Thursday, September 30, 2010

Dinner with friends… Day 686 30SEP10

A rather normal morning for the boys filled with school work. Joshua is doing okay managing the monster this week with just a few breakdowns here and there. While I was at work Renee called to say that we were going to have guests for dinner. Ania, Lucas, and Wojtek were coming over to hang out and have some food. Renee had picked up some delicious kielbasa at the meat market and Ania always brings something yummy over. I got home as quick as I could figuring I would get a great supper. I was right. The food was delicious with all kinds of different treats to eat. There was home baked bread, falafel, kielbasa, veggies, perogies filled with blueberries, the list goes on. It was wonderful eating. We had a lot of fun talking and being with our friends while the boys played all over the house. Definitely a treat for a Thursday night. After they left to go home the boys settled in for a movie while Renee and I got everything cleaned up and relaxed for a bit.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Fun in the sun… Day 685 29SEP10

Joshua had a quiet morning and was out with Renee at a doctor's appointment when I left for work. After lunch Renee and the boy's headed over to Joshua's friend Carly's house for a little fun in the sun. I was told when I got home that they had a wonderful time and got to play in the pool. Joshua also told me in great detail about the new bird that they got named Sky who is very tame and will walk up your arm and sit on your shoulder. He was pretty impressed with bird and how it would ride around on their heads and drink little drops of water off of their skin. The rest of the short evening I got to spend with the kids was quiet and uneventful. Tomorrow it is back to the normal routine of school, work, etc…

Back to normal?… Day 684 28SEP10

Today was day 2 of steroids for the week and so far our least favorite monster has stayed on holiday. Joshua managed to get a little school work done this morning with a minimal amount of coercion. After lunch we headed into town for a visit to the Children's Cancer Center. Renee, Joshua and I had a nice talk with Ms. Leeann who is helping us figure out why Joshua had such an aversion to returning to school. Afterwards they headed for home and I pressed on to work. Luckily I managed to get home earlier than usual and had a chance to spend a little time with every one before bedtime rolled around. Tomorrow is more of the same with school in the morning and then a play date for Joshua in the afternoon.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Full service… Day 683 27SEP10

Joshua got the full service option this morning starting with an early departure for clinic. First things first he got his port accessed and blood drawn for labs followed by results, which were good, and then his vincristine. This was followed by a short wait for respiratory to come and do his pentamadine treatment followed by another short wait for orders before setting off for the day hospital. He managed to work a little play time in between all of this as well. Not long after getting settled into his treatment room Jarrod and I arrived to hang out for a bit. Dr. Wynn and anesthesia arrived and we got under way. It amazes, and frankly frightens me, how normal all of this kind of stuff has become, just another day at the office and all that. I truly can't really remember what it felt like before anymore. Like way too many times before we trudged out as soon as he was asleep and headed off  to the waiting room for our short respite while Joshua got his LP and his IT methotrexate. The doctor came out a few minutes later and we went in to begin the "you can't get up yet" vigil at his bedside. He woke up after only about 25 minutes and was at least co-operative in not trying to move right away. After his short rest he got unhooked from al the gadgetry and we headed for home with Joshua insisting on a stop at McDonalds to break his overnight fast. The rest of the day went okay, not great, just okay. He was rather tired and a bit hard to handle a few times. We also get to start our favorite today… Prednisone is back in the house. So now follows five fun filled days of steroids induced stuff and such. I am hoping for relatively calm waters without any sudden squalls that blow up out of nowhere. We shall see…

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Paging the Tooth Fairy… Day 682 26SEP10

We had a pretty normal and rather quiet day today. The kids played outside for a bit and rode their bikes up to the park. When they returned they took a quick dip in the pool across the street before coming in for the evening. We all had a bite of dinner and then decided to watch a few episodes of one of our favorite shows. As we were getting the kids ready for bed Joshua decided to let one of his teeth fall out. We had just been talking about which teeth were loose in preparation for the question we always get asked before he gets anesthesia, which he will tomorrow and he calls out from the bathroom that his tooth came out while he was brushing. I guess it is a moot point now.

In the morning we start another round of maintenance which means a trip to the clinic for labs and to get his port accessed. Vincristine injected into his port and then a trip over to the day hospital for an LP. So in the morning we will do our normal procedure, Renee and Joshua will leave early to get started while Jarrod and I stay behind or a bit to get his school work taken care of before we head off to the hospital. Like every time we hope that it all goes according to plan and the we are on our way home in the early afternoon.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

One in a million… Day 681 25SEP10

Today marks an amazing milestone in our cancer journey. As of this afternoon we have officially passed the one million dollar mark for Joshua's treatment so far. That's right $1,000,000. That works out to $1506 per day for the last 680 days. Flabbergasting isn't it. 

Today was a crazy hectic fun filled day with tons of family and noise in our house. My dad showed up right before lunch time to visit for a while. He brought us a bunch of lovely produce to eat as well. Soon thereafter Christian showed up with Brandon who is in town for the weekend. It was a real treat to be able to spend some time with both of my older boys at the same time. We miss Brandon a lot and always look forward to his visiting. Jamie and Allie showed up next but Allie was covered with little red spots and we were all pretty sure it was chicken pox. So Jamie scooted her off home without even coming in the house. Thankfully it looks like it was an allergic reaction to some sunscreen that she had rubbed on a bit earlier in the day. She and Christian will keep an eye on her for the next few days just to be certain.

Renee left right after that to head over to her brother's house to celebrate his 40th. We were all supposed to go and the kids were going to be watched by our older ones but with Jamie having to leave and all I volunteered to stay at home. Cameron and Jayden showed up a bit later to spend the evening whilst Jim and Sally attended the festivities. So I had a wonderful evening hanging out with all the kids. They were loads of fun and all behaved very well. We played some games, ate a bite, watched a little TV, etc…

Renee had a good time and came back smiling and rather tired. Jim and Sally arrived a little later and it didn't take much coercion to get the kids headed towards their respective beds for a good nights rest. So tomorrow, I imagine, we will rest a bit and try and catch up on the things we put off today.

Friday, September 24, 2010

School/rest day… Day 680 24SEP10

Joshua didn't have his greatest school day today. Not good with Renee, and not good with his teacher who came today. We are hoping that this improves next week. The rest of his day was spent mostly laying about and resting. We have a busy weekend ahead with lots of visitors so we all kind of took it easy this evening in preparation. In the morning we will try and get the house and yard in order before all the fun starts. Stay tuned for updates :)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Guest speaker… Day 679 23SEP10

Joshua started off the day with a little school work before setting off for a play date with Wojtek. THey had a fun afternoon and I am told Joshua had a great time. Jarrod meanwhile had left during the morning to spend the day with Renee's dad. After the play date Renee and Joshua headed over to the Tampa Tribune to be a part of the LLS Guest Speaker event to help thank people for fund raising for research. The main mission of the LLS is to fund research into a cure for all  blood cancers and they do it wonderfully. Renee got up and gave a speech about the importance of research and how it has already helped significantly raise the survival rates for blood cancers but has also helped develop the treatments that Joshua now gets. I am sure she did a fine job. Joshua was the evening's Honored Hero and I feel certain he helped to put a face to the beneficiaries of their fund raising efforts.

We all gathered at home after that for a late diner and a little family time before everyone turned in.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ouch… Day 678 22SEP10

This morning while Renee was out running some errands the boys were doing their school work when all of a sudden a little finch hit the sliding glass door at full throttle. I saw it happen and he dropped like a stone onto the door mat and quit moving. Joshua immediately ran over and sat down on the other side of the glass and watched the bird. He wanted to know if we could help it. I feared that the poor little guy had broken his neck but he slowly began to recover. First he moved his right wing a bit and then eventually opened up one eye. A little bit later he started moving his head around and then the other wing started to move. It took almost 30 minutes before he jumped up and flew off apparently no worse for wear. Joshua just sat and watched over him until he was sure he was going to be all right.

His teacher arrived a bit later and he started working with her as I was leaving to go teach. He is still having a hard staying focused for more than a short time. The chemo seems to really be affecting him right now. Hard to say how long it will last but we hope it is short lived.

During one of those un-focused periods Joshua and his brother disappeared to the back of the house before re-emerging.

Can anybody say Mardi Gras?

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tuesdays can be a little blurry… Day 677 21SEP10


Tuesday's can be a little blurry for Joshua thanks to the methotrexate he takes on Monday. It makes it hard for him to focus for more than an half an hour or so. Which definitely makes getting school work done a little challenging. We did, at his request, log our first little bit of hammock time today. 


The weather was pretty good and their was a nice breeze blowing. It was great to finally be able to pull out the hammock after its long sumer rest. 

After lunch we headed into the Children's Cancer Center for tutoring. Joshua did okay for a little while and then totally lost focus so we called it a day. Renee and the kids headed home, I went off to work for a bit. 

Monday, September 20, 2010

Normal Monday… Day 676 20SEP10

After our great weekend we crashed headlong into a normal week this morning. Joshua left early for clinic while Jarrod and I navigated the world of algebra. Amazing that how after several years of maths in high school and then again in college that you can utterly forget everything that you ever learned :) Jarrod thankfully does quite well at math and just needs a little help from time to time. It could get pretty ugly otherwise.

Joshua's counts are in the green at 1540 although his platelets have dropped to 168 which is the lowest they have been in quite some time. The Doctor didn't think it was anything to be worried about so we will leave it at that until next week. Joshua had time with his teacher this afternoon and managed to get a little work done before having a bit of trouble staying focused. 

Before settling in for the evening we got a little frisbee and hockey playing in outside. The weather is starting to get closer to being right and we all feel autumn's slow approach. Playing with the boys is loads of fun and great exercise for us all. 

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Fort Desoto… Day 675 19SEP10


Today was another great family day. The kids and Renee got up early and headed off to church. As soon as they returned we got ready to go to the beach and celebrate Miss Avery's birthday. Her b-day is actually the 22nd but thats in the middle of the week which is no fun. We got our gear together and piled into the cars for the ride over to Fort Desoto. The kids had a blast playing around all over the old fort and Avery figured out a new and unique way to view the scenery.











Afterwards we headed down to the beach for some playtime in the water and a great picnic lunch that Renee's mom had put together. More frolicking in the water followed before we loaded everybody back into the cars for the ride home. After a round of quick showers we headed over to Renee's parents for some dessert and a proper singing of Happy Birthday. The kids all had a great day hanging out together and I am sure they will not have any trouble closing their eyes tonight when bedtime comes.

It was a wonderful day and although we are all pretty tired from all of the events this weekend it is a good tired that comes from spending time with special people while doing fun things.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Candle light and Harley's… Day 674 18SEP10

Today was a great family day. Joshua and I woke up early when Taylor and Avery came to visit. Avery was getting ready to celebrate her upcoming birthday and her and her mommy were headed off to a wonderful day of shopping, bears, and Tea Houses.

 Taylor decided early that he would rather hang with his cousins. Do you blame him? When Lee and Jarrod woke up we got the boys ready and headed over to Mira Bay pool.  Thanks to our wonderful friends, The Harris', we had a great morning swimming and sliding down their awesome pool slide. 

After that we went home to grab some lunch and rest up for our evening out. The Children's Cancer Center was involved in the Bike & Poker Night up at the Shoppes of Wiregrass. There were lots of motorcycles for daddy to drool over and even a simulation game that helped teach new riders. It was sponsored by Ride Safe from Clearwater and I actually took a spin on it. Surprisingly I did very well. Jarrod and Joshua also had a go and did a great job too. Lee didn't try it our but maybe the boys have the riding gene from me? 


Joshua's friend James Taylor Curtis was playing as well. He and the Silver Eagle Band are a wonderful group of guys. Joshua was once again asked up on stage with the guys and help pass out candles for the memorial service which was held at the end of the evening for all those who have passed away from cancer. James introduced Joshua as a cancer survivor and you could hear the crowd sigh. It touches my heart to hear the people care so much for one little boy. The next thing we knew Joshua was surrounded by people and selling candles like crazy! As Kristen said to me, "Who can resist him?" She's right! 

On  side note, I would like to invite everyone to visit the bands website at www.JTCurtis.com  James recently recorded a song titled "Hush". All the proceeds from this song are going to the Children's Cancer Center. This organization means so much to Lee and I. They have helped us in so many ways and they are always there when we need them.   Also, I know we should have talked about this in the beginning but September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please spread the word and make a donation or volunteer to any organization that helps children with cancer. There are so many out there! 

Thank you to all that keep a constant vigil on Joshua and our family. You inspire us everyday knowing that you are out there and you care. We know not everyone posts but believe me when I tell you that we can feel the love that is sent our way. 

Friday, September 17, 2010

IVIG again… Day 673 17SEP10

Today was another IVIG infusion for Joshua. He got started this morning right after he woke up and finished early afternoon after school. He also got a visit from his teacher and got some school work done. Once again he did great with the IVIG and had no ill effects from the transfusion.  He actually had a pretty good afternoon playing a game on the xbox and resting.

Jarrod left this morning with me and I dropped him off for a day at my dad's. They got his gutters cleaned out and did a bunch of yard work before taking a dip in the pool next door. I picked him up after work and we headed home for movie night courtesy of Joshua. He had picked out a movie at the video store for us to watch together. So we all cuddled up on the couch, well except for Jarrod who is now to "big" to cuddle, and ended the week with a fun flick. We have several fun things on tap for this weekend, details to follow.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

CCC Night… Day 672 16SEP10

Tonight was our bi-weekly meeting at the Children's Cancer Center. It is something I always look forward to and am very disconsolate if I can't attend. Being around the small group of people there and hearing and sharing our stories and experiences is as much comforting as it is saddening. But it is vitally important to all of us. Tonight we got to add two more families to our fold and hear that one of our own, a precious little girl, now cannot walk because of the side effects of chemo drugs we all give to our children. We are stronger though because we are not alone in the wilderness of cancer.

On a much happier note: Joshua had a really fun time with Jamie, Christian, and Allie. He did all of the things one should do when spending the night at ones older brother's house and although he only got five and a half hours sleep he came home with a big smile and played vigorously with his buddies tonight. It is definitely great to be a kid.

Jarod took a few pictures of his LED strips in action. He strategically placed them to light up some of his favorite items on his shelves.




Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Night away… Day 671 15SEP10

Joshua had school this morning with his teacher and did okay. He seemed to be having a little trouble staying focused. He was probably thinking about the fact that he was going over to spend the night at Jamie and Christian's all by himself. No big brother this time. I am sure he will have a great time and have loads of fun playing with Miss Allie. I'll let you know what he say tomorrow night when I see him again.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Perogies make a comeback… Day 670 14SEP10

With the question of Joshua's counts answered for the week today was a back to a normal routine kind of day. Joshua and Jarrod both worked on school work this morning until Ania and Wojtek arrived for a play date at which point the school work quickly got left behind. While the kids played Renee and Ania took over the kitchen and made up a huge batch of perogies from scratch. They turned out marvelous and boy do they taste good. We all had a few for dinner and I imagine Ania did to. It was a nice afternoon of children playing and adults hanging out enjoying each others company. 

After they left the boys jumped back on the school stuff and got done in time to head out to play for a good while this evening. We even managed to get a bit of hockey playing in as the temperature was down to a place where we could survive outside for a while. I hope that the drop in the temps signals the coming of autumn and that we are finally heading out of the doldrums of summer. I guess we will get the answer in the next few weeks. In the meantime we will take advantage of days like this one and enjoy being outside for a bit.

As promised here are a few pictures of the neat piece of kit that Jarrod and I built yesterday to power some LED strips. He hung the strips up in his room later in the day and they look pretty impressive with the lights out.



Monday, September 13, 2010

Clinic and birds… Day 669 13SEP10


Joshua headed off to clinic this morning for his usual Monday finger stick and labs. His numbers came back just fine with his ANC a little over 2000 and everything else lined up nicely. After leaving clinic he an Renee stopped by the place where George works to pick up a present that he had for Joshua. It was  a very cool model of a Corvette. While they were there he asked Joshua is he wanted to come over to his house real quick and meet his birds Mariner and Remington. Joshua said they were really smart and very cool. He really enjoyed the visit and brought home two gorgeous feathers that the birds donated. The rest of the day was much less exciting with his teacher arriving soon after he got home and homework after. 

Jarrod went to see the pediatrician and found out that his throat is fine. He just has a canker sore in the back of his throat which will be gone in no time. While he was there she gave him a flu shot to help keep him well this autumn. So other than his arm being a little sore he returned no worse for wear. The rest of his day was consumed with his history lessons. We did get to spend a little time tinkering and made a neat LED power supply for his room out of old bits and an Altoids tin. He got a chance to try his hand at soldering and did quite well. He was very pleased with the results and i will try and get a few pictures of it in operation.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Corvette Summer… Day 668 12SEP10


Joshua had a rather exciting and special afternoon today. We received a visit from our good friend George and he came to visit in his very beautiful blue Corvette. Joshua was really keen to get a ride so George and he took off into the afternoon sun for a little jaunt. Over an hour later they turned back up with a wonderful story of traveling around the area with Joshua acting as tour guide. We even got a phone call from Renee's dad who spotted Joshua riding around in the Vette. He had a great time and George even left him with a cool Corvette hat to wear. Renee and I were both secretly jealous ;)

A little later we got another special visit from our very own Miss Allie and her folks along with Jamie's brother Matt. They were taking Matt back to her parent's house and stopped in for a little visit. Allie was totally mesmerized by Joshua's bravery beads and had quite a lot of fun trying to figure out if she could pull them apart or not. Two days with Allie back to back is a special treat for us. She spent a good portion of her time walking back and forwards across the floor. Amazing how fast children master such complex skills.

In the morning we grind back into the daily routine of clinic Monday and school. Jarrod is still having a bit of trouble with his throat so we are going to get him in to see the pediatrician tomorrow. Joshua is just due for a finger stick and labs plus normal chemo at home. His teacher is also coming in the afternoon so we have got to get him back and ready for school. Should prove to be a busy day.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Allie's first birthday… Day 667 11SEP10



Today we all gathered at Christian and Jamie's new house to celebrate a whole year of having the wonderful Miss Allie in our lives. That's right, although it feels as if only several weeks have passed since she became a part of our family it has in fact been a year. The party was a lot of fun and the house was filed with children and adults all there to wish her a Happy Birthday. She truly enjoyed her first cake and opening presents was fun to watch. We were all pretty tuckered out by the time we managed to get back home so we all laid about and took little naps before dinner time set in. All in all it was a great day and we are so lucky to have our little Miss Allie!





Friday, September 10, 2010

Waffles are yummy… Day 665+1 (do the math :o) 10SEP10

Jarrod and Joshua got up and left rather early with Pa to go along on an appraisal he had to do in Lakeland while Renee and I went to meet with the Dr. that has been testing Joshua's neurological functioning among other things. The meeting went well and we gained a valuable insight into where Joshua is currently and how we can help him start catching up. While we were doing this the boys were enjoying a nice breakfast at Uncle Scott's restaurant which makes particularly yummy waffles. When the meeting was over Renee headed home to get the boys and I ran off to work. Joshua had school this afternoon with his teacher and did very well. He continued to work on stuff this evening after I got home which is great. The balance of the evening was a typical night at home for us which is a fine way to end the week.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Much improved… Day 665 09SEP10

Jarrod is much improved today and woke up fever free and feeling much more chipper. After a shower and a little breakfast he was officially ready to rejoin the human race. I don't know what he was fighting off but I do know that none of us want anything to do with it. Joshua had, according to him, a normal day filled with school work, playing, and watching tv. Grandma Peters came over late this morning to keep an eye on the kids while Renee was at an appointment and I had to be at work. Joshua asked for and received a spiffy haircut and got in a little scrabble playing as well. Tomorrow I imagine will be more of the same.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Sick brother… Day 664 08SEP10

Joshua is doing good today, Jarrod on the other hand woke up with a fever and has been running a fever all day. Renee immediately donned her protective gear and began vaporizing germs all over the house. She even sanitized the ice dispenser in the fridge. We resisted the urge to put plastic over Jarrod's door and seal him in for  few days and instead gave him some fluids and medicine. It is, we have discovered, hard to handle a "normal" child when they are sick. All kinds of alarm bells are going off and then we realize that Jarrod is going to be fine. No rushed departure for the hospital needed. Funny how you get used to doing things so differently. He was still running a fever late tonight so we will check in on him frequently and see how he is doing in the morning. Our biggest concern, of course, is that Joshua might catch whatever bug Jarod is incubating. We will keep diligently sanitizing and resist the urge to take all fabric items out in the yard and set them ablaze. Hard surfaces are so much easier to sanitize.

Joshua met with his teacher today and had a good day doing school work which is encouraging. We still have a long way to go to get him re-integrated into school but even small steps are moving forward.

Clinic and tutoring… Day 663 07SEP10

Joshua had clinic this afternoon and his ANC, thanks to the ever popular steroids, has skyrocketed up to 4100. Everything else looks good and he is back on full chemo, with a few adjustments, starting tonight. It is hard to be excited about chemo but it is better than him being without it for any longer. What a messed up world the cancer world is. After clinic Renee and Joshua headed over to the Children's Cancer Center for tutoring. Jarrod and I stayed home for the afternoon and did school work until it was time for me to head in to class. I dropped him off at the CCC and spent a little time with Renee and Joshua before we headed off in opposite directions for the evening.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Labor day… Day 662 06SEP10

For a day named after hard work we sure didn't do much labor. Jarrod did a bit of MindStorm building while Joshua played with DJ. The boys played outside for a bit in the heat and then again later with me after it cooled down a tad. We managed to get a little hockey in which we haven't done for quite a while. After dinner it was a bit of television and then off to bed. Joshua has a busy afternoon tomorrow with clinic and then tutoring after while Jarrod has school work to get done.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Restful day… Day 661 05SEP10

Today was a restful day for all of us. I think the stress of the last week finally subdued us all and we really didn't do much of anything today. The boys played quietly most of the day while Renee and I puttered about doing the odd chore. Joshua seems to be much improved today, maybe he was just tired and feeling a bit under yesterday. I made pork chops for dinner and he devoured one, half of another, and then asked if there were any more. I love it when he gets hungry for a change. Feeding a child with cancer is a struggle every single day, especially trying to get anything resembling a balanced diet in them. I am always happy when he eats and enjoys his food, it makes cooking even more enjoyable:) Tomorrow is, of course, a holiday so we will not be doing our normal clinic run and will have to wait till Tuesday to get a feel for how his counts are fairing.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Off day… Day 660 04SEP10

Joshua had a slightly off day. He just didn't seem to be up to snuff all day. His stomach was giving him a little trouble but nothing major. He felt warm several times to either Renee or I but the thermometer gave a normal reading. His color looked a bit pale to me and he was just full of sighs. Taylor came over this afternoon to play for a while and Joshua kept up for a bit but then got rather tired and laid back the rest of the time. Not sure if anything is really wrong but then again not sure that there isn't something going on.

Poor Miss Allie has not been feeling well at all. She has been rather under the weather for the last day or so and was running a fever and generally feeling miserable this evening when we spoke to Jamie. Here's hoping for a short bout of whatever is ailing her and a quick return to normal.

Our evening was rather quiet with a bite of dinner and then all of us watching a bit of television together before the kids headed off to recharge their batteries. We will wait and see what tomorrow brings us.

Friday, September 3, 2010

School day… Day 659 03SEP10

Today was Joshua's first meeting at home with his teacher Miss McDonald who was his teacher last summer. He did really well with all of his schoolwork and got started on his homework as soon as she left. We will take him going to school anywhere we can at this point. Hi stomach has ben bugging him today and he took two rounds of Zofran to settle it down. Renee thinks it is because he just restarted chemo after two weeks off and I agree with her. This afternoon he went over to Renee's parent's house and got a little sailing practice in. It has been a long time since he has been able to take the pram out and it was a wonderful evening for him to be on the water.


The boys are spending the night so Renee and I got a little time alone this evening. This has been a particularly stressful week so we had a nice dinner that she cooked up and then watched a funny zombie movie which had us both laughing. It was a nice ending to an otherwise not so good day.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Busy day take 2… Day 658 02SEP10

Joshua had another busy activity filled day. He started off with a play date over at Wojtek's house this morning. They still had left over fun to get out of their systems from yesterday. Next stop was USF for some neurological testing that he has been getting to help us assess the effects that the chemo have had on him so far. We should have results in a week or so which will help us plan his school and other learning activities. The bright spot of our day came next when Renee receved a call from the clinic with Joshua's lab results.

All clear!

With a sigh we put those fears to bed and immediately wonder what else could be affecting his counts lately. It never ends…

Lastly we had dinner at the Children's Cancer Center with our cancer family. It was, as always, a fun evening with good friends.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Busy day… Day 657 01SEP10


Joshua had a pretty good but busy day. He started off with a play date with Wojtek who came over to play for a while. I had to leave for school so after he arrived but they were having a whole lot of fun already. Joshua's hip is feeling much better and he is acting perfectly normal. This evening we had a dinner party at LLS's headquarters to honor all the teachers who did the pennies for pasta program this past year. joshua and Madison were in attendance as the boy and girl of the year and they both looked great in their sashes greeting people as they came in. They also made sure everyone got a raffle ticket and knew where to go. Dinner was nice and it was all I could stay for as I had sneaked over in between classes t spend a little time with Renee and the kids. The rest of the evening was a lot of fun according to them and they stayed late to help put everything away afterwards. We might have results for Joshua's bone marrow tomorrow but kind of doubt it. More likely we will get results Friday so we will bide our time until then.