Texas-Style Snow Day

Well, we made it through the ear infections and the detox from the steroids. The combination was certainly rough on Gage, but he seems to feel much better this week.

Yesterday, school was canceled because of icey roads. Of  course, the kids were thrilled! They didn’t play outside too much because Avery and Gage already seemed on the verge of having a cold, but they found plenty to do inside…painting models, eating lunch at the big dining room table, playing games…and, everyone’s favorite, playing Nerf Dart Tag inside.

As you can tell from the picture, Gage did venture out on the deck briefly with some of his matchbox cars and trucks. I think he chose the ones that he could load the ice into, like the truck in the picture. So cute. And, as you can also see, a “snow day” in Texas can still be pretty mild. It’s safe to venture out in your pajama pants, wear your older sister’s mis-fitting gloves and keep your jacket unzipped…all the while the sun shines on the part of the yard that looks completely untouched by winter. Pretty funny.

And, today, everything is back to normal outside, so the kids are back at school. After all the craziness of how Gage has felt lately, I’m hoping he’ll be able to return to staying for the full school day.

Thanks for your concern for our family and for checking in.

RH

An Unexpected Trip

Well, we made an unexpected visit to the clinic at Children’s on Thursday. Gage had been complaining of ear pain Wednesday night, but a dose of Tylenol (after a quick check of his temperature) seemed to ease the pain. But, it was definitely still hurting Thursday morning, so we called our nurse, and all agreed that he needed to be seen at the clinic.

A year ago, I had no life other than the constant care of Gage…and, if time allowed, some attention for the girls too. The last few months have certainly been easier, so it was an adjustment for me to cancel plans I’d made with friends (on a day all four kids were supposed to be in school!) in order to spend hours at the clinic with Gage. I know he was disappointed also…one, that he wasn’t feeling well and two, that he couldn’t go to school as usual. Plus, it was just a mad-dash morning trying to get everyone fed, dressed, to school, exchange calls with Children’s, gather our things for clinic, etc.

And, of course, clinic was running very slowly. So, after almost a couple hours of waiting, Gage and I were both sitting in the waiting room eating Goldfish and Starbursts from the vending machine. Not exactly the day I had planned.

Later, we determined that he did have a double ear infection and needed ear drops and antibiotics…in addition to the twice daily steroids, a nasal spray, nightly chemo, reflux meds and anti-nausea meds. To top it all off, Walgreens called because they thought his antibiotic prescription from Children’s had been mistakenly written for an adult. Why? Because it’s in capsules (yes, I explained, he’s six but he can swallow them and prefers that to the liquid) and because the dose seems to high (yes, because he has leukemia and they need to make certain that he’s protected from any possible bacterial infection). Around here, capsules and high doses of medicine have become unfortunately ‘normal,’ but I’m always reminded of how not normal it all is when I have to explain things like that to other people.

Still, if you spend much time at the cancer clinic at Children’s, you learn that it always gives you perspective. I asked the nurse why the wait was so long on Thursday, and she said it’s because they also run a neuro-oncology clinic there on Thursdays. Of course, that combination of words sounds terrifying, and when I got home, a quick Google search confirmed my suspicions: neuro-oncologists treat brain tumors…and, at Children’s, that means kids with brain tumors.

So, maybe I had other plans that day, and I was worn down, frustrated and sad for Gage…that something as simple as an earache requires such dilegence and precaution. Still, the reality that the clinic was slow because we were waiting behind kids with brain tumors quickly put all that in perspective.

And, thankfully, there is a Wii that is sometimes available at clinic that our nurse was kind to wheel into our exam room. It was donated by the Children’s Women’s Auxiliary. So, for any of you who’ve ever been part of that, thanks! Your generosity helped ease Gage’s frustration and boredom during a long day…

Thanks, as always, for checking in and for praying.

RH

The Fan Club

You didn’t know you were following a basketball blog for kids, did you? All I have to say is that writing about basketball games sure beats writing about leukemia. And, what a difference a year makes.

Last year at this time at Children’s:

Today:

What’s the same? Gage’s great attitude, determination, perseverance and tenacity.

Today, we invited family and a few friends to join us at his game…since we survived the first week! Gage was thrilled with his cheering section and kept looking over to wave & smile.

And, no surprise, we all cheered like crazy. We cheered when they introduced him. We cheered when he waved at us. We cheered when he entered the game. We cheered when he played such fierce defense that he basically pinned another kid against the wall. And, we CHEERED when he shot, rebounded, shot, rebounded, shot and SCORED! And, then we cheered some more when he scored again. I’m sure the families there who don’ t know our story must have wondered who was this Gage with the crazy fans. If only they knew!

He shoots…

He scores!

Checking in with his fans as he runs back down the court…

From his game, we made a quick stop at Sonic (with the fan club) and then headed to Avery’s game. Basketball is her favorite sport so far, and it shows.  And we cheered for her like crazy too!

Thanks for celebrating with us during such fun times. You’re all certainly part of the “Gage Fan Club,” and we appreciate your prayers and support. We don’t take days like today for granted…and thanks for letting us share it with you!

Also, Gage goes to clinic on Monday for his monthly visit for chemo in his port, a breathing treatment and the beginning of a week on steroids, in addition to his usual nightly chemo. As always, we appreciate your prayers during what will be a challenging week.

RH

Wanna TRI?

After fighting my computer for the better part of the morning, I’m ready to finally declare victory! I’ve posted my first video. Whew.

Thankfully, it’s super easy for you to see…just click “play video.” You don’t need any special software, nothing has to install on your computer etc.  Just click and watch!

What’s the video? It’s a Christmas present from a friend that captures the trip I took in September to compete in the Nation’s Triathlon in Washington DC with 11 friends. We trained with Team in Training (the charity of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), raised $70,000 between the 11 of us and had an absolute blast. You can read all about it here from a previous post.

Now, I also have the video to go with it:

done

Why am I posting it now?

One, because I just love it. I could watch it over and over again. There’s no way to describe how awesome it was…but watching this video reminds me.

Two, because many of you have said if we get another group together to do a triathlon, please let you know. Since I really don’t remember who asked me that…and since some of you may have thought it but never asked…here’s the info:

Capital of Texas Triathlon on May 25 (Memorial Day) in Austin, Texas.

Several of us from the DC group plan to make the trip together, and we’d love some newcomers too! Before you start with the excuses…”I can’t run even a mile,” or “I’ve never been able to swim,” or “I work and have young kids,” or “I don’t even have a bike,” or “I’m 59 years old”…I have to let you know that we used all those up already with those of us who competed in DC. And, those things that make you think you can’t do it are what makes it so amazing to actually train for and finish the race. It’s a huge challenge…and you did it!

And, if you’ve never done a triathlon, I’d REALLY encourage you to go to an informational meeting with Team in Training and check out their training program. They put you on a team to train for your event (say, the Capital of Texas Triathlon), and you raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  A win-win for everyone…and no experience required.

Interested? Here are the North Texas information meetings:

Sat. Jan 17th at 10 a.m.
Thurs. Jan 22nd at 7 p.m.
Doubletree Hotel (8250 N. Central Exp)

Tues., Jan 27th at 7 p.m.
Marriott Dallas/Addison Quorum

Sat, Jan 31st, 9:30 a.m. Summer Team Kick Off Meeting
Doubletree Hotel (8250 N. Central Exp)

Although I think I got all that right, please call the TNT office to double check before you attend one of the meetings. (972-239-0959) It’s an incredible experience…just check it out!

So, if you’re interested, please email and let me know (rebeccadholmes@sbcglobal.net)…we’d love to have you!

RH

Holding my breath

I don’t know if you’ve ever held your breath for an entire basketball game, but I did on Saturday. For the first time since his diagnosis, Gage is participating in an organized sport…basketball. And, his first game was Saturday morning. I’m not even sure if I realized I was holding my breath until I finally let out a huge sigh of relief once the final buzzer sounded.

His desire and ability to be on the team was a big milestone. There are still many activities that he can’t do because of his port (surgically implanted in his chest for chemo, blood draws, etc.) or because of the side effect of chemo (weaker legs muscles, can’t run as fast) or because he just generally gets tired more easily.

Although he was apprehensive before the game started, he slowly relaxed and enjoyed himself. I’m sure that the many hours he’s spent playing basketball with Avery in the backyard certainly helped.

Still, I was fearful that he would feel frustrated that his body, compromised by the chemo, was unable to keep up. Or that one of the kids would unknowingly knock him down and he’d land on his port…and come unglued. Or that there would be a lot of germs on the ball and he’d get sick (the thought truly crossed my mind). You get the idea…

And, like many worries in life, they were unfounded and unprofitable.

Luke 12:25-26

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

Gage had a great game and is already looking forward to next week. As for me, I really enjoyed watching him be able to do something so ‘normal’. And I enjoyed having a weekend full of regular family activities, instead of the stress of caring for Gage around-the-clock and shuttling between home & Children’s (as we did all of last fall). I’m also always mindful that we’ve met and know of many families from Children’s who would give anything to see their child improve as much as Gage has. Sadly, we know many families who walk a much harder road.

Also, we went to clinic today. Gage’s counts have rebounded, and we are back on the chemo. Thanks to those of you who prayed for his protection last week when his immune system was compromised even more than usual.

So, here are the pics from the weekend…

A little encouragement from Blake & Avery…

Now he’s ready to play…

Yeah! Game over…we made it! Way to go Gage!

Now, it’s Avery’s turn…

Sweet Ellie…one birthday party, two basketball games…then one funny nap in a very noisy gym. Wesley snoozed too in her stroller.

As always, thanks for checking in and for praying.

RH

Christmas update

Well, I’ve probably written “blog” on about 20 post-it notes by now, but I still can’t seem to catch up enough to actually do it! So, I decided to update via pictures…and a very brief update.

We had a great Christmas and holiday break…tons of time with the kids, relaxing time in East Texas with family…very enjoyable for everyone. The kids’ big gift was a PowerWheels 4-wheeler (battery-powered, don’t worry!) that you’ll see in many pictures like the one above.

Thankfully, Gage felt great the whole time, which I’m even more thankful for upon returning home and hearing story after story of families that got stomach bugs etc throughout the holidays.

Gage had clinic on Monday. His counts were very low (ANC 350). So, he’s off chemo for this week, and we’re just hoping he continues to stay well since a fever for any reason at this point would be an automatic admission to Children’s (for round-the-clock antibiotics to protect him until his blood cultures showed no signs of a bacterial infection, which his body couldn’t fight right now).

And, we’re just adjusting to life with school, bills, errands, emails etc. after a great break from the insanity of daily life!

Enjoy the pics…especially of Gage and his favorite gift…a BB gun!

Gage giving Wesley (and her lovie) a ride on the 4Wheeler…

Ellie in her new Snow White costume…

Sweet Avery…

Notice Ellie’s shoes and her Batgirl costume…

Worn out & asleep on the ottoman…

…and a great time was had by all. Thanks for checking in and for praying.

RH

Resolutions

Thankfully, our holidays have been uneventful and enjoyable so far, and we’ve been able to spend extended time with family away from the demands of everyday life…a treasured break.

Of course, as 2009 begins, I have thought often of 2007 (when Gage was diagnosed and endured the hardest parts of his treatment), of 2008 (when he finally entered long-term maintenance and began to feel a bit better…and when we realized that cancer will still be part of our daily lives for years to come), of 2009 and what this year might hold…and the promise of September 2010, when he should finish his treatment.

I’ve also thought a lot, as I always do, about New Year’s resolution’s. There is something so appealing about the starting a new year and all the possibilities it holds.

One of my annual resolutions is to read my Bible more consistently. Yes, it’s an on-going resolution that I re-commit myself to each year in hopes of greater discipline and consistency…and, of course, a closer walk with the Lord.

Our church has an Internet/email-based daily devotional program called Join the Journey that Blake helped create several years ago. I’ve always greatly desired to read the Bible consistently, but struggled to actually do it…and I’ve loved the year-long reading plan (that varies in focus each year) combined with personal devotionals written by members of our church. Today (Jan. 2), Blake is the featured devotional writer. Check it out at www.jointhejourney.com. Anyone can sign up to get the devotionals, and our church even helps other churches re-create the same program with their own members.

As I was reminded yesterday reading Psalm 1, the only way to find the resiliency needed to endure this life is through constant intake of God’s word.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Knowing that life will certainly bring seasons of drought, I love the picture of being planted by the constant source of strength, wisdom and comfort that will allow me to prosper even as suffering continues.

Thanks, as always, for checking in and for praying.

RH