A Little Thanksgiving With Your Chemo

Before our trip Ashton, Abby, and Chase all helped to put up the tree.  Ashton couldn't get the lights to work so he crawled under the tree.  Both Abby and Chase crawled under right behind him!

Abby came home from her Thanksgiving feast at school with her turkey hat on.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We usually just stay home for Thanksgiving and celebrate with Ashton's family.  This year we needed to be at PCMC the day before Thanksgiving and Ashton's whole family went to Arizona to see his brother and his new wife, Ben and Chelsea.  We were sad we didn't get to see them, but we had a lot of fun in the FREEZING cold with my family.  Since we were only 2 hours away once we finished getting Chase's chemo we decided to make the trip up to my parents house.  It was one of the coldest Thanksgivings I remember ever having.  Record lows and record highs (meaning the record low for the high...make sense??)  It felt more like Christmas than Thanksgiving, but we still had fun.

Our trip started out early on Wednesday morning.  Chase had an apt. at noon, but because of the weather we decided to push it back to later in the day and drive up that morning.  Chase's counts finally came up this week.  Well, his ANC was up a little and everything else was about the same as last week.  His weight has not changed.  He is holding steady at 16.6 kg. His ANC this week was at 900 so his dose of chemo was increased.  He has not really had too many side effects up to this point.  If he throws up it is within the 24 hours after his chemo that I can not give him meds anyway because they give him an IV anti-nausea that lasts for 24 hours.  So I didn't bring any zofran with me.  The docs said there would be a good chance we would be needing it.  Since we weren't headed home they gave me a new rx for it in case we needed to have it filled.  Not only did he not need it after the 24 hours, but he did not throw up within the 24 hours after chemo like he usually does.  This kid is amazing!!!  I don't think he felt awesome because he didn't eat much on Thanksgiving, maybe a roll, but his appetite came back the next day.   We had a great Thanksgiving and got to visit and spend some time with my brother and his cute wife.  They have the cutest little girl that is 5 months old.  She is a little chunk and you just want to squeeze her.  She weighed 18 lbs almost two months ago.  I think she is well beyond 20 by now.  She sits up on her own and is just a little ball of energy.  They were over there almost all day and I think she slept twice.  Two little 10 minute cat naps and that is all she needs.  I would go crazy if I were Lacy.  She is super mom to be able to entertain a 5 month old ALL DAY!  And sometimes all night.  She just isn't a sleeper! BUT SHE IS CUTE!!!

My mom and I were able to do a little shopping, but the highlight of the day after Thanksgiving was the Pickleville Christmas show.  I laughed so hard, but still felt the true Christmas spirit with our savior as the center of this season!  We went to the show with Hope Kids.  TJ is such a talented guy and was amazing in the show as were all the others.  I absolutely loved the bearded elf.  His beard honestly made him look like an elf.   TJ was overly willing to invite Hope Kids to come see the show.  All these sweet little kids have some sort of life threatening illness.  A lot of them never know if they will be here for another Christmas, so it is fun for them to have something to look forward to.  I am so thankful for the friends I have in my life that have supported us through all this with Chase.  TJ is no exception.  He and his wife have been so supportive!  We LOVED the show and I recommend that EVERYONE that is capable of getting up to Utah State goes to the show.  You will not regret it!!!

I got some cute pictures of the show and some of my kids (I also think they are pretty cute, but I am their mom so I am a little biased).  I have posted a link to the Pickleville website on my sidebar.  Check it out....I promise it is worth every cent.  If I lived up there I would go see it again.  I told Ashton as we were driving home that I wished we were at a movie because then I could look forward to it coming out on DVD.  AMAZING!!!

Oh, and Santa was there so the kids could tell him what they wanted.  I was so excited for this because there is a good chance this is the only time Chase gets to see him.  We are headed into a really crappy phase in a little over a week and they have told us it will more than likely knock him out.  His ANC will probably drop so low that we will not be out much.  I am not as worried about missing out on the Christmas festivities as I am that we will end up in patient at the hospital.  With his counts so low, if he gets even the slightest fever he doesn't just go to the ER for IV antibiotics, but he will be put right in the hospital for 48 hours at the least :(  Pray for no fevers!!!

I think I peed my pants during this part!!!

Garbage Man David

Tuesday is garbage day!  This is one of the highlights of Chase's week as I have said in the past.  He hears the truck and goes running out the front door.  We have talked with him and found out his name is David.  He is honestly one of the nicest guys ever!!!  He always toots his horn for Chase and has even given him a gatoraide a few times.  

Today when Chase when running out David got out of his truck and came over to talk to Chase.  He handed him a mini replica of his garbage truck.  It was so cute.  It has all the working parts and the arm that comes out to pick up the garbage cans.  Chase was in heaven!!!  He ran back inside to show Mason.  Mason was asleep in his swing but that didn't stop Chase from telling him about his new garbage truck.  

We quickly printed a picture of Chase with his truck and wrote a little thank you note.  All the garbage man wanted was a picture of Chase to hang in his truck so he could pray for Chase every day.  We quickly jumped in the car and drove around the neighborhood to find him.  Chase gave him the thank you card and David told us that he was employee of the year about three years ago and this is what he got.  The truck has been sitting on his mantle waiting for the right time.....David said this was it!!!  

There are people in this world that amaze me.  David has such a big heart and Chase can feel that!  He loves his garbage man!!!!

When I tell Chase to smile this is usually what I get.  Took a few shots to get a good one!!!

Childhood Cancer

Be prepared to cry your eyes out!  I think I cry over everything these days though!  As I watched this all I could think was how very blessed Chase has been.  Though he has been through much of what is shown in this video, we have a good prognosis and he WILL FIGHT THIS!!!
Much of the funding for cancer research does not go to childhood cancer.  These little ones deserve the best and we hope and pray every day for a cure!!!

Hospital Trophy

There is an organization called Super Sibs.  Abby is a part of it!  It is for the siblings of those with cancer and such!  She didn't have school this Monday and Tuesday and she walked with Chase and I on our daily walk to the mail.  I am so glad she was there because as I was pulling out all the mail from our long trip away she found the key to the package box.  She kept asking me if there was anything for her.  I honestly didn't think there would be but we just kept sifting through the mail.  Then we opened the package mail box to find THREE packages.  One was this trophy from super sibs.  Abby was sooo excited there was a package for her (my kids LOVE when there is mail for them).  She was on her power wheels four wheeler so she got home way faster than me carrying her package the whole way.  She had it opened before Chase and I could even get there.  She was so excited and keeps telling everyone she got a trophy from the hospital where Chase goes for being a good big sister to Chase.  I am so glad that she feels that way because she really is a GREAT big sister!!!

She got out a piece of paper and we put this picture on it. 

 She wrote on the letter:

Thank you for that chroefe.  Super sibs is the best.  Love, Abby

(she has been writing a lot lately and it is fun to decipher what it says)

Clinic 11/12/10 and Trip to Grandma and Grandpa's

We have been out of town for a while so this post will be super long.  This week for clinic Ashton was not able to go because he was in Arizona for meetings.  Since he was not going to be home we decided to go see Grandma and Grandpa up north.  Mason has not been up there yet so it was good to have him meet his great grandparents while there.  Since we were going to my mom's then my mother in law did not come with me either.  I DID NOT brave clinic with my three kids though.  My mom came down and helped me.  It was so good to have her because there is no way I could do that on my own...at least not with three kids.  Abby was excited to be able to come this time.  She learned a lot while at the hospital.  She was in the playroom with my mom the whole time we were there which was from 8:30-1:30.  She played in there for 5 hours.  She now knows more than I do about Leukemia.  The child life therapist sat down with her and taught her so much.  She had 4 dolls like Chase's that he was playing doctor with.  She drew faces on them and did different procedures on each one.  One baby was put to sleep with anesthesia and she put a port in his chest.  The other she was the nurse and gave chemo and listened to it's heart.  Another she put a cast on it.  The list of things goes on and on.  The child life told her why it is that chase is sick using marshmellows, red hots, and yellow Styrofoam peanuts.  Marshmellows=white blood cells, red hots=red blood cells, styrofoam=platelets.  She explained that white blood cells are to help us fight off germs and keep us healthy.  Chase doesn't always have a lot of these and that is why we have to be careful and wash our hands to keep him healthy.  The red blood cells give us energy so when Chase is tired that is when he has to get blood so he can have energy again.  The platelets are there to help us to stop bleeding if we get a cut, or like Chase a bloody nose.  ***Abby had told her that she knew Chase was sick because he had a bloody nose***  She told her we all get bloody noses and that doesn't mean that we have cancer.  Chase got a bloody nose that wouldn't stop bleeding because he didn't have any platelets.  She went on to break apart the marshmellows.  These are the broken white blood cells.  That is what the cancer is.  Chase's white blood cells are breaking apart and growing lots and lots of broken white blood cells.  There are so many of them that there is no room for the red blood cells or the platelets.  So we give Chase a medicine called chemo.  What the chemo does is goes in and gets rid of all those broken white blood cells so there will be room for new good ones and also for red blood cells and platelets.  

This was really good for Abby.  She always asks me why it is that Chase's blood isn't good.  It was such a good, simple way to explain what is going on with Chase.  Needless to say, Abby had a blast at the hospital.  

As for Chase, he again did great.  He is really getting the hang of the routine.  He knows what to do and I don't even really have to tell him anymore.  He walks in and runs to the toys in the waiting room.  He really never has much of a chance to sit there because they always get us right back.  He did have time to find a etch a sketch.  Of coarse he immediately said, "Toy Story 2!"  Little does he know that the etch a sketch has been around for years and Toy Story is not the creator of it!

He then goes and gets all his "numbers" as we call it.  They get his height, weight, temp., and blood pressure.  In the beginning, one of us had to hold Chase and subtract our weights.  Now he hops up there on his own.  Then he runs over to the height, and this time he jumped right up on the chair to have his blood pressure taken.  Usually I have to hold him still because he has hated this in the past.  He was so excited and was picking out which BP cuff he could use.  He stills weighs about 36 lbs.  Over diagnoses weight still....Yay!

Wht - 2.3

Hct - 33.8

Platelets - 231

ANC - 600

After he finishes his "numbers" he know right where the toys are.  They are locked in a cupboard because they are clean and can not be touched by anyone but the child that is going to play with them.  The nice lady taking the numbers always opens it for us because Chase is not patient enough to wait for the child life.  He picked out the potato heads this time.  He has never played with one before, but again....they are on Toy Story!

Our chemo was not quite ready before our RTU apt. so we headed downstairs for the sedation.  On day 31 of this phase he had to have a LP and that was today.  He did so well.  I do think he remembered the room though because the second we walked in he said, "No, a go bye bye!"  He didn't want to have a nap yet.  He was having fun playing.  So this was the longest I EVER waited for him to wake up, but the anesthesiologist warned me it would take longer.  I had told her that he wakes up so mad so she gave him a little extra "sleepy drug" when they were done.  She said it helps them to be a little happier when waking up.  When Chase was waiting to go in he was so hungry.  Again, he was fasting so no food or drink since the night before for him.  He kept asking for a white side, black side.  These are the new oreos that have a vanilla side and a chocolate side.  HE LOVES THEM!!!  The nurse went and got a black side, black side (regular oreos and thank goodness he was okay with that)....he was mad because he wanted them open NOW!  So they hurry and gave him the sleepy drug and he was off to sleep with oreos in his hand....oh wait, on the floor because he dropped them the second they gave him the drugs.  The sweet nurse put them right by his head so they would be the first thing he saw when waking up.  Okay, well he didn't "see" them because he didn't open his eyes.  He ate four oreos before he even opened his eyes.   Poor little kid was starving!!!

This is Chase while I waited and waited for him to wake up.  He was having a good nap!!!  *Notice the oreos waiting for him!

The next three pictures are Chase eating his oreos with his eyes closed.  The extra drug worked as far as keeping him happy, but we were there forever waiting.  We may try it without the extra next time and just see if he was happy because he isn't on steroids like he was last time he had an LP.

After one package of oreos we finally saw his eyes!!!  He then continued upstairs to have his chemo.  In the process he ate 12 oreos.  The nurses just kept giving them to him and saying you poor boy.  We starved you!  

After chemo we went and saw Erin.  She is the cutest little girl.  She is from Logan and has AML.  Still Leukemia, but a different type than Chase so she has to be in the hospital for 28 days, goes home for a while, then back for 28 days.  She does this for five different rounds.  So she lives at the hospital a lot!  It was good to meet her mom, who I have talked to through facebook.  She is currently in her last round of the five....YAY!!!  She is almost done!

After visiting Erin we headed to the playroom to find Grandma, Abby, and Mason.  We got outside the elevators to go down and Chase lost all 12 oreos on the ground.  I have never seen complete black throw up.  If I didn't know that he had eaten all those cookies I would have been worried.  Grandma came up to help and Chase was so proud of his throw up.  "Grandma, I throw up," as he points to the black stuff on the floor.  This was much better than cleaning up the car seat and the car.  Someone called house keeping and we left.  I need him to do that more often!  Let's continue to throw up there instead of in the car on the way home!!!

By the time we got back to where we were staying I turned around to see this!!!  Both kids OUT!  Abby's head band fell down over her face and she was about to break her neck.  We were laughing pretty hard.

So the home we used to stay in was rented out.  Some extremely nice friends who we just met (if you remember Millie from one of my last posts, it was her family) let us stay in their guest house.  Millie's grandma and grandpa have a beautiful home.  It is right smack dab in the middle of SLC in a place that looks like you are in the mountains.  The road to this place is not even big enough for two cars and there were beautiful fall leaves EVERYWHERE.  We got to the house and pulled in to see this barn (in the picture below).  The guest house is back behind the barn in the trees.  This place in on 16 acres and has so many animals that my kids were in heaven.  There were geese, ducks, chickens, ponies, bunnies, birds.....etc.   They LOVED it!  Chase didn't want to leave!  We have come to find since Chase was diagnosed how many people there are out there that are so overly willing to help!  Again, like our last house we stayed in, these people have never met us yet they opened their home to us.  We are so very blessed to have so many people wanting to help.  Thanks to the Flamm family for all that they did for us!  We appreciate it very much!!!

We stayed in SLC for two nights so that we could go with HopeKids to Megamind on Saturday.  Jordan Commons gave Hopekids two theaters that were packed full.  They also give all the kids popcorn and drinks.  My kids LOVED the show!  I will have to say it was pretty cute and we laughed a lot.  It was nice to take Chase to a movie know that everyone there knows how important it is to keep your sick kids at home.  We felt pretty safe knowing that!  After the movie we headed up to my parents house.  My kids were so excited to see grandpa and Molly (the dog).  We were able to see both of my grandparents and get some cute pictures with them and the kids.  Abby was OVERLY excited to see her cousin Halle.  She about knocked her over when she ran to hug her.  They played so good together all afternoon.  It was a good break for my mom who plays with my kids non stop while we are there.  

Mason and Grandma Ella

Abby and Halle....They were coloring and Halle ended up looking like a smurf!!

Aren't they sooo cute!

Grandpa Ed and Grandma Carolyn!

The family with Grandma Ella!

Time Change

Anyone else hate this time change? At least the time change in the spring my kids sleep in, but how to you MAKE your kids not get up.  Oh, and the one benefit that you would think is on our side.....kids going to bed early or at least not fighting to go to bed because they actually are tired.  We don't have this luxury.  Chase has been TERRIBLE going to bed at night and thinks he needs to get up at all hours of the night to see if the sun is coming up yet.  Can't even imagine what he is going to be like when we start steroids again in December.  We may become nocturnal at our house.  Good thing my always good sleeper Abby is still being a good sleeper.  Mason is screwed up beyond belief.  He had just gotten into a routine about two weeks before the time change.  I would have forced a different one, but he made his own schedule around when we had to take and pick up Abby from school, dance, soccer, etc.  So I couldn't really change it because it was around our life.  He is not conforming to the new schedule well.  Hopefully in a few more days he will know that mama is not happy with when he wants to sleep. 

BUT HOW CAN YOU GET MAD AT THESE FACES????

Congrats Brinley

Sweet little Brinley is finished with her treatment!!!  WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR HER.  Go to her blog to check out the video of her last day of treatment....beware you may cry (at least I did).  It also gives you and idea of what Chase does when we take him up to clinc.  www.sweetbrinley.com

Cancer Buddies

The bond that is instant between those that have cancer is amazing!  It is so nice to have that support from others going through the same thing.  You can vent to them and they really do understand what you are saying.  They can vent right back and it seems to make everyone feel just a little bit better.  

A while ago I posted a picture of a bunch of cute girls.  They were all cancer moms.  I was not able to go to dinner with them that night, but through our facebook group we have I have come to know some of these moms and it feels like I have known them forever.  I appreciate them letting me vent.  And I love to hear them vent because it makes me feel like my family is somewhat normal.  

One of these moms has a home here in St. George.  Their family and one other came down for a weekend away from Salt Lake.  They were able to come to Chase's fundraiser, which means a lot to us that they would take time out of their vacation to come and support Chase and our family.  I have been talking to them on facebook for a few months now.  I was so excited to see them and meet their cute families.  

We chatted at the fundraiser and then you know the guys get talking about all the football games on that day.  And boys will be boys....they just so happened to not get tv at the house they were at so we had them over to our house.  You can't go on vacation and miss ANY football games.  Well, that is what my husband would say at least.  So they came over for dinner and the game.  The kids played so well together.  It is amazing to watch kids and how nothing matters.  They can play like they have known each other forever.  Millie and Cami were darling.  Abby was so excited to have some girls to play with and Chase thought it was pretty cool to have visitors.  He wanted to show them the toys upstairs.  Cami found the weebles and asked me, "are these weebles?"  I told her they sure were.  She then pushed one over to knock it down and then said, "they are right!!!  Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!"  I was loving it....kids say the funniest things!

We were able to borrow a bounce house from our awesome friends.  We have actually had a couple neighbors let us borrow their bounce house.  The first is small enough to fit upstairs so with all the rain Chase had a way to release some energy.  Since the weather was so good this weekend we got the one that is for outside.  The kids had a blast.  They were at one point kitties and I had to buy them from the store.  Their names were Rainbow, Twinkle, and Sparkle.  Chase always wants his name to be Chase.  The girls came with their dads so they wouldn't miss kick off because you know that is very important.  The moms came later when their little ones woke up from naps.  Once they got here Chase was glued to Caden who is Cami's little brother.  He just turned two and they had a great time together.  At one point I could hear a funny noise and realized they had turned on the water outside.  I went out to find them playing in the water that was spraying out of the side of the house.  It was great.  

It was so nice to get to know these two amazing families that have been through so much.  Although we all have a Leukemia child, every situation is so different.  We all have our challenges and our strengths.  But we are learning from each other and I don't know what I would do without these girls.  Thanks for the visit guys!!!  You are welcome to come anytime. We had a blast!

This is Cami.  She is giving the Weebles the wobble test!

The girls can't play together unless they are all dressed up!

I told them to say cheese and Millie said, "We like to say...bald heads!"  How cute is she!  Very proud of the bald heads.  Although Millie is in maint. now and her hair is growing back.  How cute is her little pixie cut???  I love it!!!

Aren't they silly?

Loving the bounce house!

The cutest girls EVER!

Our Cancer Fighting Cuties!!!

I was feeding Mason after they left.  It was about 6 pm and I watched Chase sit on the couch and fall asleep sitting straight up.  I wished I wasn't feeding Mason because I didn't get a picture of him sitting up asleep.  By the time I got done then he had laid down.  He was worn out....lots of playing will do that to you.