Whatever your cross

Whatever your pain

There will always be sunshine

After the rain

Perhaps you may stumble

Perhaps even fall

But God’s always there

To help you through it all!

Bennett’s ankle is still swollen. It seemed better this morning but this evening it’s swollen again. He went to basketball camp this afternoon for 2 hours at the high school. Bennett said he had trouble playing and running down the basketball court. He was pretty tired and he even rested all morning. They do several drills and he felt good about those. They also play a knock out game. Where you have to make the basket before the guy behind you does. He won today, he knocked everyone out. So cool! This really helps build his confidence.

His appetite is dwindling. All day he only ate 3/4 bowl of easy mac and than ate a few bites for supper. He says the food sometimes smells and makes him nauseated. Lately, he only eats a little bit and than he’s full. I’ll mention it to the Dr. when we go Tuesday for his monthly chemo appt.  But Tuesday, he starts steroids again so that will increase his appetite.  He needs his strength.

“I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another.  In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult….. I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.”

– Og Mandino

Bennett is doing fair. His ankle has started bothering him again. It had gotten so much better to where it wasn’t hurting or swollen. He had a double header game tonight at home. He started the 1st game! He got a walk and run. He had two pop ups and they got him out at 1st. He had two grounders hit to him that he got in right field. He played the whole game. Before the 2nd game started he asked his coach if he could sit out because his ankle and legs were hurting. His ankle is swollen this evening. He is icing and heating it. His team won both games.

We go Monday for his MRI on his ankle. We are hoping it’s nothing serious because he is supposed to go with his basketball team to McKendree College the end of next week for basketball camp. He is looking forward to going. He went two years ago and had a lot of fun.

He missed basketball camp today at the high school because he has been really tired and worn out from all the activities this week. We all agreed that it was better to not go today since he had a game tonight and wouldn’t have time to rest in between.

Bennett has not been eating well. Yesterday we out for lunch and he only ate a couple bites. He felt nauseated. He eats a little but not much especially for all the calories he is burning.

Since his ANC and hemoglobin is down even more this week, I am not surprised that he is tired/weaker more. He has been doing a lot of running playing basketball games at camp. We are praying that his ankle would heal. Praying that the MRI shows nothing serious and that he can continue staying busy with his sports. Bennett loves sports and playing with his friends. He does a lot of resting and not doing anything else to save his energy to play.

Bennett picked out this bible verse tonight:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Bennett’s ANC today is 765 from 1,500. His hemoglobin dropped too at 8.9from 9.8. Platelets stayed the same at 173. His nurse said all of his counts were good which they are for their standards. An ANC above 500 and hemoglobin above 7.5 they are happy with. I just have a hard with his numbers lower. When they are high for awhile, we become a little relax but anything below 1,000, I start becoming nervous that he might get sick. The chemo pills that he takes lower his counts and that’s what the Dr. wants. They want to keep his counts suppressed because than it means the chemo is doing it’s job of keeping any cancer cells from growing.

When he started the maintenance phase, I was thinking and hoping he would be smooth sailing with his counts. But after the nurse told us they want his ANC between 500 and 1,500 during the maintenance part, than I knew it wouldn’t be easy. We are thankful that it’s summer time and not as many flu bugs going around.

Bennett went to basketball camp today at the high school for 2 hours. He felt good about his work out. Tonight, he went to Hamilton’s baseball game and we barely won in extra innings.

Thank you for visiting bennettpage.org!

“Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Psalm 29 1-2

Bennett is doing Great!  We went to church this morning and he changed clothes right after to head for his double header in Mt Vernon.  Bennett batted the first game and had a great hit and run.  He started the 2nd game and played until we got rained out about 3 innings.  He caught two fly balls in right field, he did Awesome! He had two walks this game and scored once!  He is really feeling part of the team!  They lost the first game and was ahead in the 2nd game.

We go in the morning to our local hospital for a blood test.  We are expecting his counts to be about the same.  He is taking his 6mp chemo pills nightly.  This chemo is to prevent cancer cells from growing.  We are praying that it keeps it away forever!

May all of the Dad’s have a special Father’s Day!   Thanking our Heavenly Father for all of his precious gifts!

Happy Father’s Day

Sid, Dad J., Dad P. and

every Dad!

Bennett had a baseball tournament this afternoon/evening. One game was in Okawville and than the other was in Nashville. Bennett is doing Great, he feels good. We won both games and will play for the championship in this tournament next Saturday night. Bennett batted twice and got a walk each time. He can sure watch those balls. His ankle isn’t bothering him at all. Yesterday, he had basketball and than walked 6 holes of golf carrying his golf bag and his ankle wasn’t even swollen nor hurt.

Hamilton’s all star team had a double header in Herrin tonight that Bennett/I missed. They won one and lost one.

Each day I can tell Bennett is feeling more comfortable with his life. He has always been happy and easy going but lately he seems to be fitting in better with his friends. It’s easy to distance yourself from people when your different. He is becoming more confident in himself.

He is starting to get stronger, his arms are getting more muscular, his hair is coming back on his head, arms, and legs, and he is gaining weight. His physical appearance is changing from a cancer patient to a young man, thanks be to God!

“BELIEVE IN GOD, have faith, hope, and courage and he will make things right.”

Bennett is doing good.  He had open gym today for basketball and was pretty tired.  He got home late last night from the double header baseball game in Anna.  He started the 2nd game and played all of it , Yeah!  He had a hit and a run.  In the fifth inning, all of the balls went out to him in right field except for one.  He caught two fly balls.  One was an awesome catch.  Not sure if it was a diving catch or if he lost his balance after he caught it.  He had a line drive that hit right in front of him and he caught it with his bare hand.  On one of the catches, he hurt his picky, it was bleeding and his nail was 1/2 bruised.  He kept on going though and made some great plays!

His ankle/foot was a little swollen last night but he said it didn’t hurt.  The nurse called today and his MRI is scheduled for Monday, June 23rd. It was the first opening since it wasn’t an emergency.  Even thought it’s much better, we want to go ahead with MRI to make sure nothing is wrong. We are praying that nothing serious so he can continue to play baseball/basketball.

We are so thankful and appreciative that Bennett is feeling good enough to play sports or that he wants too!  God is Good, God is Great!

Bennett is doing great! He feels really good. Him and Hamilton went to the hitting zone today for their practice lesson. Bennett felt like he did really good. He said several of hits were line drives. He is lifting weights each night which is improving his arm strength. Last week the instructor (coach of RLC) accidentally hit him twice while pitching to him. He had a place on his arm from it that finally went away. We are so thankful that it didn’t turn into anything. It’s seems that his body is pretty sensitive anyway.

Bennett went with us to Hamilton’s game tonight at the park, his team won. Bennett has been mostly hanging out at home; some days with Hamilton playing xbox, and baseball or basketball outside. His ankle seems to be doing slightly better. He keeps the ankle brace on it which is helping greatly and than he puts ice on it each night.

He had forgot to take his chemo pills the last two nights. I wanted to get mad but instead I grounded him from his phone. I had already warned him after the first night.   He said I was paranoid, I said exactly, paranoid the cancer will come back. The thing with these daily pills called 6mp is that you are supposed to take them right before you go to bed on an empty stomach. It seems that we are at a ballgame until late so when he gets home he eats something and he falls asleep before he gets the pills taken since he can’t take them while eating. We agreed that it’s better to go ahead and take them before he gets too tired and forgets.

We are so thankful that Bennett is doing well. We pray that he continues on his road of being cancer free. Thank you for your support and prayers, we couldn’t make it without you!

Bennett’s ANC today was 1,500 from 1,539 last Monday. That’s about where the Dr. would like it; not much higher so we are thankful for the good number. His hemoglobin is 9.8 from 9.4 and platelets are 173 from 141. I am glad his hemoglobin is up, these are the red blood cells that carry oxygen and help you breathe. Low hemoglobin causes dizziness, tired, and have shortness of breath. Bennett’s is low as expected because of the chemo pills he takes daily and weekly. The normal range starts at 12.5 to 16.1.

I talked to Bennett’s nurse today and she indicated that the MRI schedule was booked this week but if they had an open; they would call to get Bennett in for an MRI of his ankle/foot. The Dr. felt like it wasn’t an emergency case so we could wait.

Bennett went today to open gym for basketball. Besides playing basketball games; they did some running. Bennett felt pretty good about how he played. He wants to continue to gain strength, accuracy and confidence. His ankle bothered him some afterwards but he felt like the ankle brace gave him much needed support. He went to Hamilton’s game this evening and walked around to all the games that were going on at the park.

Thanks for checking on Bennett and your continued prayers.