Normal

It has been nearly 4 months since our last post.  I guess because life has pretty much returned to normal.  Oddly enough, normal still involves a lot of medical appointments; but they are usually fast and uneventful.

So, here's a quick wrap up of the last few months:


We went to swim meets EVERY weekend from January through February and watched Francesca swim with her high school.  She swam great, scoring best times in her usual events 200 Individual Medley and 100 Butterfly again this year.  She placed 3rd and 4th in those events at States this year in Blacksburg, VA and the 200 Medley Relay, of which she was a part, finished first.  In fact, the whole team was awesome.  The girls team was State Champs Runners Up and the boys won the State Title!

On another more scary note, Francesca got her driver's license and can't wait until Chuck and Grandma arrive with her car at the end of May.  While I found myself crying in the driveway when she first drove off on her own, I quickly adjusted once I realized she could drive herself to swim practice and could even drive Carson around too!

Francesca's quarterly check up at the endocrinologist revealed she/we've got some work to do in regards to blood sugar management.  The usual refrain of "tighter control" was sounded and the suggestion was made that Francesca write a song for YouTube about bolusing and checking blood glucose.  Her Dr. and I thought this was a great idea, but she does not.  If you agree with us, please send that child a Facebook message!

Carson's January clinic visit was the first one we had had since November.  He's still doing fabulous.  We are in the middle of going through his IEP eligibility meetings with the school.  The main meeting to determine eligibility is at the end of the month.  He will be due for more neuropsych testing in June.

We sat through a presentation regarding "late effects" of cancer treatment recently which was both helpful and terrifying.  Many effects (other than immediate ones) of the drugs that we pumped through Carson's body do not start to show up until 4-5 years after treatment - kidney, liver, eye, heart, you name it.  At least doctors are aware of them and begin looking for signs while they can still treat and deal with whatever difficulties arise.

Just last week Carson had a happy reunion with Nancy Worcester, a talented children's entertainer and ventriloquist.  Nancy visited Carson at our house 4 years ago when Carson's counts were too low to go to the show that was being held at our church.  It was a joy to see him laugh so much then, and even more joyful to watch him meet Nancy and her puppet Waco again.

2010:  Carson just past heavy chemo and radiation, visits with Nancy and Waco.

You may remember that we posted video of this visit because Carson was laughing so much!

2014:  Here is the trio again, and Waco has not aged at all!

On my medical front, the latest mammogram came back clean - so in regards to cancer, the Kings can say we're not busy GETTING cancer, or TREATING cancer, we are KICKING cancer!  I am due for an MRI in the next few months.


I spent most of March and half of April co-coordinating Easter Eggstravaganza at our church.  This was my third year and I still love it!  My work as Guest Ministry Coordinator at the church and this event seem to fit nicely together.

My partner in Eggstravaganza crime, Martha and I take a quick selfie before things get too eggsciting!

Paul is working hard and keeping us all going as usual.  He has a new job at work, which involves managing more people and prestige.  He is really enjoying it!

And one last thing, in early March we had a new addition to the family - Oscar!  A two year old German Shorthair Pointer rescue that has settled right in to life in the King household.  Beckett took a few weeks to adjust to the extra energy, but seems to be enjoying a new play mate now.

Day Two post adoption:

Oscar decides snuggling with Paul is the way to get on the couch, but NOT get on the couch!

We hope this post finds you well and getting ready to enjoy a hope filled Easter!  Enjoy!
-Jennifer

Off the List

We passed another big milestone this last week with Carson.  He is completely caught up on his immunizations!
We took care of his chicken pox and MMR vaccines this last Monday and sent the records into school.  That means, he is off THE LIST....

The list that says
"this child is not required to have up-to date vaccinations due to his treatment"
"this child is immunocompromised"
"this child's parents need to be contacted immediately if someone in the class has chicken pox"

Of course, he's probably still on other lists.

The "I Would Rather Play Legos than do School work" list.
The "I Would Rather Play Anything than do School work" list.

The "I only sleep in on school days" list.

The "I enjoy bugging my older sister" list.
The "Mom, no really, I am a sweet boy" list.

You get the idea.....
I like these sorts of lists!

-Jennifer

Just Because.....

Just because we haven't posted, doesn't mean that nothing is going on and we haven't thought many times about writing SOMETHING.  Sorry, it has been so long.

Just because we haven't posted doesn't mean that several important milestones haven't come and gone.  They have.

So, just because it's Friday, I  post.

Carson turned 8 and is now officially one year off treatment.  We were treated to the news that he now only has to visit the clinic every other month.  We did not visit for the entire month of December.  (We did have to visit the pediatrician though for an ear infection)

Carson and I managed to take a good picture together before his baptism in November.

Francesca turned 16 and is at this moment, finishing school and heading to her behind the wheel course - learning to drive.  YIKES!

On a sad note, we lost our older black dog to cancer just before Christmas.  She saw us through two bouts of cancer and in the end, we couldn't see her through the same.  We miss her like crazy!

We visited Texas for the Christmas holidays, our first visit in a year and a half.  Carson and Francesca had all kinds of fun visiting with their Texas cousins - and meeting their new cousin Grayson.

January is off to a running start.  Clinic and doctor visits continue to result in good news for both Carson and I and our life continues on the path to normal.

Here's hoping your 2014 will be as normal as ours is starting out.....

-Jennifer

Normal and Not So Much

Things have been progressing around here normally - and not so normally.

Carson and Francesca started 2nd and 10th grades respectively.  Normal.

 


Carson runs to the bus stop without saying goodbye because he is excited to go to school in the mornings.  I believe this is normal, but not so great on my ego.

Francesca does not run to the bus stop; she doesn't run for anything - also normal.

Carson went to his September clinic appointment.  All normal.

And then, it's amazing how it all spins into "not so normal" pretty quickly.  For a solid week Carson ran an off and on low grade fever, he complained of his throat hurting for a few days, he had cold symptoms and a rash.

I took him to the pediatrician, fully expecting to be told to take him to the emergency room for more bloodwork, because a fever cannot simply be a fever.

Our child had cancer.

We will spend the rest of our lives always wondering which fever might be the "relapse fever".  We are no longer residents in that normal world where we expect to go in, walk out with a prescription, and continue on with our lives.

But that's exactly what we did..............


The boy had strep throat.  Normal!!!  Our reaction?  Not so normal.

Our family and friends were praising God for strep throat and sending texts exclaiming how happy they were that Carson was only sick with strep throat.  And we were doing the same right along with them!  Geez, that kid had had strep throat for a week!  He barely complained, which is a testament to how abnormally tough he is.
...... and now friends and family are rejoicing in the fact that he's sick.  How normal is that?


After two days of antibiotics, Carson went on to graduate to gold belt in Tae Kwon Do.

We took Francesca to a swim meet (where she rocked some best and near best times!) and then we were around to take pictures of her before the big homecoming dance.

Let's see.  Normal, normal and normal................we will take it!  Throw it at us!  Normal all the way baby!

-Jennifer

A Shot of Baseball

One of the little known facts about cancer treatment in kids is that all those shots for mumps, measles, chicken pox, etc. that they took as babies, well, they're probably going to have to get them again once chemo is over. 

Such was the case for Carson yesterday at the pediatrician's office.  He received two shots - and made his appointment for another round in November when he will be a year off treatment and able to have live vaccines.  After all he's been through I thought he wouldn't care too much, but he basically acted like every other kid that has to get a shot.  UGH!

After the shots, it wouldn't have been too hard to make the day get better; but lucky for us, we were headed to the Nationals Ball Park.  Our day was about to get A LOT better.  It was time to stalk, I mean VISIT,  the Nats star player Bryce Harper.

Before Thursday, Mr. Harper was assured of at least one super fan (in the form of a light brown haired, dark eyed little boy).  Today, Mr. Harper has a whole family of super fans to contend with.  I'm getting ahead of myself though.  Let me start from the beginning......

and before the beginning, a big THANK YOU to Harper's Heroes and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

It all started by getting on the right gear, a Harper's Heroes shirt and a magic wristband!

The magic wristband gave Francesca and Carson, along with a handful of other kids, access to Nats batting practice.  There, they stood within a few yards of Davey Johnson, the general manager, and watched hitting phenoms like Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon and Chad Tracy hit ball after ball out of the park.

(I am hoping the magic wristband also has special side effects that include children automatically cleaning their rooms and carrying things for themselves!)

That's Davey Johnson near the guy with the green shirt and Anthony Rendon about to take a swing.

Next it was on to the Nationals Press Room to meet with none other than......

 Can you guess who these legs belong to?  Photo credit:  Francesca

BRYCE!!!  Bryce spoke to kids and parents about family, faith and baseball.  He said "If no one is laughing at your dreams, they're not big enough."

After that, the floor was open for questions.  Carson was silent, and I think I spotted drool coming out of his mouth.  Francesca asked him what he did for cross training (he does CrossFit) and about his tattoos.  He sports Mom and Pops on his wrists and, although we didn't get to see it, he's got Luke 1:37 on his torso.

Luke 1:37  "For nothing is impossible for God"  CEV

Imagine confidently living out that verse in daily life! 

Then it was time for pictures.........

Carson and Francesca brought Bryce a souvenir from the Field of Dreams movie site that we visited on vacation as well as a 8x10 glossy of the picture Carson took with him earlier this summer at Dave and Busters.  I think Francesca is hoping for a re-creation of this picture without mom, dad or Carson for an upcoming school formal.

And then it was time for signing things..............

 Carson got another copy of his pic with Bryce signed, his hat signed and a batting practice baseball signed!  Francesca and Carson immediately started to fight over whose room would play host to the baseball.

Francesca got her shirt signed.  By the way, everything he signed included the Luke 1:37 verse.

And then, we finally made it to the baseball game,where we watched Bryce hit a 2 run home run, doing his part to help the Nats to a 7-0 win over the Marlins.  A little visit with Taft, another photo and we had one tired boy on our hands.

He was so tired in fact, he claimed "he hadn't had any fun at the ball park",  yeah, right.... that smile and pizza sauce all over his mouth don't mean a thing.

We got the boy into bed around 11.  He still had energy enough for a few more rounds of verbal sparring with Francesca about the signed baseball as he went to bed.

For a now healthy 7 year old what could be better?  A visit with your hero and a fight with your older sister, in that order!  Shots?  What shots?

-Jennifer

4 Years Ago

It was 4 years ago, on this very day.....

Carson was diagnosed with leukemia.

It is all good news today though. 

We took lunch to the hospital staff on the hem/onc ward in celebration of the day that Carson began his HEALING.

 Carson and Miss Holly from Child Life.  She saw us all through lots of boring hospital hours!

We went to the clinic yesterday to let Dr. L confirm what we already knew.

Four years after one of the worst days of our life, Carson is thriving.  He has grown another 1/3" this past month and gained another 2 pounds.  Blood work continues to look terrific.

A new normal is setting in and life is going on.  A great, wonderful, new normal.

Thank you God!

Pancake Boy Strikes Again!

My son was not chosen for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's "Boy of the Year" campaign- he was chosen instead, as he puts it, as

"National Pancake Boy".


Could it be because he does things like this?

This picture was supposed to be a very official looking photo of some big wig from Toyota, a big wig of LLS and  the LLS Boy of the Year all presenting a check to the foundation Harper's Heroes.  The foundation that the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper founded a little while ago. 

It IS a very official looking photo.

Except for that boy in the back stalking Bryce Harper.

I'm told he was not stalking Bryce Harper.  Bryce Harper and Pancake Boy are friends it seems. 

Here is the evidence:


They play basketball together.

They walk together and, no doubt,  have deep conversations

Pancake Boy gives Bryce Harper gifts and poses for pictures.

The picture Bryce is holding is from last Halloween.

Carson went as Bryce Harper and Francesca dressed as Jayson Werth of the same team.

So, I guess it is not stalking.....and naturally, Carson is going to hang with his friends, no matter what they might be doing.


I don't think Carson will be candidate for "Boy of the Year" anytime soon.  We will settle for giving him a new title of our own choosing though

"National Pancake Boy of the Year" .....and non stalking friends with Bryce Harper.

Thanks Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Toyota, Dave and Buster's and Harper's Heroes for a great evening!

-Jennifer