Bennett’s ANC is 2,100 from 4,116 yesterday.  It’s really making drastic movements each day.  His WBC are 3.0 from 4.9 and neutrophils are 70 from 84.    It’s possible they were elevated from an infection causing the fever but we don’t really know.  His hemoglobin has dropped to 10.8 from 11.7 and platelets from 109 to 92.

We are waiting to be discharged which we have to wait till 1:00 p.m. which will be exactly 48 hours from the time the blood cultures were taken,  They want to make sure that nothing is going to grow and we have to wait.  We’re all ready to get home.

We pray that Bennett continues to do well.  The only symptom he has is a cough that sounds congested.  I asked the Dr. if we would go home on an antibiotic and he said no.  We hope the cough goes away and doesn’t turn into anything worse.

*8:30 p.m. update

Bennett was discharged around noon today, we had to wait until the attending Dr. came by and released him.  He had no more fevers and his temp stayed down in the 98.’s.  He is feeling pretty good.  He is tired.  He always has a congested cough and a running nose.    Dr. didn’t want to give him an atiobiotic to go home on for that so we will see how he does in the next few days.

We will check counts again on Saturday, we pray they stay within normal range.  The first hospital stay night, they stopped his daily chemo but last night he got his regular dose. They indicated for us to continue at home as well.

Hamilton had two games tonight at home.  First one was against DuQuoin and we won by two points.  We played really good.   The second game was with Sesser Valier and we lost by one point.   He plays again tomorrow night in Harrisburg. 

Bennett was supposed to have a home game against West Frankfort but was canceled because of the snow.  We got about 5 inches.  Bennett has practice in the morning at 6:30. He wants to go because he only has two more games left of the season.

Thank you  for all your prayers, we are happy to be home!

Bennett’s ANC today is 4,116 from 5,166 twelve hours earlier. His WBC went down to 4.9 from 6.3.  Hemoglobin is 11.7 from 12.5 and platelets stayed the same.   He hasn’t ran a temp since yesterday.  Last night and today, it has been normal!  He feels pretty good, he has a cough that seems to be getting deeper but the Dr. said he sounded clear.

The Dr. wanted him to stay another day and wait to make sure the blood cultures didn’t grow anything.  Since his fever was pretty high and he had the chills.  He really thought his ANC was elevated from the steroids he has been on and also the fever.

We had his birthday lunch planned for today but had to cancel.  His birthday is next Saturday so hopefully he will feel better by than.

Lindy came with us yesterday so her and Bennett have been playing games and watching T.V. together.  It’s been a really quite day at the hospital.  Bennett said he now has been in the hospital every holiday.  He thought he hadn’t been here on Valentine’s day before.

We pray that everything continues to go well so he can be discharged tomorrow.    Thank you for your prayers.

Bennett has been admitted to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.  He woke up this morning with a 101.8 temperature.  We called the on call Dr and they wanted him to come in. We got here around noon.  His flu test and chest xray came back negative!  He has had a cough for the last couple days.  He felt nauseated yesterday but got better through out the day.

His ANC jumped sky high.  It’s 5,166 from 1,232 a week ago.  His WBC are 6.3 from 2.2 with neutrophils are 83.  His hemoglobin is 12.5 and platelets at 110 which are good.  Since his WBC is so high, it’s possible a sign of infection.   Since he has been on steroids for the last few days, he can have elevated WBC but not usually this high.  Because of this and the fever, the Dr. wanted to observe him at least one night to make sure he doesn’t spike another fever.

His last temp was 100.2 at 5:00 so he is running a low grade.  They started him on a iv antibiotic called merophenum which he has had several times in the hospital.

We hope to be discharged tomorrow.  We’re thankful that he doesn’t feel too terribly bad.  We pray that this doesn’t turn into anything worse.

Bennett had a good appt today, it was nice that everything went like clock work and we made it in and out of the appt in record time, 3 hours!  They weren’t as busy today because of cancelations because of the snow.  The interstate wasn’t completely clear on the way there which I was surprised, they didn’t plow the passing lane in some counties.

Bennett had his usual stuff, iv push of vincristine, breathing treatments, and infusion of immune globulin.  He also starts steroids today which is 7 pills daily for the next five days.  He also took his weekly methotrexate of 6 pills.  His Dr. did not want to increase it because of his ANC being in good range at 1,200.  We will check counts again in two weeks.

She looked at his rash on his arms and she said we could continue using his cream.  He has had the rash for around two or three months and we thought it was some type of fungal infection from basketball and rubbing against sweat.  I recalled reading on a website of a leukemia patient that had a rash too and was called from the chemo, methotrexate.  I asked the Dr. and she said Yes it could be.  I’m not sure if she didn’t want to worry us but felt like she wasn’t going to tell us until I asked.  We visited today with another leukemia patient at the clinic today and she had a rash all over her neck.  I asked her mother about it andcome to find out, she has it all over her body and has had it for over a year and it’s from the methotrexate.  She said it continues to get worse and now is more blisters.  We pray Bennett’s doesn’t get that bad. Bennett thinks it will go away after basketball.

Bennett weighed 145 today, I won the bet today. We always guess of how much he is going to weigh. I knew with him having the flu that he probably lost a few pounds and he did.  Bennett guessed 150 and quickly changed it to 148.  The nurse always gets a kick out of us!

Bennett had the night off from playing a game. Hamilton had an in-house game and they lost by one point.  Lindy’s team played their 2nd game in the regional and lost to West Frankfort so unfortunately her season is over.  Bennett does have a game tomorrow and Thursday night at home.

We’re thankful for a good Dr. appt and safe travels!

Bennett is doing pretty good.  He looked worn out tonight during his games.  We played at Herrin and lost both the B and A games.  Bennett played all of the B game and made a 3 point shot at the 1st quarter buzzer.  I don’t think he shot very many times at all during that game.  He played just about a minute in the A game, he did get a chance to try for a lay up but missed.  He had driving this morning at 6 a.m. so he had a long day and could of been just too tired.

His rash on his chest has gone away!  He still has break out spots on his arms, we will ask the Dr. about them tomorrow.  We hope the weather and roads don’t get too bad and we can make it safely to his appt tomorrow in St. Louis.  He doesn’t have to be there until noon so we are thankful it’s not an early appt.

Hamilton’s in house team played tonight and they won.  I hated to miss it.    Lindy’s team played in their regional tournament at home and won by 2 points against DuQuoin.  They play again tomorrow night.   

Hope everyone has safe travels tomorrow.  God Bless!

Bennett’s ANC is 1,232 from 768 a week ago!  We’re so thankful it went back up.  His WBC are 2.2 from 1.6 and neutrophils are 56 from 48.  Hemoglobin is great at 12.9 and platelets are in normal range to at 162!  Liver levels are still running about the same at 60 and 226.  His bun/creatinine is running high which means he needs to drink more to flush out his kidneys. 

We did have a scare this afternoon because he started itching on his chest and neck.  He was broke out all over his chest and on the back of his neck.  It looked like an allergic re-action to something (like when he has been allergic to a medication.)   I gave him benadryl, he switched t shirts just in case something was on them.  He went to basketball practice this afternoon and it was better when he got home it.  He still had a few pink spots but the redness was gone.   He has had another blotchy spots for a couple months off and on his arms.  The oncology Dr. said last time to put lotion on it.  We think it’s from sweating during practice. 

We had a busy weekend with Hamilton’s 4th grade basketball team playing in the West Frankfort tournament Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We lost the first game by 2 points against Goreville, won the 2nd against West Frankfort.  We were playing for the consultation championship this afternoon and lost against Harrisburg by 10 points.

We went to the Monster Jam in St. Louis and had a great time last night.  Our friends, the Coe family was able to go this time which was great to see them.  They live in the same town as driver of Maxi-um of Destruction and have given us tickets for the last several years.  The boys really enjoy it.  I think Lindy even liked it.   And it made it even better that our guy, won the free style part. 

We have another busy week with games every night plus Bennett’s monthly Dr. appt in St. Louis on Tuesday.  We pray for good weather (big snow storm coming) plus that his counts continue to do well and his rash goes away!  May God bless us all!

Bennett is doing good.   He has had another long day with driving at 6:00 a.m., went to school than had to practice and than went with some friends to the girls basketball game to watch Lindy play tonight in Herrin.   He had a basketball game last night in Marion  and they lost by 10 points.  Bennett played about 3 to 5 minutes of the game and made one basket, had a steal and a rebound.  He thought he only fell down once so better from the other day.

Hamilton had in -house game tonight and his team won.  He played really good defense but couldn’t seem to make a basket.  He has had practice or a game every night.  His travel team plays this weekend in a tournament in West Frankfort.  

We’re blessed that Bennett is doing Great!

Bennett is doing good.  He had a long day with driving in driver’s ed early this morning.  I think has about 3 more weeks of this or so. Actually about the time basketball is going to end too.  He has basketball practice tonight after school than him and Lindy went to Hamilton’s travel team game.  They played Herrin and won by about 10 points.  Unfortunately I had to miss it since I am in Lexington KY for  bank meetings.

Bennett’s team plays tomorrow night at Marion.  He only has about 7 more games left of the season, it sure went by quick.  I know he is looking forward to playing spring baseball too.

We pray that Bennett’s counts are going up.  We sure don’t want him to get this bug back or start the sinus stuff again.  He started back on his chemo pills today taking 6 methotrexate pills and 3 6mp pills.  The Dr wanted him to start back up when he had two full good days which I feel like Sunday and Monday he was.

We’re blessed for everything we have and Thanking God for providing Bennett the hope and faith that he needs to keep fighting each day!

An article that is unbelievable!  Please pray that God will guide this project and help find a cure to pediatric cancer!

Washington University that is listed is the Dr.’s that Bennett and all oncology patients see at Children’s Hospital in the clinic.   How Exciting!

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2n ow.com) – Research is underway in St. Louis that could change everything for kids with cancer and their families. It is a $65 million joint project between St. Jude’s Childrens’ Hospital in Memphis and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The effort is unprecedented and researchers believe it could lead to breakthroughs in treating pediatric cancer, especially in patients in St. Louis.

“St. Louisans should be excited, because there are not many places that this could happen,” says Dr. Rick Wilson, director of the Genome Center at the Washington University School of Medicine.

“This will allow us, for each individual case of cancer, to perhaps understand what went wrong,” he says. ” It is a game changer.”

Judy Ciapciak, the Executive Director of Friends of Kids with Cancer, a non profit group in St. Louis, went to a funeral Monday for a ten month old baby who died of cancer. When she learned of Washington University’s undertaking, she could not contain her excitement.

“Its a dream come true!” she said, smiling. “It is exciting, it is huge.”

On a wall outside her office in West St. Louis County hang photos of children who died from this dreadful disease. She calls it the “special friends” wall. Friends of Kids with Cancer helps hundreds of St. Louis families, giving them things like shopping trips, sports or concert tickets, gift certificates, and toys during chemotherapy.

Its always, “‘Why?’” she says, of the parents she deals with daily. “Why does this happen, where does it come from?”

Wilson hopes to have an answer soon. “Were already underway with the first few samples,” he says.

He is directing the largest childhood cancer research project in history. Washington University scientists sequenced the humane genetic code almost a decade ago. Now, they will sequence the genomes of cancer tissue and normal tissue donated by 600 pediatric cancer patients at St. Judes in Memphis. They expect to be able to compare a normal cell to a cancer cell and see when, where, and why the cancer began. In the long term youd like to use that knowledge to develop new drugs that act as magic bullets to kill only the tumor cells, he says.

“Eventually we can use that information to be very smart about treatment from the first day,” he says. “Its almost a sure thing that these things will come out in the next two years.”

“The guys at St. Louis Childrens Hospital will hear about this and ask if they can do some of this now. Well be able to say, ‘Absolutely.’”

And then maybe Judy Ciapciak would never have to add another photo to her wall. Maybe Friends of Kids with Cancer would never even be needed, again.

“Go Wash U and St. Judes!” she says. “There’s nothing more than we want to do than to just close down.”

It’s February!  1 month already gone in this new year, Wow!    19 days till Bennett’s birthday too and 3 year cancer survivor anniversary!

Bennett is doing much better!  We’re so thankful and pray it continues again. If he could get through these next three weeks of basketball games without another illness, we would be so grateful and happy.  That would almost be a record!

The freshman played Harrisburg tonight.  We were excited Bennett got to play.  He started the “b” game, they lost by 2 points.  Bennett made 5 points.  He made 3 of 4 free throws!  The “A” game, he played some of it  (was glad he didn’t have to sit out since he missed two games)  and we won,  Bennett made a basket in this game.  He spent alot of time on the floor.    He did two belly flops and slid several feet and than another time he did his famous backward roll.  We thought he hurt his ankle on one of the falls but after he sat down for a minute, he said it was okay, Amen!

I think he fell 5 to 6 times in both games. Not sure if it was because he was tired or if the boys were just that aggresive.   He did say one Harrisburg player pushed him pretty hard into their bench.  I do like that he goes ahead and slides or rolls instead of trying to break your fall, that’s when you usually crack, break or twist something from trying to keep from falling.    We are thanking God that he hasn’t been injured and pray that continues!

Hamilton still feels a little nauseated and not eating well.  Sure hope he gets over this bug soon. 

Bennett missed driving in driver’s Ed last week but he goes tomorrow, still unfortunately at 6:00 a.m.  He missed 3 days of school last week so he is working on making up his homework.

We think about and pray for all the families that have lost their children to cancer or the side effects of the treatments.  We met true fighters, believers,  and kids that love life to it’s fullest.      Thinking of all our special ^Angels^!      May God continue to bless their families!