Oncology News...

I had my latest Oncology visit on Wednesday (9/23). I'd just had my PET scan the week before and it was time for my results. As we turned into the complex that the office is in, I couldnt stop the tears. I told myself I wouldnt cry and honestly, I hadnt cried arriving at the office since the first few times going there. I was just SO nervous.

Anyway, it was early and I knew I wouldnt have to wait long to see the doctor because the day hadnt picked up yet, but it felt like I waited an eternity (I didnt - maybe half an hour). I played with Caleb and let B make me laugh to stay calm - then the door swung open and there he was! I ♥ my doctor, he's so genuine and pretty funny too. There's good and not so good news.

The good news - excellent bloodwork and NO new enlarged nodes. Even a few that are smaller.

The not so good news - Some of my residual nodes in my chest and neck show some activity and have enlarged a bit.

Since Im feeling good, and my bloodwork was perfect, my doctor is not ready to say there is a problem. He is concerned, however, and I have to be watched closely. The enlarged nodes could be from anything - an infection etc, BUT, it could be early recurrence. I had an enormous amount of disease before, so a recurrence is a definite possibility. I hope thats not the case but we will see. I WILL fight again if I have to. :)

a little crafty...

I made Savannah a lil bum cushion for her classroom desk. The kids have old fashioned desks... wooden and metal with a very uncomfy seat. We'd bought Ethan a set of cushions for his classroom and he offered Savannah one, but of course, they werent yellow so she wouldnt take one.

In Walmart I found some yellow seat cushions for $15.00 EACH!! I wouldnt buy one! Instead I devised a brilliant plan to make her one and bought a three dollar place mat instead. Yellow, of course!

I had stuffing, ribbons and thread at home. Also, a rarely touched sewing machine. Generally if I want to sew something I just whip out the needle and thread and do it by hand, but this time I was brave. I wish I hadnt been.

It took me and B, a book of directions and multiple youtube vidoes to even set the darn thing up. It was horribly hard and took the better part of an hour, Im sure. It was even WORSE to use! I hated it, everything about it, but after a large crying jag, darn near sewing my finger to the cushion and three extra strength motrin later, I emerged victorius!

It isnt exactly pretty, but it does the job, its YELLOW and Savannah loves it.



And then... she totally left it home this morning. Siiiiiiiiiiigh.

Bedtime Passes

To get back into the school rountine (and to keep a certain 8 year old and 5 year, both of whom shall remain nameless, IN BED) I made the kids some "bedtime passes". The kids have an hour each night before bed to settle down... to get their pjs on, to brush their teeth, have a vitamin, get a drink and to get any little last minute random things done so that they are actually IN BED at bedtime. This has been a smallish problem for us lately.. someone NEEDS to tell me something three times, someone forgot their allergy pill, someone might have heard another someone get out of bed, etc... you get the picture. So, along with getting back into school bedtime routines, I wanted to curb this smallish problem and came up with the idea of the bedtime pass!

Each child has their very own pass. Its good for ONE use per night. That means the kids can get out of bed one free time and thats it (and they must hand over the pass). I like this because they have to really think about getting up... if this "problem" is big enough to waste their one chance on. Of course, this does not apply to emergencies. We've been using the passes for about a week and its worked wonders! The passes have been used a few times, but not all of the kids have used them. They are all very excited to have their passes as well and ask for them as bedtime nears each night! They turn them in to me in the morning if they werent used the night before. Cool concept, me thinks!





PS - I didnt make one for Caleb because he cant walk yet. And he sleeps "behind bars". And he's just a baby.

Ethan's Surgery

Ethan has been seeing a Urologist since he was inutero! With our 5th month ultrasound an abnormality was detected in Ethan's left kidney. We spent a few harrowing weeks not knowing if he would be ok, if his kidneys would function, if he's have to be born early or even if he would have to be born far away in a hospital with a NICU. We werent even positive that he could live with his condition. It was certainly a scary and agonizing time in our lives. Eventually I saw maternal fetal specialists and we learned that he would be ok.. but it took several more visits to determine that he could infact be born when and where ever he wanted to be. We met with with his urologist before he was born and were instructed to call when he was born to get him seen right away!

Ethan's first appointment after his birth was when he was one week old. His official dianosis was a Congenital Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJ) and hydronephrosis. That means he has a blockage that obstructs the flow or urine and a dilated (stretched out) kidney. Luckily his kidney has always maintained function, but he's had multiple surgeries to correct the issue - the first at two months old!

His seventh surgery just took place a few days ago on August 18. This was a minor surgical procedure but it did require general anesthesia. He had a stint placed inside his body that runs from his bladder, up his ureter into the left kidney. We will see if this combats the pain he has been having and if it does, we know that another major surgery is in the imminent future.

Getting his surgery pjs on... (come on Mom, put the camera awaaay!



Being brave AND silly before surgery... with Mojo!



Waking up after surgery... he was freezing and totally bundled up.. even his head!


Ethan feels fine and is almost completely back to normal after his surgery. We have a follow up in a month and expect things to be completely normal (for him).

Crayola Giveaway

Check out this link for a super cool Crayola giveaway!

Brotherly Love...

I ♥ these pictures of Ethan & Caleb





They were taken at the Childrens Hospital a few days ago when Ethan had his annual Urology appointment.

Creating a Masterpiece!

Maybe I should call this entry "Labor of Love".

Ethan and Hannah have a combined birthday party every year because the b-days are only a week apart. Hannah orginally wanted an Ipod cake, but soon changed her mind once she discovered that we had a Marvin the Martian cake pan under the counter. I was actually excited to begin the task... baking the cake was easy enough.


First, I iced the parts of the cake that required smooth icing and then I did the black outlines. Still not too bad...


Next I colored his face and added the eyes. Ok, ok.. I got this..


Then the real fun began... I was icing the white hands and my icing bag exploded! Yup, white icing all over Marvin's BLACK face! Panic sets in...


I scooped it all off the best I could and continued although Marvin's face had taken on a silvery sheen. Id also made a boo-boo on one of his shoes.


After several hours, blood, sweat, tears, a necessary but NON working tip and a few near meltdowns I finished the cake. Not at all perfect or what Id hoped it would be, but the kids told me it was AWESOME and they loved it... and my thoughts of never evvvvver decorating another cake were gone. :)


This is all that was left after the party:

and it was promptly finished off after breakfast this morning!