History

Journal History

Monday, July 11, 2005 9:14 AM CDT

Hello Everyone!

I guess this has turned into an ANNUAL update, by the looks of it. We've all been staying so busy....Van with work in AL, FL, GA; Me with work from home still (graphic design) and a second job I've taken working for a commercial artist, Colin just finished up 9-yr old All-Star baseball, Matthew was the official team bat boy. We finally got to enjoy some time away (All-stars has kept us home so far). Van and I took the boys down to the Gainsville area for some summer fun (springs, scalloping, etc.) with some good friends of ours. Hurricane Dennis cut us a little short, so we went to Atlanta for a Braves game. The boys enjoyed the week.

Matthew has been doing great! He just went in last month for his 5 years in remission check up. Everything was perfectly normal....thank you, Lord! He starts 2nd grade in a few weeks. He's still probably the shortest kid in his class, but he probably has the most personality and attitude to compensate. He's a trip and we're all interested to see what he grows up to be one day....he wanted to be President of the United States until we explained to him about the "balance of powers" with Congress. That deflated him a little. Now I think he's aiming for world leader, something with a little more absolute power. ha! ha! We'll see.

The remnants of Hurricane Dennis are blowing outside right now. Not much more than rain and gusts of wind. Guess it gave me a chance to stop by and update this site. Matthew said "thanks" for all of the birthday wishes. He turned 7 in May. I can't believe the years have passed so quickly, but this is exactly where we wanted to be. Thanks for checking on us. Maybe I'll get another update in before next year!!

Jenn, Van, Colin, & Matthew Myers

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 11:54 AM CST

WOW!!! Okay, for all of you who have checked on us and haven't gotten any news....no news HAS been good news! We are all doing GREAT!! I can't believe this month will be Matthew's last month of "every other month" visits. After his checkup next week, Matthew won't be due back to Clinic 5 for six months! Thank you Jesus! We still don't take any day for granted, as I'm sure all of you "cancer" parents will attest to. We know where we've been, and we know what God has brought us through, and we won't be forgetting it any time soon. To forget would be an injustice to all of our dear, sweet friends who lost their battles. Matthew lives in their honor. Every smile, every laugh, every tear reminds me of little friends who look down from above. We will never forget any of you! In the meantime, we'll be looking forward to the day we will see you again and celebrate together.
On to the update....Matthew is dong wonderful. He is in First Grade at Moody Elementary School and so far has made straight A's. He's a little smartpants, in more ways than one! He is still full of confidence, but he has definitely developed a sweeter, compassionate, spiritual side. He and his big brother, Colin, are at the end of football season. Matthew, despite being the shortest kid on the team of kindergarteners and first graders, makes a mean lineman. He seems to enjoy puttin' on the pads and hittin' people. Right up his alley. His and Colin's team are both in the playoffs, so we'll see how they do.
Physically, Matthew is doing fine. I haven't noticed any late effects from treatment, although I've heard many parents say they can come on a few years after treatment. We will try to stay optimistic that he is as "normal" as God intended for him to be....whatever that is! His teacher loves him for his outgoing personality. He is our resident authority on EVERYTHING, and he's not afraid to let you know it....constantly! I forsee challenging years ahead (thank goodness, right?). Football has helped to slim him down a bit. He is about 46" tall and 55 lbs. Stocky little guy. His persistant skin rashes from treatment are a thing of the past.
Other than that, we are staying busy at home and church. Van is teaching 12th grade boys in Sunday School, and I teach 5th and 6th grade girls. We both love the opportunity to serve God any chance we get. I hope this message finds you well. God bless and thanks for stopping by. I am so sorry it's been so long since I've updated!!

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Tuesday, January 27, 2004 10:06 AM CST

**15 Months OFF-TREATMENT!!!**

YeeHaw! That's the "Alabama" coming out in me...I am so completely thrilled to be able to write that Matthew is doing GREAT. We are so close to that "year and a half" off-treatment mark (when they REALLY consider him "off-treatment") and Matthew's counts look fantastic. Completely normal. I am so thankful to God for bringing us through this and letting us mature so much spiritually through it all. We went from lukewarm, Sunday morning church-goers to completely involved, Sunday school teaching, Wednesday AWANA instructor, Monday visitation, on-fire for God, trying-to-always-make-the-"right"-choice-because-we-love-God-so-much believers! It feels so wonderful to love Him and serve Him and to live without constant conviction of our daily choices. Matthew's illness was such a catalyst to get us to this point. My husband went from "ho-hum" to "hallelujah". Thank You God for making the change in us...for not leaving us in the pitiful state we were in...lukewarm and detestable. If you feel the same way, as we all have, just pray that God will put the desire in your heart to love and serve Him. I didn't have that desire a few years ago and I was so scared of the effect it would have on my eternity. Now I can't wait for this life to be over and for "eternity" to began...the amazing thing is that my kids feel the same way at age 5 and 7. They talk all the time about wanting to "go home" to heaven. None of us can wait to see our Lord...we are anxious for nothing but our reunion with Him. Somehow this positive update turned into a testimony, but it's on my heart and I can't help it. If you are reading this, God has a desire for you to love Him with all of your heart too.
On another note, please pray for our friend, Quyenten Duvall, as they are in the process of diagnosis a tumor in his brain. Also, please pray that our friend Brandon Champion is cancer-free. He's been in the hosptial for almost two months with chemo-related problems.
God bless and take care.
Love,
The Myers Family

Sunday, December 21, 2003 2:54 PM CST

I apologize that it has been so long since I've updated Matthew's website. It's actually a good thing because it means we are fully involved in 'normal' life activities. Matthew is doing GREAT. When we went back for his check-up in November, his counts were completely normal. His immune system seems to be fully recovered. This past week he got strep for the first time...ugh...and had to get a penicillin shot. Thank goodness we were able to get the flu shot a few weeks ago, so hopefully the boys will be protected from the flu bug.

The boys are ready for Christmas and traveling and visiting family. We are going to Natchez, MS then on to Houston, TX to spend Christmas with family.

Christmas is a time to celebrate Christ's birth and life, and God's promises. We are so very thankful this year for Matthew's recovery and good health. I am so grateful that his story is a positive one. We don't deserve his victory any more than any other family who has faced cancer. We don't deserve any blessings, yet God has given us the greatest blessing of all. His Son. We've lost so many friends, many this year, and know so many others whose battle continues. That's why I'm so thankful for every day. Not a day passes that I don't remember Michael, Janie, Adam, Deanna, Cliff, Matthew, Robbie, Karlee Ann, Ross, Katia, Colin and so many other friends who've lost their battle or are still fighting. When I think of them, I think of God's gift. His gift was the greatest gift ever given. It is eternal life in His presence. His gift gives us hope when life seems hopeless. When brave little children lose their lives to a disease they are too young to fight. God's gift overcomes every loss, every hurt, every tear. My prayer is that your life and my life might be a blessing to God this holiday season and throughout the year. Instead of worrying about Him blessing us, let's worry about blessing Him, about bringing Him joy through our choices and our lives.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday and enjoy the ones you love.

Love,
Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Friday, October 3, 2003 2:02 PM CDT

**1 YEAR OFF-TREATMENT!!!!**

Yes! Thank you, Lord!! Matthew made it to his one year OT check without any problems or complications. This was a scary year, and more difficult for me than I would've thought. I thought Matthew finishing treatment would be the best thing in the world (and it was), but it caused me so much anxiety. No that he's reached the one year mark, we are feeling much better, much calmer, more confident in his recovery. We've just watched far too many precious friends have a reoccurance of disease and it's been so difficult to imagine the pain those families have faced. I am so thankful for every day, every laugh, every tear, every sweet little hug, and even the occasional screaming fit. Each moment, each day is a blessing and I know it. I don't take it for granted. I never will again, I hope. I am so thankful to God for the strength and the courage He has given all of us. We've endured only because we trusted Him through the good and the bad...regardless. What an amazing God we serve. Matthew and I had a discussion about cancer the other day and I told him that you can die from cancer. His reply was, "Well, I'm lucky to be alive then." I told him that it wasn't luck. Luck is something that happens by chance, I told him that God has a plan for his life. He was excited about that. But then he said he was ready to go home and see Jesus face to face. I told him "no" because Mommy would miss him too much. He said, "Okay, I'll wait 10 days, but then I'm going!" UGH! Good thing God doesn't always give us what we ask for! What a sweet perspective though. Oftentimes, I feel the same way...like I'm ready to go now, ready to see my Savior and be in His prescence again. I'm glad that both of my children share that perspective on death at such a young age because it's definitely coming for all of us.

Matthew's counts were AWESOME! Completely normal (whatever that is!) He's doing great...still limping, but I've quit worrying that something bad is going on there. He just likes to limp, I guess. It's his own little strut. That's my Matthew.

Please keep our friend Matthew Harris in your prayers as he faces a tough protocol and radiation. We love you Matthew!!! God bless and take care.

Jennifer Myers

Friday, October 3, 2003 2:02 PM CDT

Monday, September 15, 2003 9:46 AM CDT

**11-month Off-treatment Check-up**

Well, in one month we will celebrate Matthew being ONE YEAR OFF TREATMENT!! We're really excited. Of course, as you cancer parents know, I won't be breathing easy until he graduates high school in 12 more years. But this is a good milestone for him and he is doing great other than limping all the time. I was a little distressed at this month's appointment because he's been limping for the past month or two. Dr. Castleberry wanted to double-check his counts because that is such a common symptom of leukemia patients. Everything looked good on paper. His WBC was 5.76 with 50% infection-fighting cells, HCT was 37 and PLT were 276. No one seems to know why he's limping. He complained that the top of his foot hurt for a while, but now he says nothing hurts. When I ask him why he's limping, he just says "I don't know". Maybe it's more out of habit now since he's been doing it for several weeks.

Well, Matthew finally started his soccer season. His team is only scheduled to practice twice before their first game. I'm not sure how that's going to work out, but we'll see. As long as he gets to play and have fun. He keeps asking when he has practice, so I scheduled to practice with another team this Tuesday. I'm not sure what our coach is thinking, or if he actually is thinking.

School is going great. Matthew absolutely LOVES kindergarten. His teacher "appreciates" his bold personality so he "appreciates" her. We've had some difficulty lately with using the restroom. It seems that Matthew is afraid of all of the "germs" in the restroom...gee, I wonder how he became so paranoid?! ha! ha! Anyway, instead of using the toilet, he's been using his shorts and then acting like nothing's wrong. Now it's #2, mind you, and everyone within a 12 block radius can tell something's not quite right. And there's Matthew, just going about his work, denying everything. "I sat in puppy poop" was the latest excuse. After three straight days of intentional accidents, I decided to "suspend" him from school. After a couple doses of fiber laxative before bed, we seem to have gotten things straightened out. He has realized that he had to overcome his germaphobia and he's doing better. I can't promise that I won't get "the call" at any given moment, but he's had several days of success.

Anyway, God bless and take care. Thanks for checking in on us, despite my erratic updates.

Love,
Jenn, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Thursday, August 14, 2003 9:44 PM CDT

**10 Month OFF-TREATMENT Check-up**

Okay, I have to apologize for not updating more often. We are still alive and well and living somewhere in Alabama. Matthew did so great this month at his check-up. His counts were completely NORMAL for the first time in years. His WBC was somewhere around 7.5, HCT was 38 and Platelets were 276. Matthew told Dr. Castleberry "Guess what? I'm just as normal as you!" We had a wonderful summer and a terrific two week vacation in July. We spent a week in Pensacola, FL during the Blue Angels air show. The jets fly right over the beach/water. The kids absolutely love it, as if the beach and surf weren't entertaining enough for them. Then we went to Williston, FL which is near Gainsville, for a few days. We spent time with my friend Sonya's cousin, Henry, on his boat. This was definitely our favorite part of vacation...we visited all of the freshwater springs in the area where the manatee swim. We were able to snorkel in the springs, see wild dolphins in the gulf and one day we all went scalloping. We caught and ice chest full of scallops and then cleaned them and cooked them up right on the boat. We told Matthew they were "sea chicken" nuggets and he actually ate a few. It was such a wonderful time for all of us and great to spend time with friends and family.

FUNNY STORY...I just had to write this down somewhere. Last Sunday we were getting ready for church. Matthew was getting dressed and Van had laid out a little pull-over polo shirt for him. Van and I were in the kitchen when Matthew walked in holding his shirt by the tips of the collar and asked (as serious as could be), "Hey, what's this little miniature cape doing on my shirt?" Van and I just looked at each other and started to laugh. Neither one of us wanted to ruin the preciousness of the moment. Our little superhero! Oh, to be a child again.

BIG NEWS!!!! Matthew started real kindergarten on Monday! He's going to the public elementary school with his big brother. So far he's done wonderfully. His teacher is so good with him and knows how to channel that bold personality. I'm sure he'll have some rough days, but for the most part, he loves it and I think he'll do great. He scared me all week with a limp in his left leg. That is a real common symtom of leukemia. I guess the fear never goes away. I'm not sure what is causing the sore leg, but I really believe he's okay. I had to take him in Tuesday for his first immunizations since his treatment. I was so nervous about them and have been praying that his body will react normally to the vaccinations. So far so good with that too. He never developed a fever or any redness in his legs. He got four shots. The doctor checked his leg/foot and said he thinks he probably hurt it while playing.

Our other news is that we finally gave in to getting a puppy. We got a sweet little dachshund named Tigger. He's red with black tiger stripes (brindle). He's really a good dog and the kids simply adore him. Matthew thinks his tail is a handle to lift him with, so I've been working really hard to try and break him of that habit. So far the dog has survived several weeks unharmed.

PLEASE PRAY for our dear friend, Matthew Harris, from Vernal, UT. His family just found out that he relapsed this past week. Matthew is the same age as my Matthew (5) and he's been through so much already. My heart is aching for his family and for the additional treatments he'll have to go through. Please keep them in your prayers that God will strengthen and encourage them, and that Matthew will handle his new protocol well.

God bless and take care,
Love-
Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Wednesday, July 2, 2003 3:48 PM CDT

***9 Month OFF-TREATMENT Check-up***

I am so happy to report that everything went just fine today. Summer has been good to Matthew's health and his counts. This is the first check-up since he's been off treatment that his blood counts were completely normal...no L's or H's next to anything. His WBC (which has been running low) was actually 5.01 (normal is 5.0 to 14.0). Whew! Just made it into the normal range on that one. His HCT has finally fully recovered at 37.5 (normal 34-40) and his platelets were 264. He looks great and feels good. No traces whatsoever of the pesky rash that has plagued him for the past two years. His skin is completely cleared up. The only unusual thing is that he has developed freckles on the palms of his hands and the bottoms of his feet. His dermatologist said that was highly unusual and Dr. Castleberry said that in his 30 something years of practice, he's never known chemo to have that particular effect on anyone. He seems to think it might be symptomatic of something else (some other illness/genetic disorder). Who knows? If anyone has any information on this, please let me know.

Anyway, we are all doing fine. Colin just celebrated his 7th birthday. I can't believe they are growing up so fast. I feel like we've been in a time warp for the past three years. We didn't get to enjoy the "normal" childhood stuff b/c we were so consumed with Matthew's treatment. Now he's off-treatment and I've realized that he's grown up in the meantime! He was 42 1/2 inches tall today (he's grown almost 1/2 inch since last month). Colin is 49 1/2 inches tall (not far off from his mom)! In fact, a couple of the nurses laughed today b/c when I told them Colin just turned 7 last week, they couldn't believe that he was almost as tall as me! I've got about a foot on him still.

God bless and take care. Thank you for stopping by and for signing Matthew's guestbook. We love the messages! Matthew's next appointment is the first week of August. Maybe I'll have some new vacation photos posted by then.

Love,
The Myers Family
(Jenn, Van, Colin & Matthew)

Friday, May 30, 2003 10:05 AM CDT

**8-MONTH Off-Treatment CHECK-UP**

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MATTHEW!! He turned 5 since my last update. His birthday was May 11th and I cannot tell you how happy we were to celebrate a birthday cancer-free and off chemo. It's been a long time coming and it actually felt "normal". Everyone comments how little (short is what they really mean) he is for his age. He was actually tracking taller than Colin before his diagnosis at age 2. The doctors assured me that the chemo has not stunted his growth, but I think it's a little obvious that is has. I've seen studies of kids who've been through chemo having problems with obesity later on (probably b/c they are shorter than they would have been!).
I don't care how tall he ends up (or fat for that matter), I am just so happy to have him here with us.

Well, we're definitely on a high right now on this health roller-coaster and I am enjoying the view from up here. It wasn't so a few weeks ago. In fact, I brought Matthew in for an unscheduled blood test two weeks ago b/c he was very pale and had 15-20 bruises on his legs and torso. The leg bruising is normal for him (like most 5 year olds) but the "body" bruising was not. I was mildly stressed. It turned out that his counts were completely normal. I guess I can attribute the symptoms to allergies. I don't think that "fear" ever goes away, and I hate to be caught off guard. It's a tough balance to live normally. His WBC are still running below normal, but his Dr. thinks that's normal for him now. It wouldn't appear that his immune system is any less effective than Colin's as he doesn't get sick any more frequently. His HCT was actually up to 36.6 on Wednesday. That's an all-time high for him! Platelets were 296. So everything looked great. He's doing good, lots of energy to play soccer. He's running like crazy and seeing that, more than anything, brings so much joy to my heart.

On a sad note, our friend Deanna passed away earlier this month from complications from her bone marrow transplant. She had a sweet spirit. She will be forever remembered and I trust that one day we will see her again in heaven. PRAYER REQUEST: Another teenage friend of our, Todd Stevens, relapsed about two weeks ago. He was diagnosed with ALL about two months after Matthew, so we've been together throughout treatment. He finished treatment in January. My heart aches for what he'll have to go through. I am so amazed at the kindness, gentleness and maturity of the teenagers we've met who are going through this. Todd is such an amazing 17 year old boy...such a sweet spirit. Please pray that they will find a match for his BMT. He and his family need lots of prayers right now.

God bless and take care,

Jennifer, Van, Colin and Matthew Myers

Wednesday, April 30, 2003 2:26 PM CDT

**7-Month Off-Treatment Check-up**

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful Spring. Aside from the pollen driving us all crazy, I happy to say that everyone is doing good. I took Matthew in this week for his 7 month OT checkup. He's been doing great and feeling good since last month. Thank goodness he's avoided any viral illnesses. The only minor problem is that he's started looking pale again (just this week). His counts yesterday were WBC 4.07 (normal 5.5-15.5), Hematocrit 33.2 (normal 35-40), and platelets were 227 (normal 150-450). So he was a little anemic for some reason. I asked Dr. Castleberry what he thought and he said the lower white blood cell count might be normal for him. He was comfortable with his counts, but I think I am just expecting them to be higher after 7 months off chemo. He's definitely a little anemic, but again, the Dr. didn't think it was any big deal. I started giving him Flintstones w/Iron. Maybe that will help those red blood cells do their job a little better anyway. Have any of you other OT parents noticed low counts for a long time after treatment and is that really normal?

Anyway, I've been busy in the yard planting flowers. The house is ALMOST finished from our 5 month project. We started between Christmas and New Year's, and here we are almost to summer and it's not quite done yet. We're still down to one bathroom, which wouldn't be so bad if ALL of my boys didn't hog it so much! What exactly do men do in there for an hour? Nevermind.

Please continue to remember the Sims family in your prayers as they are going into Summer without their little girl, Janie. I know they will have so many heartbreaks ahead as holidays go by without her. Also, remember Deanna Garner, she's a teenage friend of ours who recently had a BMT.

God bless and take care.

Jennifer
The Myers Family

Wednesday, April 2, 2003 8:55 AM CST

**6-Months OFF-TREATMENT**

I can't tell you how happy I am as each month passes by. I don't want to wish Matthew's childhood away, but I want to get as far out from this disease as possible. Each new check-up brings a new sense of relief. I was actually a little worried this month so I brought Matthew in a week early for his check-up. He had a difficult time last month (health-wise) as he battled the flu and several other viral illnesses (cough/cold/etc). So when we went on Spring Break last week to Florida, I wasn't too worried that he looked pale. I just thought he was probably run down from all the sickness. But when we got to Florida and he got his swimsuit on, I noticed a large, dark bruise on his chest (strange place for a bruise, I thought). Anyway, it had obviously bled under the skin because there was a knot. So then I checked the rest of his body (probably a level 2 panic on a panic scale of 1-10, as you cancer moms know!) He had some bruises on his legs, which looked pretty normal to me for a rough little boy. Well, then all week he says his head hurts (moved up to a level 3 panic). Our friend Deanna had bad headaches and backaches when she relapsed. I was concerned, but not convinced. Then the complaints about his feet hurting started...ugh!!! I mean, give me a break. Did the kid read a list of cancer symptoms and he's just trying to freak his mom out?! I got so tired of checking his gums and eyelids for color that I called the clinic and just asked if I could bring him in early for a cbc (just for peace of mind). Of course, he looked pink as could be the day I brought him in (it always works out that way!). This kid is keeping me on my toes! Here are his counts from Monday:

WBC 3.5 (below normal, but he's been sick. I didn't stick around and wait on the differential, so I don't know what his ANC was)
HCT 35 (great!)
PLT 199 (good!)

Anyway, as you can see, his counts were fine. I slept wonderfully that night. I feel like one day we will return to normal. I won't look at him and wonder, I hope. It's too soon. We've got to get through this next year and a half and the 15% chance of relapse. I feel like once we do that, maybe I can breathe easy again.

Matthew's doing great at soccer. Don't tell him I said this, but he's the slowest kid on the team (he just started to run this year b/c of the chemo). His coach gets on to him to "run faster", but I don't care. I find so much joy in just seeing him on that field. He's out there and he's happy and he's alive. He could be crawling on all fours and picking daisies for all I care. It brings the biggest smile to my face just to see him run. That thing at the top of Matthew's page about perspective...I wish all parents could feel this feeling without the cost.

God bless and take care. Matthew's next appointment isn't until the end of April. I'll be ready to cross that one of the calendar too!

The Myers Family

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 1:45 PM CST

**5-month Off-Treatment Check-UP**

Whew! Matthew's check-up was actually two weeks ago, but we've been so crazy since then. I am SO sorry for not updating sooner, but life has been busy with other things besides battling cancer (thank goodness!). That doesn't mean that our two boys haven't kept us on our toes. The week of Matthew's check-up, I had to move his appt. from Wednesday to the following Monday because he and Colin both had the flu that week. They were both completely pitiful. Here comes the drama...Colin actually had to be hospitalized for two days with pneumonia. He did fine once the antibiotics kicked in. Matthew went around telling everyone that Colin was in HIS hospital. Van and I got away for a week to Las Vegas (with his company). Our friends, Sonya and Mike kept the boys for us. It was a nice getaway, but Matthew ran a fever all week long. It seems he recovered from the flu just in time to catch a nasty cold/cough. He was much better by the time we got home, but he has definitely been wiped out since then. He still acts a little sickly and tired, but I'm praying it's just his little body trying to recover from some nasty viruses.

Here's Matthew's counts from this month: WBC 7.93 (85.3% infection-fighting cells - that's the highest his ANC has been in years! Obviously fighting some infection, at least that immune system is working), RBC 4.28, HCT 32.4 (a little low), PLT 185 (within the normal range, but a little low for him).

As if this wasn't enough excitement, Van had to go and catch the flu himself so he was laid up on the couch for 3 or 4 days. He always manages to get sick just when my patience has run out (from taking care of the kids)...poor thing. I wish I had more sympathy for him! Of course, the mother isn't allowed to get sick, right? I've managed to avoid everything thus far.

We have added on to our house...a 3 month project it appears. Hopefully we will be done by the end of the month (although I'm not crossing my fingers). Matthew started playing soccer. He seems to really enjoy it. His coach might appreciate his talent a little more if I could get him to stop tackling the other players on his team. If someone accidentally falls down, Matthew thinks it's time for a "dog-pile". He's a mess. Not to mention how verbal he is on the field (I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone). He yells at whoever has the ball, he informs the sideline fans of exactly what's going on in the game, the ref doesn't have to worry when it goes out of bounds, b/c Matthew lets everyone know that too, and he's got the best "touchdown" (goal) dance I've ever seen. Very amusing. I'll be sure to get it all on video. Colin moved up to the 7-8 league in baseball. He's trying his hand at catcher. The ball comes in at 35 mph, so mom is a little nervous. He's been hit a few times in the arm, but he's tough.

God bless and take care. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO LEAVES MESSAGES IN THE GUESTBOOK. WE READ AND CHERISH EACH ENTRY. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LET US KNOW YOU VISITED.

The Myers Family

Monday, February 10, 2003 7:12 PM CST

**4 MONTH OFF-TREATMENT CHECK-UP**

I am sorry that it's been so long since I've updated. Thankfully, everything has been going so well lately that we haven't had much news to report (I LIKE this problem!). Matthew had an excellent visit today. We went to clinic around 1:00 p.m. after I picked him up from school. Matthew had to get stuck (finger prick) twice because the first stick wouldn't bleed...LOVE THOSE PLATELETS! Anyway, he was such a big boy for his finger pricks...after each one he told Ms. Mitre, "That didn't even hurt!" Everyone mentioned how much he had grown, and that he's starting to look like a "big" kid now. Speaking of growing, he weighed in at 47.5 lbs. (up from 43 lbs. in Dec.) and he finally broke the 41 inch barrier...he was about 41 1/4". He still looks like my little baby to me, of course.

His counts today looked great. WBC was still below normal at 4.45, but he had 45% infection-fighting cells. Platelets normal at 321. RBC looked great with a hematocrit of 35.4. I overcame much anxiety last month when I took him in and his blood counts looked so good. This month just solidifies my mindset. I feel good. I can make it through a day and actually not think about losing my child to cancer or having to face it again, heck, I might even go a week without thinking about it. I used to hear other parents say how nerve-wracking going off-treatment was and I thought, no way, not for me. I'll be jumping for joy the day he stops taking chemo., and sure, I was happy about it, until the anxiety set in. I guess it all depends on the circumstances in the weeks following the end of treatment. Matthew's were difficult for me b/c he was so sick, pneumonia, etc. and I looked for every possible sign of the cancer coming back. I've learned that time makes breathing easier. God is a constant for us, yet we are all still human. We all succumb to fears, especially when it comes to our kids.

I got Matthew signed up for Spring soccer, which he is so excited about. I can't wait to see him running around the field...I don't care if he ever kicks the ball, I just want to see him run! What a blessing! Colin is signed up for baseball, so it should make for an interesting Spring running back and forth between fields.

God bless and take care. Thanks so much for stopping by and checking on Matthew, and especially to those who leave notes and words of encouragement in the guestbook. WE LOVE TO READ YOUR MESSAGES!!

Love,
The Myers Family

Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 12:17 PM (CST)

**Three Months Off-Treatment**

Well, I took Matthew in yesterday for his three month check-up and to remove the stitches in his forehead from last week. He did fine getting the stitches out...he didn't like it much, but he held still. I am happy to say that his counts were great. WBC was up to 4.57 with 54% infection-fighting cells; HCT was 34.3 (on the low side of the normal range); and his platelets were 289. His platelets always seems to stay right around 289 for some reason (normal is 150-450) so that's great. Anyway, the visit managed to relieve some of my stress regarding his counts. It is SO hard to go from knowing them each week to only once a month...it's certainly an adjustment for me more than him. I'm sure he's happy as a clam not to get stuck every week.

You won't believe this, b/c we almost didn't believe it, but Sunday afternoon b/t church is proving to be a dangerous time for Matthew. Yes, he did it AGAIN! This time, he wrapped himself up in a blanket and decided to "spin" around the kitchen. Well, of course, his feet got twisted in the blanket and as the words "You're going to get hurt" were coming out of my mouth, Matthew fell and slammed head first into my desk. He busted the other eyebrow open (only about a 1/2 inch gash this time), busted his lip and nearly knocked out his front tooth! We took him BACK to Children's After Hours for more stitches. Thank goodness, by the time we got there, the cut had closed and seemed to be pretty well sealed so they stuck on a bandaid and sent us home. He keeps telling everyone that he got in a fight with a lawnmower...and believe me, he looks like it. That precious little face is all scarred up now and 110% boy. I guess he didn't think he looked tough enough so he decided to rearrange his own face! Ugh!

PRAYER REQUEST: I love going to clinic and seeing all of our friends, but on too many occasions we've gone in only to find out bad news about a friend. This week, Deanna Garner was in having a spinal, etc. She is two months off-treatment and just found out she relapsed on Friday. She's a teenager now and she's already been through so much. You can visit her website at www.caringbridge.com/al/deannagarner. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as she faces a long road ahead.

God bless and take care,

The Myers Family

Tuesday, January 07, 2003 at 08:16 PM (CST)

Officially Off-Treatment Since 10/16/02

Well, everyone seems to be doing well today around the Myers household, but I am sad to say that the "Myers Curse" has struck again. Matthew was sitting on the barstool in our kitchen eating lunch Sunday when he decided to slide off the back of the stool. First he hit the floor and then the stool fell and hit him in the forehead. Must've hit him 'just right' because I'm still trying to figure out how he got such a clean 1" gash. He was relatively calm within 5 minutes of the accident, all the way to the after-hours clinic. They put some type of numbing gel on it and we waited. He looked pitiful in the waiting room with the clear tegaderm with bright red blood underneath. Everybody couldn't help but stare. He was completely fine until the doctor started to wash out the cut and then he freaked. I mean he just lost it and he would not settle down for anything. Needless to say, we ended up having to put him in the papoose (sp?) for the stitching. He didn't like one bit. He literally screamed for 10 minutes. Of course he was completely fine once we let him loose. He hasn't slowed down one bit ever since. I sometimes wonder why I worry so much about him bruising. With the way he plays, it's a miracle he's not one big bruise from head to toe. The reason I call it the "Myers Curse" is because Van had 3 stitches in the same place when he was three. Colin had 3 stitches in the same place when he was two. Now Matthew has seven stitches. I guess it was inevitable. True to his character, the first thing Matthew said when he saw Colin was (bragging) "You only had three stitches and I got seven!" Matthew was so proud that he'd "won". Talk about sibling rivalry!

I moved Matthew's 3 month check up to Monday, January 13th, so they could go ahead and remove the stitches. Hopefully we'll get some good counts that day.

Please remember the Sims family in your prayers as our little friend Janie (age 5) lost her battle with leukemia early Saturday morning. I can't imagine their anguish and pain. Janie fought so hard for so long. I believe she's now at rest in the loving arms of God. You can visit her website at www.caringbridge.com/al/janiesims if you want to leave the family a note.

God bless and take care.
Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Monday, December 30, 2002 at 10:12 PM (CST)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2003!!

Well, Matthew is almost 3 months off treatment! He's doing just fine and we all had a wonderful Christmas. The boys were so excited Christmas morning and so very thankful for their gifts. Of course, we spent the day cleaning up and playing. Van cooked a wonderful Christmas dinner and we had some friends over to share the evening with us. Van cooked everything from fried turkey, to cornbread dressing, to lemon icebox pie. He really out-did himself...of course, my duty was cleaning up all of the dishes afterwards. Seemed like a fair trade-off to me. I am really glad that the men in his family cook so well.

We drove down to Florida after Christmas to visit with grandparents. The weather was perfect (70 degrees) and we enjoyed spending some time at the beach and playing in the sand. It took some convincing to keep Matthew from getting his toes wet.

We are not scheduled to go back to clinic until the end of January. Dr. Castleberry is attending this month and had to shift us a little further out on the calendar. Matthew looks much better than a few weeks ago. His color is good and his skin rashes are for the most part gone. Those notorious lymph nodes behind the ears are still swollen, but I've managed not to fixate on them lately. I am anticipating some good counts at the end of this month. I hope and pray that his white count is closer to the normal range. His counts still seem to be affected by viruses, he gets pale when he's sick, etc. Maybe that's normal, I don't know. I never really had a chance to figure out what normal is with him. Bless his heart, he's got Van's pale complexion anyway. I think that I need to work on not paying so much attention to those things, but you know, we cancer moms are always looking carefully for anything unusual (if you know what I mean). That's a hard habit to break.

Our friend Janie had her transplant over Christmas and it appears that her brother's cells are beginning to engraft. She's in a lot of pain and still needs lots of prayers.

God bless and take care.
The Myers Family

Wednesday, December 11, 2002 at 09:44 PM (CST)

***Off-treatment (2 months)***

I took Matthew in for his 2 month check up today. I felt pretty confident, much more so than last month, but if Matthew could come up with any more symptoms to make me nervous, I'm sure he would. The past few weeks have included (still) swollen lymph nodes, nose bleeds, paleness, etc. But I've chosen to ignore all of those and not live my life as a nervous wreck! I guess in reality, I might finally be settling in to Matthew being off-treatment. His counts today were good. His WBC were still lower than I would've thought at 3.82, but Dr. C. said that was fine (plenty of infection-fighting cells). His platelets were normal and his hematocrit was a little on the low side at 33.8 (almost normal). He has certainly had plenty of energy and he displayed it all in the three hours we were at clinic today.

Matthew and I tried to visit our friend, Janie Sims, today. Janie is having a bone marrow transplant, even though they are unable to get her into remission. The doctors have told her family that she has a slim chance for long-term survival. Of course, they are all completely devastated and terrified. Unfortunately, Janie was gone most of the afternoon to another hospital for her radiation treatments. Please remember Janie and her family in your prayers as they are in desperate need of a miracle.

God bless and take care.

The Myers Family

Monday, November 25, 2002 at 09:24 PM (CST)

**OFF-TREATMENT (+7 weeks)**

Hello everyone! I haven't updated in a while. Unless something is going on, I will probably cut my updates down to monthly installments. Matthew is doing fine...I, on the other hand, am still a little bit anxious. I don't think it is so much the "off-treatment jitters" as it is dealing with the uncertainty of Matthew's illnesses and reactions. I took him in for an unscheduled cbc last week b/c he still looked pale to me and in my mind, I didn't want to wait until he was run down to find out something bad was going on (that's code for the big 'R', still can't bring myself to say it). Anyway, his counts were fine...slightly lower than the week before but still in the normal ranges. After many sleepless nights, I somehow managed to relax with news of the good counts. He's still looked pale on and off since then, but that obviously isn't an indicator of his rbc count since he's tested fine. Van and I both noticed about 6 or 7 bruises this week on his shoulders, stomach, back, legs and arms. Makes me want to take him in for another cbc. I should resist the urge, shouldn't I? The lymph nodes behind the ears have been swollen for several weeks now. Again, I am trying not to worry about that. Maybe it just means they are working, right? I feel like I just want the next year to pass by and maybe then I can breathe easy. We aren't schedule to go back in until Dec. 11th. I'm going to try to hold out until then and just have faith that he is fine.

I took Matthew to the dermatologist last week for the pesky face rash. We have creams and soaps now. Hopefully his skin will be as smooth as a baby's bottom in no time.

We are traveling to Natchez to visit Van's family for the Thanksgiving holiday. I will update again after Matthew's Dec. 11th visit. God bless and take care.

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Wednesday, November 13, 2002 at 03:11 PM (CST)

**Off-treatment (+5 weeks)**

Well, today was Matthew's first off-treatment check-up, and to say that I was a nervous wreck might have been an understatement. In the past four weeks, Matthew's had pneumonia, a stomach virus, and several other run-of-the-mill viruses. The five chest x-rays he had during the pneumonia outbreak made me a little nervous (Matthew had 12 x-rays about a month before his leukemia symptoms appeared). The first symptom we had from his original diagnosis was a severely swollen lymph node behind his ear. I told Van that as long as his lymph nodes didn't swell up after those 5 chest xray's, I'd be fine. Well, what do you think happened last week!? They swelled up behind both ears! Ugh! Not too mention he looked really pale to me all week. Does this all sound a little neurotic or what? Needless to say, I was stressed going into his appt. today. Then I got a call from his school saying that a child from his class broke out with chicken pox this morning, so Matthew had a possible exposure yesterday. Dr. Castleberry decided to hold of on the VZIG since we don't think there was one-on-one contact for an hour or more. He said he would treat the outbreak if he caught them.

On a good note, Matthew's counts today were great. Everything looked completely normal (WHEW!). Dr. Castleberry couldn't source the cause of the swollen lymph nodes, but he said that as long as they didn't get any bigger, it's probably a "normal" reaction to something going on in his body. His HCT was 36, so I guess the paleness was unsubstantiated. And by the way, I give God ALL of the glory for Matthew's good counts today. We've taken the issue to him in prayer faithfully over the past week and not only has He provided comfort and strenth to overcome the anxiety (I was just joking about the "nervous wreck" thing earlier), but He has answered our prayers. Thanks so much to everyone who has lifted Matthew up in prayer over the past few weeks.

PRAYER REQUEST: On a very sad note, our friend, Janie Sims was scheduled for BMT at the end of this month. She found out yesterday that she has relapsed again. They will start intensive chemo to try to get a remission before they will be able to even think about doing the transplant. Their family desperately needs your prayers.

God bless and take care.

Love,
The Myers Family

Tuesday, November 05, 2002 at 12:22 PM (CST)

**Off-Treatment (+4 weeks)**

Matthew's "NO MO' CHEMO" Party was a blast...I think he really enjoyed it. We had tons of friends and family there to show their support for Matthew's amazing accomplishment. We had a moonwalk, pizza, cake and a band. I normally don't like hosting parties, but it was fun and certainly the best reason we've ever had to celebrate.

Matthew recovered from the stomach virus, unfortunately not before he passed it on to me! UGH! Thursday night was rough, but thank goodness I recovered before Saturday. So far so good this week, although I'm not holding my breath. I am having a real hard time with being optimistic lately. I think I'm just over-stressed and waiting to be able to finally exhale a sigh of relief. When will that be? Can anyone tell me? I completely trust in God and know that He has certainly been with us throughout this ordeal. He has strengthened us and helped us (Is. 41:10) and we have felt His presence. But as far as guarantees go concerning life, I know that there are none. We never know what challenges tomorrow may bring. We only know that God will not leave us nor forsake us. I guess He never said this would be easy, right? I just want it to be easy for a change.

Thanks for stopping by and checking on us. Your notes and words of encouragement mean a lot to us. Please continue to pray for Janie Sims. Two of her siblings were a match for BMT, so her younger brother David will be the donor. She is scheduled for transplant at the end of this month.

God bless and take care.

The Myers Family

Tuesday, October 29, 2002 at 10:17 PM (CST)

**Off-Treatment (+3 weeks)**

Alright, I've heard several cancer parents say that their kids caught every bug within a 20 mile radius during the first year off-treatment. I guess Matthew is trying to squeeze it all in to the first three weeks. We went back on Friday, Oct. 25, after 6 days of high fever (102+) for more chest x-rays. They showed the pneumonia was a little bit worse after a week of Amoxicillin, so Dr. Hilliard switched Matthew over to Zithromax. Almost magically, within 24 hours, his fever was completely gone...oh, if only the ER doc had given him a Z-pak to BEGIN WITH!!! But no, that would've made our lives too simple. We gotta take the tough route...make us work for it, please. Anyway, he was doing well enough by Monday to actually go back to school. This will be his fifth day of school for the entire month of October. He gave new meaning this month to the term "excessive absences". Anyway, we seemed to be on a roll...two days in a row after today...yeehaw! And then, yes, you guessed it...another ILLNESS!!! UGH! On our way to take Colin to soccer practice this afternoon, I heard that dreaded sound that all mother's absolutely hate to hear...you know, the liquid sound of rushing barf!!! Nothing like hearing it driving down the road at 50 mph in a blinding rain storm. When I finally was able to stop and turn around, Colin had climbed out of his seat next to Matthew and half way into the back of the truck. Somehow, Matthew managed to barf in three different directions all at once. He hit the door, the back of my seat, and his brother, and completely drenched his shirt and pants. Lovely. I managed to get home and get him changed, clean the truck (still pouring outside), and wash his clothes. He's got it bad, bless his heart. Hopefully, this is just a 24 hour bug, but I have a feeling it's gonna be a long night. No school for Matthew tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for our friend, Janie Sims. She is scheduled for a bone marrow transplant, but has been hospitalized repeatedly for low counts and fever.

Please keep Matthew in your prayers as we begin on this new journey of being off-treatment. In a sense, we've lost the safety net of being on chemo. Matthew has been hit hard over the past two weeks and his little body hasn't even had the chance to recover yet. Matthew's "No Mo Chemo" Party is still scheduled for this Saturday. Hopefully, he will be feeling much better by then. God bless and take care.

Love,
The Myers Family
Jen, Van, Colin, & Matthew

Sunday, October 20, 2002 at 02:53 PM (CDT)

MATTHEW IS OFFICIALLY "OFF TREATMENT"!!

I would've updated this info. sooner, but we had a crazy week. First of all, Wednesday was supposed to be "THE DAY". We woke up early and got ready for the trip to the clinic for Matthew's final bone marrow aspiration and spinal tap. Van took off work to go with us. We got to the clinic and said a little prayer as the IV therapist attempted to get a good line in Matthew's hand for his anesthesia. Thank goodness she got it on the first stick, after just a little "digging". Anyway, she got his hand all taped up and ready to go when I finally realized that Matthew had eaten three waffles for breakfast. I could've killed myself for letting him eat. I guess my brain was still on vacation. I told one of the nurses and she said we'd have to come back in six hours! UGH! So we left and burned some time. Around lunchtime we called her back and she said we'd have to come back another day. Double UGH! I can't believe how badly I screwed that day up! THE DAY to be precise. Unbelievable. They rescheduled us to try again on Friday.

We arrived Friday morning with a very hungry and thirsty little boy. We weren't taking any chances on messing up again. Unfortunately, it took 4 sticks to finally get an IV on Matthew. He was so brave throughout. Not a tear or whimper. We got him upstairs and Richard performed the procedures. Everything went well. He only had to use a spinal needle instead of a bone marrow needle to draw some marrow so it would be less painful for Matthew when he woke up. The results were ALL CLEAR!! Dr. Castleberry said the marrow looked a little hypocellular (I guess meaning there were less cells in the marrow than normal), but he said that wasn't particularly unusual. He said there was a 15% chance Matthew would relapse in the next year to 18 months, but I like to look at it like there is an 85% chance that he won't. I am quite certain that one day we will be able to breathe easy. We are planning an off-treatment party for Matthew on November 2nd and everyone is invited who would like to come. Just email me if you would like directions.

And so the excitement begins...well, Matthew first official day off-treatment was an adventure to be sure. It started off with an amazing soccer game where Matthew ran faster and further than I can ever remember. He kicked the ball so many times and was so happy with himself. From there we all went on to the Children's Harbor Pumpkin Patch. The boys had a blast and Colin actually caught his very first fish. Well, Matthew and Van went home that afternoon while Colin and I went to the movies. Matthew woke up after a three and a half hour nap with a 104.4 fever, headache and vomiting. Van and I were really worried about the possibility of spinal meninjitis from his tap the day before so we paged the doc on call. They told us to bring him straight to the emergency room. After 7 hours in the ER, 6 attempts at getting an IV, and some chest x-rays, they finally diagnosed him with pheumonia. He sounded perfectly clear and was not coughing at all but the ER doc ordered the xray just to be thorough. He got a dose of roceptin and a prescription for 10 days of penicillin. We got home at 4:00 am. He seems much better today as far as fever goes, but those things tend to spike in the evenings, so we'll see how tonight goes. It makes me wonder if Colin had pheumonia last week and we missed it. Guess these kids just have to keep us on our toes!

God bless and take care. Thanks for checking on us. Your prayers, support and words of encouragement over the past 2 and a half years have strengthened us in times of weakness and brought happiness to our lives. We love each and every one of you. Pray for friend Hannah next week as she has her off-treamtnet BMA and spinal and Sarah Anne the following week. The three amigos seem to have whipped this cancer thing! YES!

Love,
The Myers Family

Tuesday, October 15, 2002 at 10:23 AM (CDT)

**Week 130 of 130!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

AWESOME!!! Wow!! We had SUCH a great time on Matthew's MAW/GKTW trip! We are still grinning from ear to ear two days later! We got back home around 10:30 p.m. Sunday night and thank goodness the kids didn't have school Monday b/c of Parents Day so we got to sleep in a little. Words can't describe how completely AMAZING the trip was. Of course, Give Kids The World is such a wonderful place to stay. I think we gained 10 lbs. each eating ice cream twice a day! Matthew went through 30 scoops of sprinkles on every trip to the Ice Cream Palace. Thank goodness we walked it off after 6 days of theme parks. We were all treated like royalty everywhere we went. Front of the line treatment and the boys were spoiled by every character we ran into. Matthew absolutely LOVED it! Especially all of the cool gifts GKTW left in our villa each day. We really enjoyed going with our good friends, the Hicks family. It was worth it all to see the smiles of joy on Matthew and Sarah Anne's faces. I'll post some pictures in the next day or two from our trip.

LAST TREATMENT!!!!!! Matthew received his last shot of methotrexate and dose of 6 mp on Wednesday! YES! I got a great photo of him flushing the last of his pills down the toilet. He was so excited to be finished with all of his medicine. We go in tomorrow (Wednesday) for his final bone marrow aspiration and spinal tap to find out if he's still in remission and can officially end treatment. We are looking forward to good results, but I will post that info. as soon as we find out.

God bless and take care and I will update real soon.

The Myers Family

Saturday, October 05, 2002 at 08:31 PM (CDT)

**Week 129 of 130**

ONE WEEK TO GO!!! This week's visit went fine...at least I remembered to bring Matthew in on Wednesday. I let him go to school Mon. and Tues. but so much yucky stuff was going around, I just pulled him out for the rest of the week. He didn't mind at all. I was a little stress yesterday as Matthew has been bruising easily over the past few days. He usually doesn't bruise unless his platelets are below 100. All I could think was "Just one more week, please don't let the counts drop out now!" He had a soccer game today and nearly passed out from exhaustion after only 5 minutes of running around. I had to make the coach pull him from the game. He was pitiful, but fine after I got him home and made him lay down on the couch.

The Wish Calendar is almost full. One more day and we leave for Disney World. The boys are excited about the limo ride, the plane ride, and of course, spending the week at Mickey's house. We just got a packet today from Mayor Clayton (the rabbit Mayor of Give Kids The World Village where we are staying). I'll update as soon as we get back and let you all know how our trip went. Matthew called his buddy, Sarah Anne, today to discuss the plans for their trips. She was excited too.

Well, I decided to take Colin in to his pediatrician on Friday morning and have him tested for strep since a couple of close friends tested positive this week. Of course, he had no symptoms except for a stomach ache, but I couldn't afford to take any chances with our big week coming up. Well, it turns out he tested positive. He even had a mild fever (99.5) so the doc started him on antibiotics and even gave me a prescription for Matthew just in case. Well, by Friday afternoon, I started to feel kind of rough so I decided to call them back and see if they could squeeze me in for a strep test. Needless to say, I'm on antibiotics now too and the NP that I saw gave me an extra prescription so I've got enough for Van in case he comes down with it. I'm bringing enough drugs with us for the whole family. Thank goodness strep is so treatable, I'm just glad we caught it early before we left for Disney.

God bless and take care.

The Myers Family
Jenn, Van, Colin & Matthew

Monday, September 30, 2002 at 08:03 AM (CDT)

**WEEK 128 OF 130**

I guess I'm ready for Matthew to be off treatment as I completely FORGOT to bring him in on Wednesday for his cbc and shot! Well, we had the excitement of Isidore coming through and it was raining buckets all of Wednesday and Thursday anyway. I would've hated to go downtown in the bad weather, so late Wednesday afternoon (about the time my friend reminded me) I called the clinic and rescheduled for Friday.

Anyway, Matthew's appointment went fine. We've gotten to the point where I just go in for the cbc and to pick up his med. and then I give him his shot at home in the afternoon. Too bad I didn't figure it all out before the last eight weeks, but all of our friends went on Wednesdays, and it was kind of a "get together" each week during our appointments. A time to re-connect each week and encourage each other. Well, now that most of our close friends have switched to other days b/c of their schedules, it's just easier to do it at home (& much faster, usually). We are really coming down the home stretch now. Matthew knows he's almost finished. He does so well with his shot and oral meds. now, I don't think he minds either way. But I think we'll definitely have another "Flush Everything Down The Toilet Party". He loved flushing his prednisone so much several months ago...I think we'll give him the joy of flushing everything else.

2 WEEKS TO GO!!

We leave for Disney World next Monday!! The boys are SO excited about the plane ride (I think they'll enjoy the limo ride to the airport too!). I'll update on Wednesday this week and the week after week return (hopefully with some awesome pictures from our trip). God bless and take care.

The Myers Family
Jennifer, Van, Colin, & Matthew

Thursday, September 19, 2002 at 08:54 AM (CDT)

**Week 127 of 130**

Matthew's appointment yesterday went really well. His counts looked awesome...ANC 1900, red blood cells and platelets completely normal. He is doing GREAT and I pray that the next few weeks go exactly the same!!! We are so close to the end I can't believe it. When I tell folks in the clinic that he only has 3 weeks left, no one can believe it's been 2 and a half years already. Matthew will still go back each month for blood tests. I am slightly anxious about that last procedure. We will give him some "magic milk" to put him to sleep and they'll do a spinal tap and final bone marrow aspiration. Then hopefully, he will get the "all clear" and start the road towards being completely cured. He'll have that done on October 16th, so please keep us all in your prayers for that day.

3 WEEKS TO GO!!!

And that means just two weeks until we go to Disney World!! The boys are so excited. I'm including some new pics this month (including one of Matthew & Colin's countdown calendar, thanks to a suggestion from my friend, Katrina!). Also, some from our recent trip to Gatlinburg, and other events over the past month.

PRAYER REQUEST: Our friend Janie is having a tough time with her new chemo...she relapsed last week and will eventually need a bone marrow transplant. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

God bless and take care.

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Thursday, September 12, 2002 at 09:03 AM (CDT)

**Week 126 of 130**

Matthew's clinic visit went well yesterday...it wasn't too busy so it didn't take us too long (that means < 2 hour visit). His counts looked great...his wbc were at 4.39 with 74% neutrophils (his nurse practioner said it looked like he was experiencing a "shift" b/c his neutrophils were so high). Normal is between 25 and 45%. Do any of you cancer parents know what that means and why it happens? His neutrophils seem to run high quite often...of course, it definitely beats the alternative. I am anxious to see if Matthew recovers quickly from his 2 1/2 year treatment...I can't wait for the day when we get a cbc and they say that it's completely normal.

On that note...4 MORE WEEKS TO GO!!

Matthew is playing soccer now, just like big brother, Colin. Although they haven't had any games yet, he seems to enjoy the activity.

PRAYER REQUEST: Today was a little depressing. Not only from being overloaded with the sickening memories of the loss our country suffered a year ago, but I saw one of our little friends in clinic yesterday, Janie Sims. Her family just found out this week that she has relapsed. She had just started the maintenance phase of her treatment a few weeks ago. There are battles being wages every day in the war against childhood cancer. The set backs are devastating. Please pray for her and her family as they face new uncertainty and ask God to renew their strength.

God bless and take care.

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Wednesday, September 04, 2002 at 02:31 PM (CDT)

**Week 125 of 130**

Alright, Dr. Castleberry FINALLY got me straight today with where Matthew is on his treatment roadmap. We are officially at week 125 this week, which means that Matthew's final treatment will be on October 9th!!! (I was one week off...I tried to get him to let me skip that last week...which is actually the week we will be at Disney World). No way, he's making me take his meds with us! Maybe Matthew will be so enamored with Disney World, he won't even notice me giving him his shot! No cbc needed that week. Matthew did great today...he's got a slight stuffy nose cold, but the counts were wonderful considering. There are several nasty illnesses going around at his school so I just kept him out today and we went to clinic instead. I was called to pick him up early from school yesterday as he FELL ASLEEP ON HIS DESK at 10:00 a.m. You cancer moms will really understand how these little kids can get run down from a simple cold. He's slightly anemic to boot. Hopefully, he won't figure out that falling asleep is a good way to get out of school work and get a free trip home.

MAKE A WISH UPDATE: Well, the girls from MAW came to our house Thursday night to grant Matthew's wish. Of course, he was such a stinker. I wish I could include a video clip. They said, "Matthew, do you know why we're here tonight?" and his response was "Where's my present?" (He saw them bringing in presents). When Kristin told him that they were granting his wish, he said, "I already got my wish. I'm going to Disney World." (Mayor Clayton had sent him an invitation back in June). Anyway, as soon as Van and I recovered from our complete embarassment, we managed to tell them how grateful we all truly are for sending us to Disney World. Four year olds are WAY TOO HONEST for common courtesy.

On another MAW note, they invited us to the Barons (minor league) baseball game the following night and asked Matthew if he wanted to throw out the first pitch. He loved it, of course. But in his mind, it's only natural to perform a solo version of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" when you are the honorary first pitch thrower. So we asked, and they said yes. After the game, the crowd all stayed for the fireworks and Matthew was invited to the field to perform. He sang wonderfully and got THE BIGGEST grin on his face when the crowd erupted in applause. He was so happy he couldn't stand it. Of course, I got it all on video. That same honest, bold personality that spoke his mind to the MAW girls the night before is the same personality that actually enjoys singing solo in front of 2000 people. Guess we have to take the good with the bad and count it all blessing.

5 WEEKS TO GO!!!!!!! YES!!

Prayer Request Update: My neighbor that I wrote about last entry got the results back from her amnio. test. Thank goodness the baby does not have trisomy 18 (which is usually fatal), but the test was positive for down's syndrome. Please keep them in your prayers for strength and peace as they travel through this trial. God is giving them a little angel on earth to take care of.

God bless,

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew

Wednesday, August 21, 2002 at 02:41 PM (CDT)

**Week 123 of 130**

ACTUALLY, we may be at week 124 of 130...it wouldn't surprise me if I was off by a week (for those of you who know me, you know how "organized" I am - sarcasm). By my calculations, I think Matthew only has six more weeks, which would make this week 124. I will be SURE to get it straight by next week, believe me!! Anyway, Matthew's visit this week went well. His counts were fine, despite the persistent nosebleeds (sinuses + weather changes). Platelets were at 258, so we know that's not the cause. Everything else was fine, so I gave Matthew his shot at home...no EMLA (what a big boy!). I guess I've decided to start doing it myself now that he only has a few weeks left (crazy, I know). But for time's sake, we've just gone to get the cbc at the hospital. It takes too long to wait to get his shot and I've been way to busy lately.

Matthew has gotten the "weather change" sinus trouble like everyone else. Believe me, it's not cool yet in Alabama, by any means. But the nights are getting down into the 70's and you know how that is. Matthew is the type of child that just loves to work every angle when he gets in trouble, if you know him, I know you'll find that hard to believe (sarcasm, again). His new angle this month is this determined stitch that is stuck in his port incision. It is slowly working it's way out, but it's still there. Anyway, the first thing he does when we get on to him is start crying about that darn stitch (like it's somehow attached to our own heartstrings). Teacher gives him a check mark at school...he's got to show the entire class his stitch while crying. Of course, now that it's the 6th day of school, they've already all seen it about a hundred times. When will that blasted stitch fall out?! It will be something else when that happens...last month he told us we were "breaking his heart" every time we had to discipline him. Life would definitely not be the same without him! He keeps us entertained.

Please pray for my neighbor, Anna. She's 18 weeks pregnant and the doctor has told her the baby may have trisomy 18 (Edward's Syndrome). The babies usually don't live past a year. She doesn't have the results back yet, so pray that the baby turns out to be healthy. God bless and take care.

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew
The Myers Family

Friday, August 16, 2002 at 12:44 PM (CDT)

**Week 122 of 130**

Sorry for skipping a week and not updating sooner. I have really got to get on the ball since we are in the official "countdown" phase to the end of treatment. Last week was routine. Thank goodness Matthew has been feeling well lately and his counts have reflected that. This week went well...HCT (red blood cells/oxygen) was actually 35 (34-40 is normal) and PLT were 308 (also normal). Matthew's WBC count was 1.84, and his ANC was at least a thousand (typical of immunosuppressed counts).

One reason I've been so busy is because both boys started school on Wednesday. Colin is in the first grade and he's an old pro at the school thing by now. But Wednesday was Matthew's first day ever! I've been praying for his teacher. On Wednesday, he came home with a yellow (green,yellow,red) on his behavioral mark for excessive talking and not obeying and she made a comment that he was very "head strong". Well, tell me something I don't already know!! Anyway, Dad and I had numerous discussions with him about talking while the teacher is teaching and he agreed to behave. Miraculously, it worked! Thursday Matthew came home with a green and no check marks. Unfortunately, it was short lived, although he stayed in the green today, it wasn't by much. He got two check marks for talking! He just can't help it, he says. He just has SO much to tell his teacher he just can't seem to keep it all in. On a strange note, just as I was about to leave him on Wednesday, his nose just started spontaneously bleeding. I wasn't too worried though. Only a cancer mom would know her sons exact platelet count from the day before...308!! ha! ha!

7 MORE TREATMENTS TO GO!!! 8 MORE WEEKS UNTIL OUR MAKE A WISH TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD!!! YES!!! THANK YOU, LORD!!!

Thanks for stopping by. God bless and take care.

Love,
The Myers Family

Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 09:01 AM (CDT)

**Week 120 of 130!!**

NEWS FLASH: MATTHEW HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY "DE-PORTED"!!! Yes, it's out!! And in true 4 year old form, Matthew was ready to wrestle with his brother last night (after 6 hours of sleep, that is). We had to nip the wrestling in the bud and explain to him that he needs to take it easy for a few days. He went in to surgery at 8:30 am yesterday (Monday) and the surgeon came back in around 9:30 and told us everything went well. He stayed in recovery for about an hour and a half, until they tried to put warm blankets on him (is anyone else's child temperature sensitive?). Matthew absolutely freaks out if anything even remotely warm touches him. He thinks he's being burned, so I'm sure he freaked out in recovery. He told me they put "hot" blankets on him and he cried. He was SO brave going back into surgery. We kissed him goodbye and he got a little teary-eyed, but then we told him the nurse was going to give him a ride in his bed and he said "okay" and dried right up. He was especially excited about the cotton candy flavored gas he got to breathe. I asked him if he went to sleep and he said "no".

Anyway, today is Tuesday, and he's doing great. His incision doesn't seem to bother him at all (kids handle all of this stuff so well). I gave him a little Tylenol last night and this morning just in case. He's not scheduled to return to clinic until next Wednesday and then he's got ONLY NINE MORE TREATMENTS!!!!!! Okay, I'm going to try not to get too excited just yet until that final BMA and spinal, but it is starting to feel like there may be an end to this ordeal in the near future. I know he'll have to be monitored for years to come, but no more drugs, a normal immune system...we're all ready for that.

By the way, Matthew doesn't miss his port one bit.

Thanks so much to our friends, Teresa McCullogh, Ginger Sims, and Amber Mason for bringing us dinner last night. We were completely exhausted from being at the hospital all day and it was such a blessing to us. It's great to have such wonderful Christian support from our friends. And, of course, thanks to Sonya and Christoper for letting Colin spend the night and stay with you all day. We love and appreciate you all, and especially those who get on their knees before God on our behalf. God bless and take care.

The Myers Family
Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew

Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 09:38 AM (CDT)

**Week 118 of 130**

We had an AWESOME time down in Pensacola this past week. We finally made it out-of-town when Colin's All-Star tball team lost on Tuesday night. Colin played so well and we are so very proud of him. I am embarrassed to say that I dropped off five (yes, 5) rolls of film at Wal-mart yesterday from our trip. I'll post some of the best pics within the next week. The boys loved the waves and the giant sand box. The Blue Angels were REALLY loud, so the kids wore earplugs. Matthew was determined to stay wet this year, so not much sitting down and relaxing for me.

I took Matthew for his regular appt. this week on Wednesday. I put EMLA on his port, as he was due to be accessed. Well, as expected, the port flushed fine, but would not give a blood return. This has been the case for almost a year now. They've used TPA on the past 4 accesses to get it to work and only a little blood came out then. Matthew has a darkening of veins on his left shoulder where the line runs. His nurse practioner suspects either a mispositioning of the line (against the artery wall) or that a sheath (clot) has formed on the end of the line. Regardless, he hopefully will never NEED it again, sooooooo....Matthew will have surgery on July 29th to REMOVE HIS PORT!!! YES! I have been pretty anxious anticipating this day, but considering the port isn't working properly anyway, it is better to get it out than to keep fighting with it. I can't imagine that TPA is good for you on a regular basis. Anyway, as you cancer parents know, this is a BIG step and we are quietly celebrating. I just want his surgery to be over and see that beautiful little smile on his face. Of course, Matthew's comments regarding the whole issue were: "It can't come out, it's part of me!" and "It's stuck in there, how are they going to get it out?" I'm quite certain he won't miss it.

Please keep Matthew in your prayers for the 29th. I guess his counts were really good, but somehow with the whole port issue going on, I forgot to ask. I'll post the Florida pics a.s.a.p. God bless and take care.

Jenn, Van, Colin, & Matthew Myers

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 10:34 AM (CDT)

**Week 117 of 130**

Matthew's visit yesterday went just fine. As expected, his counts have dropped back a little further down into the "normal" range for a kid on chemo. His WBC dropped to 3.0 from 5.0 last week, but his ANC was still 2000, which is great. All of his other counts have remained stable.

Well, our little trip to Pensacola has been delayed. Colin's All-Star TBall team is playing in the State tournament and they just can't lose!! We didn't expect them to be in it this long, but they've done great. In Sunday night's game, Colin made an out on the first play of the game, plus he hit a HOMERUN!! Matthew kicked the game off by singing a solo of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" on the press box microphone in front of 300+ people. It was ADORABLE!!! The umpires thought it was so cute that they invited Matthew to the mound to throw out the first pitch. Then they autographed the ball and gave it to him. Now every time we go out there, he wants to sing. Uh-oh...a star is born!?? If they win tonight (Tues.) then they'll have to play a double-header on Wed. and the championship game on Thursday. It's been fun, but we are all ready for the beach!!!!

Thanks for stopping by. God bless and take care.

Jenn, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Tuesday, July 02, 2002 at 10:34 PM (CDT)

**Week 116 of 130**

I took Matthew back in on Monday this week...just easier to stay on a Monday schedule since we will need to go on Monday next week so we can head down to Pensacola. We are looking forward to a week-long stay including an awesome view of the Blue Angels air show from the beach on Saturday. My friend, Sonya, and her son, Christopher (Colin's best buddy) are going down with us. We are all anticipating a nice, relaxing week away from home.

Matthew visit went well this week. His white count was still over 5000, down from 7.44 last week. The chemo is starting to do it's job once again lowering his immune system. As long as it stays at a nice steady level, we should have an uneventful summer and fall. Dr. Castleberry referred Matthew to a dermatologist this week. His persistent "chemo" rash needs a remedy as Matthew has scratched his face up pretty badly. He looks like he's been in a fight...I told Dr. C. he should see the other guy! Other than that, his visit was routine. After both his finger prick and his shot, he told the nurses "That didn't even hurt!" What a big boy!

We are all looking forward to Matthew's Make A Wish trip this Fall. The organization is throwing a party for him sometime this month. He is SOOOO excited about getting to go to Disney World. I can't wait to see their faces when we get to the park. They have no idea what to expect!!

God bless and take care. Thank you for checking on Matthew this week.

The Myers Family

Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 10:55 PM (CDT)

**Week 115 of 130**

WOW! Did any of you guys notice that Matthew only has 15 weeks left on treatment?! YES!!! That should put him finishing up sometime in mid-October. I almost can't believe it. I swear I'm holding my breath until that final bone marrow and spinal. I know God has great plans for Matthew and as difficult as the past two plus years have been, our faith has always rested in His word and in His promises. Sure, He may or may not have "miraculously" healed Matthew, but He sure is responsible for giving us the strength to make it through this. All of us. Matthew's character is so strong and amazing. Colin cringes (bless his heart) just watching Matthew get his shots. But Matthew takes it like the "old soul" that he is...with courage. God blessed him with that ability and it is a joy to know that He will never forsake any of us.

I ended up taking Matthew in on Monday this week. He has been the picture of health recently (all of that isolation over the past few weeks!). Anyway, to my complete surprise he woke up at 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning with the worst croop (did I spell that right?) ever. He honestly was struggling to breath in and was coughing terribly with each exhale. I took him in the bathroom and got it steamy. It helped a little and he finally got back to sleep. We were up at 7:30 a.m. and off to clinic with one pitiful little boy (he LOVES to over-dramatize every ache and pain for the doctors and nurses). He greeted them with pitiful barky coughes instead of hello's just to prove his point. Well, clinic running the way clinic runs, by the time we sat there for three hours waiting to see the doctor, Matthew's cough almost completely disappated (as croop tends to do). Thank goodness, no chest x-rays required.

Matthew's counts were astonishing considering he went back on almost 100% last week. His ANC was over 6300!! His RBC and PLATELETS were holding their own, running at his usual "low-end of normal". Needless to say, he definitely has enough infection-fighting cells to lick whatever this virus is. He's still off of his Bactrim, but we'll probably start that back next week.

Please say some extra prayers for one of our cancer friends...Jaylon. He is a precious two year old little boy, diagnosed with a higher-risk ALL six months ago. They found out Friday that he had relapsed in his spinal fluid. I know it breaks his mother's heart to have to put her little boy through more than he's already been through. They have a long and hard road ahead and desperately need your prayers.

Thanks for checking on us. God bless and take care.

The Myers Family

Thursday, June 20, 2002 at 11:07 PM (CDT)

**Week 114 of 130**

THANK GOODNESS this week's visit was pretty "routine". Matthew's ANC was up to 1500 so he was able to get his leg shot (although Dr. Berkow decided to reduce his dose from 16 mg to 12 mg to give him a little more time to recover). Hopefully, we can make it through the rest of his treatment with consistent counts. The clinic was "standing room only" this week. In fact, we waited out in the hall there were so many people in the waiting room. Matthew developed the same old chemo rash this week after starting back on his 6mp. The dr. said that med usually doesn't cause skin problems, but it seems a little too obvious to me that it showed up as soon as he started back on his medicine. He is itching like crazy...poor thing. He has scratched his face up pretty bad.

We were able to celebrate Colin's 6th birthday tonight with a party at Chick-fil-a. You just can't go wrong with kids and chicken nuggets. Matthew, however, chose to skip the food and stay in the play area. He did manage to make an appearance for some cake (imagine that). Anyway, Colin's birthday isn't until the 24th, but his All-Star District Tournament starts that night.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

The Myers Family
Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew

Tuesday, June 11, 2002 at 08:17 AM (CDT)

**Week 113 of 130**

WHHHHHHEEEEEEWWWW! (Deep breath, big 'ol sigh of relief.) That's exactly how Van and I felt yesterday! GOOD NEWS! Matthew's ANC was up...it was 1039!! YES! I do not really understand why we were both SO completely anxious about this scare...perhaps b/c Matthew is so close to the end of treatment and we couldn't bear the unthinkable. But let me tell you, the encouragment and support from all of you cancer parents and friends really eased our minds. You really rallied your support and I greatly appreciate it. I hope and pray that we make it to November without having to go through this again. Matthew and I were getting a little tired of looking at the inside of our house, but I didn't want to risk infection.

His counts were as follows:
HCT 36.9!!!!! (Let me tell you a quick story about this new Matthew off chemo...I almost didn't recognize him...Colin made the All-Star tball team for Moody and we took him out to practice this weekend. Matthew decided he wanted to run...Matthew just doesn't run, he hasn't run for the past two years. Anyway, he took off around those bases and we couldn't get him to stop. He ran, and ran, and ran! It was amazing to see him with so much energy. Is this what we have in store???!!!)
Platelets: 369
WBC: 3.2 (30% infection-fighting... combining both seg-18% and band's, who knows, maybe they through the monocytes in as well...we were worried about those seg's which were down to 5% last week, up to 18% this week).

The doctor decided to skip the leg shot again this week and just to start him back on the daily 6mp. Leg shot next week if all goes well. No bactrim for several weeks. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support. God definitely answered them all in the way we had hoped.

God bless and take care,
The Myers Family

Wednesday, June 05, 2002 at 05:27 PM (CDT)

**Week 112 of 130**

I wish that I had better news to report today. In fact, I was so positive going in to Matthew's appt. today, so I was totally devastated when Dr. Berkow told me that his ANC had DROPPED to 126!! UGH! I just don't understand what's going on. I've kept him isolated and he's been relatively healthy over the past week. He just has NOT recovered from whatever hit him. The Dr. may have said 10 positive things during the visit, but the one negative has stuck in my mind all day. He said that Matthew will have to have a bone marrow aspiration next week if his counts have not recovered to rule out the possibility of a relapse. I don't know what a relapse looks like on paper and we've certainly been through low counts before with some scary moments, but it never gets any easier, no matter how many times we all have to go through this ordeal. I've tried to focus on the positives...Matthew's rbc and platelets are completely normal. They even went up a little from last week, which is a good sign. Anyway, please pray that his infection-fighting cells are up next week and that he doesn't catch anything in the meantime as his immune system is almost non-existent. God bless and take care. I'll update as soon as I know something new.

The Myers Family

Wednesday, May 29, 2002 at 01:40 PM (CDT)

**Week 111 of 130**

Well, Van's grandmother, Mary Lee Ashley, passed away on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. She waited for a quiet moment when all of the family had left the nursing home to take her leave. Everyone rushed back to say their "goodbyes", hug and just be together. She lived a long life full of many blessings. Who could ask for more? Van and Colin were able to be there with the rest of the family, while I kept Matthew at home with a fever and low counts.

Well, this week's cbc brings good news and bad. The good news is that Matthew's rbc and platelets were better than last week. His HCT rose to 31.5 from 29.2 last week, so he's not as anemic. His platelets rose from 159 last week (borderline normal) to 295 this week. The bad news is that his ANC (infection-fighting cells) dropped from 334 last week to 229 this week. They have to be at least 500 to continue chemo, so the Dr. held all of his meds for this week. As long as Matthew doesn't catch another virus or get sick, I feel like he will be on the road to recovery soon. He doesn't have much of an immune system right now, but I don't have a problem keeping him isolated for the next week. Hopefully, he'll be back to normal soon and we can have a fun summer.

Thank you for checking on us...and especially thank you to those of you who kept Matthew and our family in your prayers last week. God bless and take care.

The Myers Family

Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 06:25 PM (CDT)

**Week 110 of 130**

I'm a little "stressed" today, so I apologize if this email shows it. Matthew's visit yesterday seemed routine. His white count had dropped a little and his platelets had dropped by about 100,000, but we thought his ANC (infection-fighting cells) were higher at 964 so the Dr. went ahead with the chemo. Well, later yesterday afternoon I got a call from his nurse practitioner saying his ANC was not 964, it was 375. Someone had read the lab report incorrectly. 500 is supposed to be the cutoff for getting chemo. To make matters worse, Matthew was beginning to get a fever yesterday, which coupled with neutropenia (low anc) is not a good thing. I had to bring him back in today (Thursday) for cultures and a cbc. His total wbc count was only .95 (5.5-15.5 is normal). His anc had dropped to just over 300. Dr. Howard decided to run the cultures, shoot a chest xray and send Matthew home with a dose of IV Rocephin (I know I spelled that wrong) and a 10-day rx for Augmentin.

I'm slightly stressed b/c his anc is so low and he's had such a bad headache for the past two days. I pray that his current condition has nothing to do with his spinal last week. He had a headache on Wed. and Thurs. and he has vomited a few times since then, including this morning. I am SO ready for Matthew to have a normal immune system and not to have to worry about what his body can or can't tolerate.

I feel like I'm on pins and needles this week. Perhaps some of that is due to anxiety concerning Van's grandmother. She is very close to death and everyone is just waiting for that moment. We're just waiting for the call when we will have to drive over and say our goodbyes. It's very stressful not knowing when to start grieving, and then having the uncertainty of Matthew's health on the line as well. Ugh! God give us strength! And I know that He will, He always does. It's surviving the moment that makes us stronger...it's just seems so difficult when you are in the moment.

I appreciate your prayers and support. I will probably take Matthew back in tomorrow to test his spinal fluid if his head is still hurting so badly. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. God bless.

In Christ,

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Saturday, May 18, 2002 at 06:58 PM (CDT)

**Week 109 of 130**

Wow! I am way behind on my updates. I skipped last week b/c it was uneventful, aside from some declining blood counts. This week was Matthew's LAST treatment spinal tap!!! YES! And the great news is that it was completely CLEAR!!! (I say that with such great excitement b/c I think everyone is a little nervous around the clinic after our friend, Ross, relapsed with CNS leukemia. It was such a shock to everyone. On a good note, the cancer was NOT in his marrow.)

Anyway, Meredith got a nice, clean stick on the first try and despite some protest from Matthew, everything went smoothly. Matthew did not rebound from this spinal and the last Vin/Pred burst a few weeks ago as well as he's done in the past. His hair has been falling out all week from the Vincristine he got a few weeks ago and he had a headache Thurs. and Fri. from the spinal. Perhaps it's due to his age, but thank goodness those were the last times for those procedures. Leg shots and daily 6mp until November!!

Matthew's white count dropped from it's already low level the week before. He was borderline for continuing treatment with an ANC of 550. 500 is the cut-off. It was 1100 the week before. His total WBC was only 1.10. His HCT was 29, so he's a little anemic and it's shown. He is really worn out. Please pray that next week his counts will be back up. I've tried to keep him a little more sheltered than usual this week (you cancer moms know what I mean) so he hopefully won't catch any new viruses and prolong the low counts.

By the way, MATTHEW IS FOUR!!! He had a wonderful birthday party on the 11th with friends and family. He talked a lot that day about how "BIG" he is, accompanied by a proud display of muscles for all to see.

Thanks for stopping by and especially thanks for your prayers and support.

Love,
Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Thursday, May 02, 2002 at 10:01 AM (CDT)

**Week 107 of 130**

We are getting SOOOO close! Matthew just has ONE MORE treatment spinal in two weeks, and that's his last "extra" med. on his road map. Just leg shots and 6MP until November.

This week's visit went well. Matthew's counts were great and he didn't cry for the finger prick or leg shot. It really amazes me how well he does with them. In fact, after the doctor saw him, he forgot to order Matthew's medicine. Needless to say, we sat in the room for over an hour waiting. Matthew insisted that he "needed his medicine!" Finally, one of the nurses figured out what the problem was and order the medicine. In the meantime, Matthew was "on a roll", as he told the nurses. He announced to everyone in the clinic and waiting room that he had "gas bombs in his pants" and that his daddy had gas bombs too. He sang, he danced, he kept me thoroughly entertained. He told Jenease, the receptionist, that there was "nothing suspicious going on" in our room. He was is such a wonderful mood, and I enjoyed what a silly goose he can be. With an empty clinic, we still managed to be there for 3 hours...ugh! At least Matthew kept it interesting.

Our friends, the Agees, were in clinic to have Ross admitted for his spinal/bone marrow aspiration. I haven't heard yet of the results, but our ferverent prayers have been for his marrow to be clear of leukemia. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep this family in your prayers. They have more on them right now than anyone should in a lifetime.

God bless and thank you for stopping by.

The Myers Family

Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at 09:13 PM (CDT)

**Week 106 of 130**

WE SURVIVED THE WEEK OF PREDNISONE!! Matthew definitely tried every ounce of patience we both have this week with his "prednitude". By the grace of our wonderful God, we made it through. Last night I told Matthew that was it...NO MORE YUCKY MEDICINE!! With surprise in his voice, he said "No more?" So we took the remaining prednisone and let Matthew flush it down the toilet. He absolutely thought that was terrific. He laughed, I cried. It was a good experience for us all.

Matthew has a spinal tap in three weeks and I have mixed emotions. I am happy that it's his last treatment spinal, but of course I'm anxious to get it over with and get good results. Matthew's port worked great today and b/c Van was with us, we had a quick and easy visit (I'm convinced the nurses rush him through b/c he's a man. I would've sat there for 3 hours).

On a sad note, my heart is so very heavy as I write this tonight. We have met so many wonderful families and children over the past two years. One such family is the Agee's (Kennon, Lisa, Ross and Laura). Ross was diagnosed with ALL just over a year ago. Lisa (mom) found out two weeks ago that she has breast cancer and will have to start chemotherapy. Today I learned that Ross relapsed with CNS (spinal fluid) leukemia. My heart is breaking for their family and I ask that you pray for them diligently. I believe in the power of pray and this family desperately needs your prayers right now.

Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to sign Matthew's guestbook. God bless and take care.

The Myers Family

Thursday, April 18, 2002 at 03:35 PM (CDT)

**Week 105 of 130**

IT'S THE "PREDNITUDE" WEEK AT THE MYERS' HOUSE!!! If you don't know what I'm talking about, then I'd like to invite you over sometime this week so you can appreciate the side effects of prednisone on a three year old! Matthew will definitely have a "prednitude" going on within the next few days...and look out! He's actually been such a big boy with his medicine this time. You know, I've had such a hard time getting him to swallow his pills, and wouldn't you know it, this is his last Vin./Pred. burst!! He is taking them like a dream! I just put it on his tongue and give him some Sprite to drink and down it goes! Awesome!! I am almost as proud of him as he is of himself. What a big guy!

We had absolutely ANSWERED prayers yesterday as Matthew's port worked perfectly on the first try. The past several accesses have gone so poorly and required several doses of anti-coagulant. This time was great. It took all of 5 minutes to get his meds (after a patience-building 3 hour wait). His counts looked good enough for Dr. Castleberry to raise his weekly methotrexate dose. Just one more spinal in 4 weeks and then just leg shots and daily pills until November!! I am starting to get REALLY excited about the prospect of being finished with chemo. I'm trying not to let myself get to worked up about it. It's still six months away.

We had an AWESOME time at Camp Smile-A-Mile. The boys DID smile the entire time (thanks Katrina). Unfortunately, I didn't get the same luxury...a stomach virus hit me Saturday afternoon and I spent 14 hours quarantined in the camp health hut (most of it sleeping). I really got to catch up on my beauty sleep. Anyway, the boys didn't even miss me...they were having too much fun playing in the sand, roasting marshmellows and meeting new friends. THANKS TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AT CAMP SAM FOR A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Matthew got approved for his "wish" through the Make A Wish organization. Some volunteers will be coming out to talk with him in a few weeks. Matthew really wants to go to Disney World and meet Goofy. This is an opportunity for our family that we would not have been able to do on our own. I think it will be a beautiful end to a long 2 and a half years of needle sticks and nasty medicines. Matthew definitely deserves a chance to enjoy being a kid and having something to really smile about!! We hope to go sometime this Fall, probably October.

Thanks for checking in and God bless. Thanks for all of your continued prayers.

The Myers Family
Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew

Wednesday, April 03, 2002 at 08:11 PM (CST)

**Week 103 of 130**

Thanks for stopping by to check on Matthew...he continues to do great with his higher chemo dose. His counts have remained consistent over the past several months. He has a vincristine/prednisone burst coming up in two weeks (and his hair just got thick again!). The vincristine likes to thin out hair! That's okay...we've learned that it grows back.

Matthew's imagination continues to run wild, like any normal 3 year old. His 4th birthday is coming up next month. He's decided he wants a Thomas the Train cake and a party at Chuck E. Cheese. I can't believe he's almost 4! He's still really "anti-school" at this point, but he loves Sunday School and going to his Bible Study class, so I'm hoping he'll change his mind by next year.

Both Matthew and Colin are really excited about going to Camp Smile-A-Mile next weekend. They are ready to fish, canoe and have fun with their friends! Van and I can't wait either.

God bless and take care!
The Myers Family

Thursday, March 14, 2002 at 09:25 PM (CST)

**Week 99 of 130**

It's been a few weeks since I've updated, but Matthew is doing so well right now with his treatment, so there's not too much to report (I'm happy to say). He had a great trip to clinic yesterday. In fact, despite raising his chemo dose several weeks ago, Maatthew's counts look almost like those of a healthy child. His ANC was 3950 (they like it to be at least 1000), his hematocrit was normal at 36.3 (too much energy!), and his platelets were normal at 353. He is cranking out some really good blood cells. I hope this is a prelude to how well he'll do off treatment. I hope he recovers quickly from his 2 1/2 years of chemotherapy.

Van and I enjoyed a relaxing trip to Las Vegas for a convention last week (relaxing, other than the plane ride). The boys stayed with the Roper Family and had so much fun that they weren't ready to come home when we got back! We had to catch up on all of the hugs we missed.

On a really sad note, a little friend from Children's passed away last week. Her name was Madison and she was only three years old. She relapsed with neuroblastoma. Please pray for her parents, Mandy and Jason as they are going through an experience no parent should ever have to endure. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they cope with the death of their precious little girl.

God bless,

The Myers Family

Monday, February 25, 2002 at 09:50 PM (CST)

**Week 96 of 130**

Wow! I really got behind this week on my updating, seeing as we've already started the following week. Take that as good news that I'm late. Matthew's visit went REALLY well. We were both happy to have Dad along with us. Matthew's spinal went very smoothly and cleanly. As usual, he didn't like being held down much, but he was too "drunk" to fight it. Only ONE MORE SPINAL on treatment (then he gets one at the end of treatment).

We were praying hard for Matthew's port to work. It wouldn't work at all when they first accessed it so the nurse gave him 2 cc of an anti-coagulant. Matthew absolutely HATES to stay accessed. He fought for a while to get that needle out. The med had to stay in for an hour...and guess what?? I flushed beautifully after that! YES! Ruth got a nice blood return and gave him his weekly methotrexate through the port. Thank you, Lord!

Matthew's counts were GREAT, as they have been over the past several weeks. After some discussion with Dr. Berkow, he decided to raise his daily 6mp dose back to 1 pill a day (a 25% increase). It's back to where it was when he had some drops in counts, but he weighs a little more now, and hopefully we'll be out of the cold and flu season by the time the new dose kicks in. Thanks for stopping by and we especially appreciate your prayers. As always, our faith remains in God for each and every day. God bless.

The Myers Family

Friday February 15, 2002 11:29 PM CST

**Week 95 of 130**

Happy Valentine's!! I hope everyone felt loved and appreciated by their sweetheart this holiday. Thanks for stopping by this week...Matthew had another good visit on Wednesday. If he keeps this up, October will be here before you know it and we'll never even have to think about the cancer monster ever again! Matthew's counts were great (perhaps too good?). Here they are: WBC 3.99 (get this, ANC 2900+!), HCT 32.6 (low end of normal...not too anemic), PLT 244. The measure of how much chemo he's getting is the MCV count (I'm not exactly sure what it stands for, but I know it's got something to do with the size/volume of the red blood cells). Anyway, they like the number to be close to 100 to know that he's getting enough chemo and his has been running 95 or below. Wed. was the lowest yet at 91.8, so I might expect that they would raise his dose at some point.

We had a wonderful visit with our friends, the Burns family, in Atlanta this past weekend. It was great to catch up with them and get a little mini-trip together out of Birmingham.

Matthew has a spinal tap scheduled for next week...his second to last one. Also, they will try to access his port, which would work the last time they tried a few weeks ago. Please pray that everything goes smoothly with the back stick and his port works. Also, please keep Matthew's grandfather, Nick, in your prayers as he is dealing with a badly broken femur, and his grandmother, Sylvia, as she recovers from surgery on her wrists.

God bless and take care.

The Myers Family

Wednesday February 6, 2002 10:22 PM CST

**Week 94 of 130**

We had a great visit today at clinic, despite the rainy weather and messy drive into town...almost cold enough to snow, unfortately "almost" doesn't count. Colin woke up with a frown this morning after looking outside.

Matthew's visit was great, as usual. His counts were very good: WBC 3.65, HCT 33.0, PLT 245, with over 70% infection-fighting cells (that's high, but he has be fighting off a cold this week - glad to see that his little body is working normally). All of the pokes were handled without tears. In fact, Matthew (true to form) enjoys telling the lab and clinic nurses just how to stick him. He gets his own supplies out in the lab before the tech even sits down to draw his blood. He's definitely got it all down pat.

We really enjoyed a visit today from our friend, Linda Watson. She stopped by clinic to see us and is now a first-hand witness to what a nut my 3 year old has become. I swear he would've run laps around the clinic if he'd thought of it today. He was completely wired.

Our friend, Hannah, who I talked about last time is doing great. We briefly got to visit with our buddies, the Hicks (Sarah Anne & Emma Grace). Thanks for stopping by. If you are here, click the guestbook and leave Matthew a note. It will be forever recorded in his leukemia journal and if you say something really nice, he might find a big-time, extremely important position for you in his political cabinet when he becomes President. ha! ha! Everyone keeps telling me he's going to be a politician!

God bless,

The Myers Family
Jenn, Van, Colin & Matthew

Wednesday January 30, 2002 9:44 PM CST

**Week 93 of 130**

Today went very smoothly for us at clinic 5. Matthew handled his finger stick so well, and I won't take it for granted as I had a reminder today of just how well he handles his treatment. Another little boy was in the lab with us and he cried anxiously the entire time we were in the waiting room. The nurses and his parent literally had to strap him down to get his blood sample. He screamed so loudly that I could still hear him when I walked back across the hall to clinic 5. Poor little guy.

Matthew did great for his leg shot as well. He was, of course, bossy as usual! He just goes in there like he owns the place, and of course, I'm doing that "public" discipline thing...moms, you know, where you are trying to balance between keeping them relatively calm and not totally losing it to the point where you have to spank them in front of everyone. He's definitely my strong-willed child!

We did get the chance to meet another participant in the Leukemia Society Team In
Training today. Her name is Kelly and she works in the O.R. She visited us today at clinic. She is running 26.2 miles in honor of Matthew and raising money for cancer research. Two amazing accomplishments for anyone to tackle. Good luck, Kelly!...and all of our other TNT friends.

Please keep our friend, Hannah Acton, in your prayers as her counts have been low and she was running a fever last I heard. God has been gracious, regardless of our circumstances. He has given us more than we ever could deserve. Thanks for stopping by to check on Matthew. God bless.

The Myers Family

Sunday January 27, 2002 7:38 PM CST

**Week 92 of 130**

Oops! Once again, my week was so crazy that I barely had time to think, let alone update Matthew's website. One of the printers that I work for decided to close down his shop. In the process, he referred all of his customers to me, so they've been calling non-stop. I'm thankful for the work, but it's seriously stressing me out trying to juggle it and the kids at the same time.

Matthew's appointment Wednesday went well, aside from the fact that he had to be isolated in clinic. One of the nurses, Laura, whom we love dearly, broke out with shingles two weeks earlier, one day after we'd seen her in clinic. Matthew hasn't had any signs of chicken pox as of yet, and after this Wednesday, hopefully he'll be in the clear. Unfortunately, Laura won't be coming back to clinic as she is pregnant and planned to quit anyway. Matthew is really attached to her, so we'll miss her dearly.

On a good note, his counts were great and he took his blood test and shot like a big boy.

We got to meet a new group of marathoners at the TNT Kick Off Party on Monday night. Matthew is an honoree for the Leukemia Society and wonderful people throughout our community walk or run in his honor to raise money for cancer research. Please keep them all in your prayers as they train to go 26.2 miles.

We had a great time at the circus yesterday thanks to Camp Smile-A-Mile who donated tickets. The boys absolutely loved it! Colin's favorite part was the tigers and Matthew said his was the "falling tape" (a.k.a. - confetti). Thannks a bunch to Camp SAM for all they do.

God bless and thanks for stopping by.

The Myers Family

Thursday January 17, 2002 9:48 PM CST

**Week 91 of 130**

We had such an enjoyable three-day trip to Pensacola, FL with Van...well, he had to work the whole time, but the boys and I got to enjoy a couple of relaxing days on the beach. They played in the sand for hours, we collected sea shells, and even spotted some dolphins. It was really a nice getaway.

I took Matthew this morning for his leg shot. His blood counts have definitely returned to "normal" after his week on prednisone (it boosts the wbc count). His wbc were back down to 2.7, hct dropped to 31 (slightly anemic, although he doesn't show it), and platelets were normal at 390. Of course, Matthew was such a big boy today for his finger stick and shot. The clinic was packed today and the staff slightly frazzled from the chaos. We managed to get in and out in just three hours...well, at least it beats the last two weeks (4 hours plus). The staff at the clinic does such a great job considering the volume of patients. It's a wonderful lesson in patience for both Matthew and myself...gotta look on the bright side, right?

Thanks for checking in on Matthew...thanks to the grace of God and the sacrifice of so many children before him who have endured clinical trials and countless battles with cancer, he has done so amazingly well. We are thankful for the precious people God has put in our lives to guide us in this journey. As always, our hope and faith remains in Him and His promises. God bless.

The Myers Family

Sunday, January 13, 2002 at 02:31 PM (CST)

**Week 90 of 130**

Oops! Guess I'm a little behind on updating Matthew's journal. That's what happens when Van spends the entire week in FL. Very little besides the basics around here get done.

I wish I could report that Matthew's visit was shorter or easier this week. We arrived at 9:30 am and left at 1:30 pm. from clinic and unfortunately Matthew's port still wouldn't work correctly. Most of our time was spent waiting for the anti-clotting medicines to work. Once again, they got just enough of a blood return to know that the catheter was still in place, no more than that. They believe that the clot must be positioned on the end of the line and acts like a flap. The meds push in quite easily, but the "flap" closes so that no blood can come back out of the line. Thankfully, Matthew only has ONE MORE IV med pulse until October when he finishes treatment. (I'm smiling as I type that!) So, even though he needs to get his line flushed every 6 weeks, he only NEEDS it for one more pulse. I'll be cheering the day they say his port can come out! I know you cancer parents can relate to this...being off treatment seems like a dream right now. I hope and pray that we will be able to put Matthew's treatment behind us and continue on with a normal life. Will that "fear" ever go away? I sure hope so.

Matthew's counts actually looked like those of a "normal" child this week. His WBC were at 9.2! (normal is 5-15, I think) This number is usually around 1-3 for Matthew, but the prednisone (steroid) he's been on all week boosts his blood counts. His HCT was 36 (normal!) and his platelets were 295 (normal!). He still has elevated MCV levels, which means there is a sufficient amount of chemo in his system.

God bless and thank you so much for checking in on Matthew. We all love to read your words of encouragement in the guestbook. Most of all, thank you for getting on your knees before God for our child. Please pray that the problem with Matthew's port will be resolved. We probably won't access him again for about a month. Take care.

The Myers Family

Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 07:29 PM (CST)

**Week 89 of 130**

We had quite a long day at clinic yesterday. Matthew was due for his Vincristine/Prednisone burst so they planned to draw blood from his port for his cbc instead of going to lab. Needless to say, they were EXTREMELY busy in the clinic. They didn't even have a room to put us in to access him for a blood draw. We waited for about an hour and a half before they decided to just stick him in the triage area. Normally, it would be a pretty quick and easy procedure and they would leave him accessed for the hour it takes to sample the blood...but, Matthew's port was being stubborn and refused to give a return (probably because of a clot on the end of the catheter). So, they pushed in some heparin (anti-coagulant) and we waited about 30 more minutes. When they tried again, it still wouldn't work, so they injected a much stronger medicine called TPA to break up the clot. That entailed another 45 minute wait so we went for lunch. When the nurse tried to get a return, she did get some blood, but couldn't get enough for a cbc so we moved Matthew around, put up his arms, shoulders back, the works, until finally enough blood came out to suffice...stubborn (and positional) clot!! After an hour wait for the results from the blood test, we were ready to get his meds. The nurse once again had problems getting any return of blood, but finally got enough to know the med was going in. Ugh! Long day for both of us. I'm glad that's over with...now for the week of prednisone (so far, so good). Matthew prefers his crushed in Sprite in a syringe with a Sprite chaser. He's such a big boy and by the look on his face, it's a challenge for him to get it down. I hope next week's port access goes better. Please keep Matthew (and us) in your prayers this week for an easier visit.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family. A week in Natchez, MS proved to be relaxing and a trip to Pensacola, FL to visit the grandfolks was fun as well. God bless you and yours this new year. Although Matthew's treatment has been long, it has passed by just as quickly as his toddlerhood. He is scheduled to finish treatment this year in October! Yeah! Thanks for stopping by and checking on us...be sure to leave Matthew a note.

The Myers Family

Thursday, December 20, 2001 at 07:56 PM (CST)

**Week 87 of 130**

Somehow my day got away from me yesterday without updating Matthew's site...well, most of today, too. Just getting ready for the holiday is keeping me busy. I sure hope we get to relax next week. Our clinic vist on Wednesday went well. Matthew's counts looked fine...his white blood cells had dropped slightly, perhaps from some type of virus/cold...who knows, he's not been sick lately at all. He did really "BIG" for his blood test and shot. He's scheduled for a vincristine/prednisone burst next week but we're putting it off since we'll be out of town for the holiday.

We are headed to Natchez, MS tomorrow to spend some much anticipated time with Van's side of the family for Christmas. We're going to head down to FL before we come back home to spend some time with my grandparents.

We had a wonderful time this week at the Leukemia Society Christmas Party. We were able to meet some team members walking/running in Matthew's honor for the Team in Training Program. Thanks so much to Vicki, Melinda, Cathy and the Society for the presents. God bless and have a wonderful holiday season.

The Myers Family

Wednesday, December 12, 2001 at 10:29 PM (CST)

**Week 86 of 130**

The holidays are quickly approaching and we're looking forward to the celebration with family and friends. Matthew's visit today went well, he was so brave for his blood test and his leg shot; but a visiting high school choir scared him silly!! He actually thought they were really cool until they finished singing...on their way out, they walked past us as Matthew told them "Thank you" and "Goodbye". One of the choir members chimed in with a "Merry Christmas" to which Matthew promptly responded "Merry Christmas". This was repeated several times by different choir members as they past by, remarking how "cute" he was. Finally, Matthew, looking so grown up with one hand on his hip said "Happy Holidays" (to break up the monotony of "Merry Christmas" I suppose). Well, they thought that was hilarious and several of them started laughing. Matthew immediately confused their laughter with ridicule, and the rest is history. He had a major break down. I guess they overwhelmed him b/c there were so many of them. How ironic that he can handle needles without a flinch, but a "Happy Holidays" throws him into tears. At least Mommy got to snuggle him all the way to the car!

Matthew's counts were okay today. His level indicating the amount of chemo he's getting dropped down to 93 from 95 last week. I believe they want it to be above 90. His platelets were a little low at 130, which (from experience) sometimes indicates an impending drop in counts, but it can also be the result of the blood clotting before it's counted. We'll see next week...I just pray that we have a nice, healthy Christmas while we are away from home. Matthew scheduled to receive a vincristine/prednisone burst the week of Christmas. We'll probably have to rearrange that for the following week as we'll be out of town. Thanks for stopping by. God bless and "Happy Holidays!"

The Myers Family

Thursday, December 06, 2001 at 09:59 AM (CST)

**Week 85 of 130**

Matthew had a GREAT visit at clinic on Wednesday...only 45 weeks left to go!! We may not know what to do without our weekly clinic visit...although I'm sure we'll figure it out! This week's visit was routine; just a blood test and a leg shot. Matthew counts continue to do well with the lower chemo dose and he still has a lot more energy than he did over the past year (less anemic). He's been running and playing and actually coming close to keeping up with all of the other neighborhood boys. He had no ill-effects from his spinal last week and although he has struggled with a skin rash over the past several week, he's doing great. With the weather changes, both of the boys are dealing with running/stuffy noses again.

We had a WONDERFUL time at the Camp Smile-A-Mile Christmas Party on Sunday. We got to see so many of our friends from the hospital, as well as friends from Camp SAM. The boys got to spend time with their camp counselors, Beverly, Lindsey, and Matt; which they absolutely loved! Plus they got to sit in Santa's lap and received presents from Camp SAM. It was really fantastic.

Directly after the Camp SAM Party, we attended the Gold Ribbon Tree Lighting at Children's Harbor (I was privileged to be on the committee for this event). We sold gold ribbons, each in honor or in memory of a childhood cancer patient. It was a heart-warming event, with a wonderful speech from our friend, Morgan, and 11-year old cancer survivor.

God bless and Merry Christmas to you all. Although we are undeserving, God has blessed us beyond measure...truly we are rich in the things of the heart, in faith and in love. We are wading through the fire of a difficult battle with cancer and more than ever we are greatful for the eternal life God has promised us through His Son, Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that each of you know His everlasting love during this holiday season and always. God bless,

Love-
The Myers Family
Van, Jennifer, Colin and Matthew

Wednesday, November 28, 2001 at 07:25 PM (CST)

**Week 85 of 130**

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving this year...I believe we actually got to see almost everyone in our family on both sides. Amazing! Well, we did a lot of traveling to accomplish that, but it was worth it. I didn't update last week b/c we went to clinic on Monday and then hopped on the train right after Matthew's treatment. He did great.

Matthew had a spinal tap today...I think I was more anxious than him. He got his "silly goose" medication (versed) and he did fine. Nancy (NP) got a nice, clean stick on the first try...always like to see that, and Matthew recovered nicely. In fact, we spent all afternoon playing outside, raking leaves and riding bikes. He still hasn't slowed down. We are really fortunate that he tolerates his treatments so well...in large part due to his age. Matthew's counts today were great. His ANC was over 3000 (that hasn't happen in a LONG time) and his RBC and Platelets were close to or within the normal range. B/c they lowered his chemo last month, the level of chemo in his blood stream has continued to drop (indicated in his cbc each week). Hopefully, this will level off at some point and remain within the acceptable range with the dose he's on now, otherwise, they may have to raise his dose back up. For now, it seems that everything is under control...HIS control, that is! Our faith remains in God's almighty hands each and every day.

P.S. - I've added new pics to the photo album, check 'em out!

God bless,
The Myers Family

Friday, November 16, 2001 at 11:15 PM (CST)

**Week 82 of 130**

So sorry for the delay on the update...we've been going non-stop this week, and the fun has only begun. We are scheduled to leave on the train for Hattiesburg, MS (Gramma's house) on Monday, a short stop to visit friends in Slidell, LA on Tuesday, and then on to Houston, TX on Wednesday. Whew! I'm worn out just thinking about it.

Matthew's clinic visit went well this week. Here's his current blood counts, ANC (infection-fighting cells) around 2400, his rbc are climbing with a HCT of 33.3, and platelets are at 174 (normal). He had his port accessed (which he did NOT enjoy). It needs to be accessed about every six weeks to keep it working. He kept saying that the needle really hurt him and he wanted it out, but we had to keep it in until after we got his blood counts (about an hour). He was fine once he "forgot" about it.

Get this...Matthew actually GREW a cm!! I know this seems like no big deal, but he's been at 95 cm (about 38 inches) since Spring, so his jump to 96 cm is big news. Ms. Cynthia had to check it twice just to make sure it was accurate. Maybe he's going through a little growth spurt.

God bless and Happy Thanksgiving! We are going to clinic on Monday to get his treatment out of the way before the holidays.

The Myers

Wednesday, November 07, 2001 at 04:52 PM (CST)

**Week 81 of 130**

Wow! Can you believe that Matthew has LESS than a year left on treatment?! I hope we make it through this winter with few problems, or better yet, NO problems at all! I'll go ahead and think positive. God has gotten us this far on faith. We've had the opportunity to meet so many amazing families this past year and be humbled by the sacrifice of so many volunteers and heroes who give their time to help others. We've also seen sadness, heartache, and fear, but throughout it all, we've been amazed by God's faithfulness.

Matthew had a great trip today. I pray that the rest of the year goes just as well. He didn't cry for either needle stick, in fact, he loves to "help" with his cbc and shot. His counts were a little bit lower than last week, but they were still great. He's had so much energy lately. He's been running and riding his bike without complaining about being tired. He hasn't done that in almost two years. He feels really good and I think lowering his chemo dose is what has helped. As long as his counts stay in the right range he should have the energy to enjoy doing "normal" 3 year old things.

Our friend, Janie Sims (age 4), who was diagnosed a few weeks ago, found out today that she is in remission! She now moves on to the second phase of her treatment. Please keep her family in your prayers as they move on to the next stage.

God bless and thanks for visiting!
The Myers Family

Saturday, November 03, 2001 at 08:06 PM (CST)

**Week 80 of 130**

Well, I am a little late on updating this week...but just know that "no news is good news"! Matthew's counts were awesome on Wednesday. His HCT has continued to climb (red blood cells), it's almost back to normal. His platelets are completely within the normal range and his white blood cells are higher than they've been since diagnosis at 4.36 with 67% infection-fighting cells. He's doing great other than feeling a little cranky this week. Our friend, Matt, came to visit us at clinic on Wednesday, so that was a special treat for Matthew. Matt was Colin's counselor at Camp Smile-A-Mile.

BIG NEWS this week...Colin lost his first tooth! I almost cried b/c he has become such a big boy. Needless to say, he was pretty excited. It's been quite wiggly for about two months now. Thanks for checking in on us and God bless.

The Myers

Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 11:19 AM (CDT)

**Week 79 of 130**

We snuck into clinic on Tuesday this week since we were already at the hospital for our monthly Candleighters support group meeting. That meeting and the friendships we've developed have really uplifted our family. Matthew's counts were still improving. His HCT was up to 30.9 (normal is 35-40) so he's not too anemic anymore. His platelets were good again at 286 (normal 150-450). And his WBC were the highest they've been since we started treatment just about. His ANC (infection fighting cells) was over 2000. We'll see the doctor next week and hopefully Matthew will be a little more "settled" into this new lower dose of 6mp and they'll be able to tell if it's enough chemo for him. He's looking great and feeling good. Once again, thank you so much for all of your prayers. If you are reading this now, that means you are someone special to our family. We love and appreciate you greatly! Please leave Matthew a note in the guestbook. God bless,
The Myers Family

Wednesday, October 17, 2001 at 09:29 PM (CDT)

**STILL Week 78 of 130**

Matthew's counts were good enough today to start back on his chemotherapy! All told, he was only off treatment for about a week and a half (probably a much needed break for his little body). They've lowered his daily dose of chemo so hopefully the drop in counts won't happen again any time soon. I don't want to keep him sheltered, but I also hate to expose him to the barrage of viral illnesses kids his age tend to harbor. His ANC is still a little low to risk another infection (ANC 629) at this point anyway. The doctors like it to be above 1000.

The color is finally returning to Matthew's pastey (sp?) little face with his HCT up to 27.1 today (normal is 35-40). Platelets looked wonderful at 237 (normal is 150-450). He's actually been using the word "pastey" in sentences this week...I guess I'd better stop calling him that!

Matthew's hair loss is also beginning to taper off. The vincristine/spinal combo he got a few weeks ago really took a toll on his hairdoo. Maybe it'll thicken back up before the really cold weather sets in or Matthew may be sporting the ski cap look all winter.

It's amazing how each trial, each hardship, makes us remember how precious every little moment with these beautful children is. It's like God telling us to slow down and focus on what's really important. I can tell you it's certainly not Osama bin Laden, interest rates, Anthrax or the playoffs (sorry, honey). It's the time we take each day as parents to let our children know how much we love them. The precious moments we have together with family and friends. It's focusing on our faith and how God wants to use our lives to serve His purpose. Thanks for visiting. Please sign the guestbook...Matthew loves to "read" them.

God bless.
The Myers Family

Monday, October 15, 2001 at 01:56 PM (CDT)

**Week 78 of 130**

We got out of the hospital Saturday afternoon, thank goodness. Although Matthew did not want to leave...I think he really enjoyed all the attention he got from the nursing staff. His fever was gone, although as of Saturday, his counts were pretty much the same as Thursday and Friday (HCT 22.3, Platelets 88, ANC 400) Normal...(HCT 35-40, Platelets 150-450, ANC above 1000).

They told us to prepare for a bone marrow aspiration Monday if his counts did not go up just to see what was going on in his bone marrow. Well, guess what?!! He didn't need the bone marrow today b/c his counts were up!! Thanks to God! His HCT was slightly higher at 25.2, but this is still quite anemic; his platelet count was 173, which is completely normal, his total White Blood Cell count was up, although his ANC was still only 469. His ANC needs to be at least 500 to continue chemo, so we're scheduled to return on Wednesday in hopes that his counts will have risen a bit more by then. The good news is they went up today, not down, so hopefully they will continue this trend.

Thank you SO much to everyone who prayed for Matthew over the past few weeks! God answered those prayers today with Matthew's improved blood counts. Please pray that Matthew's counts will continue to rise and that we'll find a good balance with his new chemo dose. Please also continue to pray that God would strengthen the Billy family as they readjust to life without their precious baby boy. And I would like to request prayers for another new friend, Janie Sims, a sweet little four year old girl who was diagnosed this week with ALL. We met their family while we were in the hospital. She started chemo last Tuesday and their family is still struggling to take it all in. Janie's Aunt is a friend of my neighbor's brother, so we already knew about Janie before we went into Children's last week.

As always, we are giving all of the glory to God for His unchanging mercy and love. God bless and take care. I'll update on Wednesday after our clinic visit.

The Myers

Friday, October 12, 2001 at 08:44 AM (CDT)

I am writing this message from Children's Harbor at Children's Hospital. We brought Matthew into clinic yesterday (Thursday) morning for fever. His counts were still down, but this time his ANC (infection-fighting cells) was below the acceptable limit (370). So the combination of a low ANC and a high fever landed us in the hospital for the weekend. They began antibiotics yesterday. The good news is his fever seems to have subsided. The bad news is that as of this morning, his counts have not budged. His HCT (rbc) is 22.3, his platelets are at 74, and his ANC was a little over 400 this morning. The doctors told us yesterday that if Matthew's counts didn't come up by Monday, they would perform a bone marrow aspiration (a sampling of bone marrow taken from the hip bone) to see what's causing his low counts. At this point, they seem to think it's viral, so that's what we are hoping for. Colin is doing fine...he's been staying with his buddy Christopher and he loves it. Thanks for checking in on us. I'll update if I get any new news about his counts or his condition.

On a sad note, please say some prayers for our new friends, the Billy family. Their son Matthew fought a long hard battle against leukemia from age 2 months to 2 years. He got his wings yesterday and now God is holding him in His mighty arms. Their family has shown incredible strength and faith throughout his fight. Please pray that God would bring comfort and peace to their family.

God bless and take care.

The Myers

Monday, October 08, 2001 at 10:54 PM (CDT)

**Week 77 of 130**

Here we go on the roller coaster ride again. I hope this is not an indication of how our winter will be...Matthew is feeling fine, other than an upset stomach this morning (Monday). He's done quite well not catching the nasty cold Colin had all week, however, I brought him into clinic today b/c he looked quite pale. Sure enough, his HCT (red blood cells) was back down to 23.2 (normal is 35-40). This time his platelets were low as well at 84 (normal is 150-450). His ANC was fine (over 1000) even though his total white blood cell count is only 1.7.

Dr. Castleberry thinks his condition is the result of his daily chemo dose being a little too high combined with the season's viral barrage. Soooo, Matthew gets a break this week...no chemo! He hasn't had a break since we started, so I hope this gives his little body a chance to recover. When he starts back next week, he'll be on a lower dose of his daily 6mp medicine.

Please just say a prayer that his healthy cells will recover quickly and that Dr. Castleberry will find a dose that "works" in keeping Matthew's counts right where they need to be. We don't want him to not get enough chemo. or too much. It needs to be finely balanced. He is not quite at transfusion level once again, but his counts are still pretty low.

Thanks for checking on us. I trust that I'll have better news to report next week. God bless and keep the faith!! Don't forget to give God your VERY BEST each and every day.

Love,
Jenn and the Boys

Tuesday, October 02, 2001 at 11:15 AM (CDT)

So sorry I didn't get a chance to update this yesterday...we had ANSWERED PRAYERS yesterday!! Matthew's counts began to rise from Friday's low level of 20.6. On Monday, his HCT was 25.6. Now I'm glad that Dr. Eric decided not to transfuse on Friday. Despite the anemia all weekend, it looks like Matthew squeaked by without needing blood! His ANC rebounded to 1100, which is great. Hopefully, his RBC counts will continue to rise and he'll be back to his energetic self soon (what am I saying!?!). Anyway, thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. Here's a little poem that I came across recently that encouraged me:

Dear God,
Your strength, my weakness--
Here they always meet,
When I lay down my burden at Your feet;
The things that seem to crush will in the end
Be seen as rungs on which I did ascend!
Thank you, Lord.

I can testify that the trial we have gone through over the past year and a half has worked to strengthen our faith in God. We trust Him now more than ever for all of our needs. I trust that one day we will all be in heaven where there is no cancer to fight, no sorrow, no tears and no heartache. God bless.

Love,
The Myers

Saturday, September 29, 2001 at 08:45 PM (CDT)

I took Matthew in yesterday (Friday) to a local UAB clinic for a blood test, just to make sure his rbc weren't still dropping before the weekend. The bad news is he went from a hematocrit of 23.9 on Wednesday, down to 20.6 Friday morning. The good news is that his "retic" (a test that measures immature rbc - basically shows whether you are making them or not) was higher than normal. Not high enough to recover, but high enough to postpone a blood transfusion.

We have been working hard all weekend to keep Matthew as inactive as possible (his little heart is working hard enough just to get blood to his body at rest). We've found this task quite challenging as Matthew can't seem to forget that he's a three year old, tough little boy. He doesn't want to slow down.

We are taking him back to clinic on Monday morning for another blood test. If his levels haven't improved, I'm sure he'll need to go ahead with the transfusion. The risks will be worth not suffering through this anemia. Please just pray that Matthew's red blood cells will recover rapidly. He will continue on chemo since rbc levels are insignificant to his protocol. His ANC (infection-fighting cells) is low as well at 780, but the doctors would not postpone chemo unless it was lower than 500. I'll update again on Monday. God bless.

Jenn and the Boys

Wednesday, September 26, 2001 at 10:31 PM (CDT)

**Week 75 of 130**

Well, I wish I had better news to report today, but Matthew's little body has been fighting a long, hard battle against whatever virus or viruses he's managed to catch over the past few weeks. He's had cold-like symptoms for almost a month and has now developed a slight cough. Dr. Castleberry immediately asked me if he was feeling sick based on his counts...they were the lowest they've been since diagnosis. Dr. C thinks the combination of the virus and chemo have just worn his marrow out and it's decided to take a vacation. Here's the counts for today as I remember them:
WBC 1.5 (with an ANC of 780)
HGB 8.2 (very anemic)
HCT 23.9 (very anemic)
PLT 219 (normal)

His HCT was 20 when he was diagnosed. He's been so anemic lately, his lips have almost no color in them at all and his little heart is pumping overtime trying to get the oxygen out to his body. He hasn't slowed down much, although I've tried to make him. They won't give him a transfusion at this point. I trust that his counts will move in the right direction by next week. RBC usually take time to recover and build back up, but even a small increase will do. Please just specifically pray for Matthew's red blood cells and his extremely low immune system (white blood cells). God can do mighty things through prayer and we completely trust our lives to His hands, no matter where that may lead us.

Many thanks to "Ms. Sonya" for going to the hospital with us this morning. And another thanks to Matt Stutts (Colin's camp counselor) for visiting us at clinic today, and for the trumpet-playing Cookie Monster, which Matthew absolutely loves. Matt is an amazing childhood cancer survivor and we are grateful for the opportunity to have him as a friend.

God bless and take care.
The Myers

Friday, September 21, 2001 at 09:28 AM (CDT)

LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK UPDATE!!

What an amazing time we had last night walking together in Matthew's honor in order to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! The weather was absolutely gorgeous...a cool, clear evening stroll throughout Birmingham's beautiful southside provided fellowship and fun for our entire team. Here's our walking team (in no particular order):

Sylvia Myers, Nicky Myers, Sandi Vowell, Shawn Vowell, Georgia Hitt, Sonya Roper, Mike Roper, Christopher Roper, Johnny Alvis, Faye Alvis, Trenity Whitfield, Mark Whitfield, Corbin Whitfield, Laurie Banks, Stuart McCullogh, Teresa McCullogh, Brenda Huffstetler, Amy Farley, Lisa DeLeon, GiGi DeLeon, Stephanie Farrington, Chris Farrington, me, Van Myers, Colin Myers, and the guest of honor, Matthew Nicholas Myers. (Our neighbor, Rebecca Freind, also raised money but was unable to walk with us.)

Thanks SO much to these walkers and everyone who supported our team. We were able to donate almost $3000 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!! Awesome! We are already looking forward to next year. God bless and take care.

Tuesday, September 18, 2001 at 08:59 PM (CDT)

**Week 74 of 130**

Matthew received his second dose of Vincristine yesterday (Monday) and finished his week-long burst of Prednisone (thank goodness!!). He's still got attitude today, so I guess the prednisone hasn't quite worn off yet. His appt. went well. His counts have been below normal for the past week and his platelets even dropped down to 122,000 last week, but they were on the mend on Monday at 155,000. His white count is a little lower than his norm as well, so I suspect the little runny nose he's had this week has got him down a little. His port flushed beautifully today...quite a relief after last week's visit.

WOW! We've had such a busy month... September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month and we've had so many functions going on, including the Kandles for Kids celebration on Sept. 9 here in Birmingham, which turned out wonderfully. We had an awesome weekend at Camp Smile-A-Mile, a camp for children with cancer. Our entire family was able to go and we LOVED it. The boys really had a good time and the volunteers and staff were amazing. We are getting ready for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk this Thursday night here in Birmingham. So far, I've already gotten in over $2000 from our team members. I'm sure we'll have more the night of the walk. I'll put an update on this website after Thursday.

God bless and take care. Check out the new photos in the photo album!

Love, Jenn and the Boys

Monday, September 10, 2001 at 09:10 PM (CDT)

**Week 73 of 130**

All I can say is..."WHEW!" I'm glad that's over with. I've just been on edge all day from Matthew's appt. We went ahead and scheduled it for today (Monday) b/c Van has to go back down to Pensacola and he absolutely HAD to be here for today's appt. Matthew did awesome! He was so brave and well-behaved today. Here's how it went:

We arrived at 8:45 am and Matthew greeted all of his friends at the front desk. Then off to the lab to have blood drawn from his arm. He told Ms. Bo "ouch" when she stuck him, but that was it. Next we went to visit Ms. Linda over at Children's Harbor and kill some time. I demolished Van in a game of foosball (although he'll never admit it). Back at the clinic, we went into a room and got Matthew prepared for his procedures. A little Versed and he was feeling quite fine. Richard and Laura came in and did his spinal tap. Matthew got on to nurse Laura for squishing his legs. He told her not to do that again! He was such a big boy...no tears. He just laid his head on Laura's shoulder like an angel. Everything went so well, but then...when Laura tried to access his port, the fluid went in okay, but she was unable to get a blood return. After about one hour, several flushes, multiple doses of heparin, and a dose of TPN (a very strong anti-coagulant), we finally had blood. It was a little tense there for a while. But thank goodness the port started working again. Blood clots can be common and we've probably just been blessed not to have experienced one to this point. Matthew grabbed a treasure from the treasure box and then passed out...and that was our day. "WHEW!"

We are planning on heading down to Camp Smile-A-Mile this weekend and we are ALL looking forward to it. Thanks for checking on us and extra thanks for keeping us in your prayers. They are being answered.

God bless,
The Myers Family
Van, Jennifer, Colin and Matthew

Wednesday, September 05, 2001 at 03:08 PM (CDT)

**Week 72 of 130**

Matthew's visit was quick and easy today. It took longer for him to socialize with all of the staff and his friends than it did for him to receive his chemotherapy. His counts were fine, although his platelets have dropped to the bottom range of normal (160,000), perhaps b/c of a cold he's been fighting this week. Platelets are usually the first to go when the bone marrow gets over-stressed. His dropped down to 70,000 on two different occasions in March. He bruised more excessively, but bounced back eventually.

We have the "works" week next week, where Matthew gets a spinal tap, port access, vincristine and starts a week of prednisone. We are going to try to go on Tuesday so that Van can be there, so keep us in your prayers that day.

With the passing of each week, the end of this journey becomes more visible, more real. Although I'm saddened by the fact that Matthew has spent half of his little life battling cancer to this point, I am renewed by God's promises of divine health and a world where children suffering is no longer part of our reality. I believe that with every ounce of my being and I trust that each day will bring a renewal of faith and perserverance. God bless you and your families.

The Myers
Jennifer, Van, Colin and Matthew

Wednesday, August 29, 2001 at 09:46 PM (CDT)

**Week 71 of 130**

Today was a good day at clinic...long, as usual, but good, and nowadays we don't take anything for granted. Matthew's counts were right where they were supposed to be. As hoped for, we've enjoyed a "quiet" and healthy summer. Unfortunately, we have a nasty week coming up (week #73), including a spinal tap, vincristine, methotrexate and prednisone. Some parents have termed it the "works" week, b/c the kids get the "works". No problems with Matthew's shot today. He got a little teary for the finger stick, but took it in the leg like a little champ...it seems easier on him when the nurses let him "help" with the shot...cleaning the site with alcohol, holding the bandaid, etc. He likes being pro-active.

Colin started school and he loves it. He has a journal he writes in every morning at school. I can't wait until the end of the year when he brings it home. I saw what he's done so far at our recent Parent's night and it's precious.

We enjoyed our weekend away visiting Gramma and our Slidell friends (Aimee, Blake, Ms. Sandi, etc.) I've got some new pictures to add so I'll try to do that this week. On a good note, I got to see our little friend Adam Rice (age 2, dx brain stem tumor) and his family today. He look GREAT! and his tests today were all normal. He goes back in for an MRI soon, and I'm trusting God alone that it will be normal too. We got to spend time with our friends, Hannah and Sarah and their families today. We are all looking forward to Camp Smile-A-Mile in September.

And last, but not least a BIG 'OL THANKS to my precious friend, Sonya, who adopts my son, Colin, once a week while we spend the day at Children's Hospital (actually, she adopts him much more than that). But I probably don't tell her "thank you" enough for being such a great friend...so there it is!

God bless and take care.

The Myers Family

Wednesday, August 22, 2001 at 09:45 PM (CDT)

**Week 70 of 130*

Matthew & I both had a special treat today...Van got to come with us to clinic. Matthew really enjoyed having his daddy there to hold him almost as much as I enjoyed having his daddy there to hold him! ha! He's pushing 40 lbs. you know, and is just about too much for me to handle.

Matthew's counts were good and steady, as usual. Part of the CBC measures the size of Matthew's red blood cells, which provides an indication to the doctor whether or not he is receiving enough of his daily 6mp medication. Matthew's count was a little bit high today and Dr. Castleberry said he would monitor that and possibly lower Matthew's daily med. The main concern is that if the level is too high for an extended period of time, it can wear his little bone marrow out and we could have a sudden drop in all of his counts. I will, as always, continue to trust in God for no side effects, especially long-term and steady counts each week. Matthew's amazing progress to this point already is a tribute to God's awesome power. I give Him all of the glory.

The boys and I are traveling to Grandma's house tomorrow and then down to a friend's house in Slidell, LA for the weekend.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and we've got several ways to get involved. Sept. 9 is the Kandles for Kids celebration at Liberty Park in Birmingham and Sept. 20th is the Light the Night Walk benefitting the Leukemia Society. There is still time to sign up to walk on Matthew's team or send a contribution. God bless and take care.

Jennifer, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 08:51 PM (CDT)

**Week 69 of 130**

I am always happy and grateful on weeks when I have nothing much to report. Matthew's counts were "good" today...right where they are supposed to be. We've been so blessed that they've stayed steady all summer. I always cringe when I say that, thinking I may have to eat my words in the near future! I was worried that Matthew might have a kidney infection since he's had problems this week with wetting himself and he's been saying his back hurts. They went ahead and ordered a urine test today just to be on the safe side. No bacteria. Dr. Castleberry thinks Matthew is acting like a typical active three year old who doesn't want to take the time to stop and use the toilet until it's too late. I must say that I agree on that one.

Matthew broke my heart this morning when I told him we were going to the hospital. He said, "I'm sorry, Mommy, I'm so sorry, please don't take me for my shot, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He was so pitiful. That's the first time he's acted that way about going to clinic. I told him that he didn't get his shots b/c he was bad. I'll be counting the days until the last treatment when I can tell this baby, "No more shots!"

Please remember the following friends in your prayers, Ross Agee (friend, 10 yr. old dx ALL, low red blood cells, needed transfusion today); Jackie Young (friend's mother, liver/pancreatic cancer); and Adam Rice.

God bless and thanks for stopping by.
The Myers Family

Wednesday, August 08, 2001 at 09:12 PM (CDT)

**Week 68 of 130**

Good news!! (This is such awesome news that I had to start my journal entry with it.) One of Matthew's little "clinic" friends, Jabree, received his last chemo treatment today. We always see Jabree and his family on Wednesdays when we visit clinic. What an amazing day for him and his family! I am anticipating a celebration on Matthew's last day of treatment, and everyone's invited!!

Well, Matthew and I survived a vicious stomach virus this weekend. It ran rampant in our neighborhood. Matthew had a rough night Friday and then it hit me on Sunday. He recovered amazingly well and Richard said today that it didn't seem to affect his counts any. In fact his count were right where they needed to be. Not too high or too low for treatment.

Matthew's visit went really well despite his allergy problems. Lately, I've noticed his eyes and sinuses getting puffy... must've gotten his dad's allergies. Please just pray that they don't get any worse. He's been terribly moody over the past week, and I'm sure that's why.

We enjoyed a fun night out with some participants in the Team In Training program for the Leukemia Society. They invited us to Chuck E. Cheese's, which the boys loved (see the new pic in the photo album). Please helps us support the Leukemia Society by sponsoring Matthew's walk team in the upcoming Light the Night Walk. Also, September is childhood cancer awareness month and we are pushing for a childhood cancer postage stamp, similar to the breast cancer stamp. I will provide a link next week on how to support that cause.
Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Jenn and the Boys

Wednesday, August 01, 2001 at 09:49 PM (CDT)

**Week 67 of 130**

I am loving this long break from Matthew's yucky meds...we are right in the middle of a 12 week stint of just leg shots. Of course, he'll have a tough week coming up at week 73 when he gets a spinal, vincristine and a prednisone burst. Yuk! But he only has 4 spinals left through the end of treatment. Awesome! One day this will all just be a distant memory for us.

Matthew's visit went well today. His counts were excellent. Here they are:
WBC 3.40
HCT 33.1
PLT 295
Full of healthy cells and feeling good. Matthew was unusually quiet today (perhaps a bit tired). He talked a lot, but softly. I thought he only had two settings...off and loud. Guess I was wrong. Matthew was due to be accessed today (every 6 weeks) and our sweet friend, Meredith, did the honors. Matthew cried for a minute or two, afraid that it would hurt, but as soon as she got the needle in, he was fine.

We enjoyed spending some time with Sarah Anne and her family. Kelly (Sarah Anne's mom) and I walked up to 4 Tower and visited the nurses. I got to meet a precious little boy and his family who need some prayers. Matthew Billy was diagnosed with leukemia at 9 weeks old. I believe he's now around 11 months old and after a relapse, is preparing for a bone marrow transplant. I'm glad I finally got to meet them as I've been keeping up with his progress through the web. We also visited with our friend, Linda, from Children's Harbor. Matthew always loves playing over there while we wait.

Please continue to pray for our friends, Matthew Billy, Adam Rice (brain stem tumor), and Jackie Young (pancreatic/liver cancer). God bless,
Jennifer & the Boys

Wednesday, July 25, 2001 at 09:37 PM (CDT)

**Week 66 of 130**

We had a good, but long visit at clinic today. Besides your prayers for the many children I've talked about, please pray for the staff that works in Clinic 5. They are all such wonderful, dedicated and caring people with a difficult job to begin with, but the number of patients is staggering and I'm sure patience runs short at times. Our CBC and shot kept us there about 2 and a half hours today. If Matthew didn't absolutely LOVE seeing all of his friends at clinic each week, I'd find another option. But it's part of our lives, and the time spent with other parents and families is part of our safety net.

Matthew's visit went well. He sat in the chair all by himself at lab and got his finger stick. Such a big boy. His counts were better than last week, about average for him. Here they are:
WBC 2.49 (@ 50% infection-fighting)
HCT 31.7 (improved, but still slightly anemic)
PLT 222
His ANC (absolute neutrophil count) is about 1200+. That's a good number.

We got to spend some time with our friends Hannah and Sarah and their families today. Our Candlelighters support group meeting was held on Tuesday and it was very therapeutic. I am mailing registration forms this week for the Light The Night Walk, sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Matthew's team is the "MnM's" again. Last year we raised over $4000 for charity...I hope we can exceed that amount this year. If you want to be a part of Matthew's team and I haven't mailed you a form, just let me know and I'll get one out to you a.s.a.p. The walk will be held September 20th here in Birmingham.

God bless and take care,
Jenn & the boys.

Thursday, July 19, 2001 at 10:10 PM (CDT)

**Still Week 65 of 130**

You'll have to read the previous entry if you want to know how clinic went this week since I'm having to update again so soon. We had such a great visit yesterday, it's amazing how uncertain this journey is from day to day.

I brought Colin into his pediatrician's this morning with a rash which turned out to be chicken pox. Not good for sweet little Matthew, of course. I dropped Colin off at Van's work and took Matthew right in to Clinic 5. If caught within 48 hours of exposure, cancer patients can be treated with VZIG (Varicella-Zoster Immunoglobulin) which contains human antibodies for the chicken pox virus. The immunoglobulin, pooled from hundreds of people, provides temporary immunity if administered in time. Matthew got the shots, one in each leg. He wasn't expecting so much pain, I don't think, since his weekly shots don't hurt as much, but the VZIG is thick like penicillin. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper. I trust and pray that the blood products were "clean". So far, aside from some fatigue, Matthew doesn't seem to be having any type of reaction. Hopefully the injections will keep him from contracting the chicken pox virus. If he breaks out in a couple of weeks, we would be looking at a nine day hospital stay and lots of drugs. I know that God is watching over this precious baby. He has saved his life on several different occasions which gives me confidence that He is in control and wants Matthew to be strong and healthy.

Colin is doing fine. B/c of his immunization at age 1, his reaction has been very mild. Just about 20 sores confined to his stomach, chest and shoulders. Now if I could just keep him from scratching! I cut his nails as short as I could and I've kept the site covered with bactroban (topical antibiotic).

We aren't scheduled to return until next week. God bless and take care.
The Myers

Wednesday, July 18, 2001 at 10:19 PM (CDT)

**Week 65 of 130**

What's this?!! Can you believe that this week is the official "half-way" mark in Matthew's treatment...yeah! As challenging as it has been, this year has flown by and God has blessed all of our lives tremendously. Matthew has handled his treatment exceptionally well and we have grown closer to God, trusting in Him completely for life eternal. That's what it's all about, right?!

Matthew's appt. went well today. His counts were a little on the low side today, most likely due to the nasty cold he's been fighting for several weeks. His little body struggles to fight each virus...I guess that's why I've become such a hand-washing freak!! Here's his counts:
WBC 1.81 (39% infection-fighting)
HGB 10.1
HCT 29.4 (dropped a little from last week)
PLT 231 (normal)

The white blood cells are lower than normal for him b/c of the viral infection. Matthew was so brave for his finger stick and his shot today. He just grits his little teeth until it's over with.

We had so much fun this past weekend in Pensacola, FL. The boys loved the Blue Angels air show, especially the "big" boy, Van. Check out the new pictures on this site. Matthew enjoyed the water and the sand. He "catnapped" on the beach every morning for about two hours. Despite the sharks and jellyfish, it was a blast.

God bless and take care,
The Myers

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 at 09:08 PM (CDT)

**Week 64 of 130**

We had a great visit at clinic today. Matthew was so excited about seeing all of his friends at the hospital that he just couldn't contain himself. Right when we got there he made me pick him up so he could say hello to all of the ladies at the reception desk. He said, "I missed you guys!" and then proceeded to talk 90 miles an hour as he went in the back with Ms. Cynthia to get measurements. I found him a few minutes later snuggling up with Laura, one of his favorite nurses. Then he just HAD to hunt down Ms. Meredith and Dr. Castleberry. Of course, hugs and kisses for everyone.

Matthew's counts were good today, despite a nasty cold he's had for over a week and some strange counts for our closest friends, Sarah and Hannah (both of whom received RBC this past week). Usually, their drops in counts coincide (perhaps due to viral infections, etc.) but Matthew is doing just fine. Here they are for those of you who keep track:
WBC 2.37 (@ 50% infection-fighting cells)
HCT 30.5 (slightly anemic)
PLT 271 (awesome)

Please continue to pray for our friends, Sarah and Hannah (for their counts to stabilize), for Adam Rice and his parents, Cindy and Steve (dx 5/01 brain stem tumor), and for Jackie Young, dx this year with liver/pancreatic cancer (she's my neighbor Tonya's mom). Please pray for our Candlelighter's support group and that God would continue to use me in this ministry to help other families facing cancer. I'll be sending out a letter in the next few weeks regarding the Light The Night Walk for the Leukemia Society. We're looking forward to this event again this year.

God bless and take care,
The Myers

Sunday, July 08, 2001 at 10:27 PM (CDT)

We are back in town! We have been so off schedule lately, and believe me, we definitely have a weekly routine. We were able to enjoy a nice week away from home, visiting friends and family in Natchez, Miss. We were able to spend time with Van's grandmother, sister, parents, etc. and of course, our adorable little nieces! I NEVER get to do "girl" stuff. It was a blast.

Matthew's shot was easy this week. A friend of the family, an RN named Julie, came to the Fourth of July party on Wed. and stuck MNM in the leg (quick and easy). No tears, no fuss. The medical staff at CH Clinic 5 gave us the okay to skip the blood test this week since MNM's counts are almost always good. Other than a nasty cold, he's doing great. His lips are rosy red and he is a healthy 40+ pounds. He looks great.

Colin took swimming lessons this week and now knows how to swim. To end his lessons, he took a jump off of the high dive (10 ft.) and almost touched the bottom of the 12 ft. pool. Needless to say, I was a little nervous, but of course, he loved it. Once was enough.

We are looking forward to our clinic visit this week and catching up with our friends. I'll update you on Wed. Hopefully, life will be pretty quiet for a while. BTW, I am heading up a team again this year for the Light The Night Walk benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If anyone wants to join Matthew's team, please let me know. You can register online. I'll give you that address on Wednesday.

God bless and take care,
Jennifer

Sunday, June 24, 2001 at 04:33 PM (CDT)

It's Sunday afternoon and we are enjoying a nice quiet day at home/church. I don't know where my week went and as you can tell from my brief entry from Wednesday, I barely had time to check in.

I completed my nuclear testing this week on my heart and the results came back great. It was a two day test and involved radioactive tracers, but I believe that I've made it through unscathed.

Matthew's spinal went smoothly on Wednesday. He usually behaves when Van takes him, so they had an easy trip. The tap was clear (no leukemia) and the needle stick was clean (no blood), so that's about as good as you can get. His counts were good as usual. Next week is just his regular shot, but we'll be out of town the following week so we'll have to give him the shot ourselves. Van has had combat lifesaver courses in the army, so he's familiar with giving shots/iv, etc. I believe we're smooth sailing for about 12 weeks, when we get the "big" visit, including another spinal tap and a vincristine/prednisone burst. Matthew is doing terrific though. A little picky at the dinner table, but we manage.

We had our friend, Adam Rice, and his family over this week for dinner. Adam is such a precious two year old and his mom and dad are so sweet. Adam was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor several weeks ago and his prognosis is not good, but we are completely trusting in God for Adam's health and healing. All things are possible, and I trust and pray that Adam will be able to live a long life. Please keep his parents, Cindy and Steve, in your prayers as they face this trial.

Colin's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's on Thursday was a blast. I can't believe he's 5 already!

God bless and take care.
Love, The Myers

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 at 05:49 PM (CDT)

**Week 61 of 130**

Sorry about skipping last week...as usual, we've been running around going crazy and the time slipped away from me. Van took Matthew this morning for his spinal tap. His count were good and Meredith got a nice, clean tap.

Everyone is healthy and we're getting ready for Colin's party at Chuck E Cheese tomorrow. God bless and thanks for stopping by.

The Myers

Wednesday, June 06, 2001 at 10:22 PM (CDT)

**Week 59 of 130**

Today's visit was long and exhausting. The clinic was packed from front to back. All told, it was over a three hour trip for a leg shot. I probably could find a way to get it over with in 30 minutes each week if I did the shot myself at home, but our clinic visit is part of our routine. We visit friends who we'd never see otherwise. It's really a blessing, but on 3 hour days, I sometimes have to remind myself of that. My arms were almost numb from trying to hold Matthew on and off.

Anyway, I thought he looked a little pale this week. Sure enough, his RBC and Hematocrit were down from last week. He's slightly anemic. Normal is 34+ and his HCT was 29 today. Otherwise his counts looked fine. Platelets were at 320 (normal). His WBC were down to 2.0, which is low, but he is on chemotherapy and that's pretty much the point. All in all, he seems to be feeling fine and the anemia certainly hasn't slowed him down any. He went full steam all day today. His eating habits have gotten worse since his week of prednisone. Maybe his belly is saying "what in the world did I eat last week?" and it's taking a break. He has little to no appetite and the thought of some of his regular fares makes him gag. I just get what I can in him, when I can and try not to worry too much about it. Colin was so picky when he was 3 and now that he's almost 5, he's eating great. I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

My wonderful hubbie gave me a new camera for my 30th birthday yesterday, so I was able to post some new picks to the album.

Please pray specifically for the following:
*Matthew's counts to go back up.
*Our friend, Sarah. They think she's got CMV (or mono virus) and she's had a high fever for several days.
*Adam Rice, age 2, diagnosed with a brain stem tumor a month ago. Precious little boy.

God bless and take care.
Jenn, Van, Colin & Matthew Myers

Thursday, May 31, 2001 at 12:08 AM (CDT)

**Week 58 of 130**

WE SURVIVED THE WEEK OF PREDNISONE!! I never could get Matthew to swallow his pill. He insisted on chewing the first three (which was awful) so I finally decided to revert to our old method of crushing them in a syringe with Sprite. Went right down every time with a sour face to follow! We have nothing left in the pantry or refrigerator, and we haven't been out in public in a week, but we survived! ha! ha! This week and Matthew's appetite have led to several new food choices...eggs and cheese! Matthew would love to eat them for every meal if I'd let him. We'll see if it lasts after the prednisone wears off. He may pick up the nickname "sumo" after this week. He's so solid, he's starting to look like a sumo wrestler.

I can tell Matthew's hair has thinned out a little this week. Vincristine is probably the "nastiest" drug he gets. Thank goodness the side effects seem to be minimal. We can deal with a little hair loss, if you know what I mean. I'm just thankful that little head is still here to lose hair. He got his second dose of Vincristine today along with his methotrexate. Everything was done through the port again this week although we had to wake him up to access him and, as you can imagine, he wasn't too thrilled.

Matthew's counts looked good today, although a week of prednisone usually throws them off a little. Here they are:
(L indicates lower than the normal range for his age)
WBC 4.09L
RBC 3.25L
HGB 11.2L
HCT 33.2L
PLT 274

By the way, our first Candlelighter's meeting at the Children's Harbor went really well. We have another one scheduled for June 11. I'm looking forward to spending time with all of our new and old friends.

God bless and thank you for checking on us.
The Myers

Thursday, May 24, 2001 at 09:43 PM (CDT)

**Week 57 of 130**

I know, I'm running behind again! Van has been down in Montgomery all week, but thank goodness he's back today. Matthew's visit went really well yesterday. Silly me, I forgot to check his counts, but they told me they were fine. Guess he's running at his "normal" levels. We have been blessed all year that his counts have stayed so consistent (except for that 8 week period several weeks ago). This week was Matthew's Vincristine/Prednisone burst. To me, it is so much easier just to get his port accessed (and less painful, I think), than to get the blood test and a leg shot. They draw the blood straight from his port and then give all his medicines there, no need for any additional needle sticks. Unfortunately, we can't do that too often b/c accessing his port poses a higher risk for infection. Anyway, he didn't cry at all (such a big boy!).

He is such a nut with his prednisone. As I've mentioned before, it tastes a lot like aspirin, but the aftertaste lasts a lot longer. It usually makes him gag, and his first dose yesterday came back up with the rest of his lunch! Not fun. I have been trying to get him to swallow it, but the fact that he has such a weak gag reflex combined with the fact that his chews his 6mp every night has made it next to impossible. Crazy kid has been chewing up his prednisone for the past two days. I feel so sorry for him, but he is determined that he is going to chew it. Yuk! Tonight I gave up on the attempt to make him swallow, and crushed it up in a syringe with some Sprite. It went down much easier that way.

Camp was a blast last weekend! Colin and Matthew both had so much fun. Colin's counselor was named Lindsey and Matthew's was Valerie (a cancer survivor). Van and I enjoyed getting the chance to relax while their counselors treated them to an outdoor adventure at the lake. We can't wait to go back in September. Check out the camp website at www.campsam.org. There are a few pictures of Matthew and some of his buddies on the Smile page.

Matthew will be on prednisone all week and receives a follow-up dose of Vincristine next Wednesday. He is already spiking a prednisone "attitude" and chowed down on some scrambled eggs at 9:00 pm this evening. He "helped" Daddy cook them. He hasn't eaten eggs since he was a baby, and he didn't like them then. He is scheduled for another spinal tap and IT methotrexate at 61 weeks (June 20th).

God bless and take care.
Jenn & the Boys

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 at 09:34 PM (CDT)

**Week 56 of 130**

Hello Family and Friends...I definitely spoke too soon last week. I had that "feeling" as I was typing about how nice it is to have things going so smoothly lately. Here's this week's drama, but as always, it has a happy ending...

Matthew's 3rd birthday party was scheduled for Friday evening, May 11th (his actual birth date). Of course, that morning around 5:00 a.m. he woke up with a 103.0 fever and vomiting. We paged the hemo. on call and took him in first thing in the morning for a CBC. They diagnosed him with a stomach virus, must have been the world's fastest b/c he seemed to be completely recovered by lunchtime. Of course, it was too late, I had already cancelled his party by late morning at least not wanting to risk exposure to the other kids. We rescheduled for Sat. evening and everything worked out great. Several kids were unable to attend due to: stomach viruses! How ironic! Anyway, Matthew and Colin got a special ride in a police car and a the city's new ladder truck. It was really cool and they both smiled for 45 minutes straight.

We had a scare Monday night when our neighbor called and said her little boy had a bad case of chicken pox. Thank goodness, the doctor said it was just an allergic reaction to something. Our other scare Monday night involved a popcorn kernel. One which Colin decided he would shove into his ear. We tried carefully to remove it ourselves, but to no avail. A trip to the ER and then to an EMT finally resolved the problem Tuesday morning.

We went ahead and brought Matthew in for his weekly visit Tuesday since we were already at Children's Hospital with Colin. Matthew has developed a slight rash and I wanted to get it checked out a.s.a.p. Dr. Berkow prescribed Bactroban in case it started to turn into impetigo (a bacterial skin infection).

And the happy ending is, we are all fine today! Everyone is healthy for now and the weather is really warming up. Colin begged for me to get out the pool today, but I let him play in the sprinkler instead. Matthew's potty-training is keeping me busy and testing my patience. He just can't seem to find any consistency (if you know what I mean).

Camp this weekend for the whole family! Vincristine/Prednisone burst next week for Matthew. Van will be out-of-town so keep Matthew and me in your prayers for a smooth visit next week. God bless.

Jenn & the Boys

Wednesday, May 09, 2001 at 10:27 PM (CDT)

**Week 55 of 130**

Yeah! Another smooth visit today...now I finally know what Dr. Castleberry meant when he said the maintenance phase was like being on "cruise control". Of course, we've had our share of bumps in the road up until now. It's nice not to "stress" for a few visits. Matthew's counts were about the same as last week and the shot and blood test went off without much objection from Matthew. Ms. Bo (in the lab) tells him how proud she is each visit for being so brave. He seems to be developing a runny nose and cough this week, but hopefully that will pass quickly. Ms. Ruth gave him his shot today and afterwards she asked for a hug and he kissed her about 10 times (on the lips! I've really got to break him of that, and soon).

There was a good article in NewsWeek this week regarding the longterm effects childhood cancer survivors face, from physical to emotional. I pray daily that Matthew will have no longterm effects from any of his medicine and I trust that God will protect him from that. Emotionally, he is so strong-willed, so I don't think the treatment has effected him there. But I will remain in tune to that as he grows older.

Matthew is due for a Vincristine/Prednisone burst in two weeks. Everything should go well as long as we can get the prednisone down. Any suggestions would be welcomed, even at this late date in our treatment. You think we'd have it all worked out by now! God bless and take care.

Love,
The Myers Family

Thursday, May 03, 2001 at 09:39 PM (CDT)

**Week 54 of 130**

Oops! I'm a little late on this week's journal entry b/c the warm weather has kept us outside for the large part of each day. I'm falling behind on my other "jobs" while we're having so much fun in the sun.

Matthew's visit went well again this week. His counts have steadily climbed since that mysterious drop a few weeks ago. He is almost back to chemo "normal".

Here's this week's results:
WBC 2.68L (white blood cells)
RBC 3.37L (red blood cells)
HCT 35.1 (hematocrit)
PLT 251 (platelet count, 150-450 norm.)
ANC 1700 (absolute neutrophil count, or infection-fighting cells)

These numbers look closer to how Matthew's counts have run since we've been on maintenance. It's amazing to me that his WBC are as low as 2.68 (normal is b/t 6.0 and 17.0) and he does so well with not getting sick any more often than Colin. Ever since camp, Matthew started drinking fruit juice and milk again. Earlier this week, he went on an eating binge and tried several new foods (a big step for a toddler) including mac & cheese which he's never eaten before. Needless to say, he was heavier at this visit. He weighed right at 38 lbs. and was 37" tall. He's definitely solid. I hope he gets that from Van...NO comments, family!!

Matthew is due for a vincristine/prednisone burst at week 57 (three weeks from now).I so dread those weeks on prednisone! We are planning a trip back to camp later this month (May 18-20) with the whole family since we had so much fun.

God bless you and yours.
The Myers Family

Wednesday, April 25, 2001 at 09:38 PM (CDT)

**Week 53 of 130**

NEW CAMP PICTURES!!

Matthew's visit went really smoothly today, and quick! We went in at 9:00 AM and we were out by 10:00 AM. Finger prick in the lab, no crying! and a quick leg shot (Meredith is really gentle and fast with a needle, he never cries for her). Despite a runny nose, Matthew's counts have improved from last week. Here they are:
WBC 2.53L (50% infection-fighting cells)
RBC 3.35L
HCT 33.9
HGB 11.2
PLT 316!
Great counts!! Praise God! Dr. Castleberry thinks that Matthew was one of several patients who got some type of blood virus that really insulted his marrow several weeks ago. It seems our friend, Sarah, has had similar problems. They now think that she has ITP (which they told me Matthew had two weeks ago) which is a platelet disease/virus. Her platelets were at 59 today, which is really low. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. It's tough enough to go through this without added complications.

Camp Smile-A-Mile was a BLAST this weekend! Matthew had a ball. In fact, the whole family is going back for Family Camp in May. Can't wait! Matthew's counselor's name was Beverly and she made Matthew's first camp experience wonderful. We canoed, went on a special island scavanger hunt, rode the pontoon boat, fished, sang campfire songs and ate SMORES! Fun! Fun! Fun! A special thanks to Children's Harbor and Camp Smile-A-Mile for making this adventure possible for Matthew.

Until next week...God bless.
Jenn, Van, Colin & Matthew

Wednesday, April 18, 2001 at 10:12 PM (CDT)

**Week 52 of 130**

Yee-haw, Yippee, Woo-hoo!! What an excellent visit we had today!! I had resigned myself all week not to stress over Matthew's falling counts, but continue to place my trust in God's gracious hands. He's gotten us this far, right?!! Anyway, Matthew's counts were beautiful...here they are:
WBC 2.35
RBC 3.21
HGB 10.1
HCT 32.5
PLT 288
And he had over 45% SEG which means his ANC was somewhere around 1100! Awesome. I was just so happy to see his RBC and platelets come back up...even if they go down again in the future, I'll feel more comfortable with the fluctuations (hope I spelled that correctly). Matthew's feeling the effects of these great counts too...for the first time in several weeks, he's bouncing off of the walls and he is less grumpy. Being anemic is not fun, I suppose. His lips are rosy red and the bumps and tumbles just bounce right off instead of bruising. I hope he stays this way for a while. I feel like we're finally back to "normal".

Matthew's blood test and shot went smoothly. Ms. Bo stuck him in the arm again (his one good arm) so we'll have to go back to a finger stick next week. I don't want to wear out that one vein.

Matthew and Mommy get to go to Camp Smile-A-Mile this weekend...it's a camp for kids with cancer. We are so excited! Van is down in Pensacola at a show and Colin opted to stay with a neighbor so he wouldn't miss his soccer and tball games on Saturday. He is excited about spending the night at his friends house and eating "pizza and salad" (per his request).

Thanks for your prayers this week. I'll update the photo album as soon as possible.
God bless you and yours.

The Myers crew

Thursday, April 12, 2001 at 08:53 AM (CDT)

**Week 51 of 130**

Hello friends and family...as usual, thank you for stopping by to check on Matthew. Today's visit didn't go quite as well as I had hoped. Richard, one of the NP's, brought me a printout of Matthew's CBC's for the past 7 weeks. There has been a consistent decline in his red blood cells, although his hematocrit has "stabilzed" over the past four weeks, remaining at 28. His platelets have been on a roller-coaster ride, jumping from 76 one week to 200 the next, up to 522 the following week and back down to 80 this week. No one can seem to give us a reason why they are acting so sporatic. His WBC seem "normal" compared to the past several months of chemo. His ANC has stayed b/t 800 and 1500 for the most part, which is good. Please just pray specifically that Matthew's counts would stabilize and that his platelets and RBC would return to "normal". He is bruising a lot this week with them at 80,000 and he continues to feel the effects of being anemic (sleepiness, pale, etc.).

Matthew handled his CBC and shot beautifully this week...I guess it just depends on what kind of mood he's in. Ms. Bo in the lab stuck his arm and had to "dig" a couple of times b/c his vein was buried and Matthew just sat there like a big boy. He said "ow" one time and that was it. Brave boy! He also took his shot like a biggie and then passed out as soon as we got in the car to go home. We enjoyed playing outside with our friends all afternoon.

I hope next week will bring some good news about Matthew's counts. Talk to you then.

Wednesday, April 04, 2001 at 08:00 PM (CDT)

**Week 50 of 130**

Last week's spinal tap was clear! This week was a regular old visit to the clinic. We didn't go in until 11:30 am however b/c I knew it would be crazy this week after having AEA last week. It wasn't too crowded when we got there, but it still managed to be a 2+ hour trip. Matthew cried for his blood test and shot, but only momentarily...then he was back to kissing and hugging the nurses...big flirt! He got mad when the girl at the front desk called him "Matt". He's very particular about what he's called. He lowered his brows and gave her a good grumble in a deep voice saying "I'm not Matt." He has become so expressive (for lack of a better word) lately. He weighed in at 36.5 lbs. and 36 3/4". He's grown! I thought he looked taller (like a 1/4 of an inch is noticable). Mommies know. He has been eating really well lately so he may be experiencing a rare growth spurt. I'll let you know in a few weeks. God bless you and yours.

Wednesday, March 28, 2001 at 04:39 PM (CST)

**Week 49 of 130**

Well, I'm in a great mood this afternoon because Matthew's spinal tap is over with and it went really well. Pat (the nurse practioner) got a nice clean stick and it was over with within 2 minutes. I haven't gotten the results yet but all indications were that it was clear (glucose and other levels were good). He also had his port access today which went smoothly. His blood counts showed that he is still slightly anemic with his HCT at 28.4, but it's improved slightly over the last 2 weeks. His WBC were still low at 1.9, but that's not a big deal considering he's on immunosuppressive therapy. But get this...his platelets today were at 522 (normal range: 150-450). He definitely didn't bleed for long after his shots! I think it's probably so high due to a slight "rebound" effect from not getting his methotrexate last week. But he looks great and feels good. Despite the cool temperatures this week, we're looking forward to a pleasant Spring.

Matthew's one year anniversary from his date of diagnosis is coming up soon...April 26. I can't believe a year has gone by already! Only 1 and a half to go and we'll be finished with all of these nasty drugs. Thank goodness. We did get a great opportunity today to visit with our friends, Sarah Anne and Hannah (and their parents, of course). It made our 4 hour visit go by more quickly. Thanks for stopping by to check on us and God bless you and yours! 'til next week...

The Myers Family

Wednesday, March 21, 2001 at 08:46 PM (CST)

**Week 48 of 130**

Hello family and friends...this week's visit has some good news and some not-so-good news. The good news was that Matthew's platelet count was back up to 214 (he was bruising a lot at 76 last week). That is so reassuring to me, despite the fact that his WBC and RBC remained low at 1.8 and 3.08 respectively. His HCT was still only 28.1 (the same as last week), but Dr. Castleberry says the reds take longer to recover. The not-so-good news is that we weren't able to get his methotrexate shot this week because Matthew had an ulcer on the tip of his tongue (I say "ulcer", I think it's more commonly known as a "lie" bump). Has Matthew been less than honest with me lately?? No way! Anyway, Dr. Castleberry decided to hold off b/c he said the methotrexate may make the ulcer worse. I think that this is only the second week he's missed a shot. He looks fine, but he's still trying to get over that pesky cold/sinus virus. Come on warm summer!!

Next week is his spinal tap. I really dread him getting those, but he usually does really well. We have the staff sedate him with versed so he doesn't remember a thing. Please keep Matthew in your prayers for a smooth, clean tap.

On another note, I would like to thank my sister Sandra's home school group in Houston, Texas. She and her friend Amy Glass organized a garage sale and raffle to benefit Matthew's medical fund. With the help of 18 other families, they raised over $1700 for Matthew. This group was led by God to do this for us and we give Him the glory for this blessing.

Until next time, love
The Myers Family

Wednesday, March 14, 2001 at 03:42 PM (CST)

Hello Everyone! Sorry I missed an update last week. We had so much going on trying to get ready for our train ride down to New Orleans. We had a great weekend visiting with family and friends and we even got to go to the St. Patrick's Day parade and catch cabbages and other veggies. Don't ask!

Anyway, Matthew's visit went alright today. I'm a little stressed because his counts have been dropping over the past several weeks. His HCT (hematocrit-rbc) usually runs around 35 (40 is normal) and his platelets usually run around 300+ (normal is 150-450). Last week, his platlets were down to 193 and HCT to 32. I was anxious about today's visit and expecting to hear they had risen, but his platelets dropped to 76 and HCT dropped to 28. These numbers are borderline for continuing treatment. If his platelets had been 75 today, they wouldn't have given him his chemo until they came back up. I know most cancer parents find these drops in counts routine, but this is our first experience with it. Matthew's body has always responded so well even when he's been sick. The Dr. reassured me today that this is a reaction to a viral illness, the cold/cough combo he's currently fighting. His ANC (infection-fighting cells) was still 1200 which was good. Please just pray that his other counts get back to "normal" (whatever that is) by next week. Spring is almost here and the cold/flu season will soon be behind us. I am looking forward to an "uneventful" summer (if you know what I mean).

God bless and thank you for stopping by to check on us.

Love,
The Myers

Wednesday, February 28, 2001 at 04:16 PM (CST)

**Week 45 of 130**

Yee-haw, friends and family...according to Colin, we had a "rootin', tootin'" good time at the Miracle Rodeo last week. The boys were both on the local news and Matthew even got his photo in the local paper (see the photo album). We had a wonderful time together at this event sponsored by Children's Hospital.

We had a smooth visit today at the clinic...aside from getting stuck in the elevator, that is. Matthew was fine, but Mom started to panic a little. I opened the call box and started punching buttons, all the while Matthew kept saying "Don't touch anything, Mom!" Finally, it started moving again and we made it to our appt. Matthew told Dr. Castleberry and the nurses about 2,000 times that "We got stuck in the L-vator". Matthew's trip to the lab went fine. He got his arm stuck and didn't cry and he actually let out a deep laugh during his shot. He's so silly, I guess he was glad to be getting it over with.

Matthew's counts looked great, considering the chemotherapy and the cold he is now fighting. Please pray for good health and the strength for him to fight all of these winter viruses.

One other note...our friend Sarah's mom, Kelly, and I will be starting a day time support group for families of kids with cancer. The organization is called Candlelighter's and they are affiliated with Children's Harbor, who does so many wonderful things for these kids. Our first meeting will be in April and I'm praying that we can make a positive influence on parents dealing with this crisis. I'd appreciate your prayers for clear direction as we under take this opportunity to be in His service.

God bless you and your families.
Love,
Jennifer

P.S.-Hug your babies tonight and be thankful for every moment God gives us to spend with them...every day is precious.

Wednesday, February 21, 2001 at 04:43 PM (CST)

Hello friends...whew, we've had another exciting week in Alabama. Last Friday, some bad thunderstorms came through and knocked over 5 or 6 pine trees at the bottom of my yard. One even fell right into my play area. My dad is going to cut them up with his chainsaw, we can't go down there until then. DirtTown is buried in trees. Maybe we'll fix it up as the weather gets warmer.

My visit to Children's this week went really well. I wanted to get my arm stuck for my blood test instead of my finger, but my mom didn't put any magic cream on my arm (I didn't decide that until I got in the chair at lab). Then, instead of the shot in my leg, I told the nurse that I wanted it in my port. (Mom doesn't know why I've become so particular about these things lately). Anyway, they told me I could get my port accessed next week if I still wanted to (yeah, right!). Of course, I hugged all the doctors and nurses, as usual.

We are going to the rodeo with the Children's Harbor/Magic Moments foundation tomorrow night. The cowboys are doing a special show just for us kids in treatment at Children's Hospital. I can't wait to pet the cows and horses. I'll let you know how it goes. Talk to you soon!

Love,
Matthew Myers (paraphrased by Mom, of course)

Thursday, February 15, 2001 at 10:20 AM (CST)

Hello friends and family...thank you for taking the time to stop and visit this week. Matthew's visit to the clinic went really well yesterday. We are all recovering from a flu-like virus last week, but Dr. Castleberry gave him a clean bill of health and he was able to get his weekly methotrexate leg shot.

Matthew's WBC was a little lower than it normally is, which is understandable after having a virus. His almost always stays around 2.5-3.0 and it was 1.93 on Wednesday. No big deal, but it good to know that he's able to fight infections so well with a suppressed immune system. When I took Colin to the doctor last week for fever, they performed a CBC on him to check for infections. They determined it was viral from his blood counts, his WBC was low at 5.5. It amused me when the Dr. told me that was low. I told her that I wasn't used to hearing a number that high! Perspective, right?

The boys and I are recovering and looking forward to warmer, healthier days ahead. We are tired of looking at the inside of our house and the boys are anxious to help me with some outdoor/yard work (you know, digging, planting and the like). God bless.

Thursday, February 08, 2001 at 07:42 AM (CST)

Aaaaaaaaagh!! We survived the dreaded week of prednisone. Not only is it difficult to get down, but it's effects are nerve-racking. Poor Matthew, already a strong-willed two year old, just could not control his emotions. It's easy for me to sit back and laugh now, but our roller-coaster ride of a week culminated into one final rebellion of power at our appointment yesterday. The sweet and amusing little toddler they've come to know and love was moments shy of spitting pea-green soup (if you know what I mean). Dr. Berkow had a really tough time trying to examine him because Matthew was having a total meltdown. No one knew what to think of his display b/c it is so uncharacteristic of him.

Colin had to go with us once again this week because all three of us have suffered with some type of flu-like virus this week. Matthew's counts were great, despite his battle with illness (prednisone really helps elevate the WBC, his was 4.3). He has actually faired the best out of the three of us.

Matthew received vincristine/methotrexate in his port again this week. He hasn't had any noticable side-effect from those drugs, although the vincristine is pretty nasty. It causes hair loss, but at this point, his hair just thins a little during these "bursts". Matthew will continue his weekly shots for now. He is due for another spinal tap in just a few weeks.

As always, thanks for stopping by and God bless you and your families.

Thursday, February 01, 2001 at 05:20 PM (CST)

Hello Everyone...sorry my page is a day late. Van was out of town all week and didn't get home until late last night so we had some family time together.

Matthew's visit was great...he amazes me every week. I just can't seem to get used to the fact that he accepts all of the poking and proding and needles so readily. It's part of his normal week and that's how he treats it. Kids are AMAZING!

We only had one needle stick this week and that was to access his port. They drew his CBC and chemistry straight from the port (it has to be accessed every six weeks anyway to prevent any clotting). Colin had to go with us and just sat in a chair in the corner peeking through his fingers. He really tries hard to take care of his little brother and comfort him. They kept him accessed (kept the needle in his port) for another hour until the tests could come back and he could receive his meds (Vincristine and methotrexate). They just tape the syringe to his chest and off he goes. Believe me, I am worn out after an afternoon with two children in a hospital. Sometimes it's hard for me to just let them go and not make them sit quietly. But the clinic is full of kids playing and jumping and talking.

Matthew is on prednisone for a week between his Vincristine doses. Do you know how yucky aspirin tastes? Well, multiply that by 10 and you have prednisone. Matthew gags when I even mention his "yucky" medicine (I make sure he knows what's coming so we don't have problems with him taking his other weekly medications - they all have special names). I am so proud of him so far this week. He shudders before he takes it (in liquid form) but he puts the syringe right in his own mouth and swallows. Such a big boy! Once he gets over the initial taste shock, he does great.

I've updated a couple of pictures, so stop by the photo album if you get a chance. God bless.

Wednesday, January 24, 2001 at 07:33 PM (CST)

Hello friends and family...glad you were able to stop by and visit the site this week. Matthew had another excellent visit. I've decided he's going to become an actor after today...he knows when to pour it on. He has become such a character over the past several months. He told Dr. Castleberry that something was wrong with him and when the Dr. asked what it was, Matthew simply replied "I don't know, but my birthday is coming up soon." Crazy kid! He and all of the staff at Clinic 5 have a mutual love for one another. If he ever turns up missing, I'll know just where to find him. He knows everyone's name there (approximately 12 staff members by name) and hams it up everytime he sees them. One nurse in particular just wants to love on him so desperately, and she is the only one he plays "hard to get" for. She tried all morning to hug him and he ran, but as soon as he saw his nurse practioner, Meredith, he jumped in Meredith's arms and wouldn't let go. Laura was so jealous.

Matthew cried (as usual, now) for his blood test and shots. Of course, it doesn't slow him down one bit. Next week they'll access his port (it's been six weeks anyway) and he'll get Vincristine and start a week of prednisone (that I'm dreading). If I can get him to swallow a pill or capsule it would be much easier. Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks for stopping by and we love to read your messages. Love, The Myers Crew

Wednesday, January 17, 2001 at 09:21 PM (CST)

Another smooth visit today...I think we made it in and out in record time...slightly over an hour. Matthew usually does pretty well but today was "dramatic" at best. Over the past few weeks, he has been crying about getting his shots and blood tests. I know that tiny little finger stick hurts b/c the fingertips are so sensitive. We are going to go for the arm next week with some help from our "magic cream" (EMLA). Maybe the pain won't linger so long. Next week is another leg shot and then he gets a burst of prednisone/vincristine the following week. I dread trying to get the prednisone down...it tastes horrible! And there is no way around it b/c of his age (he can't swallow a capsule yet). Matthew weighed in at 35.5 lbs. and 36.5" today...whew! Must have been a light breakfast.

Wednesday, January 10, 2001 at 08:43 PM (CST)

We completed our weekly visit today at Children's Hospital. Matthew only had to get a blood test and his weekly IM Methotrexate shot. He did really well and had so much fun visiting with all of his "clinic" friends. He has been gaining weight rapidly over the past few weeks and has topped out at 36.5 lbs and a matching 36.5" tall. His little face has gotten so chubby...a far cry from his days of diagnosis when he was a tiny 29 lbs. He looks great and is doing better than we could ask for. His hair is getting longer and healthier too.

Wednesday, January 03, 2001 at 08:05 PM (CST)

Well, Matthew had his spinal tap today at Clinic 5...everything went perfectly. He did not even cry for any of his needle sticks. The results were clear...no evidence of leukemia in his spinal fluid! Of course not! He also received his weekly methotrexate leg shot and blood test. His counts were great...for being on Chemotherapy, that is. His ANC (for those of you who know what I'm talking about) was well over 2000 (should be at least 1000 or more). Thank you for your continued prayers. Hopefully treatment will be uneventful until our Vincristine/Predinosone burst in four weeks. God bless.

Saturday, December 02, 2000 at 05:15 PM (CST)

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