Bennett is doing good.  He didn’t have practice nor a game tonight so he didn’t really know how to act today after school.  He enjoyed the time and started packing for our camping and hunting trip starting tomorrow night.  Shotgun deer season starts Friday and the boys can’t wait.   We will hunt and camp out by my Mom and Dad’s.    We hope the weather is good and everyone stays healthy.

We pray that Bennett doesn’t get any infections and his counts continue to stay pretty good.  We pray for all our friends that we have met at SLCH. We thank all the Dr.’s and nurses for being so kind and be a special part of our life too.

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; Your spirit is good.” Psalm 143:10

Bennett’s Dr. appt today went well. His Dr. decided to keep him on the same chemo dosage for now. I was glad to hear that because I’m not confident that his ANC will stay at the higher end. She did say for us to check counts every 2 weeks instead of weekly. Bennett weighed 132 which is good.

Bennett was showing off his pictures of the ducks that they got duck hunting and I was showing off his magazine article. Everyone thought it was pretty awesome.

I asked his Dr. about him falling while playing basketball. I ask that and tonight he didn’t fall for the first time! She said it probably is from the chemo vincristine which he got today thru his port. He doesn’t fall going up and downstairs so she felt like his dosage was good for now. She said it would eventually go away when he is done with that chemo which is July 2010.

He took 10 methotrexate chemo pills today and also began taking 10 steroid pills daily for 5 days. The only good thing about the steroids is that it increases his appetite but Bennett hates of how they make him feel.

We went straight to St Louis when I picked him up from 1/2 day at school for his appt. We did stop by to see Ryan’s Mom in ICU and Ryan is the same today. We went straight to his ball game in Harrisburg. We lost by 26 points. Bennett did get to play every quarter and actually quite a bit. He made one basket, steal and a few rebounds.

We were watching Bennett running up and down the court. We see something and couldn’t figure out what was on the back of his legs. When he sat down on the bench, Sid could see that it said “Ryan” on his left side and “Coe” on the right side. He wears ankles braces and than tapes his ankles over that and Bennett had wrote his friends name on the tape.

We might of lost the game but I walked away having the best feeling. My son played quite a bit of the game after having chemo treatment today. And he played it from the bottom of his heart for his friend Ryan that is fighting for his life.

“Ive always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn’t have a chance to win.”

We ask for your prayers for our dear friend, Ryan Coe.  He is in ICU with a fever, low blood pressure, on a ventilator, fighting for his life with pneumonia along with his other illnesses of PTLD and GVD.  Ryan is such a fighter but Dr.’s are not sure his body can make it any longer.

Bennett sent Ryan this message and it brings such happiness that we met Ryan and his family and much sadness that he is very sick..

To Ryan,

If I could go back in time, when you were doing good and I was feeling like crap. I would go back in time so we could enjoy those moments together again.  I would do this all over again if I could, to help you get better..

Every time I go to bed, I think people really don’t know what life could be like and they take too many things for granted.

I know you are a fighter.  You have made it through a lot more, than some people thought.  You will probably will hear this 100 times in the next few days and people will say, Keep your head up…. but I mean it.

I have been there just like you when odds are up and against you.  There will be a sunny day for you soon, when you got a big ole deer in your hand. You have worked for it all your life especially while making it through this.

I mean this, keep your head up buddy.

Love Bennett

Sept. 2007

“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17

Bennett’s ANC today was 1,488 from 1,166! His WBC was 2.4 and neutrophils was 62.   His hemoglobin went up to 11.6 from 11.4 and platelets were up to 133 from 119.  We were glad to see his counts moving up a little; an answered prayer.   We will see what the Dr. will want to do with his dosage of chemo tomorrow.

Bennett had a great time duck hunting Saturday and Sunday morning.  They got a total of 15 ducks, some were ringnecks, bluebills, and shovelors.  He had to get up pretty earlier so he spent the rest of the day taking a nap.

We won the ball game Saturday night against Salem.  Bennett didn’t play very much but the short time he was in there, he had a good rebound.

Bennett is going to go to school a 1/2 day tomorrow so he is eligible to play in tomorrow nights game, than we will hurry to his appt in St. Louis at 1:00 and try to make it to the game in time in Harrisburg.   He wants to try so he isn’t missing the only game this week.

Bennett will need an iv push of vincristine, breathing treatment to prevent pneumonia, begin taking steroids twice a day for 5 days, take methotrexate pills besides his daily 6mp pills.

Thank you for checking in, your love, prayers, and support.

“You have limitations but don’t let anything hold you back.”

Bennett is doing good.  He had basketball practice tonight after school.  He went to bed early tonight because tomorrow he is going duck hunting early in the morning.  He is really looking forward to it, hope they have a good/safe hunt!

Tomorrow night he has a ball game at the highschool for the Booster Club shootout. We play at 7:30 p.m. against Salem.  He will have to take a nap after hunting and before the game.

The SI Sports Connection magazine has been published and the magazines are around Benton and surrounding towns.  It’s a really nice magazine and Bennett’s article looks great in print.

We have a special prayer request for our friend Ryan at SLCH.  He is in ICU with pneumonia and he is having trouble breathing.  They are taking everything one day at a time.  It is so heartbreaking for one of your friends to continue to go through so much.  May God bless and heal Ryan!

“Walk with God and trust his word, know your every prayer is heard…… for showers to refresh your soul, and seeds of faith to make you whole.”

Bennett is doing good.  Tonight was the first home game for his 8th grade basketball season!  What an emotional night to see Bennett playing on the BMS court after him being out last year.  Little did we know when he played on that court the last game in Jan. 2007, (22 months ago) that a month later he would be diagnosed with leukemia.  No one really knows how long he had it and how long during that 7th grade season in 2007 that he played having the disease.

Bennett says now that he was tired, out of energy and breathe during the games especially towards the end of that basketball season in 2007. His legs bothered him some too but he just thought it was because of playing so many games.

The team played a tough game tonight against Carbondale.  They are always a good team, very competitive, and play a fast pace game.  We ended up winning by 4 points.   Bennett played almost all of the first quarter. Played some in the 3rd and was part of the play with 8 seconds left of the game.  He kept them from scoring!  He had a steal and a rebound or two.  The other team had a charge called on them when Bennett was guarding them.  I believe this makes the third one Bennett has gotten.  It’s easy for the referee to call a foul on you instead of a charge on the other team but if you don’t move your feet and keep planted it helps.  Like I really know,  LOL

Bennett said Coach K gives a ball that symbolizes the person with the most points, rebounds, hustles, most charges, etc for each game.  Bennett has gotten three.  Two for charges and one for hustling the most at the West Frankfort game.  Bennett was happy about that.

I was really nervous tonight about the game.  I pray every night before the game and sometimes even just through the day to thank God for his healing power and to keep Bennett safe from getting hurt.  The Dr. says he can’t play football because it’s a contact sport since he has the port in his chest.  Well, sometimes basketball is just as physical and you take some hard falls and hits.    Bennett loves it though!   It keeps him going and something to look forward too so I pray/hope he can continue to play every game!

Thank you for checking in on Bennett.  Hope you and your family are blessed.

“You have to strive to do your best because no one else can do it”

Bennett is doing good.  It seems his appetite is decreasing.  He has mentioned for the last couple days that he feels nauseated while eating.  We had noticed he had been eating less at meal time and not snacking very often.  There have been a few nights that he has skipped dinner.    I am assuming it is from the chemo pills he takes daily and weekly.  This coming Tuesday is his next Dr. appt in St. Louis.

Bennett’s team tonight played in Pinckneyville.  We won 50-27.  He played every quarter.  He did pretty good.  He said the guy he had to guard was pretty pushy, I thought he looked huge. Bennett did well guarding him though and had a couple rebounds.

We found out today that our friend Ross Heern from Thompsonville that has non-hodgkin’s lymphoma is in St Jude’s with mono.  Our friend Ryan is in the ICU at SLCH for low blood pressure, he had a high fever and now has pneumonia.  Our little cowboy Ethan goes Monday to Philly again for his 2nd treatment.   Our friend Brittani is now on the lung transplant list for the second time.  We have many more friends that we have met that our on our hearts, minds and prayer list.   We pray for all these special friends and every child that is battling some type of disease.  They are just so young to be dealing with such grown up stuff.

“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”‘

This month’s edition of the SI Sports Connection magazine features and article about Bennett being named on the Jr. High SI All star baseball team while fighting leukemia. The magazine is published by Jim Muir and photos by Ceasar Maragni. A letter at the front of the magazine from the publisher states this:

Also this month is another story about another young man who also overcame great odds just to be able to play sports again. Bennett Page, an eighth grader at Benton Middle School, was diagnosed two years ago with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which took him away from the baseball diamonds and basketball courts that he loved and left him battling for his life. Earlier this fall Bennett returned to sports and played baseball for BMS team and was chosen to compete in a year-end all-star game. Bennett’s triumphant story is a testament to willpower, positive thinking, and prayer.

Here is the link to the article: http://issuu.com/sisportsconnection/docs/nov_2008/8.

A special thank you to Jim and Ceasar for bringing Bennett’s journey to many sports fans and southern Illinoisans! I pray that Bennett’s positive attitude and willingness to never give up will bring others encouragement, believe in God and provide faith that they can do anything. I’ll never forget this quote, “whoever said,”  “winning isn’t everything, never had cancer.”   Bennett continues to win this fight! God has blessed us in so many ways.   He has given more than what was ever taken away.

This story about Bennett will be televised on SI Sports Connection program on channel 3 (WSIL) this Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

A Portrait of Courage

Today is a day to think about what today stands for. It is a time to remember all of our Veteran’s that have fought for our country. Many have lost their lives and others are still fighting today. It is a day to give thanks and respect to these Veteran’s that keep our country free. Attached below are a couple pics from my brother Brian CMSGT in Iraq. I thought they were pretty cool. Brian is playing horseshoes for recreation and he is on the right of a Iraqian that brought the base lunch in appreciation of what the U.S. military is doing for them.

God Bless America!!

Bennett’s ANC today was 1,166 from 1,104. His WBC were 2.2 from 2.4 with 53 neutrophils from 45. His hemoglobin was 11.4 from 11.5 and platelets were 119 from 106. It’s good too see some consistency and that they didn’t take a nose dive down or up. We would prefer them to be a a little higher but we have to take what we get and be thankful.

Bennett’s team played West Frankfort tonight. We won 56-29. Bennett started and played all of the 2nd and 4th quarter. He played an awesome game. He had 6 points, a few rebounds, a couple steals and 2 fouls. He fell/dove a few times. A few times were from him going after the ball and couple falls were from him tripping over his own feet. His wrist was bothering him at half time from one fall. He was fouled and shot two three throws but missed.

I took off work today to spend with the boys. Bennett and I went shopping for Sid’s birthday tomorrow and out to lunch. We had the best time talking and kidding around. Tonight we are reading all our friends caring bridge sites together, Bennett was concerned and curious about how his 9west friends are doing.

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better,
and your better, IS BEST.” - Tim Duncan