.
Prayers tonight for fever only - no infection. We'll get home a lot sooner that way.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Champion
Well, my little Mr. may not be considered a champion right now in some circles.
He can't run as well as kids his age. The vincristine and months of other chemo have taken care of that for now.
His hair certainly doesn't set any records for growing in the fastest. Yes, we're still very bald.
He doesn't know many of his letters or numbers. Well, that one has nothing to do with leukemia and everything to do with the fact that if it doesn't involve a truck or car - he's not interested.
He's not "in" to sharing. Haven't had to do that for months and months.
He doesn't eat his vegetables, he doesn't eat his fruit. Heck, he may not even eat a meal-unless a chocolate bar counts.
He is a champion at taking his medicine though......
Bitter, yucky tasting, daily chemo of 6MP, weekly methotrexate, 5 day bursts of prednisone and weekend bouts of twice daily bactrim are no match for the following recipe, a glass of gingerale and The Master Medicine Taker.
crush the pill(s) , dilute with 3 ml water, add strawberry syrup to total 2 tsp
I get tired of mixing up the meds and I complain; but Carson takes them like a champ EVERY time with NO complaints. Two sips and two seconds...he is done and back to playing.
In our circle, he's a champion.
He can't run as well as kids his age. The vincristine and months of other chemo have taken care of that for now.
His hair certainly doesn't set any records for growing in the fastest. Yes, we're still very bald.
He doesn't know many of his letters or numbers. Well, that one has nothing to do with leukemia and everything to do with the fact that if it doesn't involve a truck or car - he's not interested.
He's not "in" to sharing. Haven't had to do that for months and months.
He doesn't eat his vegetables, he doesn't eat his fruit. Heck, he may not even eat a meal-unless a chocolate bar counts.
He is a champion at taking his medicine though......
Bitter, yucky tasting, daily chemo of 6MP, weekly methotrexate, 5 day bursts of prednisone and weekend bouts of twice daily bactrim are no match for the following recipe, a glass of gingerale and The Master Medicine Taker.
crush the pill(s) , dilute with 3 ml water, add strawberry syrup to total 2 tsp
I get tired of mixing up the meds and I complain; but Carson takes them like a champ EVERY time with NO complaints. Two sips and two seconds...he is done and back to playing.
In our circle, he's a champion.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Day 300 and Counting
300 Days since Diagnosis!!
Wow. It's hard to believe it's been 300 days.
300 days since unwanted admission into leukemia university.
300 days since learning a whole new lingo - ALL, AML, CNS positive, spinal tap (not the movie), T-cell, B-cell, ANC...the list goes on and on.
300 days of worry and stress.
Best of all...300 days of generosity, hope, and answered prayers.
Blast from the Past
The phone rang on Friday and it was our dear friend Alex, who flew all the way over the Atlantic Ocean just to see us. (Apparently he is very eager to have his picture on the blog!) Alex came bearing a gift for Carson...a Caterpillar skid steer. Of course, it was a huge hit. Although we have a large collection of Cat equipment, the skid steer was a first.
Carson let's Alex touch the big skid steer only for a brief moment...just long enough to snap a photo.
I was congratulating Alex for doing such a great job on his homework and picking out a skid steer. But then he said, "What's a skid steer?" Never mind.
Even if he didn't know what a skid steer was, Alex must have passed the test because later in the evening Carson asked him to read a book.
Carson uses a library book to educate Alex on construction equipment.
Medical Milestone
The one milestone we did NOT want to cross...our first medical bill sent to collection! Not exactly an event to do the happy dance about.
We're not really worried about it. We have no idea what the bill was for...and my guess is the organization that sent it doesn't either. We have received GREAT medical care. The doctors and staff are totally AWESOME.
Their billing departments, however, could use a little improvement. Okay, make that a LOT of improvement.
As graduates of leukemia university we see our fair share of medical bills. We (okay, mainly Jennifer), have gotten pretty adept to deciphering what they the bills even mean. We even count this as having learned another language...not something you can get from Rosetta Stone. I'd say we're not fluent, but we can carry a simple conversation.
And here's the deal, for some organizations/groups we NEVER receive a correct bill on the first try. There are ALWAYS mistakes. Funny thing is, the mistakes are never in our favor. Why is that?
Life goes on...
All in all this is pretty small potatoes. We'll straighten things out. But, if given the choice of trying to correct medical bills or spend time with the kids, we'd pick the latter.
Paul.
Wow. It's hard to believe it's been 300 days.
300 days since unwanted admission into leukemia university.
300 days since learning a whole new lingo - ALL, AML, CNS positive, spinal tap (not the movie), T-cell, B-cell, ANC...the list goes on and on.
300 days of worry and stress.
Best of all...300 days of generosity, hope, and answered prayers.
Blast from the Past
The phone rang on Friday and it was our dear friend Alex, who flew all the way over the Atlantic Ocean just to see us. (Apparently he is very eager to have his picture on the blog!) Alex came bearing a gift for Carson...a Caterpillar skid steer. Of course, it was a huge hit. Although we have a large collection of Cat equipment, the skid steer was a first.
Carson let's Alex touch the big skid steer only for a brief moment...just long enough to snap a photo.I was congratulating Alex for doing such a great job on his homework and picking out a skid steer. But then he said, "What's a skid steer?" Never mind.
Even if he didn't know what a skid steer was, Alex must have passed the test because later in the evening Carson asked him to read a book.
Carson uses a library book to educate Alex on construction equipment.Medical Milestone
The one milestone we did NOT want to cross...our first medical bill sent to collection! Not exactly an event to do the happy dance about.
We're not really worried about it. We have no idea what the bill was for...and my guess is the organization that sent it doesn't either. We have received GREAT medical care. The doctors and staff are totally AWESOME.
Their billing departments, however, could use a little improvement. Okay, make that a LOT of improvement.
As graduates of leukemia university we see our fair share of medical bills. We (okay, mainly Jennifer), have gotten pretty adept to deciphering what they the bills even mean. We even count this as having learned another language...not something you can get from Rosetta Stone. I'd say we're not fluent, but we can carry a simple conversation.
And here's the deal, for some organizations/groups we NEVER receive a correct bill on the first try. There are ALWAYS mistakes. Funny thing is, the mistakes are never in our favor. Why is that?
Life goes on...
All in all this is pretty small potatoes. We'll straighten things out. But, if given the choice of trying to correct medical bills or spend time with the kids, we'd pick the latter.
Paul.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Benefits of Bald
297 days since diagnosis. (It just feels like a lifetime.)
Being Bald
As you can probably imagine, Carson is the subject of a fair amount of stares. It's not that often you see a bald four year old. And I mean b-a-l-d, BALD. On those rare occasions, someone will come up to us and ask if Carson is sick...and that's what happened the other night while we were eating at Baja Fresh.
Just as a side note, if you know of our outings only through this blog, you are probably under the impression that we eat only at Baja Fresh. You might even think we own a franchise or are a major stock holder in the company. None of this is true. We do eat at other places - like Chipotle - but those occasions are very, very rare.
Anyway, while at Baja Fresh the other night a man approached Jennifer at the counter and said, "I couldn't help but notice you guys and your son. Is he sick?" (It was kind of hard not to notice. Carson was running around without a cap.)
Jennifer nodded and told him that yes, indeed, he was sick. The man then held out a hand with several folded up bills and replied, "I'd like to pay for your dinner."
Jennifer graciously declined and thanked the man profusely for his generosity, at which point he put his hand in hers and said, "Please take it. I've had a bad weekend, but it's not as bad as that." Then he left.
Of course, Francesca, Carson, and I were too busy inhaling chips and salsa to notice what was going on up at the counter.
What have you done today?
Moments like this continually serve as a reminder of the generosity of others. What are usually small, simple acts of kindness have a deep, profound effect on others. We've been on the receiving end of that generosity quite a lot recently. And my eyes still fill with tears each time.
To the generous man at Baja Fresh, a heartfelt thank you.
Paul.
Being Bald
As you can probably imagine, Carson is the subject of a fair amount of stares. It's not that often you see a bald four year old. And I mean b-a-l-d, BALD. On those rare occasions, someone will come up to us and ask if Carson is sick...and that's what happened the other night while we were eating at Baja Fresh.
Just as a side note, if you know of our outings only through this blog, you are probably under the impression that we eat only at Baja Fresh. You might even think we own a franchise or are a major stock holder in the company. None of this is true. We do eat at other places - like Chipotle - but those occasions are very, very rare.
Anyway, while at Baja Fresh the other night a man approached Jennifer at the counter and said, "I couldn't help but notice you guys and your son. Is he sick?" (It was kind of hard not to notice. Carson was running around without a cap.)
Jennifer nodded and told him that yes, indeed, he was sick. The man then held out a hand with several folded up bills and replied, "I'd like to pay for your dinner."
Jennifer graciously declined and thanked the man profusely for his generosity, at which point he put his hand in hers and said, "Please take it. I've had a bad weekend, but it's not as bad as that." Then he left.
Of course, Francesca, Carson, and I were too busy inhaling chips and salsa to notice what was going on up at the counter.
What have you done today?
Moments like this continually serve as a reminder of the generosity of others. What are usually small, simple acts of kindness have a deep, profound effect on others. We've been on the receiving end of that generosity quite a lot recently. And my eyes still fill with tears each time.
To the generous man at Baja Fresh, a heartfelt thank you.
Paul.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
The Week in Review
Waging war on leukemia for 294 days. 984 days of treatment to go.
You know it's been a good week when we can report that the big news of the week is we went to Walmart. Twice. And, oh yeah, we had a check-up at the clinic and everything was fine...even the hemoglobin and ANC.
The Clinic
The doctors at the clinic theorize Carson may have had a virus that helped the hemoglobin drop a couple of weeks ago. No change in medication. The plan now is to just keep a eye on it and check again in two weeks.
Otherwise Carson is feeling like a million bucks - which you'd find quite understandable if you saw his medical bills. (And he's worth every penny!)
On one of his daily bike outings, Carson orchestrates a wheeled conga line in the court.
Walmart
Yes, we did, in fact, go to Walmart twice which is quite remarkable because there isn't one close to where we live. (I realize for some of you that statement may be hard to believe. Just trust me.) Carson was on a mission - a mission to find another toy truck for his extensive collection. And for some reason, the only place he wanted to go was Walmart. After much debate, I'm happy to say that he was successful.
Of course, our ten year old garage-sale mower bit the dust on the afternoon after our first Walmart visit. Coincidentally, Jennifer and I had even been looking at mowers on the first visit. So, two days later we trekked back out to purchase a new lawn mower...and another toy truck. We didn't even try to fight Carson on that one.
Hair Report
Carson has some peach fuzz, but not much else. He still pretty much looks like "mini me."
April 30th...not much change from the week before.
You know it's been a good week when we can report that the big news of the week is we went to Walmart. Twice. And, oh yeah, we had a check-up at the clinic and everything was fine...even the hemoglobin and ANC.
The Clinic
The doctors at the clinic theorize Carson may have had a virus that helped the hemoglobin drop a couple of weeks ago. No change in medication. The plan now is to just keep a eye on it and check again in two weeks.
Otherwise Carson is feeling like a million bucks - which you'd find quite understandable if you saw his medical bills. (And he's worth every penny!)
On one of his daily bike outings, Carson orchestrates a wheeled conga line in the court. Yes, we did, in fact, go to Walmart twice which is quite remarkable because there isn't one close to where we live. (I realize for some of you that statement may be hard to believe. Just trust me.) Carson was on a mission - a mission to find another toy truck for his extensive collection. And for some reason, the only place he wanted to go was Walmart. After much debate, I'm happy to say that he was successful.
Of course, our ten year old garage-sale mower bit the dust on the afternoon after our first Walmart visit. Coincidentally, Jennifer and I had even been looking at mowers on the first visit. So, two days later we trekked back out to purchase a new lawn mower...and another toy truck. We didn't even try to fight Carson on that one.
Hair Report
Carson has some peach fuzz, but not much else. He still pretty much looks like "mini me."
April 30th...not much change from the week before.He is finally aware the he has no hair. But at four years old, who cares about that!
Paul.
Paul.
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