Journal History
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Tuesday, April 5, 2005 10:12 AM CDT
HAPPY APRIL EVERYONE!!
Chad had another check up yesterday and all is well! All of his blood counts look just fine and (knock on wood) we don't have to go back again until June!
His Onc strongly suggests that both Chad and Bryce get the Chicken Pox vaccine since neither one of them has come down with Chicken Pox yet. I do recall that both of them were exposed to CP many times in Elementary school - but neither one got sick! So I guess I'll make an appt. with the pediatrician to get them the shots soon.
Both Bryce and Chad got REALLY sick over Spring Break 2 weeks ago. We did take a short trip to Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, but tried to take it easy while we were there. Chad ended up on antibiotics and both boys missed a couple of days of school but are now 99% well again. I think both of them are counting down the days until summer vacation starts!! :0) Okay, so am I!!!!
Hope you and your families are all well and enjoying some warm Spring weather wherever you are!!
Love,
Stacey
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 7:41 PM CST
SPRING HAS SPRUNG HERE IN LAS VEGAS!!
HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!
After several cold and rainy weeks.........it is gloriously sunny and warm here at last!! It's in the low 80's and we're all back in shorts and t-shirts..........for now anyway! Who knows how long this beautiful weather will last?
We are all doing just great! I actually have NO NEWS to report about Chad's health! He is absolutely NORMAL with not even a cold to speak of! :0) It is so great not to have anything medical to report! This is even the month that he gets to skip his Oncologist appt. and go next month!
Both boys continue to play basketball in our community league and Bryce is now playing JV volleyball in high school! He is driving more and more with us in preparation for that (dreaded) day in May when he will turn 16 and get his (gulp) driver's license! Hurray! (not!) In fact, Bryce just got his braces off today now and is looking even more handsome and grown up! Sigh.........
Soon it'll be Chad's turn to get his braces ON! He couldn't get any orthodontic work done while still on treatment so now that it is all over, he can proceed with the metal mouth! HA!
We all continue to volunteer regularly for the Humane Society and of course, to spoil our own Boston Terriers rotten!!!! :0)
I promise to update again next month after Chad's appt. on the 4th of April!
Thank you for continuing to check in on our family!
Love,
Stacey, Bill, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Bosley xoxoxoxoxo
Friday, February 11, 2005 11:22 A.M. CST
Time for another update already!! :0)
Chad saw his Oncologist on Monday and everything is looking good! Praise the Lord!! For those of you who know anything about blood counts (I don't!) his look like this:
Platelets = 359
RBC = 4.72
HGB = 13.3
HCT = 40.6
ANC = 2,900
For those of you who know nothing about blood counts (like me!) suffice it to say that Chad's all fall within NORMAL ranges!! We're all thrilled and so grateful that he continues to do well!!
Chad came home with straight A's for the first semester of school ~ talk about icing on the cake!! He continues to drum (loudly), dance (wildly), and talk non-stop about anything under the sun, but mostly about the current American Idol competition, what's going on with the t.v. show LOST, and of course, nonsensical jibber jabber (in my mind, anyway) regarding certain characters in video games that all look alike to me. Does that sound normal to you?
I hope so!!
Bill, Bryce, Junior, Bosley, and myself..........we're all just fine too!!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES!!!
Thanks for checking up on us!
The Wada Family
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Monday, January 10, 2005 640 PM CST
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
WE ARE CONTINUING TO BE BLESSED WITH GOOD HEALTH AND "NORMAL" ACTIVITIES HERE AT THE WADA HOUSE! CHAD'S NEXT APPT. AND BLOOD COUNTS AREN'T UNTIL EARLY NEXT MONTH. FOR NOW HE IS DOING GREAT - PLAYING BASKETBALL (NOT THE FASTEST ON THE COURT, NOR THE BEST SHOOTER)BUT RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE COURT LIKE A REGULAR KID!!
HIS FAVORITE CHRISTMAS GIFTS ARE HIS NEW DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA AND HIS NINTENDO DS. BRYCE'S NEW IPOD IS A PERMANENT BODY FIXTURE OH HIM NOW AND HE ALREADY GOT A CHANCE TO BAPTIZE HIS NEW SNOWBOARD WHILE ON CHRISTMAS BREAK!
CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S 2005 AND WE'RE GOING ON 5 YEARS SINCE DX AND REMISSION! HURRAY!
HOPING THAT THE NEW YEAR BRINGS ONLY HAPPINESS, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY TO ALL OF YOUR FAMILIES!!
WITH LOVE,
STACEY AND CO.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004 10:20 AM CST
*~*~*~*~ HAPPY HOLIDAYS ONE AND ALL!! *~*~*~*~
We are thrilled to be celebrating another Christmas as a HEALTHY happy family!!
Chad's doctor's appt. earlier this month went well - he is looking good, feeling great, and all his blood counts look fine too. He had to endure 4 needles in one day, however, as they updated all his vaccinations - MMR, DPT, Polio, plus the extra needle to draw blood for counts. He was NOT a happy camper that day!
But now with Christmas right around the corner, and school out for the holidays, he is literally a singing and dancing machine!!
Bryce is also so happy to be on vacation! He got his driver's permit and plans to rack up some extra hours while on break to reach that magic number of 50 required hours to get his license. (Yes, I'm still in denial ~ how can my BABY be driving???) He sprained his thumb pretty badly at basketball practice recently though - his left hand is all black and blue. That'll hopefully heal before the first actual game next month! His team's the Pistons this season while Chad plays on the Lakers.
We're happily fostering another dog for the holidays - Dinah is a 3 yr. old female Shepherd/Smooth Coat Collie girl. Both Bosley and Junior love her! Much to Bill's dismay, she takes up too much room on our bed though!! Ha-ha-ha!!
My mom and dad bought the house right across the street from us and moved in last week! It is a small one story house - perfect for the two of them - and so convenient for all of us!
I hope this note finds all of your families enjoying the peace and joy of the holiday season ~ we continue to be so grateful for your love, friendship, and support!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Love ~
Stacey and gang
Tuesday, November 23, 2004 10:48 AM CST
The Falling Leaf By Chad Wada
I'm a leaf falling from a fruit tree
I'm twirling towards the tan ground
Soon I'll land on the rocks below
There I will join my leaf friends
Who have fallen before me
It will be a leaf reunion
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!!
We have another reason to celebrate this year as Chad has surpassed the 1 Year anniversary of ending treament!! (November 15th!!)
We continue to be grateful for his continued health and recovery, and for the love and support of so many friends and family members. THANK YOU!
Chad goes for check-ups and bloodwork every other month now, so his next appt. is on December 6th. I will update afterwards!
For now, both Bryce and Chad are looking forward to the holidays! Both have started a new season of basketball and Chad continues to bowl in his school league once a week too.
We wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving and we're sending much love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Bosley
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 2:32 PM CDT
Happy Fall Everyone!
We are all well and keeping busy with school, sports, work, volunteering, etc.
Chad had his monthly Oncology check up on Monday and all is well again! Whew! His ANC is 2800 with all other counts within "normal" range. We are so GRATEFUL!
Bryce continues to play High School varsity tennis and has good/bad days. His game has definitely improved since school started but he gets SO frustrated with himself sometimes! Overall though, he is truly enjoying this experience! His team (Cimarron Memorial High School) is in the play-offs this week!!
Chad joined the school bowling league and will start league play this afternoon. He'll bowl every Weds. after school and is SO excited!! It's been a couple of years since he last bowled on a team, so it'll be fun for him to get back into it!
Both boys have a break from basketball right now - but new team practices should start next month already!!
We are "in between" foster dogs right now too - so Bosley and Junior are enjoying a little extra attention from all of us!!
Thanks so much for checking in with us!
Hope all of you and your families are well!
Hugs ~
Stacey and gang
Thursday, September 9, 2004 3:28 PM CDT
Boy oh boy, it's true!!
Time really flies when you're having fun!!
I am thrilled to report that all is well with the Wadas in Las Vegas! Both Bryce and Chad were sad to say goodbye to summer vacation and went back to school on August 30th. Chad is now in 7th grade (and has mostly Accelerated classes) and Bryce is now a Sophomore in High School! WOW!
Bryce is having a blast playing on his high school tennis team this year and both boys are continuing to play in the local YMCA basketball league too. We are wonderfully busy with all the "normal" things a family usually keeps busy with!! Hurray!
Chad went in for his TEN mos. off treatment appt. 2 days ago and again, all is well. His ANC is 3100 with all other counts within a normal range. Relief!! He is growing, gaining weight, and has just been feeling fine! Thank God!
Thank you for checking up on us!
Hugs ~
Stacey & crew:
Bill
Bryce & Chad
Junior & Bosley
Lana our 8 yr. old Shepherd/Lab mix girl!
Monday, July 12, 2004 1:30 PM CDT
Happy July to all from Hot Vegas!!
Please know that "no news is good news" from us!! I promise to update this journal at least once a month so y'all can hear what's new in our lives!!
I am happy to report that Chad's monthly check up went just fine last Weds. All his blood counts look fine and Chad is feeling great!! I can't believe it's been 8 mos. since he ended chemotherapy already! Once he hits the one year anniversary of finishing treatment this November, then he will only have to see his Oncologist once every 2 mos.! I am also happy and relieved to report that Chad's follow up heart echo and all those tests came back all clear. No problems or heart damage due to the drugs, thank goodness!! I think he will still have to have heart echos done for the rest of his life, but hopefully all will be well..........forever!!
We celebrated the 4th of July (my birthday and Bill & my 17th anniversary) by taking the boys to see Spiderman 2. Fun! We BBQued steaks with my parents that night and then drove to the top of a hill to view the fireworks across the valley and on the Las Vegas Strip as well!! Beautiful!
Bryce just got home from a camping trip to San Diego with some friends. He went deep sea fishing for the first time and caught 3 good sized bass! They cooked 'em and ate 'em that night!!
Both boys continue to play summer basketball for our local YMCA. I can finally see an increase in energy and endurance in Chad. He is able to keep up, and sometimes even surpass, the other boys on the court! He does not seem as exhausted after practices/games and has much more enthusiasm and stamina. It is so wonderful to see!!
I hope you and your families are all enjoying your summers! It is soooooooo hot here, as you can imagine! We plan on spending another day out at Lake Mead tomorrow!! :0)
Hugs ~
Stacey and Co.
Friday, June 11, 2004 8:47 AM CDT
*~*~*~ HAPPY SUMMER TO ALL!! ~*~*~*
It's here, it's finally here!! Summer vacation!! Yippee!! The boys have been out of school for exactly one week ~ let the bickering begin!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
The good news is that Chad's 7 mos. off treatment appt. on Monday was wonderfully uneventful. All blood counts within the acceptable ranges and Chad is feeling just fine! He is such a trooper getting his arms poked for blood draws now that he no longer has his port. I do have to schedule a follow up heart echo for him next. Some of the chemo drugs can cause damage to the heart. He had an echo done at diagnosis so it's time to do another one and compare them. Please pray that all is well with Chad's heart!
Both boys are playing on new YMCA basketball teams for the summer. Another milestone for Chad (and me) - this is the first time his coach and teammates know nothing about his Leukemia so he is being treated as just a "normal" boy!
Other exciting news: Bryce's high school band (Advanced Technolgies Academy) took first place at a band competition in Anaheim, CA over the Memorial Day weekend. Bryce plays saxophone, and we all traveled to Disneyland for the big awards ceremony! We had a blast!!
Also, Bryce celebrated his (gulp) 15th birthday on May 22nd and will start Drivers Ed soon (so lock your cars and stay off the streets! HA!) Chad will be 12 on June 16th!! Right around the corner!! It'll be fun for Chad but again, just a little bit more emotional for me! :0)
Thanks again for checking up on us ~ please leave a note in the guestbook so we know you stopped by!
Hugs to all ~
Stacey
Thursday, May 13, 2004 9:16 AM CDT
Hi Everyone ~
Gee, where does the time go? The days are just flying by!!
I'm pleased to report that Chad had his 6 months Off Treatment appt. on Monday and all is well. His ANC is at 2900 and all other counts look good too.
We (well, mostly I) had a bad scare about 3 wks. ago when Chad spiked a high fever for 3 days straight. The fever broke on the 3rd night but he stayed home from school an extra day and missed 4 days that week. I guess since a high fever was his main symptom at diagnosis and this was his first fever since ending treatment, it was just so worrisome for me!! Since then, he's been fine but is just suffering from some seasonal allergies like the rest of us. We've been having some really windy weather lately and all of us have been sneezing and experiencing lots of congestion! UGH!
But both Bryce and Chad are counting down the days until summer vacation! Only 13 school days left with 3 of those being half days!! YIPPEE!!
Oh, and Chad got an early birthday gift last Saturday - an entire drumset!! So he's been terrorizing us, the neighborhood, the dogs, etc. He rocks out LOUDLY but seems to enjoy it! And that's what matters, right? (Or that's what I keep telling myself when he's drumming so loudly I can't hear myself THINK!!!) Calgon, take me away!!!
Hugs to all ~
Love,
Stacey
Tuesday, April 13, 2004 8:31 AM CDT
Happy Belated Easter and Happy Spring to all ~
Thanks for checking up on us here! Chad had his first appt. with a new Oncologist yesterday and everything looks just fine (BIG sigh of relief!!) His ANC was a "whopping" 2400 with all other counts looking good. We will have to schedule a follow-up heart echo appt. for Chad soon. One of the chemo meds can sometimes cause heart damage so we'll do a check up to make sure Chad is okay. I guess he did have an initial echo at diagnosis - I just don't remember that - everything was such a blur back then.
We spent a few days in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico last week for Spring Break! Bryce is trying to visit all 50 state capitals in his lifetime so he was able to cross one more off of his list! We had a great time - saw the Rio Grande, visited a few museums, saw some beautiful landscaping, and just relaxed!
Both Bryce and Chad are playing in another basketball league - this time through our local YMCA. They are enjoying themselves but literally counting down the days until summer vacation! :0)
Hope all of your families are enjoying the Spring season so far!!
Love always ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Bosley!
Thursday, March 11, 2004 8:26 AM CST
Spring has Sprung!!
We are all doing well and have been thoroughly enjoying our beautiful sunny weather! It feels great to be in shorts and t-shirts again!
Chad went in for another blood draw and check up on Monday. His counts all look great with an ANC of 1082. It was a bittersweet visit because our clinic is closing its doors for good. Our Onc, Dr. Paul Kent, is moving back to his hometown of Chicago. We will go to a new office and see a new doctor starting next month. Its weird how attached I felt to the people in the office and to the office itself. Its a place filled with fear, sorrow, and worry but also a place where we laughed, felt safe, relief, and comfort. We will miss all of the staff there and miss the actual building itself! Sigh.
The boys have been skiing/snowboarding a lot since I last wrote. We spent an extended weekend up at Brianhead, Utah again and Chad found he was a better skiier than snowboarder (fine by me!) Last Sunday Bill took the day off and took Bryce & Chad up to Lee Canyon (the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort) for a fun "boys day out"!
The kids' basketball seasons just ended too, with Chad's team losing a tough game in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Darn! Both start in a new league this weekend though so the fun doesn't end just yet!
Thank you all for continuing to check in on us. Please sign the guestbook even to just say HI so we know you came by!
Love to all ~
Stacey & Gang
Thursday, February 12, 2004 7:39 AM CST
*~* CHAD WAS "DEPORTED" YESTERDAY!!! *~*
Thank you all for your positive thoughts & well wishes for Chad's deportation yesterday. They worked! He did really well ~ admission at 6:00 a.m., surgery at 7:30 a.m., home by 9:30 a.m. ~ piece of cake!
He felt a bit tired in the afternoon and said he could still "taste" the gas (from the mask) in his mouth, but he had some chicken noodle soup and crackers for lunch and just took it easy. Whew, another huge milestone for our family and I feel so comfortable and safe knowing I can still share each moment with you all.
I held back my tears as the nurse wheeled Chad away from Bill and I ~ he was crying and more upset this time than he was when he had the port put in at diagnosis in Sept. 2000. So innocent back then ~ more experienced in the ways of the world now and expectations of pain more real at age 11. Sigh. We've come so far.
But like the trooper that he is, he was off to school this morning! He didn't want to stay home even though his chest area is still tender. The best part (according to Chad) is that he can't shower for 3 days! Ha-ha!
His counts were good on Monday, with an ANC of 1790. His check-up went just great and all is well right now!
Thank you all for still being there for us!
Happy Valentine's Day to you and your families!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, Bosley, and foster girl Maya (a 9 mos. old 50 lb. Golden Retriever puppy!)
Friday, January 23, 2004 7:50 PM CST
Hello again! Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year! It is the Year of the Monkey ~ Chad's year! Hooray!
We are all doing fine here. Chad is fighting a slight cold but seems to not have slowed down one bit! Yeah!
We enjoyed a nice long holiday weekend last week and went skiing/snowboarding up at Brianhead, Utah for the first time. It's about a 3 hr. drive from Vegas and Chad tried snowboarding for the first time! He got a little frustrated at times and took a few nasty spills though. He ended up spraining his right wrist but surprisingly, continues to talk about the "next time" he snowboards! Bryce got back on the snowboard like an old pro, even though it's been a couple of years since he last went. It was so wonderful to be up in the beautiful snowy mountains! Bill and I skiied and we didn't fall once! :0) I didn't take one moment for granted and thanked God for giving us such a beautiful day together!
Chad's port removal surgery has been bumped back another week to Feb. 11th. The surgeon needs to do serious liver surgery on a little girl with cancer. I don't know who she is, but I pray she will be okay. Chad goes in to see his Oncologist and check his counts again just before surgery day - Feb. 9th, so I'll be sure to update then.
Thank you so much for your continued love and prayers!
Please sign Chad's guestbook too!
Love ~
Stacey and Co.
P.S. We fostered 4 puppies last week - a litter of Boxer/Lab mixes. One male and his 3 sisters. We named them "Charlie's Angels" - Charlie, Natalie, Alex, and Dylan. 3 got adopted and only Dylan is left this week and she snuggles right between Bill and I at night on our pillows! Love it!
Monday, January 5, 2004 7:21 PM CST
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays ~ I know we did! The kids had 2 weeks off from school (which FLEW by so quickly!) and went back today (YAWN!)
We enjoyed another fun Christmas and New Year's and for the first time in 10 years got a surprising amount of snowfall last week right in our very own yard!! It was beautiful and the kids had a blast building snowmen and having a snowball fight with the friendly garbage men that morning! That's a day we'll remember for a long long time! I took some photos and am very frustrated that I am currently unable to download new photos on this photo album page. I am trying to enlist some help from friends and will hopefully be able to post new photos soon (or at least in 2004!! Ha-ha!)
In the meantime, Chad had his monthly visit with his Oncologist today. He's been feeling great and his counts are fantastic ~ an ANC of 2090 and all other counts within the expected ranges. THANK GOODNESS!! We've had to reschedule his port surgery (supposed to be next week) and moved it to Weds., Feb. 4th instead. Chad has semester exams at school next week and did not want to miss any of them. He'll have another appt. with his Onc next month on Feb. 2nd to check his counts again before surgery.
I am also proud to say that Bill had his blood drawn today and signed up for the Bone Marrow Registry to be "typed" in the hopes of matching someone who might need a transplant! How great is that? I was very disappointed to learn that I am disqualified from participating due to my active Diabetes condition. :0( However, I do want to urge you, especially if you are a minority, to consider signing up. You might be able to save a life! The registry is most deficient in Asian donors, there are very few listed, which is so heartbreaking to think about. :0( That means that if (God forbid) Chad were to ever relapse and faced a bone marrow transplant, the odds of finding a match for him would be slim to none since very few Asians are listed in the registry. Can you imagine? There would only be a 25% chance that Bryce would match Chad . It would truly be a miracle if Bill matched someone (especially a child with Leukemia!) out there somewhere and was able to become a Bone Marrow Donor! Wow, I get chills just thinking about it!
Okay, I'll end on that note and hope that I have given you all something to seriously think about! It's a New Year - why not do something BIG like sign up to be a Bone Marrow Donor (and maybe become someone's lifelong HERO?)
Health and Happiness in 2004 ~
Love ~
Stacey
Monday, January 5, 2004 7:21 PM CST
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays ~ I know we did! The kids had 2 weeks off from school (which FLEW by so quickly!) and went back today (YAWN!)
We enjoyed another fun Christmas and New Year's and for the first time in 10 years got a surprising amount of snowfall last week right in our very own yard!! It was beautiful and the kids had a blast building snowmen and having a snowball fight with the friendly garbage men that morning! That's a day we'll remember for a long long time! I took some photos and am very frustrated that I am currently unable to download new photos on this photo album page. I am trying to enlist some help from friends and will hopefully be able to post new photos soon (or at least in 2004!! Ha-ha!)
In the meantime, Chad had his monthly visit with his Oncologist today. He's been feeling great and his counts are fantastic ~ an ANC of 2090 and all other counts within the expected ranges. THANK GOODNESS!! We've had to reschedule his port surgery (supposed to be next week) and moved it to Weds., Feb. 4th instead. Chad has semester exams at school next week and did not want to miss any of them. He'll have another appt. with his Onc next month on Feb. 2nd to check his counts again before surgery.
I am also proud to say that Bill had his blood drawn today and signed up for the Bone Marrow Registry to be "typed" in the hopes of matching someone who might need a transplant! How great is that? I was very disappointed to learn that I am disqualified from participating due to my active Diabetes condition. :0( However, I do want to urge you, especially if you are a minority, to consider signing up. You might be able to save a life! The registry is most deficient in Asian donors, there are very few listed, which is so heartbreaking to think about. :0( That means that if (God forbid) Chad were to ever relapse and faced a bone marrow transplant, the odds of finding a match for him would be slim to none since very few Asians are listed in the registry. Can you imagine? There would only be a 25 hance that Bryce would match Chad . It would truly be a miracle if Bill matched someone (especially a child with Leukemia!) out there somewhere and was able to become a Bone Marrow Donor! Wow, I get chills just thinking about it!
Okay, I'll end on that note and hope that I have given you all something to seriously think about! It's a New Year - why not do something BIG like sign up to be a Bone Marrow Donor (and maybe become someone's lifelong HERO?)
Health and Happiness in 2004 ~
Love ~
Stacey
Thursday, December 11, 2003 10:40 AM CST
Happy Holidays everyone ~
I'm happy to report that Chad had his one month Off Treatment check up yesterday (can you believe a MONTH has gone by already??) and all is well. His ANC is a whopping 2670 and his Onc referred to all of Chad's counts as "perfect." Ahhhhhh..............music to my ears! The staff surprised us with a big chocolate cake with "No more chemo for Chad" written in icing on top. It's gonna be a swell Christmas!
Chad is feeling great and I must say, the transition into OT Land has been way easier than I ever expected! We've scheduled his deportation (surgery for port removal) for Jan. 14th so I will update as we get closer to that date.
Weirdly, Chad doesn't want me to get rid of any of his pills...........he says he wants to save them as "souvenirs". Huh? (Now THAT'S the weirdest chemo side effect I've ever heard of!!)
Thanks to you all for being there for us!
Hope everyone has a blessed holiday season!
Love,
Stacey
Sunday, November 16, 2003 8:51 AM CST
***** CHAD IS OFFICIALLY DONE DONE DONE WITH CHEMO! *****
He is now considered "OT" (off treatment) and yesterday whooped out loud, raised his arms above his head and shouted, "I BEAT CANCER!!"
What a moment, let me tell you!
He'll finish up this 5 day pulse of Decadron (steroids)on Monday a.m. and he'll continue Bactrim (antibiotic) on weekends for another 6 mos. - 1 yr.
I am still withholding my emotions. Afraid to open those floodgates just yet. I can't let go or jump back into the "real world" yet. I think it's going to be a slow process of acceptance on my part....we'll see.
I took a few photos of him with our digital camera last night......taking his last chemo pills.......hopefully someone in this house can remember/figure out how to download them on this photo album next week!
I can't tell you how much your friendship and support has meant to us over the last 3.2 years.......you have carried us through some very dark times and I will forever be grateful for your prayers.
Chad has an appt. this Thurs. (11/20) to meet with the surgeon who will hopefully remove his port next month. She's the same person who put it in 3 yrs. ago but is no longer a provider with our insurance. Ugh. Keep your fingers crossed that we can work things out.
Happy Weekend to all!
I will update again soon!
Love ~
Stacey and Crew
Thursday, November 13, 2003 3:20 PM CST
Hi All ~
I am finally getting around to letting you all know that Chad did just FINE with his last LP (spinal tap) and chemo yesterday. His ANC was 1590 and all other counts in the "normal" range for a kid on chemo. The mood at our clinic was so very quiet and somber. Our Onc and staff had attended FOUR funerals yesterday morning for kids who had died from cancer so everyone was dressed in black. In addition, our Onc had to rush over from the hospital where a 16 yr. old girl was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor in the ER where her parents had just brought her in. He was so upset and stressed out - didn't speak to us or even make eye contact. I don't even know if he realized that it was our last LP!
Thankfully, one of our absolute favorite nurses was there (she is a new mom and only works 2 days/wk now) and listened to all my questions and answered each one thoroughly and thoughtfully. She's known Chad and our family since dx but has been out on maternity leave for awhile. It was so comforting to have her there.
We (well, mostly Chad) decided not to do an end-of-treatment bone marrow aspiration.
He got his last dose of Vincristine in his port, MTX in his spine, and is on steroids again for 5 days. (We already had steak last night!) He'll continue oral Purinethol until Sat. then just STOP the chemo! (Weird!!) He will, however, continue to take the antibiotic Bactrim for another 6 mos. to a year. That's okay! Chad did stay home from school today because his back is aching. Right now he is fast asleep on the couch - snoring in fact!! :0)
Thank you so much for keeping us all in your thoughts and prayers. Chad will go in once a month over the next year for bloodwork and check-ups. Our next hurdle is to schedule surgery to have his port removed. I will keep you updated!
If you could just say a small prayer for my mom - she was admitted to the hospital today for observation. They found "something" in a routine colonoscopy so we are hoping it is nothing serious.
Love to all ~
Stacey and Co.
Saturday, November 1, 2003 8:48 AM CST
THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!
Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath........
It is officially NOVEMBER 2003........a moment in time that seemed like an eternity away 3 years ago when Chad was diagnosed! And now, amazingly, gratefully, worriedly, joyfully, it is here!
We have Chad's FINAL lumbar puncture/spinal tap scheduled for Weds. 11-12-03. My guess is that he will continue oral meds until the 15th (the actual date of end-of-treatment). I'm actually in denial - sort of. I can't let myself imagine November 16th yet........it's too exciting and scary still.
We're planning a very special Thanksgiving weekend with all of Bill's family coming in from California. My kids are getting so excited to see their cousins again! Boy, do we have a LOT to be thankful for this year......and every year from now on for that matter!
Both Bryce and Chad had a fun-filled Halloween night last night with their friends. Today, as I turn my calendar page and let the word "November" sink in........I can't explain it......I'm just bawling my eyes out!! I can't believe it's here!
More soon ~
Stacey
Friday, October 10, 2003 8:01 AM CDT
TGIF everyone!!
Chad had a good appt. yesterday with an ANC of 2060. He got Vincristine through his port and is back on steroids for 5 days again. His Onc decided to increase his steroid dosage slightly, to bring him up to the 100% recommended dosage for his age/wt. I am hoping this slight increase doesn't affect Chad's mood too drastically. He has experienced occassional stomach pain and can become agitated when on the steroids.
We discussed the impending end of treatment details scheduled for next month. The "official" date is 11-15 and Chad will continue taking oral chemo and antibiotics until then. He will most likely continue the antibiotics for 6 mos. to 1 yr. longer, which is fine. We need to schedule his final LP (lumbar puncture = spinal tap) and he will get his final dose of methotrexate in his spine. I didn't realize that an end of treatment BMA (bone marrow aspiration) is not required, but is our choice if we want to have it done. (It would involve the suctioning of a bone marrow sample from Chad's hip to be tested for any residual cancer cells.) Bill & I are still discussing that one. We also have to decide when to schedule surgery to have Chad's port removed. Chad is very worried about this "little" procedure and was not happy having to sit and listen to the adults discuss it yesterday. We might be able to schedule it simultaneously with the final LP and BMA (if we do decide to do the BMA) and avoid having to sedate him another time for port removal. I just don't know if having too many procedures done at once would just be too uncomfortable/painful for him. Again, I will keep you all posted.
As we enter this final month of treatment for Chad, my feelings are mixed with joy and apprehension/fear. Other cancer parents can relate to the feelings of worry that our "security blanket" of chemo is being taken away and our children are left vulnerable to the possible recurrence of cancer cells. I haven't been able to sleep, and I know it must sound crazy, but I can't yet shake these feelings of worry and fear. I pray that with time our family can again adjust to a "new normal" as Chad faces a long and healthy life ahead. Please keep us in your prayers.
We have a fun-filled weekend planned (and I hope your family does too!) and I continue to marvel at Chad's remarkable strength and courage.
Love to all ~ give each other extra hugs and kisses today!
Stacey
Saturday, September 27, 2003 9:23 AM CDT
Good Morning Everyone ~
I hope all of you are enjoying a lazy Saturday morning wherever you are.............just like we are doing here!
All is well with Chad today! He's been enjoying Middle School and feeling just fine.........hooray! No news is good news, as the saying goes! He took school pictures yesterday and I'm hoping there's a way to scan one when we get them back, and put it up here on his photo page!
Thursday, September 11, 2003 6:32 PM CDT
The Light at the End of the Tunnel is Getting Brighter.....
Chad’s appt. yesterday was an uneventful one. Those are the best kind! His counts are all good with an ANC of 1930. We’re not increasing his chemo dosages even though he is not at 100% for his height/weight right now. With only 2 mos. of treatment to go, we’re just trying to maintain good counts and a healthy Chad. The confirmed date to end 158 weeks (1,106 days or 26,544 hours) of chemotherapy, spinal taps, port pokes, pill swallows, syrup sips and the battle against the “Big C” is officially November 15th. It’s gonna be scary but sweeeeeeeeeet!
Soon after ending treatment, Chad will have surgery to remove the catheter (port) from his chest. He’ll still go in once a month over the next year to check his blood counts and they will draw the blood from his arm then. He will officially be considered CURED in ten years ~ November 2013. Chad will be 21 years old that year! What a party that will be!!
For now, Chad is back on steroids and enjoying Middle School (whew!) He loves learning percussions (drums and bells) and thinks his Science teacher (Mr. G) is funny/cool! Bryce is making his way in High School as a Freshman (Go Class of 2007!) and joined both the Key Club and the Fantasy Gaming Club at school. I couldn’t ask for better kids....I feel so completely blessed and I thank God every single day for my childrens’ health and happiness.
We continue to foster dogs for the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society, and the boys and I still volunteer at their adoptions every Sunday too. I can’t tell you how therapeutic the dogs that come into our lives have been! They are 4-legged angels! (Okay, some have been little devils but hey....!)
Chad’s next (and second to last) chemo appt. is on Oct. 9th. But I will update this journal before then, I promise!!
Take care, God Bless Us All ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Bosley
(and Allie, our 15 yr. old deaf Bassett Hound mix foster girl)
Thursday, September 11, 2003 6:32 PM CDT
The Light at the End of the Tunnel is Getting Brighter.....
Chad’s appt. yesterday was an uneventful one. Those are the best kind! His counts are all good with an ANC of 1930. We’re not increasing his chemo dosages even though he is not at 100% for his height/weight right now. With only 2 mos. of treatment to go, we’re just trying to maintain good counts and a healthy Chad. The confirmed date to end 158 weeks (1,106 days or 26,544 hours) of chemotherapy, spinal taps, port pokes, pill swallows, syrup sips and the battle against the “Big C” is officially November 15th. It’s gonna be scary but sweeeeeeeeeet!
Soon after ending treatment, Chad will have surgery to remove the catheter (port) from his chest. He’ll still go in once a month over the next year to check his blood counts and they will draw the blood from his arm then. He will officially be considered CURED in ten years ~ November 2013. Chad will be 21 years old that year! What a party that will be!!
For now, Chad is back on steroids and enjoying Middle School (whew!) He loves learning percussions (drums and bells) and thinks his Science teacher (Mr. G) is funny/cool! Bryce is making his way in High School as a Freshman (Go Class of 2007!) and joined both the Key Club and the Fantasy Gaming Club at school. I couldn’t ask for better kids....I feel so completely blessed and I thank God every single day for my childrens’ health and happiness.
We continue to foster dogs for the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society, and the boys and I still volunteer at their adoptions every Sunday too. I can’t tell you how therapeutic the dogs that come into our lives have been! They are 4-legged angels! (Okay, some have been little devils but hey....!)
Chad’s next (and second to last) chemo appt. is on Oct. 9th. But I will update this journal before then, I promise!!
Take care, God Bless Us All ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Bosley
(and Allie, our 15 yr. old deaf Bassett Hound mix foster girl)
Thursday, August 28, 2003 6:40 AM CDT
Good Morning!
I am pleased to report that Chad's counts were stable yesterday, with an ANC of 1970. The Onc was at the hospital (Chad's appts. are just at his office down the street from there) so we did not get to see/talk to him yesterday. I'll try to call him today to ask if we should increase any of Chad's chemo dosages now.
Both Bryce and Chad went back to school on Monday. Bryce is in HIGH SCHOOL (yikes!) at the Advanced Technologies Academy, and Chad is a Middle Schooler (did I say yikes?) at Becker Middle School, Bryce's Alma Mater. Both of them are enjoying school so far with Chad happy to be reunited with several of his friends from Elementary School, and Bryce making new friends every day!
I'm happy that Bryce has decided to continue playing the saxaphone in high school. We ended up purchasing a sax for him over the summer, after renting one for 3 yrs. Chad has chosen to pursue DRUMMING (make that 3 yikes!) and we rented his purcussion set yesterday which includes drum pads and bells (which resemble a xylophone to me.) Hm, sure won't be quiet around here much longer, not that it ever was!
I am also tickled to announce that we have a new member of the family: Bosley the bug-eyed Boston Terrier! He has been one of our foster dogs for 2.5 wks. now and we decided to make it permanent. He is a total sweetheart!
Chad goes back in for chemo on Weds. 9-10-03. I will update this journal afterwards. Thank you for checking up on us!
God Bless and Take Care ~
Stacey and gang
Thursday, August 14, 2003 9:56 AM CDT
Good morning to all.......
Time for another update from the continuing saga of Chad's fight against cancer.
We had a loooooooooooong day at the Onc's office yesterday. Our doctor had a serious emergency at the hospital and was delayed about 2.5 hrs. before seeing us. Our hearts go out to the family at the hospital......don't know who they are.........just know that their beloved son/daughter is fighting for his/her life and when I dare to imagine how those parents must feel........it's truly overwhelming. God Bless us all.
Chad did well receiving his chemo and throughout the spinal tap procedure. He was very patient during the delay while we waited for our doctor.......he played his Gameboy and we read together for awhile. His ANC is 1770, thank goodness. They will increase his methotrexate just a tad, and keep the Purinethol at the reduced dosage for now. We'll go back in another 2 wks. to re-check his counts again. We also got a prescription for the fine rash ("chemo rash") that has sprouted on Chad's face, port area, and shoulder. Hopefully that will clear up, and not worsen.
I agree with the doctor, in that we are just trying to maintain good counts (and hopefully good health) for Chad during these last 3 mos. of treatment. We want his body to accept and tolerate as much chemo as possible now, but at the same time we would hate to end treatment with Chad getting seriously ill. Please keep Chad in your prayers for now!
School here starts on August 25th. Bryce is excited about starting High School. Chad would rather have another month of summer vacation!
Wishing you, our beloved friends and family, a wonderful remainder-of-summer and fantastic school year ahead. I will update again after Chad's next appt. on August 27th.
With love and appreciation ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior AND:
Allie, our 15 yr. old deaf girl, Basset mix foster,
Bosley, our 2 yr. old bug-eyed/cross-eyed Boston Terrier foster who was dumped at Red Rock Canyon and lost for 3 wks. before being rescued, and Fido, our 3 yr. old Jack Russell foster, SO affectionate and loving but just a "bit" overweight!
Sigh, it's a furry zoo of FUN here!!
Saturday, August 9, 2003 9:09 PM CDT
BIG SIGH OF RELIEF!!
Chad's ANC is back up to 2240 as of yesterday!! Whew, this roller coaster ride is definitely NOT fun at all!! He restarted his oral chemo at a lower dosage last night and will go back in on Weds. 8/13 to check his counts again and get more chemo via his port. He is also scheduled for his second-to-last spinal tap w/chemo on Weds., providing his ANC is still above 1000. So we'll see on that one. I DO hope his counts remain stable so he can continue chemo (even if it is at a lower dosage) for the next 3 mos. and we can have a little peace of mind knowing he completed the entire 3 yrs. 2 mos. course of treatment.
We are making the most of our last few weeks of summer vacation too. We went camping up near Lee Canyon for a few days and enjoyed some COOL mountain air while hiking, roasting marshmallows, playing games, etc. Junior was a little confused about sleeping in a tent, but took it all in stride!
Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, and messages of support for Chad and our family!
I will update again next week after Chad's appointment.
Love and hugs to all ~
Stacey
Friday, August 1, 2003 9:54 AM CDT
BAH HUMBUG!!!!!!!!!
Chad's counts have dropped AGAIN! We went in to clinic yesterday only to find out that his ANC has dropped to 433 again. He was only on 50% dosage of oral chemo last week (after his counts had rebounded from the previous week) and it was still too much. I am maintaining my composure and quelling my fears by keeping in mind this sort of count fluctuation is typical for kids on treatment. He is off of all oral meds again for another week. We will go back in next Friday with the hope that Chad's counts will have rebounded once again and he can resume chemo. His Onc thinks that if his counts are good and we can restart chemo, we will do so at an even lower dosage than before. We are SO CLOSE to finishing treatment......and if Chad can only tolerate a little bit of chemo for the next 3.5 mos., it is still better than nothing.
One of my main concerns is that school starts this month and Chad will be in 6th grade, Middle School here in Vegas. He will be exposed to more kids (and germs) than ever before. If his counts continue to remain low and his immune system is so weak, he will be unable to attend classes. So we'll see. We'll cross that bridge when/if we come to it.
The bottom line is that Chad's bone marrow has been suppressed for so long that his body is saying, "Enough!" All we can do is try to keep him safe and healthy, while continuing as much chemo as possible, for the next 3.5 mos.
In the meantime, Chad is feeling great! He had a BLAST at Camp Cartwheel this week (an annual summer camp for kids with cancer and their siblings). He swam, canoed, hiked, rock climbed, sang, danced, did archery, played flag football with the UNLV football team (scored a touchdown when the UNLV quarterback passed to him), and just had some plain old FUN! Bryce is up there now (Torino Ranch, Lovell Canyon area of the Sierra Nevadas) and will spend the night tonight.
Thank you for checking up on us. Please keep Chad in your prayers! I will update again next week.
Lots of love to all ~
Stacey
Saturday, July 26, 2003 8:43 AM CDT
WHEW!!!!!
Chad's counts came back up!!! We went in for a blood draw to check counts yesterday and his ANC is back up to 1470! Hurray! We were so greatly relieved! He is back on 50% dosages of oral chemo and back on Bactrim, the antibiotic to prevent PCP (pneumonia). Chad's Onc keeps reminding us that he's only seen TWO cases of PCP in Nevada, and one of them was Chad! He will go back in to re-check counts next week again.
Our nephews (ages 17 & 19) just left this a.m. after visiting us from Northern CA this past week. Both Bryce and Chad enjoyed their company immensely and it was fun playing "tourist" with them this week!
Next week is the annual "Camp Cartwheel" camp up in the mountains for kids with cancer and their siblings. They are dividing it into age groups this year so Chad will go on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, while Bryce will go on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They had so much FUN at camp last year so they are really looking forward to it! Hope the weather cooperates - we've been having some thundershowers and flash flood warnings recently!
I will update again next week after Chad's appt.
Thank you so much for your well wishes and prayers for our family - they continue to touch our hearts and help us through this difficult journey.
Love to all ~
Stacey & Co.
Thursday, July 17, 2003 5:03 PM CDT
******* CHAD'S COUNTS ARE LOW *******
We went in for Chad's monthly appt. this morning only to discover his ANC is a low 428. BOO!
Chad did get Vincristine in his port and will still take steroids for the next 5 days, but all oral chemo meds will be withheld this week. He won't take his liquid antibiotic Bactrim, either. We will go back to clinic in one week to check his counts again. Hopefully, his ANC will be high enough for him to restart all his chemo. Please cross your fingers and toes for us and keep Chad in your prayers!
We're getting down to the finish line now.......Chad is scheduled to end treatment in mid-November. I know there are lots of kids who have a rough time towards the end of treatment. Their little bodies have been bombarded with chemotherapy and other drugs for years, and the toxicity of so much poison can make them sick. Many kids get really sick shortly after ending treatment also. Their immune systems have been suppressed for so long they just can't fight off any illnesses. Even though I am hoping and praying for the best for Chad, I am expecting the worst. Does that make sense? His immune system could take years to recover. Sigh.
In the meantime, Chad continues to feel just great! Hurray! He is enjoying summer vacation and was mesmerized by the sudden thunder/lightning/rain shower yesterday! I think it's back up to 115 today though! Yikes!
Bryce is still up at Boy Scout Camp in northern CA until Saturday night. Boy, do we all MISS him! Can't wait til he is safely back home again.
Thanks for checking up on us, feel free to sign the guestbook so Chad knows you came by!
Take care, God Bless,
Stacey
Saturday, July 4, 2003 10:51 PM CDT
Happy 4th of July!!
It's my birthday..........and Bill and my 16th wedding anniversary too! But like I said.......it's my birthday and I can cry if I want to!!
We just got home from watching a spectacular fireworks display from the parking garage roof of the Santa Fe Hotel and Casino. Sigh.........brought back so many bittersweet memories as that is the same parking lot I was in when I got the call on my cell phone nearly 3 yrs. ago that Chad had blasts in his blood and they suspected Leukemia. I had just finished signing the boys up for a bowling league there and was leaving the place when the call came in. I drove home in a blur of sobs and screams........it was horrible. I doubt I can ever drive up that street without remembering that awful day.
But tonight........tonight was wonderful! Chad's face was lit up by the lights in the sky! He was smiling and happy! And yesterday we spent the whole day out at Lake Mead. We swam, barbequed, and just enjoyed ourselves! We are having such a fun summer! Next week we are having a belated birthday party for Chad with some of his best buddies. We celebrated last month with Bill's family while we were in CA so we promised Chad a little get-together with his friends too!
I hope you and your families are making the most of this special day.........and enjoying each other while making wonderful summer memories together! Have fun!
Love ~
Stacey
Friday, June 20, 2003 11:19 AM CDT
***** CHAD IS ELEVEN!!!! *****
We celebrated his birthday on June 16th with fun in the sun at Bonfante Gardens Park in Gilroy, CA (Garlic Capital of the World!!)
We are now home from a wonderful week in Northern CA where we attended our nephew's High School graduation. It was so nice to get out of this HEAT for a week! We got to spend one glorious day at the beach, enjoying the sand and surf. We even saw a school of dolphins splash by!!
Chad went in for more chemo yesterday and is back on steroids for 5 days. His ANC was great at 1760 and he is feeling fine! "Only" FIVE months to go!!! Please pray that the next few months fly by for Chad and that his treatment has successfully wiped out the cancer for good.
Bill and I are back at work today while Bryce and Chad are enjoying the freedom of summer vacation! Chad is at a basketball camp at school this morning and Bryce went to a swimming party at the lagoon yesterday afternoon. Ahhhh....the bliss of lazy summer days! Hurray!
We're wishing you and your families lots of love and laughter this summer.........thank you so much for checking up on us!!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (who also enjoyed a cool week in CA!!)
Wednesday, June 4, 2003 4:02 PM CDT
Hi all ~
Life feels wonderfully "normal" lately! Chad is doing great - going to school, playing with his friends, arguing with Bryce, etc. I am savoring every single moment! He goes back in for a check-up and more chemo on June 19th.
Today was Bryce's last day of school and he is officially DONE with Middle School and his summer vacation has begun! Chad's school gets out on June 18th, but he will miss the last week because we are going up to Northern CA for our nephew's high school graduation. Bryce's basketball team (the Clippers) won their first play-off game on Monday night and will play again this Friday.
For the last few weeks, Bryce, Chad, and I have been volunteering our Sundays to help out at the Humane Society's dog adoptions. The boys take care of the dogs, walk them, give them water, play with them, etc. while I answer questions from potential adopters. It can get chaotic at times but it's been fun and so far the boys haven't complained! :0)
We are currently fostering Allie, the 15 yr. old deaf girl ~ she's some sort of Corgi/Dachshund/Basset mix, and Max ~ he's a 4 month old Sharpei/Shepherd/Tasmanian Devil mix!! It's crazy around here, but there's never a dull moment!
Thanks for checking up on us ~ PLEASE sign Chad's guestbook so we know you stopped by!
Happy, Healthy Summer to you all!
Love ~
Stacey and gang
Thursday, May 22, 2003 6:48 AM CDT
Good morning everyone ~
Chad is still sleeping as I type this, and I'm up making breakfast for Bryce because he is FOURTEEN years old today!! (Happy Birthday Bryce!!) Can't believe how quickly the years flew by.....
Chad's appt. went well yesterday. He had another spinal tap, chemo injected into his spine, chemo in his port, and is back on steroids for 5 days. His ANC was 1050 and everything is status quo for now. Since he's scheduled to end treatment in November, and he gets spinal taps every twelve weeks, I'm HOPING that means he only has TWO left!
I can't believe we can actually see "the light at the end of the tunnel" at this point. It's been a LONG tunnel!!
We're planning a dinner celebration with my parents tonight (Bryce's choice of restaurant, of course!) then going to the Drive-In movies since there's no school tomorrow! (We love going to the Drive-In!!)
Thank you all for your continued prayers for our family. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives!
Happy almost-Summer!
Love ~
Stacey, Bill, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Allie (our 15 yr. old foster girl - maybe a Corgi/Dachshund mix?)
Monday, May 5, 2003 8:06 AM CDT
Spring has Sprung!
All is well here with our family. Chad's counts were good last time: ANC of 1340. I got the results a couple of days late since the CBC machine was down the day of our appt.
Both Bryce and Chad are playing basketball in a new league now so we've been busy with their games and practices. With the onset of warmer weather, all of us are anticipating the freedom of summer vacation!! Bryce's birthday is May 22 and his last day of school is June 4. Chad's last day of school is June 18 and his birthday is June 16. I'm so excited for Bryce next year - he got accepted to the Advanced Technology Academy as a High School Freshman. It'll be interesting to see how that goes! And Chad will be in Middle School! Yikes!
Anyway, Chad goes in for more chemo on May 21st. I will update afterwards. Please say a little prayer for him as he is also scheduled for another spinal tap this month. I always worry, no matter what!
Thank you for your friendship and support!
God Bless Us All ~
Stacey
Monday, April 21, 2003 4:10 PM CDT
Happy Easter (okay, it's really the day after)
but we hope you all enjoyed a blessed Easter Sunday with family and friends!
Bryce went back to school today after a week off, but Chad still has one more week of Spring break left before he goes back on the 28th. We just got back from his doctor's appt. but the CBC machine was down so I don't have his counts back yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they are just fine! He got vincristine through his port, and will start the "dreaded" steroids for 5 days now (sigh, time to buy those taco fixin's!) I'd say about half his hair has fallen out again due to the recent increase in his chemo dosages, but Chad seems just fine with it!
We enjoyed 4 wonderful days in Seattle, Washington last week! It was our first time up there and we had fun visiting the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and driving out to the state capital of Olympia for one day! It sure was nice to get away!
I hope Spring's sunshine has found its way into your homes!
Thanks for checking up on us!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior!
Wednesday, April 9, 2003 3:20 PM CDT
HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!
Your prayers have worked! Chad's counts have rebounded today and his ANC was a very nice 1440! Whew! Time for me to take a deep breath!
Thank you all so much for your caring thoughts and well wishes. He returned to school after his doctor's appt. this morning and will finish this week, then have TWO WHOLE WEEKS off for Spring Break!!
Chad goes back in for more chemo on April 21st. I will definitely update after that, if I don't do so before then!
Gratefully,
Stacey and gang
Thursday, April 3, 2003 8:40 AM CST
CHAD'S COUNTS ARE LOW!! :0(
Hi all ~
Just a brief update from Las Vegas. Chad went in to check counts yesterday after his increase in 6-MP (from 75 to 100 mg. nightly) two weeks ago. His ANC is only 413. (Should be at least 1000). The nurse thought his counts were still dropping after looking at the results. After a phone call to our Onc (and a little begging on my part) we're going to try alternating between 75 & 100 mg. every other night. Keeping my fingers crossed that his counts will be more acceptable when we check again next week! For now Chad is stuck at home for a few days, complained of pain in one knee last night (shudder!) and lost his first molar this morning!
Please pray that Chad's counts rebound soon so he can go back to school next week!
Thank you for checking up on us, I'll update again next week.
Love ~
Stacey and gang
Friday, March 21, 2003 7:23 AM CST
Good morning everyone ~
TGIF! Chad went in for more chemo yesterday and is back on steroids for 5 days again so watch out! His counts continue to remain stable with an ANC of 1650 which is right where it should be! We met a new Onc and a new nurse in our clinic which made our day "interesting." Our new Onc (a woman!) decided to increase Chad's dosage of 6-MP (Purinethol) by 25% so Chad will now be taking the recommended 100% dosage of that medicine for his age and weight. He takes 6-MP pills every night. Because all children tolerate chemo differently, this will be the first time since diagnosis that Chad will be on 100% of this medication. Please pray that Chad is able to tolerate this increase just fine and that no adverse side effects will occur, especially neutropenia, which is when one's counts drop so low that person is severely immunocompromised and therefore more susceptible to every little germ or virus.
Hopefully, we are on the final leg of this exhausting journey and Chad will continue along doing well until November, when he is scheduled to end treatment.
Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers! I hope everyone has a peaceful weekend ahead.
Bryce and I (and some of his Boy Scout buddies) will spend Saturday cleaning out the warehouse at Social Services here in Vegas. Yahoo!
Love to all ~
Stacey
Sunday, March 2, 2003 2:32 AM CST
Hi everyone ~
I just had to share our normal weekend with you all. Chad's basketball team won the Championship tournament last night and he brought home a HUGE 1st Place trophy! He didn't score any points, just ran up and down the court
huffing and puffing. But he was OUT THERE and playing and having fun! The smile on his face after his team won was priceless. Also, for the second year in a row, both Bryce and Chad took home the "Sportsmanship Award" for
each of their teams. It's an award that the coaches and players all vote for, so it's quite an honor to hang two on my wall again this year!
Chad was just giddy last night. He couldn't stop giggling all night! Is this what "real life" feels like? If so, I want more of it for him! I want all of his childhood memories to be filled with nights like this one, and NOT
of needles and pills and cancer!
With tears in my eyes and hope in my heart for ALL of our precious children~
~ Stacey ~
Mom to Chad, age 10, dx 9-19-00, CCG-1991
Bryce, 13
Hubby Bill, and Boston Terrier, Junior
Click here: *****CHAD*****
Friday, February 21, 2003 12:08 PM CST
Thank you so much for checking up on us!
I am relieved to report that Chad's spinal tap was fine yesterday. The horror of his previous procedure (see Journal entry dated 11-27-03) was hopefully the first and last time that will ever happen! Even though the Onc had to poke Chad's back twice instead of just once to get the perfect access yesterday, Chad doesn't remember any of it. He did feel a little nauseated last night, but is much better today.
This morning his back aches slightly, and he is complaining of some pain radiating down his legs. I kept him home from school (he just woke up from a 2 hr. nap!) and will keep a close eye on him over the weekend.
His ANC was 1640 (yeah!!) and all his other counts are within the expected ranges, so hopefully Chad will continue to do well with the remainder of his treatments. Only 9 mos. to go but who's counting?!
Tomorrow is the last game of Bryce and Chad's basketball season, then they'll move onto tournament play. It sure has been fun!
Wishing you all a great weekend! Thanks again for your friendship and support! Please sign our guestbook so we'll know you stopped by!
Thanks!
Love ~
Stacey
Wednesday, February 5, 2003 11:40 PM CST
Wow, I can't believe it's February already!
We've had a big change in weather here in Las Vegas this week. It is sunny, but a chilly wind has kicked in and it feels cccccccold to us! We had record high temps last week (in the high 70's!)and we really enjoyed it while it lasted!
Both Bryce and Chad are doing well, still enjoying their basketball season. We only have a couple of more games before the regular season ends and the tournament begins! Chad was pretty tickled to make both free throws after being fouled in his last game!
We are now fostering "Bud", a 9 mos. old Chocolate Lab with a broken front paw. We try not to let him get too active, but he hops around on three legs really well! He's beautiful, but currently weighs in at 75 lbs.! Can't imagine how huge he'll be when he's full grown! He is enjoying sleeping with the boys every night.
Chad goes back in for more chemo on 2-20. Please keep him in your prayers as he will endure another spinal tap on that day also.
Thank you so much for your support and friendship!!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, and Chad
P.S. I now realize we never downloaded any Christmas photos on our photo page! I will get Bill to do that this week so check back soon!
Friday, January 24, 2003 at 06:48 PM (CST)
Hello!
Thank you so much for taking the time to check up on us. Please sign Chad's guestbook so he knows you stopped by!
Chad went in for more chemo yesterday. All is well, thank goodness! His ANC was 999 yesterday, just slightly lower than "usual" but we are not concerned since he's been feeling just fine! He is now on steroids for 5 days so I guess I better make a run to the grocery store to stock up on extra snacks for him this week!
Tomorrow Chad, Bryce, and I are participating in a local fundraiser called "Run For A Wish" to benefit our local Make-A-Wish chapter. Should be lots of fun with a great turn out of supporters and probably lots of familiar faces too!
At next month's oncology appt., Chad will endure another spinal tap (4 more to go.........but who's counting?!) I usually don't tell him about it until the day beforehand, since he sometimes stresses too much about it. Sigh.
Anyway, I promise to update again soon just to let you know what we're up to!!
Take care, and bless all of your precious families ~
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (aka "Handsome")
Tuesday, January 07, 2003 at 06:25 PM (CST)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
This is IT! This is the year that Chad finishes treatment! He is scheduled to be DONE in November.......I will keep everyone posted, you can bet on that!
Both Bryce and Chad went back to school yesterday after a great holiday break. Chad actually had three weeks off from school instead of the usual two, so he was a little more lethargic about going back! Ha-ha!
We are now walking out the door to Chad's basketball practice! His team lost their last game (oh well....) but Bryce's team WON last weekend and it was their first victory! Hooray!
We are still "enjoying" the company of our foster dog, Dusty the Chinese Crested Hairless! Poor Junior has been exhausted trying to keep up with this playful pup! There's never a dull moment here, that's for sure!
Chad goes back in for more chemo on January 23rd. I will update after wards!
Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and well wishes for our family!
We wish you all a Happy, Healthy, New Year!
Love~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, and Chad
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 07:27 PM (CST)
M*E*R*R*Y C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S E*V*E*R*Y*O*N*E !!!!
I hope this holiday season is a joyful one for your family. We continue to give thanks for Chad's remission and say a silent prayer, especially at Christmas, for him to live a long and healthy life.
Chad went in for more chemo today. He will be on steroids for the next 5 days too. All of his counts remain stable with an ANC of 1290, right where we like to see it! He is feeling good, and has come to take the port access, blood draws, and chemo in stride. Amazing. Today also would have been Dr. Oseas' birthday. He was our beloved Oncologist who passed away suddenly on October 1st. His family is struggling through this first holiday season without him. We miss you Dr. O.
It broke my heart to hear our doctor tell us that two sweet children lost their lives to cancer here last weekend. Please keep these families in your holiday thoughts and prayers. There are so many families who have lost their children, or have children spending their Christmas in the hospital, please don't take this time with your family for granted. Savor every sweet moment. I know I am.
Both Bryce and Chad are REALLY EXCITED about Christmas tomorrow! Chad is going to be on television, on a Make A Wish Special, so I hope I don't forget to watch/tape it! We were "adopted" again this year by a local business through Candlelighters, so there are some extra goodies under our tree! We partied at the Make A Wish celebration and the Candlelighters luncheon last weekend, made the scenic drive through Sunset Park to see The Gift of Lights displays,and are now fostering "Dusty" a mischievous Chinese Crested HAIRLESS puppy. Yes, he's so ugly he's cute! (Please contact me IMMEDIATELY if you know someone who would give him a good home!)
Thank you all for your Christmas cards, well wishes, and continued prayers for Chad and our family.
We hope your families have a blessed and peaceful Christmas with lots of love and laughter thrown in!!
Here's to an awesome New Year (2003 - the Year Chad Finishes Chemotherapy! YEAH!!)
Lots of love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Dusty
Thursday, December 12, 2002 at 05:16 PM (CST)
Happy Holidays to all of you!
Chad went in for bloodwork yesterday, just to check his counts. His 6-MP (one of the daily oral chemo meds he takes) was increased 2 weeks ago and we wanted to make sure his immune system was handling the extra dosage okay. Thank Goodness, his ANC remains well within the desired range - it was 1860 yesterday. It's a relief to know his counts are good and he can enjoy the holiday season! He gets an extra week of winter vacation this year, so tomorrow is his last day of school until Jan. 6, 2003! We have a couple of big Christmas parties coming up. Both the Candlelighters and the Make A Wish foundation are hosting holiday parties for the families. Chad's very excited about both of them! We also have Bryce's varsity band concert coming up. He's been practicing lots of holiday music on his saxophone!
Chad goes back in for more chemo on Dec. 24th so I'll be sure to write an update afterwards if everything remains status quo until then!
Hope you're all getting your shopping done!
Enjoy the Season!
Love ~
Stacey and family
Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 06:16 PM (CST)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF OUR DEAR FRIENDS!!
This year, we are again most thankful that Chad remains in remission and that we are surrounded by wonderful friends like you, who continue to support us on this difficult journey. God Bless you all! Now for an update......
Chad's previously scheduled appt. on 11/21 was postponed until yesterday due to problems with our new insurance. Since Bill had to work, Chad and I went by ourselves. Because Chad has had so many spinal taps (yesterday was his EIGHTEENTH) he had to have extra hydration prior to the procedure. This was done via IV through his port for about 1.5 hrs. Usually the combination of drugs (Versed, Demerol, and Ketamine)knock him out cold, as well as totally relax him. However, for some reason, Chad's body went totally rigid after the meds, making it impossible for the doctor to perform the LP (Lumbar Puncture = Spinal Tap). He even began arching his back and throwing his head back, making it even worse, though he was thoroughly sedated. I was getting really scared as the nurses began to administer additional Ketamine (an animal tranquilizer!) and even more Demerol in an attempt to relax Chad's body. I was holding his head and talking to him throughout the procedure,though I was terrified at the amount of drugs he was getting. Chad's eyes were open and his lips were moving, but he wasn't making a sound. I almost wondered if he was having a seizure. Another nurse and I had to physically force Chad to bend his legs and curl his body. Finally, Dr. Kent was able to perform the LP, as well as inject the chemo into Chad's spine. I was greatly relieved. Boy, I wish Bill could have been there for moral support! Chad came out of sedation a little weepier than usual, but seems fine today except for a slight headache and backache. He doesn't remember a thing. I pray that this NEVER happens again! It was terrifying! I barely got home in time to take Bryce to his basketball practice.
They also decided to increase Chad's dosage of oral chemo. He will take an additional half pill of Purinethol daily. We'll check back in 2 weeks (instead of the usual 1 month) to run a CBC and see if the new dose is suppressing his counts too much. Yesterday his ANC was a "whopping" 2200. He also began oral steroids last night and has already cleaned the entire family room for us! (A wonderful steroid side effect is that Chad likes to clean the house! Ha!)
He returned to school today after missing 2 days, and was happy to see his friends again. Now both Bryce and Chad have a long holiday weekend for Thanksgiving! Yay!
Thank you for checking up on us! Please sign our guestbook so we know you stopped by!
Have a wonderful Turkey Day!
Love ~
Stacey and family
Sunday, November 10, 2002 at 11:17 AM (CST)
Hi Everyone ~
I guess no news is good news! We are all fine here at the Wada house. Chad continues to take his nightly chemo pills, is maintaining straight A's in school, is playing both soccer and basketball, and doing just great! Praise the Lord! He will go back in to see the doctor on Thursday, 11-21. He will get more chemo in his port, and will also have a spinal tap on that day with more chemo injected into his spine. Please keep him in your prayers that his appointment will go well, that he will not experience any pain or discomfort from the treatments, and that the chemo continues to keep the cancer away.
As for Bill, Bryce, Junior, and myself - we are all doing fine. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas, right around the corner! (Is it that time of year already??)
This weekend, we are keeping two very special little boys in our thoughts and prayers. Alex Schwab and Isaiah Bingham are both at Duke in Durham, NC awaiting live-saving cord blood transplants that will cure their leukemia. If you have a moment, please say a prayer for their families. Thank you.
I will update again after Chad's appointment next week. Thank you for checking up on us!
Love ~
Stacey
Tuesday, October 29, 2002 at 10:53 AM (CST)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!
I am sorry for neglecting to update this page for so long. I am continuing to have more of my own health problems and I haven't been online very often, I'm sorry.
The good news is that Chad is doing great! He had his monthly appt. for chemo last Thursday, 10-24-02. His ANC was a wonderful 2260 and all his other counts were fine also. Hooray! He is now finishing up his 5-day pulse of steroids and had a big plate of tacos for breakfast this morning!
Bryce went on a 22-hr. field trip to DISNEYLAND on Friday and had a blast! He plans on going trick-or-treating with some buddies of his and is dressing up in Bill's old Batman costume!! Chad will be Dartagnan (sp?)you know, that cute Musketeer!! I think he just likes to carry the sword around!
I hope all is well with you and your families! Thank you so much for checking in with us ~ please sign our guestbook too! I promise not to wait so long to update this page again!
Love to all ~
Stacey and Family
Wednesday, October 02, 2002 at 10:33 PM (CDT)
I don't know where to begin.
Chad's wonderful Oncologist, Dr. Ronald Oseas, passed away unexpectedly yesterday. We are completely overwhelmed with shock and grief. He was only 55 years old, an awesome doctor, and a lively character who always had a silly joke ready for the kids. We will miss him so much.
This falls on the heels of the death of my dear Aunt Judi, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer last Friday. She would have been 62 yrs. old today. My poor dad is still in Hawaii, helping to prepare for her memorial service.
I just can't stop crying and can't seem to get a grip on my emotions right now.
Today Chad is home with an upset tummy. I pray it is nothing serious. I am encouraged by his great counts last Thursday (ANC of 1590! Yippee!) and he did just fine with the last round of chemo and steroids. I am counting our blessings!
I started a new round of antibiotics myself yesterday. I've been discouraged by illness after illness over the last 3 wks. (strep throat, pulled back muscle, pink eye) and now some other sort of throat/sinus infection. Sigh. I feel like I'm 80 years old!
Sorry this entry is such a downer! I hope to have some good news to share next time.
Blessings to all of you,
Love ~
Stacey
Thursday, September 19, 2002 at 9:19 AM (CDT)
It's been two years.
Two years today marks Chad's 2nd Anniversary of diagnosis.
In some ways it feels like an eternity ago, and yet I can remember details of that day so vividly. I can recall the feelings of fear, worry, dread, anxiety, etc. etc. And those same feelings are still here with me today (and maybe will stay with me forever) just coming and going in different degrees of intensity.
All I know is that I am forever grateful to you, our dear friends and family for your continuous love and support. I do feel so lucky to have you in our lives!
Chad commented this morning that he cannot ever remember NOT having Leukemia - that he feels like he's had it his whole life. He has 14 more months of treatment to go, I hope and pray that one day all of this anguish will be a distant memory to him!!
Thanks again for checking up on us. Chad's next appt. is a week from today. I will update again afterwards!!
Love to all ~
Stacey
Monday, September 02, 2002 at 8:47 PM (CDT)
Praise the Lord!!
Chad had a GOOD day on Thursday. He got Vincristine in his port, and had a spinal tap with more chemo too. He is now back on steroids for 5 days. His ANC is a "perfect" 1790 and he did not endure any back pain whatsoever after his procedure! Hurray! He eagerly returned to school on Friday a.m. and had no problem participating in PE or recess! I am so thankful and relieved!!
We had a nice, long, relaxing Labor Day weekend - hope you did too! Bryce went to Utah with some friends who have a cabin there and just got home tonight. Sounds like he had fun! Chad went to his first soccer practice of the new season tonight and hung in there with the team, though he was huffing and puffing!
I am just happy to have my family back under one roof and sleeping in their own beds. I've learned to appreciate the little things in life!
Thanks for checking in with us!
God Bless you all ~
Stacey and Co.
Sunday, August 25, 2002 at 9:25 PM (CDT)
Goodbye Summer Vacation!!
I cannot believe the boys go back to school tomorrow! Not only that, but this will be Chad's last year in Elementary School, and Bryce's last year in Middle School! Yikes! Where does the time go? I'll continue serving on the PTA board at Chad's school while working from home for the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society this year.
We just returned from a 5 day vacation to Disneyland and the new California Adventure park in Anaheim, CA. The boys had a blast and it was a wonderful way to end our fun-filled summer!
The week before we left for California, Bryce and Chad enjoyed 4 glorious days in the mountains at Camp Cartwheel. Sponsored by the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, Camp Cartwheel provides this free day camp to kids with cancer and their siblings. Both Bryce and Chad continue to talk about how much fun they had at camp and even rate it as the BEST time they had all summer - even better than Disneyland!! They are already talking about going to camp next year!
We also finished up the boys' summer bowling leagues yesterday. Chad's team ended up in 2nd place out of 20 teams! He got a big trophy and was all smiles! I plan to post a new photo on this site's photo album, along with one from Disneyland in the next few days.
Chad goes in for more chemo and another spinal tap this Thursday. Please pray that the procedures go smoothly for him! His last spinal tap was in early June, and resulted in so much back pain that he missed the whole last week of school. I hope this doesn't happen again!
Thank you all for your friendship and prayers ~
I will update after Chad's appointment.
Love ~
Stacey and Co.
Sunday, August 11, 2002 at 12:45 PM (CDT)
Boy, time really flies when you're having fun!!
Chad is feeling great (knock on wood!) and we are all enjoying a wonderful summer in the heat of Las Vegas!!
Last week we spent a whole day out at Lake Mead. It was the perfect day - "only" about 100* and thankfully, not a "scorcher"! We set up our canopy for shade and the kids swam and played in the water all day. Junior enjoyed floating with us on our raft too!
Next week both Bryce and Chad will attend Camp Cartwheel. It's a day camp in the mountains set up for kids with cancer and their siblings. They have all kinds of fun activities planned for the kids: horseback riding, swimming, archery, art and magic classes, rock climbing, canoeing, etc. I hope they both have a great time! They have the option of spending the night there on Friday night so we'll see what they decide!
Both boys still have 2 more weeks of Saturday bowling left too. School starts on August 26th here. Too soon for us!!
Chad is scheduled for more chemo and a spinal tap on Thursday, August 29th. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers then!
Take care, love to all ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior the dog person
Monday, July 29, 2002 at 01:41 PM (CDT)
Hi Everyone ~
I am so happy and relieved to report that Chad's monthly appointement today went well!
His ANC is a "perfect" 1420, and all his other counts are well within the expected range for a kid on chemo. He got his monthly Vincristine, and will go back on steroids this week too. Today's appointment was a fun one, as Chad got to play with our clinic's two therapy dogs - Dawn Rickles, and Raisinette. Both are pugs, but Raisinette is an all black pug, and just a puppy.......and a spunky one at that!
Bryce returned safely from his week in Payson, AZ at Boy Scout Camp. He had a great time - went horseback riding, swimming, rifle shooting, archery shooting, etc. He was sad to report that it rained for 3 days while they were there though! And then this morning he woke up complaining of a sore throat and runny nose. YIKES! I am prescribing lots of R&R, orange juice, and echinacea! Hopefully this will just turn out to be a cold and nothing more serious.
Thank you so much for checking up on our family! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer vacation. School here starts in exactly 4 weeks!! YUCK!!
God Bless Us All ~
Love ~
Stacey and Co.
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 8:24 PM (CDT)
Hi Everyone ~
We are having a wonderful summer so far! I hope you are too! Chad is feeling great and just acting like any "normal" 10 year old should ~ Thank God! He actually went to the dentist and had a tooth pulled yesterday. He's going to need orthodontic work at some point! They just can't start any real "work" on his teeth until he is done with all the chemo treatments. He was fine at the appointment yesterday though, and was happy to find the $3.00 left under his pillow by the Tooth Fairy this morning! :0)
Bryce and Chad are both bowling in a summer league at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino again this year. They bowl every Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. Bryce bowled his all-time high game of 170 last week! He is now going to miss 2 Saturdays though, because he is leaving for Boy Scout Summer Camp this Saturday. He will be camping at Camp Geronimo in Payson, AZ for a week. He was elected Patrol Leader for his patrol at camp this year too! Last year's camp was on Catalina Island off the coast of So. Calif. We will miss him so much!!
I am still working from home for the Humane Society. It's great to be able to stay home with the boys during the summer! Tonight we all went over to my parents' house to celebrate Junior's 4th birthday! Ha-ha! Yes, we DO love our dog! Chad thought Junior might like STEAK for dinner tonight!
Bill's days off will be changing as of this week so he will be off on Thurs., Fri., and Sat. It will be the first time EVER that he has had Saturdays off! He has only always had weekdays off, no weekends, so this is going to be wonderful! (I think!)
Chad goes in for chemo on July 29th, so I will update after that. Take care, love to all of your families! Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers ~ they are certainly working!!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior
Wednesday, July 03, 2002 at 8:18 PM (CDT)
HAPPY 4th OF JULY TO ALL!
Chad went in for more chemo on Monday the 1st, and is continuing to feel great! Praise the Lord! His counts are all fantastic, with an ANC of 1720. Remember, ideally the Oncologist likes to see kids on chemo with an Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) between 1000-2000. Chad's counts remain in that ideal range so we are very happy!
We are continuing to enjoy our summer. Bill's brother and nephew, Jake are here visiting so the boys are all having fun together. We played at the Circus Circus Adventure Dome for 7 hrs. right after Chad's appt. on Monday! Both Bryce and Chad are bowling again this summer in a league at the Suncoast on Saturdays. All is well for now in the Wada Household!!
I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far too! Believe it or not, we had a thunderstorm this morning in Las Vegas, but it is still HOT!
Take care, love to all ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior!!
Friday, June 21, 2002 at 11:54 PM (CDT)
Hi everyone ~
Chad went in to check counts today and they are great! (Big Sigh of Relief!) His ANC is 1640. He re-started the Bactrim (antibiotic to prevent pneumonia) last week, so we wanted to make sure his counts didn't take a dive because of it.
We returned late Tuesday night from our wonderful trip to Northern California. We watched our nephew graduate from High School, spent time at the beach, went cherry picking, and celebrated both Father's Day and Chad's 10th birthday while we were there! We had a great time!
Today is the official start of summer (and the longest day of the year according to Bryce!)and it's HOT here in Vegas!
Here's wishing you all a wonderful summer ahead ~ stay cool and thank you for keeping us in your prayers.
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior
Monday, June 03, 2002 at 8:02 PM (CDT)
Hi ~
I can't believe it is June already!! Chad had his monthly appt. today and got chemo in his port, another spinal tap, and chemo injected into his spine. His ANC is 1360. He'll go back on the steroids for 5 days again and restart the Bactrim (antibiotic to prevent pneumonia). He experienced some nausea after the spinal tap but ate a good dinner and is now playing a Star Wars board game with Bryce.
Chad and I also just returned from Sea Camp in San Diego, CA last night! It was a wild weekend for Chad and the other 4th graders! They swam, boated, boogie boarded, snorkeled, seined, trawled, tidepooled, dissected sea creatures, and toured the aquarium at UC San Diego. What an amazing experience for these kids! And the airplane rides were fun too!
Only 4.5 days of school left, and we leave for Northern CA next Monday! We'll be attending Bill's nephew's high school graduation in Morgan Hill, CA and visiting friends and relatives in the Bay Area. We'll be back on the 19th, and Chad has a check-up on the 21st.
We wish you all a long, hot, lazy, relaxing, healthy, and fun summer!
More soon from the Wada crew!!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior
Thursday, May 16, 2002 at 12:27 PM (CDT)
Hello Friends ~
Thank you for checking up on us!
I'm happy to report that Chad had an uneventful doctor's appointment yesterday! His ANC is in the 1300's and he will continue at the lower dose of oral chemo for awhile. Knock on wood, he's been feeling good!
He played his heart out at his soccer team's final tournament game last night! It was a disappointing loss! There will be a pause in our family's sports life for now (yippee!) and then both the boys will start up again next month with their summer bowling leagues. Oh wait - I forgot - Bryce still has a few more weeks of tennis! Oh well, wishful thinking!!
I am enjoying my new job as a counselor for the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. I will miss substitute teaching a lot, but the fact that I can now work from home and get paid to talk on the phone was just an offer I couldn't resist!! :0)
Chad and I will be going to Sea Camp in San Diego, California at the end of the month! His Science teacher takes her class every year! The kids are all so excited! We return on June 2nd, and then Chad is scheduled for more chemo and another spinal tap on June 3rd. I will update aftewards.
Thank you again for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
Love to all ~
Stacey
Tuesday, April 30, 2002 at 07:37 PM (CDT)
Good News All Around!!
Chad went in for chemo today and his counts continue to "hold". His ANC is 1360 (they like to see it between 1000-2000 for a kid on chemo) so things are looking good. He got a syringe full of Vincristine in his port,(or "Stinky Vinky" as Chad likes to call it) and will now start on a 5 day pulse of steroids. The Vincristine usually causes some joint pain so we will be anticipating that in a few days, along with the usual steroid cravings. Chad's hair has stopped falling out - it is very very thin but he can still comb it so he doesn't seem bothered at all!
Other good news: Bryce was ACCEPTED into the National Junior Honor Society! He has robe fittings and rehearsals soon with an induction ceremony coming up on May 8th. Can't believe my young man will be 13 next month! What will I do with a teenager in the house?! Yikes! We are so PROUD of him!
Thank you so much for your continued friendship and support. I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but I can never say thank you enough to all of our friends and family who care enough to check up on us on a regular basis and keep us in your prayers. We love you all!
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (woof!)
Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at 11:10 PM (CDT)
Hi Everyone ~
Well, yesterday was a GOOD day for Chad! His counts have recovered, and his ANC was a nice 1680 yesterday! I was so greatly relieved! He will resume all his chemo meds but still hold off on his Bactrim (antibiotic to prevent pneumonia)for another week at least. He's back at school full time, continuing to feel great, and will hopefully sail through the rest of treatment with relatively minor problems.
Bryce has still not heard whether or not he was accepted into the National Jr. Honor Society. However, he came home with straight A's on his 3rd qtr. report card yesterday. His history teacher called to congratulate us last night, saying only 11 out of 145 students got straight A's, and Bryce was one of them! We are so proud of him!!
We still appreciate all your prayers and good wishes for our family! I hope all is well with your families! I can feel summer coming here in Las Vegas...........it's already getting HOT!!
I'll write more next week after Chad's next appointment!
Love ~
Stacey
Wednesday, April 17, 2002 at 8:19 AM (CDT)
CHAD'S COUNTS ARE LOW!!!!!!!!!
He had a check-up yesterday just to make sure everything is okay since he still has a persistent cough and runny nose. I was shocked to see how low his counts were, with an ANC of only 207. The Onc (and Bill) still thought it would be okay to send him to school today, but I just don't feel comfortable sending him with such a low ANC. They like to see an ANC of 1000-2000 in a kid on Maintenance. So I think we'll keep Chad home for the rest of the week. He is also OFF of all chemo and meds for one week, in hopes that his body can recover and his counts will come up. He goes back in on the 23rd.
Bryce is a candidate for the National Junior Honor Society. He had to turn in an application, letters of recommendation, and an essay yesterday, and he has interviews tomorrow. I'll let you know what happens!! He is also starting tennis lessons tomorrow night!!
Please keep our family in your prayers! We appreciate your friendship and support so much!!
Thank you,
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, and Chad
Thursday, April 04, 2002 at 11:53 PM (CST)
Hi Everyone ~
We've had a busy week. Chad's persistent cough continued to worsen, even with the daily doses of prescribed decongestant. It was so bad on Tuesday night that I kept him home from school yesterday and took him in to see his doctor a day early. Thankfully, his lungs are clear and the suspected cause of his runny nose and cough is ALLERGIES! So, we went ahead with his scheduled chemotherapy and now he is back on the steroids for a week. The Onc said that the steroids can sometimes help allergies too, so we will wait and see if Chad gets better now. If not, he'll have to try some other allergy relief medicine (Claritin or something similar) instead.
Today Chad is back in school (though still coughing) and was excited to turn in his homemade airplane due in GATE today. He and Bill spent several days working on it, as it had to be built just with things around the house, nothing store-bought. It's mostly cardboard and legos, but still pretty cute!
Thanks to all of you who continue to check up on our family. We truly appreciate your prayers and well wishes!
Love always ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (woof!)
Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 07:37 PM (CST)
Big Sigh of Relief!
Your prayers worked! Chad did NOT end up in the hospital and has been fever free for four days! He did suffer from excruciating leg pain one day though. He could only take little shuffling steps, and he cried that each shuffle hurt!
Now, knock on wood, all is well. He is back on antibiotics for another persistent cough, but other than that seems fine. We've been enjoying the beautiful sunny weather and having a fun Spring Break! We even went to the drive-in movies last night, ate pizza, popcorn and lots of junk! Talk about fun!
Thank you all for checking up on us! It means so much to know you care!
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!
Love,
Stacey
Friday, March 22, 2002 at 07:23 AM (CST)
Chad is scaring me!!!!!!!!!!
He woke up with a raging fever yesterday and was really cranky and lethargic. I took him in to see his oncologist to have them run a CBC (take blood and check his counts)and just do a check-up. For now, his counts are all stable (ANC is 1160) and we are just treating him at home with Tylenol, rest, lots of liquids, and of course, extra TLC! His lungs and everything are clear, though he has a slight cough now too.
This a.m. his temp is still 102.5. and he continues to rest and attempt to recover. He missed the school Science Fair yesterday (after working so hard on his Fulcrum/Lever project) but tomorrow starts Spring Break so we will have a long week off.
We wish all of you and your families a blessed Spring and Easter holiday. Please keep us in your prayers!
Chad has only had fevers twice since diagnosis, and has ended up in the hospital both times! I am praying he can recover at home this time!
Love to all,
Stacey
Saturday, March 09, 2002 at 07:41 AM (CST)
Happy Weekend to all ~
It's been a hectic week at our house! Chad had his monthly oncology appt. on Wednesday, the 6th. He endured another spinal tap and more chemo. He is on steroids for a week now. He stayed home from school on Thursday to get some R & R and then ended up playing in a basketball tournament game that night. (We lost by one point in overtime! Arrrggghhhh!) He was back at school yesterday, and will play soccer this afternoon.
I finished up my long term sub job this week too. Boy, 8 weeks really flew by! I'm still subbing regularly for other teachers, but I am REALLY looking forward to Spring Break!
Bill and I had to split up last night and each take one boy to their respective social and sports events. Bryce and I went bowling with his Scout Patrol, then went to his basketball awards ceremony. Meanwhile, Bill attended Chad's awards ceremony with him, and then went to his basketball team's pizza party afterwards. It ended up that BOTH Bryce and Chad were voted by their coaches and teammates to receive the Sportsmanship Award! Bryce for the Rockets, and Chad for the Buckeyes! Yup! I'm one proud Mama here!! :0)
We are approaching Chad's 1.5 yr. "anniversary" on March 19th. That means we will be HALFWAY through treatment!
Thank you all for your continued friendship and support...........we're halfway there!!
Hope all is well with you and your families!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior
Tuesday February 19, 2002 7:10 PM CST
Hi all ~
Well, both Bryce and Chad stayed home from school today after yesterday being the President's Day Holiday and everything!
Bryce is having flu-like symptoms after spending the weekend up at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort with his Boy Scout Troop. Bryce (and 2 other crazy boys) camped outside in the snow for 2 nights in a row!! No wonder he's sick now!
Chad woke up with a pleghmy (sp?) cough this morning. No other symptoms, knock on wood, but still coughing. I couldn't send him to school hacking like that!
Keep your fingers crossed that they both recover soon!!
Yesterday we all took a drive through Southern Utah, hoping to make it up to Navajo Lake (neither kid was showing any signs of illness at the time, mind you). There was SO MUCH snow, the road to Navajo Lake was closed!! I wish we could've driven up to Salt Lake City to see Apolo Anton Ohno!! Ha-ha!! Oh well, at least we enjoyed a nice dinner in St. George!!
Chad's next appt. for chemo is March 6th. Please keep us in your prayers as he is also scheduled for a spinal tap and more chemo injected into his spine that day. I always stress out, no matter what!!
Hope everyone is well at your house!!
Take care,
Love, Stacey
Wednesday February 6, 2002 4:56 PM CST
Hi Everyone ~
We just got back from Chad's monthly doctor's appt. and more chemo in his port. He'll go back on steroids for 5 days now. He is crashed in the van, falling asleep after finishing his math homework on the way home!
His counts continue to remain stable, with an ANC of 1730! Hurray! So no new adjustments were made to his chemo dosages this time. Next month he will have another spinal tap, with chemo injected into his spine. He only gets spinals every 3 months now, but it's still yucky!
Bryce has recovered from the flu. He missed half his mid-terms because he was sick and had to make them up! Today is his first day bowling as part of the school bowling club!
Both kids continue playing in the basketball league, with games on Saturdays and practices during the week. I'm in the middle of a long-term sub job for a 1st grade teacher who is out on maternity leave. Good thing too, it's keeping me busy so I don't miss our PUPPIES so much! They've all been adopted, and only the mama, Sierra is still here. She just got spayed on Tuesday, so she'll be ready for adoption next weekend! Boy, WHAT will I do with all this "free" time? Ha-ha!
I hope that all is well with you and your families. Thanks for checking up on us!!
With love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, and Sierra
Thursday, January 10, 2002 at 11:14 AM (CST)
Happy New Year!
Chad went in for more chemo yesterday and all his counts continue to look great! His ANC is a "perfect" 1990. They want it to stay between 1000-2000. We are going to try to increase his dosage of one of the oral chemo meds as of today. This med (called Purinethol or 6-MP) can cause his counts to drop, so we are praying that this doesn't affect him too drastically, and that treatment can continue as well as it has been.
Chad also went in for his very first orthodontist appt. yesterday! Yes, the fun never ends! Although he is unable to start any real orthodontic work for another couple of years, he might be able to get a retainer to maintain some space as his baby teeth continue to fall out.
Bryce, Bill, and myself continue to do well, although I am extrememly *exhausted* having to take care of these puppies constantly! They are growing so quickly and are absolutely adorable! Now if only they would sleep through the night! Ha-ha!
Thank you all for your continued prayers and well wishes. Take care, and I will update again soon!
With love,
Stacey
Friday, December 28, 2001 at 10:07 PM (CST)
Hello,
Wow, I can't believe this year is ending already!
I'm happy to report that it's been 20 days since Chad was exposed to Chicken pox and he did NOT get them! I know we are not out of the clear yet though, so I hope I am not jinxing anything by reporting this!! He continues to do well on Maintenance and again tonight said, "Leukemia's not so bad!" BIG SIGH from Mommy.
Bryce (who's been having vomiting episodes for over a year now) went in for an upper GI today. Drinking the barium was the worst part. THANK GOD, everything came back normal. Even the suspicion of Celiac Disease appears unlikely after today. I don't know what's going on. If he has another episode, we will take him in for more blood tests. For now, I am feeling so relieved that nothing serious is going on.
Our nine foster puppies are starting to really venture out on their own! It's going to be hard to say goodbye to them (and mommy Sierra too). I pray they go to loving homes.
I hope you all had a great Christmas! We did, spoiled rotten by friends, Santa, secret pals, grandparents, and our Candlelighters family who adopted us!!
Here's to another year in REMISSION for Chad and a HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR to all of you. We truly appreciate your continued prayers, support, and friendship.
With love,
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, and Chad
Wednesday, December 12, 2001 at 10:55 AM (CST)
HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO ALL!
There's lots going on here at the Wada House!! Chad went in for more chemo and another spinal tap yesterday. His counts are all looking good......his ANC is 2290.
Unfortunately, after a LONG afternoon at the doctor's office, we got home to find a message that Chad had been exposed to Chicken Pox via a soccer
teammate of his on Saturday. SO........off to the ER we went, in
order for Chad to get a shot of
medicine into his thigh (V-Zig)to
hopefully prevent an outbreak. We'll
see! Poor Chad was very sad to have to
spend more hours at the hospital last
night, and said the shot really hurt
his little leg! Today he is staying
home from school to relax a little. We got home so late last night!!
We also have 9 new additions to our family!
Our foster Golden Lab, Sierra, gave birth to 9 pups last week!! They are SO CUTE and it was truly an experience for all of us to witness their birth! The next few weeks will be "fun" to say the least!!
Lastly, Bryce will go in to see a Pediatric Gastroenterologist next week. He had another vomiting episode last week and missed school. He's been having these episodes off and on every few weeks for awhile now. Even though all previous tests from his pediatrician came back normal a couple of months ago, they still want him to see a specialist. So please keep ALL of us in your prayers!
Thank you all for your warm support and friendship. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!
God's Blessings to you all,
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior, Sierra, (and her pups: Dasher, Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Prancer, Vixen, and Rudolph!)
Sunday, November 25, 2001 at 02:39 PM (CST)
Happy Belated Turkey Day!
I'm happy to report that none of us came down with Scarlet Fever after Bryce! Whew! One LESS thing to worry about for now....
Chad continues to feel great and is so excited about his upcoming class play, "Fat Santa". He plays one of 8 dancing reindeer and has been happily singing and dancing around the house non-stop!
We had a nice Thanksgiving with just my parents and some friends. It's time to start putting up the Christmas decorations already! Yikes!
I think back to last year, when Chad had to be hospitalized about 4 days after Thanksgiving. It's hard to shake off those memories. Sigh.
But we truly have so much to be THANKFUL for, and we are grateful. I hope the holidays find you all happy and healthy!
Chad is scheduled for more chemo, antibiotics, and another spinal tap on December 11th. I will keep you all posted!
The boys are both looking forward to their first basketball games of the season next weekend........Bryce for the Rockets, and Chad for the Buckeyes!
Take care, and have a great week!
Love,
Stacey and Co.
Wednesday, November 14, 2001 at 8:42 AM (CST)
Good Morning ~
We have actually gone ONE WHOLE MONTH in between doctor appts. for Chad!! It sure felt great! He went in yesterday to check his counts (they are near perfect, with an ANC of 2290!) and for him to get his monthly chemo and antibiotics. He started complaining that his face felt "numb" during the final hour of Pentamidine drip (the antibiotic)so the worried nurse gave him Benadryl. That put him to SLEEP almost immediately, and he slept for nearly 3 hours afterwards!
This a.m. he seems back to normal, however, we have to keep a close eye on him because.....
Bryce was diagnosed with Scarlet Fever 2 days ago!! He was sick all weekend and when I saw the little rash spreading over his body......ewwwww........so now HE is on 10 days of antibiotics also. He was contagious all weekend, so unless Chad starts showing signs of illness (sure hope not!!)hopefully all will return to normal soon! Bryce went back to school today too.
Bill's mom came to visit us from Northern California last week. The boys were happy to have grandma at our house for a few days! Now, two of Chad's favorite Aunts are visiting from Hawaii.......they cook all his favorite foods and spoil him rotten! Boy, we are one lucky family!!
The weather is finally cooling down here in Las Vegas. I hope as the holidays approach, this message finds all of you and your families safe and healthy.
Thank you so much for keeping our family in your prayers. I will keep you updated!!
Love ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior XO
Wednesday, October 17, 2001 at 11:12 PM (CDT)
Hello everyone,
Chad went back in for more chemo yesterday and did great!! His ANC is 2080, almost a perfect number for a kid on chemo! In fact, the onc and nurse were really impressed with all of Chad's counts! He's been feeling good and everything is looking good!! He got vincristine (what we like to call "Stinky Vinky" since it will cause joint pain in a few days)and a new antibiotic called Pentamidine. The pentamidine was an IV drip over an hour's time and will be used instead of Bactrim to prevent pneumonia. It was a long afternoon, but again, Chad feels fine today and is doing great!! He'll now do a 5-day pulse of steroids, and will go back to the doctor in 2 weeks to check his counts.
This weekend we are going on a Fishing Trip courtesy of CAST - Catch A Special Thrill for Kids out at Lake Mead! Chad will miss his soccer game, but maybe reeling in a "whopper" will make up for it!! We'll see!!
Bryce scored a 100% on his History exam last week........only 4 out of 160 kids did so!! Yeah, I'm one proud Mama!!!
Hope all is well with you and your families.
Thanks so much for keeping us in your prayers!
Love to all,
Stacey
Thursday, October 04, 2001 at 04:14 PM (CDT)
Hi Everyone,
Chad has recovered nicely from the pneumonia last month and has gained 6 lbs. in that month! His appt. yesterday was fine except that his ANC had dropped again to 590. The culprit is most likely the antibiotic he takes to prevent pneumonia (called Bactrim), so we're going to switch him to a different antibiotic starting in 2 weeks (called Pentamidine). This new antibiotic will be administered once a month, via IV, at his regular doctor's appt. I'm hoping he does just fine with it and his counts will remain steady. Other than that, Chad continues to feel great!! He loves playing soccer again, and a couple of weekends ago he bowled his high game of 187 (without bumpers!!!!!) Today in science class they had a spaghetti lunch and had to eat with utensils they had invented themselves!! It was pretty cute!!
Bryce has been having bouts of stomach pain and vomiting lately. His doctor is running some routine tests before referring him to a gastroenterologist. So far, all bloodwork has come back normal, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is nothing serious. This kid came home with straight A's and E's on his 7th grade report card yesterday!! And his band is playing at halftime at Palo Verde High School's football game tomorrow night.
I hope all of you are well. Thanks for checking up on us! It is still unusually HOT here in Vegas, I'm ready for some cooler weather!!!
Love to all,
Stacey, Bill, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (woof!)
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 07:34 PM (CDT)
Hello again,
Today is Chad's One Year Anniversary date and he went in for another spinal tap, chemo injected into his spine, and more chemo pushed via his port. He actually did GREAT......one of his best visits ever, as far as attitude and recovery after the procedures. His ANC remains high at 6550, most likely due to the steroids (which he'll continue for 5 more days.....ugh....)
We "celebrated" last night by going out to dinner with my parents at the Outback steakhouse (Chad's choice), and we only hope that the next 2.5 years of treatment are problem-free for him!
Thanks for checking up on us, I will post again soon!!
Love,
Stacey (sorry so brief, I am TIRED!!!!)
Friday, September 14, 2001 at 8:55 AM (CDT)
Hello to all,
Chad had a check up yesterday and his ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count) is over 7000!!
We were amazed........it's never been that high! But I guess since he's been off chemo for over a week, and on double doses of steroids, his counts have risen. He will continue to take Bactrim (double dose antibiotic) for another week to further insure the Pneumonia is gone for good, now cut his steroid dose in half (hurray!) and re-start all his chemo. I expect his counts to drop by next week.
The mood around here has been pretty somber since Tuesday. It's unbelievable to watch the stories continue to unfold on television. To see the pain and suffering of so many people is almost unbearable. And to continue our personal struggle against Leukemia is even more difficult at this time. Our prayers are with all the families out there whose lives are forever changed by illness, death, and those who are still searching for loved ones in the NY/DC area and whose fates are yet unknown.
This has been an incredibly sad week.
Take care, and God Bless America
Stacey
Saturday, September 08, 2001 at 03:22 PM (CDT)
HOME SWEET HOME!!
After five days of anxiety, worry, sleep deprivation, and hospital food, we are finally HOME!! Chad suffered a couple of days of serious bronchial spasms due to the pneumonia, and was on oxygen the entire time we were there. He also received breathing treatments every 4 hours, and has been on antibiotics and steroids since being admitted.
But thank God, the pneumonia is clearing up and we were able to be discharged today. He will stay off of all chemo for the next week at least, and go back to the doctor for a visit at the end of the week. He'll continue to take antibiotics and steroids at home, but should be able to return to school anytime he feels up to it!!
Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes! We are so exhausted today, but sure happy to be back home!
I'll post again soon!
Love to all,
Stacey
Tuesday, September 04, 2001 at 04:50 PM (CDT)
CHAD IS IN THE HOSPITAL!!
We are waiting for the admissions call, after spending all day at our doctor's office, Chad was diagnosed with Pneumonia.
They gave him an albuterol treatment with a nebulizer (something asthmatics usually use) an IV steroid, and did a chest x-ray.
Chad is still feverish, coughing, and feeling generally LOUSY.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that Chad recuperates quickly and can come home soon!
Love, Stacey
Monday, September 03, 2001 at 9:58 PM (CDT)
Big scare today!
Chad started getting feverish yesterday afternoon and continued to become more hot and uncomfortable throughout the night. His temp climbed to 102.3 and I finally called his doctor at 1:00 a.m. After some Motrin, Chad felt better but his temp was up again this morning. SO, off we went to the hospital to get blood counts on Labor Day. I finally got the results late this afternoon, and Thank God, all is well. Chad's counts are good, his ANC is a whopping 2300, so most likely he is fighting off a bug he picked up at school last week.
He is OFF all chemo until the fever subsides, and will miss school tomorrow for sure. He is so sad about missing school so soon!! My poor guy!!
Please pray that Chad recovers completely from this bout of fever and discomfort! He hasn't had a fever since Dec. 2000 and we ended up being admitted to the hospital then. I am hoping that doesn't happen this time!
Thanks for peeking in on us!
Love to all,
Stacey
Thursday, August 30, 2001 at 06:36 PM (CDT)
Today Chad started 4th grade and Bryce started 7th grade!! Wow, my boys are both so grown up!!
Chad's school is trying something different this year by having the 4th graders rotate to three different teachers for Math, Science, and Social Studies. Chad is SO excited and we feel so fortunate to have been blessed by three wonderful teachers for him this year!!
Chad has also resumed his soccer career and started practicing with his new team, "Derby", last week. His first game is on Sept. 8th.
Bryce started his second year of Middle School and saw many of his old friends today. I think it feels good for him to be back at a familiar school again and not be the "youngest" grade level there! He plans on joining the bowling team..........he really loves to bowl!!
I surprised myself this morning by actually feeling quite sad for my kids to go back to school! We really had a wonderful summer and will miss the times we spent with Bill. It's hard for us as a family during the school year since he works on both Saturdays and Sundays and we don't get to do too much together. This summer really flew by!!
Chad continues to feel great and it's funny to hear all the wonderful comments people have made on his hair growth!! He was really excited to go back to school this morning and it was such a good feeling to see him so happy.
He goes back for a check-up next week, and I'll post then to let you all know how he is doing!
Hope all your kids and families had a great summer also! Take care and thanks for checking up on us!
Love,
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (ruff)
Thursday, August 23, 2001 at 9:48 PM (CDT)
Hello,
Chad's ANC for today was 747. Hmmmmmm, not bad, but lower than we expected! Chad also got his IV push of Vincristine and will most likely feel the effects (moderate joint pain) in a few days. We met the new doctor, Dr. Kent from Chicago, who said they'd like to see his ANC in the 1000-2000 range, but that since Chad is feeling and acting great, there is no need for any concern right now. School starts one week from today, and hopefully Chad will continue to do well and sail through the first few weeks (maybe even months!) with out any problems.
We spent another fun day out at Lake Mead this week, and also went to see the movie "Osmosis Jones"! We're still trying to make the most out of our last few days of summer!!
Thanks for checking up on us.........I'll post again next week!
Love to all,
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, Junior (woof) and Prince (woof-woof) our Foster Husky for the week!
Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 11:53 AM (CDT)
Hello Everyone!
Chad's appointment went well this morning. His ANC is up to 1070, and we are greatly relieved!! I thank God every night for the wonderful summer he has given us. Chad has been full of energy and enthusiasm all summer! We've been lucky enough to go on vacations, have picnics in the mountains, go to the drive-in movies, swim at Lake Mead, use our season passes at Wet 'n Wild the local water park, spend afternoons bowling or going to matinees, have friends spend the night, go out to dinner etc. etc. All the things I used to take for granted. It's been a truly "normal" summer........one I will remember forever.
Almost daily I read stories of beautiful children earning their angel's wings after fighting so hard against cancer. My heart aches for those families, and also still fears becoming one of them. Life is precious.
I hope this summer has been memorable for all of you. Thank you so much for your support and friendship. Please continue to pray for our family!
With love,
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (woof)
Friday, August 10, 2001 at 9:17 AM (CDT)
Hello All......
We are finally home from our California adventure!! We enjoyed Legoland, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, the Fleet Science Museum, and a wonderful trolley tour of San Diego. We then headed to L.A. to attend a wedding and reception in Redondo Beach, and visit old friends. (We also had our dog, Junior, delivered to us by my parents when they came to L.A. for the wedding!) Next, it was up to Northern CA to visit Bill's family in Palo Alto and Morgan Hill, and enjoy a day at Paramount's Great America!!
All in all, lots of fun, but hectic too!
Chad had a doctor's appt. yesterday and we were dismayed to find out his ANC has dropped to 438!! All his other counts look good, so we are not too worried yet. He will go back in to re-check next week, and I will let you all know how it's going!
For now, Chad is feeling great and showing no signs of illness or any other problems!! Thank Goodness!!
I hope you all are continuing to enjoy your summer........gosh, I can't believe it's almost time for school to start again!! Yikes!!
Thanks for your support and friendship.......more soon.......
Love, Stacey and Co.
Tuesday, July 24, 2001 at 03:20 PM (CDT)
Hi there friends!
Chad went in to see his oncologist, Dr. Oseas today. His ANC is still good at 1240! Boy, I breathe a sigh of relief every time! While on maintenance chemo, they would like to keep his ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count) around 1000-1200. He is still not on his full dosages, nor is he back on the antibiotic, Bactrim (to prevent pneumonia) but his Onc says he wants to see Chad's counts stabilize over the next month at least, before he increases or adds any meds. I'm okay with that!
The chemo Chad got today is a drug called Vincristine, which causes him moderate joint pain around 5-6 days after receiving it. The pain lasts anywhere from 1-4 days. Knowing what's coming, Chad was a little sad. But other than that, he's had no complaints in a month! No other side effects at all! And for this, we are truly grateful!
We are still enjoying our summer here in Vegas! We even went to the drive-in movies last night! It finally seemed like a cool enough evening to give it a try, so we did.
A great time was had by all! (Except for our Boston terrier, Junior, who couldn't understand why we never got out of the van once we reached our destination!!) Oh well!
I hope this message finds all of you out there finding time to enjoy the lazy days of summer as well. Thank you so much for keeping our family, especially Chad, in your prayers. There is no doubt in my mind that your support is instrumental in helping us through this difficult journey.
Take care of each other!
With love,
Stacey (and her men!!)
Wednesday, July 18, 2001 at 03:30 PM (CDT)
Life is good!!
Today Chad went in to have his counts checked and his ANC is 1040......a very good number!! All his counts looked fine, no chemo today, but he'll go in next week Tuesday for more treatment. I was very relieved to see good counts.......whew!!
Chad also went on antibiotics for 48 hrs. this week in preparation for his regular dental check up and teeth cleaning. I'm happy to report he had no cavities and all is well!
We took the boys bowling yesterday and Chad was pretty happy to bowl his high game of 112! And no, he did NOT use bumpers! Thank Goodness Bryce bowled a 115 or things might've gotten ugly! Both of them bowl weekly in a league at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino. Bill was happy with a game of 188, while I, embarrassingly, won't mention my scores here! Uh.........my shoes were too tight! Yeah, that's it!!
I'll update again next week after Chad's appointment.
Thank you all so much for your continued love, support, and prayers.
~Stacey and Co.~
Tuesday, July 10, 2001 at 02:13 PM (CDT)
Happy July Everyone!
We just got back from Chad's doctor's appointment and his counts have dropped slightly. His ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count) is now 710, down from 1570 two weeks ago. This is expected, as one of the side effects of his chemo is the supressed immune system. He continues to feel great and is thoroughly enjoying his summer so far. We enjoyed our 4th of July/my birthday/Bill and my 14th Anniversary,with Bill's brothers and their families visiting from California. Imagine 7 boys running around my house for a week!! Talk about fun!! My sister-in-law even cut and dyed Bryce's hair! He looks so mature! It sure is quiet with all of them gone now!!
We went to see Steve Wyrick, the Magician, at the Sahara Hotel and Casino last night. Candlelighters gave us free tickets!! The boys loved the show! And we had dessert at the Nascar Cafe there in the hotel afterwards.
Chad will go back to the doctor in one week to have his counts checked again, then the week after that for more chemo injected into his port.
Hope you are all enjoying your summer so far!! We've gotten a big kick out of all your jokes and messages on our Guestbook! Thank you so much!!
Love to all ~
Bill, Stacey, Bryce, Chad, and Junior (woof)
Monday, June 25, 2001 at 10:04 PM (CDT)
BOOOOOOO - YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!
Chad's counts are UP (ANC is 1570) so today we officially start Long Term Maintenance!!
What a long delay.......and what a relief to finally get here!! Chad had another spinal tap today, and chemo injected into both his spine and his port. He will also now resume all his oral medicines. This phase of treatment will last for about the next two and half years. He feels fine tonight and is so happy to have Bryce back!
Bryce got home from his week-long Boy Scout camp late Saturday night. He advanced to the rank of First Class! He's been teaching us all the great camp songs he learned while he was away, and Chad even sang one for the nurses today!!
Thanks so much for all your well wishes!
Your prayers have obviously worked wonders!
Take care ~
Love, Bill, Stacey, Bryce, and Chad :0)
Monday, June 18, 2001 at 07:38 PM (CDT)
Hi Everyone!
What can I say but, "Wow!" The well wishes and cute jokes you're all leaving on Chad's guestbook is just incredible!! Thank you so much! Hope you'll stop by and say "hi!" any time!!
Chad's appointment with his oncologist today was a stressful one. His counts have been suppressed and he's been off all chemo for over 4 weeks now. So today, they did a Spinal tap and a Bone Marrow Aspiration (BMA) to check and see if the Leukemia had returned. Thank Goodness, Chad remains in remission!! His spinal fluid was clear, and his marrow showed 0% blasts! This is the BEST news!! However, his ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count) is only 693, and it has to be at least 1000 for him to move on to the next phase of treatment, Maintenance. So for now, we are playing the waiting game. We'll go back in next Monday and try again.
Bryce left yesterday for Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California, to spend one week at Boy Scout Camp. Man, it's only been a day and we MISS him so much!!
I hope you and your families are healthy and happy! Have a great summer! I'll post again soon!!
Much love ~ Stacey and Co.
Thursday, June 14, 2001 at 05:48 PM (CDT)
Big Sigh.
We drove the 30 mins. to our onc's office all Emla-ed up and ready to start Maintenance yesterday. But when we got there, the entire building was without electricity!! Seems a truck hit the power source for the entire block or so. Streetlights weren't working, no power at all! So, they couldn't run a CBC and we didn't get the reassurance we were looking for!! Still don't know what Chad's counts might be. He is now going on 4 weeks OFF chemo. We have rescheduled for Monday morning (Bill's next day off.) And Chad's birthday is Saturday!!
Oh well. At least he is still feeling GREAT!!
Thanks, Stacey
Friday, June 8, 2001 at 11:13 PM (CDT)
(written to my online support group: ALL KIDS)
Hi Everyone ~
Chad is STILL delayed, NOT moving onto Maintenance, for yet another week. BIG SIGH. Wimpy me, feeling sorry for myself (and Chad) again. ANC is up to 613, however, our Onc wants to do a BMA and an LP next Weds. no matter what Chad's counts are, just to see what's going on. You know the terror, the fear, the worry! I have to say that he is feeling great though!! But a little sad that school ended yesterday............he missed 107 days this year and somehow still managed to finish with straight A's! My Hero!
My thoughts tonight are with those families whose children are inpatient and not feeling well right now.............. God Bless you. I hope all of you are back sleeping in your own beds soon!
Love to all ~
Stacey and family
UPDATE FROM APRIL 4, 2001
Happy Spring Everyone!!
Today Chad starts Day One of Interim Maintenance and will continue this phase for 56 days. It has been a long 6 months so far..........it really feels like 60! And we still have 32 months left to go. After this phase though, he will move on to Long Term Maintenance, and will hopefully resume a semi-"normal" childhood! He had a spinal tap today along with more IV chemo and chemo injected into his spine. He also resumes all oral chemo meds today.
In the last 6 months, Chad had surgery to implant a catheter in his chest (Port-a-cath), has spent 12 days inpatient at the hospital, has had 12 Spinal Taps, 2 Bone Marrow Biopsies, 9 shots, 12 injections of chemo into his spine, and 27 blood draws. He's also had to swallow numerous pills and liquid medicines as well. He has taken, been injected with, swallowed or is currently taking:
Dexamethasone
Vincristine
Pegaspargase
Cytarbine
Methotrexate
Mercaptopurine
Doxorubicin
Cyclophosphamide
Thioguanine
Zofran
Zantac
Lactulose
Urate Oxidase
Ketamine
Versed
Morphine
Demerol
Fortaz
Diflucan
Sulfamethoxazole
Enulose
Neupogen
Veetid
Levaquin
Tussionex
Codeine
Tylenol
and Motrin
What a long list for just a little kid, huh? And much more to come!! We count our blessings every day and are so thankful that Chad has been doing so well.
On the WONDERFUL news part..........we are going to Hawaii on Sunday!! It is Chad's trip from the Make A Wish Foundation. We had a wonderful farewell dinner at Tony Roma's last night and were overwhelmed with their generosity!! They give us plenty of spending money, and even include enough for tipping, parking, and gas!! A LIMOUSINE will pick us up at home and take us to the airport on Sunday morning and even pick us up from the airport when we return on the 18th!! We will spend 6 days on Maui, and 4 more days visiting relatives on Oahu.
Your continued outpouring of support is greatly appreciated!! Our Elementary School (Richard H. Bryan E.S.) had a Spaghetti Dinner in Chad's honor in February, as well as a Blood Drive for him last month. The local news came out and interviewed us at the Spaghetti dinner, so Chad was on t.v.!! Bryce's Boy Scout Troop #133 has generously covered the cost of summer camp for Bryce this June. They are going to Catalina Island for a week!!
Today Chad's oncologist asked me to serve on a committee he is currently chairing to review and revise the current protocols for patients with cancer. What am I getting myself into? I guess about 40 doctors and nurses meet once a month to discuss and revise all the paperwork. Hmmmmm...........if nothing else, I'll learn a thing or two!! He said he wants me because I'm "outspoken"...........now what does THAT mean????
Anyway, I hope this e-mail finds all of you and your families healthy and happy!!! Please continue to pray for ours, and especially for Chad's full and complete recovery. Thank you so much!!
With Love,
Bill, Stacey, Bryce and Chad :0)
This was an update from 1/25/01
Hi everyone!
Just a quick update on Chad's progress.........or lack of it..........
His regular appointment yesterday consisted of all the usual chemotherapy medicines, anti-nausea drugs, steroids, and antibiotics. Unfortunately we got the news that his blood counts have "bottomed out". His ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count) is only 25. Normal people have ANCs of at least 1000 but more like 3000-4000. His condition is now considered "Neutropenic" which means his immune system is dangerously suppressed and he is therefore susceptible to any and all possible infections. He cannot go ANYWHERE or see ANYONE. We are homebound for now!
We were given the option of injecting him with a GCSF medicine which is something to stimulate cell reproduction and hopefully boost his counts in order to progress on to the next phase of treatment on schedule, as well as help him prevent any illnesses. SO.........we had to learn how to give him the shots, and Bill gave him his first one in the office yesterday. Now we must administer these nightly injections at home for the next 6 days. Let's just say we are NOT happy campers at this point!!
Also, we were finally forced to shave Chad's head last night. His hair has been falling out like crazy the last few days and it was getting in his eyes, his mouth, his food, everywhere! I expect he will lose what's left of it in the next few days here.
Amazingly, Chad remains in great spirits!! He claims the injections do not hurt as much as he had anticipated, and he can't wait to go back to school and surprise all his friends with his bald head!! I'm not kidding, as much physical pain as this kid has been through.......he maintains a positive attitude and sense of humor throughout. The emotional torture for Bill and I...........ugh........that's another story!!
Please continue to keep us in your prayers!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FRIENDSHIP!!
Our saga continues..........much more to come.......
Love, Stacey, Bill, Bryce and Chad
Sunday, June 03, 2001 at 12:09 PM (CDT)
THIS ENTRY WAS ORIGINALLY DATED 11/29/00
Holiday Greetings to All!!
I am sooooooo not ready for Christmas this year!! (Gee.....uh..... make that EVERY year!!)
Chad has been doing great! He is now at the 14th day of a 56 day treatment phase which is called Interim Maintenance. After this phase, he will start a new "roadmap" and different medicines will be added to our list. We've finally reached the point where we can start counting down the next 3 years of treatment. So Christmas 2003 will be extra special, remember that!!! He continues to take medicines orally on a daily basis and doesn't have to have another spinal tap for two weeks. When he goes to the doctor (either weekly or every other week) he gets chemo through an IV via the port in his chest. It's relatively easy! He's been attending school regularly (though only for half days) and came home with straight A's on his report card!!
We did have a minor setback at his appointment today though. Chad's blood counts have dropped drastically and so he cannot attend school for awhile. I'm hoping it'll only be a week! The chemo causes his immune system to be suppressed, therefore the low counts. It scared me a little because they haven't been this low since he was hospitalized right after diagnosis. However, the doctor assures me this is "normal". The prescribed dosages of meds are too strong for Chad so he has to discontinue taking them for a week and let his immune system recover. We'll go back again next Weds. and do blood counts again. Hopefully they'll be back up so Chad can return to school! They'll adjust the dosages of medicine, and hopefully, all will be well.
Repeated Thank Yous to everyone for your continuing support, thoughtfulness, and prayers. I'm not kidding, the prayers really do help!! Please keep it up!!
I hope the holidays find all of you healthy, happy, and truly grateful for all the goodness in life!!
Love you all,
Stacey and Co.
Sunday, June 03, 2001 at 11:59 AM (CDT)
EVERYONE, THIS IS WHAT I WROTE ON 9/19/00
Dearest Friends and Family....
Yes, it's true. Our darling Chad has been diagnosed with Acute
Lymphoblastic
Leukemia (ALL). Needless to say, we are completely and totally devastated.
He was admitted to Sunrise Children's Hospital yesterday. He is in the
Pediatric Oncology Unit, Rm. 414. Please send cards, letters, poems,
jokes,
drawings, etc!! He would love to hear from each and everyone of you!!
A lot has happened in the last 24 hrs. Chad had bone marrow withdrawn from
his back yesterday. This confirmed the leukemia. This morning he had a
spinal tap, and surgery on his chest to install 2 catheters with wires to
his
heart. One catheter will remain in his chest for approximately 3 yrs., the
other is temporary and will be removed in a few days. He has come out of
all
these procedures like a real trouper!! No nausea, no side effects of any
kind. He's in some pain though, but handling it all well so far.
They injected some of the chemotherapy drugs into his spinal cord today
also.
His treatment will involve chemotherapy over the next 3 yrs. For now,
he'll
remain in the hospital for at least a week or two, and then come home
unless
there are complications.
If any of you have any information, personal stories, anecdotes or anything
of any kind that you think would help us cope at this time, I would truly
appreciate it. Please forgive me if I can't call or e-mail you back