Bennett is doing fair. He feels a little better than yesterday but he says he has had a headache all day. His throat is now sore. We will see how he does in the next day or two and he may have to go to his pediatrician. We pray that he doesn’t get a fever and have to go to the hospital.

Since basketball practice is over, he is able to come home after school and rest which is good.

Bennett took his weekly chemo of 10 methotrexate pills today. He will take the 6mp chemo before bed. He said last night that his muscles or bones felt sore, he thought it might be from the steroids he was taking.

Hope this finds everyone well!

“The mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then My faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” Isaiah 54:10

Bennett hasn’t felt good all day. He didn’t have school which was good so he could rest. He went with me to town to get groceries but the rest of the day, he has been in bed. He had a really bad headache. We pray that it doesn’t turn into anything worse.

He didn’t have a blood test today, it will be next Monday. It would be great if we could stay on a 2 week routine. Normally, someone on the maintenance phase has their counts checked monthly but he seems to have something going on that we need to check them sooner.

Hope you and your family are doing well. Count your blessings one by one!

Bennett is doing good. His cough has returned and his nose is running a little. We’ll be glad when the winter cold season is over.

Bennett read the scripture in church services in front of the church on the pulpit this morning. One of the verses the pastor picked out for him to read was very appropriate. “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him–and he was a Samaritan.” Luke 17:15-16

We celebrated Bennett’s birthday and my brother Brian’s and their house on Scott Air Force Base. I can’t believe Bennett will be 15 on Friday. This is a day to Thank God for our blessings as it marks his 2nd anniversary of being diagnosed too.
Below is a pic of the bday party.

How did Bennett blow those candles out so fast?

Bennett is doing good. He finishes taking prednisone tomorrow. His appetite has increased as usual with taking the steroids. He weighed 134 lbs at the Dr. visit on Tuesday. He has gained about 4 pounds since last visit. It is so good to see him maintaining or gaining weight. It helps him look so healthy!

Bennett has been lifting weights almost every night and we are really starting to notice it in his arms and stomach muscles. Since basketball has stopped, he has began running. He ran down to the curve and back twice tonight after school. WOW! I am going to have to check to see if that is over a mile.

As I post this, I hear Bennett laughing and carrying on with a friend and Hamilton while playing xbox. It has been many months since Bennett has had a friend over. He has matured so much and doesn’t need that companionship all the time but it’s good for him to have friends his age and have fun.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

God is Good! We thank God daily for the miracles and blessings he has provided our family.

Bennett was upset about losing last night’s game because of everything he has went through to get to this point. He felt like he only had a few months to get his body back with the strength and muscle he lost. He was sad that he doesn’t play with the same friends he used to play with and he won’t get that chance again. They had a special bond and that willingness to never give up.

He knows his life has changed and he wouldn’t change it for anything. Tonight, Bennett said, I am so glad that God chose me to have leukemia, I am thankful for what I have learned. Everyone needs to go through what cancer patients have to endure so they appreciate life. Bennett knows 2 years ago, he didn’t think and appreciate each day like he does now.

We had a long talk about how God has given us a chance to witness to others and we need to take this opportunity to help others. We also discussed of how God has given him a second chance and this could change any day. He knows that as his special friend was called to be one of God’s angels.

Thank you for following Bennett’s journey. God has blessed us in so many ways and hopefully has made us stronger and better people along the way.

“As a Christian, you are to witness with truth, honesty, and integrity. As the Lord provides the opportunity, you should respond in a humble and gentle spirit” 2 Timothy 2:24

Bennett won today at one thing and he lost at another. He won at the Dr. office with a great visit. Everything went good, he had an iv push of vincristine and his monthly breathing treatment to prevent pneumonia. Bennett has been having a few headaches but nothing else to report. He begins taking steroids for five days starting today. The Dr. increased his daily chemo of 6mp to 2 1/2 pills. Now he will take 17 1/2 pills weekly of 6mp instead of 13 1/2. He is still taking 10 pills of the methotrexate chemo which he took today too.

The 8th grade Jr. Rangers lost to Mt Vernon tonight in the regional championship by 8 points. They were only up by 3 with a minute left and got 5 more points by free throws. Bennett played a really good game. He played the 2nd quarter for several minutes. He made a great lay up and made it. He also had a few rebounds. Each time he was guarding on defense, they called a walk on them.

Bennett was very disappointed that his Jr. High season is over. He wanted to go to State. It was very emotional. I have never seen him cry as much as he did tonight. He was disappointed that he didn’t play any better in the 3rd quarter. He fouled once and than ran into a player twice causing two more fouls called on him, he was taken out of the game.

The proudest that we are of Bennett is that he never gave up. He had a very long tiring day and you would of never known it. Every game this season, he hand writes on the back of his taped ankles, Ryan Coe and Brittani Nolen. He fought every game for himself and these two friends.

We are so amazed, blessed, and thankful that Bennett is winning his fight against leukemia!

“Whoever said, “Winning isn’t everything!” never had cancer.”

Bennett’s ANC today was 2,448! Yeah! He had 3.6 WBC, almost a record! with 70 neutrophils! Hemoglobin at 12.7 and platelets at 167 in normal range! His liver levels were down too from 422 to 167! We are so thankful for his great numbers! Amen!

It’s possible since his ANC has been over 1,500 for several weeks that his Dr. might want to increase his chemo pills to keep his anc a little lower. He has been at this reduced level for several months.

Bennett had practice after school. He was really tired. His team plays tomorrow night for the Regional championship!

He wanted to go to Hamilton’s game to keep score. The other team didn’t have enough players to play so they just had a practice game.

Sid surprised us tonight, he got home around 8:15 p.m. He said they didn’t know until about 5:30 tonight that they were being released. We are so glad he is home and won’t miss anymore of the boys games.

Bennett has a long day tomorrow. He will go to a 1/2 day school and we will go straight to his Dr. appt for a check up, chemo and breathing treatment at SLCH. After wards, we will hurry back to make it to the game in McLeansboro. Hope they are all up to win! We play Mt Vernon and they beat us last time at home.

“I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” Genesis 35:3

GO Rangers! Bennett’s team played in Hamilton County Regional’s today, we won against Carmi 62 -42. Everyone played awesome. Bennett played each quarter and played almost all of the 2nd and 4th. He played wing today and did good. He had a steal, few rebounds, and 2 points. He had few lay ups and ended up missing them but he looked very aggressive. We play for the Regional Championship Tuesday night.

Bennett’s ankle is doing some better. He has been icing it quite a bit and taking advil. We’re not sure what is going on with it but so thankful he can still play ball.

Sid is still working in Metropolis. It’s starting to get old and we miss him. He has to be exhausted. They start work at 5:00 a.m. and usually make it back to the hotel around 10 p.m. or so. We pray for his safety, health, and everyone still without power.

Bennett will have his counts checked Monday. We pray his liver levels are in a safer range. He has his appt in St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon after a 1/2 day of school and than we will go straight to his basketball game after wards.

Thanks to our friends, that recently commented, it is good to hear from you all~

We continue to praise God for Bennett’s recovery and strength!

Bennett’s team won tonight against Hamilton County 63 to 32! Wow! The whole team played well. Bennett played every quarter and played most of the 2nd and 4th quarter. He had 2 points with several rebounds. He had a couple good passes for assists.

His right ankle is really bothering him. You wouldn’t of known it tonight as he wasn’t limping or favoring his ankle. Last night after his practice, it really hurt and was swollen. He iced it last night and after school today besides tonight. It is really sore. He doesn’t recall doing anything to it. The problems he had with his ankle this summer was the other ankle. We pray it isn’t anything serious.

Hamilton had a game tonight too and they won. We hated to miss it, we heard he played really good.

I went to the Dr. today. started out with a sore throat yesterday and have head, sinus and throat congestion. She said I had alot of inflammation and put me on doxycycline. I was surprised I got this back so soon.

Sid is doing good. They have been stopping for dinner around 8:00 and than gets to bed around 10:00. It’s looking like it will be next week before he is home. We are glad the weather is warming up as it has to be miserable working in freezing temps.

Thanks for checking in. God Bless.

Bennett’s team lost tonight against Marion by 6 points. Bennett played a few minutes in the 1st quarter. He got a rebound and he fell down. He said he was fouled but they didn’t call it. He made a couple good passes. Bennett was disappointed he didn’t get to play very much. It was a competitive game. We didn’t score well and almost every shot Marion attempted it went in.

Bennett took 10 methotrexate pills this morning before school. I had him take his 6mp pills to the game and take before his game started. He is supposed to take these on an empty stomach and I knew he would be hungry after game and want to eat. He is supposed to take them 2 hours after eating and 1 hour before so it makes it hard in the evening when he’s not home. We’ve been trying lately to keep the pills with us and take them if he is going to need to eat supper late in the evening.

Sid is still working in Metropolis and staying in a hotel in Paducah. He thought he might be home later this week but now he has no idea. There is still thousands without power.

We pray for Bennett to stay healthy and in remission forever. We keep all of our friends from SLCH close to our prayers and hearts!