Sunday, May 31, 2009

"One strong body"
















Good morning,

Today's entry should have the following disclaimer to prevent me from being "caught" by the grammar police - WARNING: author of this blog is typing and writing with eyes being kept open strictly by toothpicks. For all you mothers out there, it won't take long for you to figure out the disclaimer is code for "my newborn is keeping some nasty hours and I'm darn tired". Now onto the past week's news ...
Dane's body continues to show its tenacity. He had his appt on Friday at the Cancer Clinic and his neutrophils were even higher then on May 19. Given both his neutrophils and platelets were above the required levels, he received the same dose of vincristine and an increased dose of methotrexate. He felt fine on Friday after the treatment, however by yesterday he was pretty fatigued and in the evening he was running a temperature of just over 38. This warranted a call to the pediatric oncologist, who indicated he didn't need to come into the ER because his counts were high enough on Friday. He told us to watch him closely over the rest of the weekend and call Monday if his temp is still up. He is a bit feverish again today and has a slight cough so it will be a "low-key" day. We are allowed to give him tylenol because he's not neutropenic and that seems to be helping. Aside from this "hiccup" right now, he has felt very well the past ten days. He went to school every day except Friday and he played both his soccer games this week. He scored a couple of beauty goals and in an upcoming blog we'll be sure to include a photo of him in his "Red Devils" uniform. His next appt is June 9 at the Clinic and assuming his counts are still "ok", he will receive his chemo and have a spinal tap the following day at the Pediatric Day Unit at Children's Hospital. We haven't been there since March so he will have to re-acquaint himself with the nurses and doctors (aka - show them his Dane attitude)!
Ashley is having a busy and sports filled May/June. She is running in Marathon Club several times a week and her ringette team is now sporting an 8-0 record. Earlier this morning they beat a team of girls one division older than her team and she potted two goals. Dirk was on dad duty for this game as Dane, Clare and I stayed home to rest up. Tomorrow marks the start of June and the beginning of what will be a busy month for our sociable grade 3 student.
Little Clare continues to delight the family, however her "charm" doesn't work quite as well with her mom at 3 am! She has been "growth spurting" this week (eating all the time, a bit fussier and very interrupted sleeps). I'm hopeful this spurt is drawing to a close so we can get into some kind of nighttime routine. She was up to a whopping 7 lbs this Wednesday at her pediatrician's appt. Although she is still small, that's a good gain since she was born. Enjoy the latest couple of pictures I've included.
Take care and thanks to all for the continued home cooking and treats for the kids.
Janie and Dirk












Tuesday, May 19, 2009

"Right on Track"











Hello everyone,

Dane is at soccer, Ashley is at ringette and baby Clare is "snoozin" so now is the perfect time for me to post a quick blog update. I'll start with Dane's latest treatment news ...
After a ten day break from the Cancer Clinic that was enjoyed and appreciated by all of us, Dane was due for his second Interim Maintenance (IM) treatment today. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, during IM the amount of medicine he receives every ten days is based upon his neutrophil and platelet counts. For him to carry on without any breaks, both his neutrophil and platelet counts have to be above .75 and 75 respectively. His counts were great today, 1.51 for neutrophils and 220 for platelets, so he received two medicines as scheduled and the dosage of methotrexate was increased. Aside from a slight crampy stomach-ache after he received the meds, he felt just fine and returned to school for the majority of the afternoon. Assuming no issues arise in the next week and a half, he has another ten day break before his next appointment on May 29. His hemoglobin stayed up there at 106 which is wonderful because then he has more energy to zip around the soccer field and play outside with his sister and his friends. He continues to be one brave kid when it comes to finger pokes and IVs and just today, a few people commented on how well he manages his "needles" in the absence of a port or central line (which the vast majority of kids in his situation have opted for). We are so very proud of him and how he handles his illness.

Baby Clare and family news ...

Week one is in the books and we have all fared pretty well. Clare Avery is a very content baby and she is being spoiled with affection by her big brother and sister. They jockey for who gets to hold her and what they can help out with, and it is wonderful to see them dote on her. Their "hands" truly do make my life a lot easier because I can get lots done while they are snugglin' Clare. Ashley and Dane are unfazed by her nightime wake ups, however Dirk and I are pretty tired these days. After ten days at home with us, Dirk heads back to work tomorrow. Here's hoping little Clare sleeps a bit more soundly tonight so he isn't woken up quite as often. Of course I've included some more recent photos of Clare, Ashley and Dane with this blog update.

Well, my eyes are getting heavy and it's time for wee Clare to have her bath. Our thanks to folks for the kind messages and home cooking - all your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Take care - Janie and Dirk

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

"Introducing Clare Avery"











Good evening,








This is a very special posting for obvious reasons. Ashley and Dane are "over the moon" to introduce their sister, Clare Avery Hantscher. Our plan came to fruition and I was induced on Mother's Day. The labour and delivery went very smoothly and after a few hours of tough contractions, an hour or so with an epidural and one little push, our precious daughter made her entry at 12:15 am Monday, May 11. She weighed 6 lbs, 10 oz and measured 19 3/4 inches (a nice size considering she was 11 days early). As you can see from the pictures, she has a full head of light brown hair and is petite statured. Of course we are biased and in love with little Clare, but we think she is quite the stunner.

We were released from the hospital this morning and arrived home to see the kids over the lunch hour. We met them at school after the bell and were immediately swarmed by their friends and classmates. Given everything that has been going on in our world, Clare is a real community baby and it's a very special feeling to know we have such caring "neighbors". We all went to Dane's soccer game tonight to cheer him on and when Ashley, Clare and I arrived, he turned up his effort another notch. The kids have been taking turns holding her and also helped give Clare her first bath at home.

All three of our children are now asleep and that's my cue to finish typing and get to bed before the feeding frenzy begins. I've had about six hours of sleep since Sunday morning and the adrenaline will be running out real soon. Dane has been feeling very well since his treatment last Friday and has managed to maintain his appetite in the midst of all the excitement. We are hopeful for an uneventful week with him until his treatment next Tuesday.

Thanks to everyone for holding our family in their thoughts. Clare's safe and healthy arrival was a huge relief and we are now relishing in being the parents of a newborn after a seven year hiatus. A special thanks from Ashley and Dane to their grandma and grandpa for taking such good care of them the past couple of days.

We'll post more pictures and updates in the days to come.

Take care - Janie and Dirk

Friday, May 8, 2009

"May 8, 2012"

Good afternoon,

There is no typo in today's title. I did not intend it to be May 8, 2009, but rather May 8, 2012 - the day we will all look so forward to as barring any nasty relapse, it will mark the end of Dane's leukemia treatment. Yes, the three year clock started ticking this morning when we received the great news his neutrophil count had climbed to .90, nicely above the .75 level required to start the next round, Interim Maintenance (IM). After an uneventful finger poke and IV start, Dane received two drugs - Vincristine (VCR) and Methotrexate (MTX). He has had both of these medicines many times before, however today was the first time he had MTX intravenously versus through a spinal tap. He complained of a slight stomach ache afterwards, so we waited at the clinic for about 30 minutes and then I brought him home for the afternoon (he's busy playing his PSP right now). I have a feeling the stomach ache was a slight "con" on his part, as he has taken a real liking to an 18 month old at the clinic and lying on the couch for half-an-hour gave him an opportunity to visit his little friend.
The IM round is 56 days and for the first time in his four months of treatment, he receives medicines every ten days versus weekly. Assuming he feels well in the meantime, we have our longest reprieve between appointments since his diagnosis in early January. He is not scheduled to return to the clinic until Tuesday, May 19. Although this round is not as intense as the previous two phases, as a parent it's a bit more complicated because his medicine dosages and frequencies will be adjusted depending on his neutrophil and platelet counts. The doctor gave me a handy guide sheet today so I can wrap my head around the various scenarios. He should complete IM in early July and then he would start his final round before long-term Maintenance.

So, the question is ... how will we fill our time between today and his next appointment? Surprise, surprise, we have a plan! Based upon the assumption he would be ready today, my OB and I agreed to me being induced this Sunday - yes, Mother's Day. So unless something crazy happens on the ward, we are supposed to get a call early that morning to come in. This really is it - the time has come for us to welcome our daughter and sister. I'm hoping for a quick delivery and if not, good drugs to help me through. It will be a tiring day for everyone on Sunday and we've been preparing the kids that we have no idea how long the process will take. Grandma Judy and Grandpa David will be the "entertainment" that day and we think they will want to keep Ashley and Dane very occupied or they might drive them crazy.
Until our next entry, please hold good thoughts that Dane feels well in the next few days and baby "H" arrives safe and healthy.
Thank you ... Janie and Dirk

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

"Dashing for Dane" to the tune of $3000!




Good morning,

I hadn't intended to post an update until after Dane's appointment this Friday, however I have some great pictures to share and awesome news that between Jodi and Noah, just over $3000 was raised for the "Dashing for Dane" relay team. The "D for D" team ran in the Cops for Cancer half-marathon this past Sunday and they did fantastic. They placed 25 out of about 250 teams and in doing so, well surpassed their anticipated race time.
Dane and I were on the route to watch them finish, however it didn't exactly play out as we had intended. We thought they wouldn't be finished until about 10:00 - 10:15, so we parked the car at 9:45 and walked up a side street to the main route. We then spotted a closer parking spot, so I proceeded to move the car, only to find out I couldn't park in this spot. So, we headed back up to Portage Avenue (the route started and finished at Assiniboine Park) to turn down another side street. As we were doing so, out of the corner of my eye I spotted Jodi and Noah in the home stretch, many minutes ahead of their expected pace. By the time Dane and I realized it was them, it was too late to roll down the window and yell "go D for D team"! We were cheering them on from in the van and once we'd parked and walked into the park, we found them near the finish line. We snapped these snazzy photos "post-race" - they both look great to me considering they had just finished a half-marathon relay! Our heartfelt thanks to Jodi and Noah for running for our special son Dane and to everyone who donated to this very worthwhile cause. Post baby, I'm hoping to run next year to carry on the tradition.

Dane continues to feel super this week and he attended his first soccer practice last night. He has no shortage of energy and if Dirk was agreeable, Dane would spend every second outside in the nice weather playing street hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. He has taken a real liking to bbq'ed food these days as well and has appointed himself Dirk's "bbq gopher". His love for any meat product truly demonstrates he is truly his father's son. Ashley's 3x3 ringette team is off to a roaring start - they are 2-0 after their first week of play.
If the "plan" comes to fruition, we should expect baby "H" to arrive perhaps on Sunday or Monday. The kids are very excited and counting down the days, however no-one is more ready than me. Sleep is difficult to come by, due to my 9 month bump and many thoughts about actually delivering this baby! After 7.5 years, I've kind of forgotten what it feels like, however my memory is still vivid enough to remember to focus on the end result because the journey is usually not much fun.
I'll be back in touch after Dane's appointment this Friday. Please keep your "fingers crossed" he's ready to start this week. If he is, the three year treatment clock will start ticking May 8, 2009.
Take care ... Janie and Dirk


Saturday, May 2, 2009

"What we expected"

Good morning,
I'm pleased and relieved to report that after the tooth fiasco of late last week, this past week was pretty uneventful. Dane's mouth healed well and he didn't experience any infection issues so you could say we "dodged another bullet" in his journey. He has been feeling great and like last week, attended school Monday - Thursday (full days) without any challenges. We had parent-teacher conferences on Thursday and as much as I intuitively know he is not struggling even though he has missed a lot of school the past four months, hearing that he is doing "great" from his teachers is welcome news. He is apparently not completely co-operative at school when it comes to completing tasks (can't imagine that from our Dane, yeah right) and is quite chatty with his friends (they like to catch up when he's back), however these issues are more manageable now that he is there more frequently. His big sister is a little "scholar" so all in all, the news from school was excellent this past week.
Dane had his one visit to the clinic yesterday and as we expected, his neutrophil levels were not high enough to begin the next round of treatment referred to as Interim Maintenance (IM). That said, his white count doubled from last week and his neutrophils climbed from .08 to .35, but they need to get to .76 to start IM. If the last cycle is any indication, he should likely be ready to start this coming Friday, May 8. As we also expected, his hemoglobin and platelet counts were super - 110 for hemoglobin (2nd highest it has been in four months) and 492 for platelets (his top score thus far). When his regular oncologist heard about the teeth incident, I think she was very relieved his platelet counts were so good or the bleeding could have been much worse. When he is in between treatment rounds, the effects of his normal hemoglobin score are very evident to us, as he demonstrates normal Dane energy "pre-leukemia". His attitude and behavior at times are still definitely issues and we are working on reminding him that having leukemia does not give him a license to be a brat (cutting to the chase and for lack of a more eloquent label).
The doctor gave her blessing a few weeks ago for him to play 8 year old soccer so that starts this Tuesday. It's good timing given he is feeling great and it will be a joy to watch him out there with his school friends. Ashley has opted out of soccer this year but instead is playing spring 3X3 ringette and her season starts tomorrow morning bright and early. I am not coaching her team, as I actually had the good sense (for once in my life) to realize that was taking on too much right now.
I for one am ecstatic May has arrived and perhaps we are starting to experience some more consistent weather and sunny days. May 5 will be four months since Dane's diagnosis and at times it really does seem like a life time ago. When he was first hospitalized, it was the dead of winter, the days were short and cold and the baby bump was just that - a bump. We are now officially in the middle of spring, outdoor time has arrived and the bump is hopefully only a week or so away from turning into a little person. Although some days are long and still very hard, it seems for the time being we have found a way to effectively live with Dane's leukemia. We wouldn't have survived the gruelling winter without the caring and support of our family and many great friends - thank you again.
In an entry way back in late January, I let folks know that my best friend Jodi and her ten year- old son Noah are running in the Cops for Cancer half marathon relay. The run is tomorrow morning and we will be at the finish line to cheer them on and to say thanks for running as the "Dashing for Dane" team. If you had thought of making a donation to this cause but misplaced the link, I've inserted it below. Between on-line and cheque donations, the two of them have raised over $2300 thus far. They have already exceeded their combined goal and once the final numbers are in, I will post the total in an upcoming blog entry.
Unless there is some big news in the next few days, aka Baby "H's" arrival, I'll post an update sometime after Dane's appointment next Friday.
Have a good week everyone.
Janie and Dirk