"Busy ... Busy"

So, yet another headline to "excuse" my blog writing delay. Life is truly very busy these days ... such is fall when you have kids playing winter sports. A quick recap of the past month and some cute pics as well ...

Start of another cycle

Dane had his monthly chemo treatment and every three month spinal tap procedure last week. The good news is his neutrophil count rebounded from October so we remain at 100% chemo dosages and don't have to go back to clinic until early December. The bad news is the past five days have been "steroids" and you all know by now that is our least favorite time of the month. He did pretty well this go around ... a couple of down days in the middle but today he seems more like his normal self. We are on the countdown of spinals ... I think he only has six left until he finishes this gig once and for all in May 2012!

Early champions

Both kids were entered in pre-season tourneys and just to be sure neither was outdone, each of their teams won the gold medals/championships. Ashley's team is off to a wonderful start - they are 7-0 and really having a great time. She's skating fantastic and playing solid "d". Dane's team is 8-2 and bonding like crazy. In between many ice times they are finding time for lots of fun activities ... swimming parties, street hockey pancake breakfasts and Moose games. All in all - the season is off to a super start.

18 months

It's hard to believe but our "little" Clare is already 18 months old! She is soooo much fun and in our biased opinions absolutely adorable. She has really found her voice - the talking is taking shape and to our dismay, she has screaming down to a science. Not much of a surprise - her favorite word is "NO" and she says it with conviction. She is officially a rink rat and we are looking forward to trying her out in bob-skates this winter on our backyard ice.

Working for a living

It's two months today that I went back and all is going pretty well. It's definitely a balancing act with three kids but everyone is doing their part to manage the "chaos". Dirk is really enjoying his new job at Hydro and his return to the technical side of engineering.

Looking ahead

The rest of this month and December will be filled with more hockey & ringette. Dane's team is entered in a tourney in Minnesota in a few weeks that should be tons of fun. And of course it's prep time for x-mas ... always a busy, busy time of the year!

Hope life is good - Janie & Dirk

"Where have we been?"

These days I feel like a student with a very overdue assignment. I know I need to get my "work" done but I just haven't been able to get to it. After a couple of weeks of procrastinating I'm giving myself a proverbial kick in the butt tonight and posting our news from the past several weeks.

Since I last wrote Dane has had two monthly chemo treatments. One was mid-September and the other was just this morning. He continues to feel pretty well and his blood counts remain decent. Today's neutrophils are a little lower than usual and not optimal, so we have to return to the clinic in two weeks for a follow-up blood test. The good news is his hemoglobin has rebounded (it was a bit lower in Sept) and is sitting in the middle of the normal range. Bodes well for hockey ... I'll get to that update in a minute. The next week will likely not be ideal - the steroids have been affecting him more in recent months. September was brutal and scary -Dane was really emotional and down. We are hoping it was a "blip" due to all the changes in his life and that this month is better. All of us and his oncology team are anxious for the next seven days to be behind us.

We spent much of September and early October in the rink as Dane and Ashley participated in evaluations for A1 hockey & district (A) ringette. In both their cases, energy = effort = positive results. Ashley was successful in her skates and very pleased her hard work landed her on the district team with her BFF. After a bit of a sluggish start (tryouts began the week of Dane's last chemo treatment), Dane hit his stride and for the second year is playing the highest level of hockey for his age. He is really happy with his coaches and players and is already making new friends. Although it's very hard to go through the process, it's all made worthwhile when you see the kids branch out of their comfort zone and develop new friendships. We were really fortunate last year to meet some great new people and we are looking forward to this year being the same. The next couple of weeks are filled with practices and a couple of tournaments and then league play starts in late October/early November.

My return to work in mid-September went pretty smoothly. I didn't enjoy the first few days and I really, really missed the kids. Having Dirk in the same building was a big help and as much as I thought the car pooling would drive us both crazy, it's actually working out well because we get to catch up to & from work every day. Once I got over my loneliness, I started to shift my mind-set back to the world of Hydro and building dams and I actually began to "enjoy" work. Intuitively I knew it was time because I'd been home for too long with my complete focus the kids and Dane's illness. Of course I still think about it when I'm at the office, but I have a job to do and that requires a different kind of focus. Probably the hardest part of returning was getting over the "nagging" feeling the other shoe would drop if I let my guard down and returned to the world of the "living" as I describe it. I know it isn't logical, but it's how I felt. Now that I've been at it for a month, I'm past that fear and know it's best for everyone that I be employed again. Clare has adjusted really well to her nanny and we are so thankful to have such a kind and warm young woman looking after the kids.

Late September was our time to remember Cole and how his presence, even for such a short time, enhanced our lives. The kids still have their moments when they are sad their older brother is not here, but we remind them his gift to them is to live in the moment and be happy. We know that is what he would wanted for his special siblings.

I will sign-off before my ability to articulate really abandons me. I'm pretty tired tonight - this working for a living is definitely an adjustment!

Until next time, take care - Janie & Dirk

Dragon Boating Finals

The email has arrived ... we finished near the top of the pack after our two races today. We had an awesome day and for the first time in the team's history, clocked two races under 2:00. Based on our results, the following is our time for tomorrow:

Time: 12:40 pm (approximate)

Division: Mixed Recreational, Division I

Heat: AA

Lane: 2

Team: #40 - Paddlestar Gallactica

We will also be speaking at the Closing Ceremonies at 4:00 pm in the Beer Gardens (where else)!It's supposed to be a beautiful day and we'd love it if you could join us as we paddle our hearts out in support of the CCS and celebrate a wonderful group of people's contribution to a great cause.

Thank you and good night. Time to rest some tired bodies!

Janie & Dirk

"September is ..."

This month is significant for many reasons, several of which I'll detail in today's entry - "September is ... "

- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

All across the world, the message is getting out that September is CCAM. The reading I've done on the Internet is fascinating and makes me realize we are part of such a larger community. One of the neatest things about CCAM is some soul has launched a Facebook campaign to get Oprah to do a show about childhood cancer. It was started just a few days ago and has nearly 5000 members already, me included. Lets hope the message is heard loud and clear.

- Back to ... everything

Tomorrow is day one of structure, oh, I mean school. Ashley and Dane start grades 4 & 5 respectively, officially both in middle school. The backpacks are ready, the outfits picked out and the spirits mixed. Ash is definitely ready ... Dane, well he could wear a bathing suit 12 months of the year! I on the other hand really, really need them to get back to routine - nine weeks of togetherness has us all a bit on edge. Clare is not going to know what's up - she is so used to her big bro & sis being around all the time.

I return to work in a week so another big adjustment for the entire family. Clare's nanny is gearing up to start work and we're hopeful for a smooth transition.

The winter sports have kicked into high gear. Hockey & ringette camps are filling our evenings and weekends, but we love being back at the rink.

- Dragon Boating

We finished our third and final practice last night and it was the toughest one either of us can remember. Wow - we have some sore muscles and butts today. It seems finishing 2nd overall last year has the team thinking we need to improve?!? If you are interested in watching an exciting and emotional event, we are team #40 - Paddlestar Gallactica and our Saturday race times are as follows ...

1st race - Heat W - Lane #1 - Approx time 1:50 pm

2nd race - Heat YY - Lane #2 - Approx time 5:20 pm

We won't know Sunday's final time until later Saturday evening (I will post the final that night).

We are the honorary spokespersons for this year's Festival and will be speaking at the Opening (noon Saturday) & Closing Ceremonies (4:00 pm Sunday). Seems pretty appropriate September is CCAM and this event is taking place this month.

If you'd like to support our fundraising, please see the link I included in my last blog update - Thanks!!!

- The Half-Way Mark

A month or so ago when I couldn't fall asleep one night I did the math in my head re: Dane's treatment. He was diagnosed Jan 6, 2009 and will finish May 8, 2012, a total of 40 months to rid his body hopefully once-and-for-all of this nasty leukemia. Well, it's September 7, 2010 and officially month 20 or the half-way mark of our family's journey. When I figured this all out late that one night it was an overwhelming feeling. Realizing how far we've come since that awful January night is pretty amazing, yet knowing we still have just as much time to go is cause for some angst. We will make it though - Dane is just too tenacious, spirited and downright stubborn to let cancer beat him!!!

Take care - Janie & Dirk

A Summer Photo Essay

Well, it's August 29 and in ten days Dane & Ashley will make the trek back to Oakenwald to start grades 4 and 5. Dirk heads to Hydro for Day 1 of his new job tomorrow and the countdown is on for me ... Sept 15 is my return to the working world after a nearly two year hiatus. We've packed a lot of fun into the past two months that I'll recap with some recent photos ...

Look at me ... I'm kayaking! Never to be left behind her big bro & sis, Clare stepped in but never quite made it away from the dock. Check out that tummy!

Although not in this picture, the kids took it one evening at the lake in July. It's got to be one of the best sunsets we've ever seen.



August Long weekend ... fun to be had with Scott, Karen & Marshall visiting from NB. Based upon Marshall's idea, Scott & Dirk's carpentry, Karen and the kids' creativity and G&G's babysitting, we ventured out on the "Pirates of Lot 9" craft for some water excitement!

Pre and post 18 holes of golf with Cam Barker, Dane's generous and gracious host for the Believe in the Goal Invitational Golf Tourney. Dane had an amazing time ... we're not quite sure if Cam will recover from the trauma of Dane's driving, but we are hopeful! Top photo is Dane and Mason dropping the ceremonial puck to kick-off the event. When I get the photos from the professional photog we'll post some of Dane coaching with Jonathan Toews.

Dane's CCMB buddies hanging out in Souris during a very fun but chilly August weekend. Four of the five kids in this photo are kickin' leukemia's but and our host Jessie (far left) has recently beaten her fight with lymphoma. Way to go gang and LOVE all the new curls!!!!

Ashley, Dane & Clare with lake Superior in the background. This one was taken earlier this week during an end-of-summer get-away to Duluth and Minni for sightseeing, lots of swimming and some shopping.

Well, that's July & August in a nutshell. On the medical front, Dane started his fifth Maintenance cycle in mid-August. He has felt great all summer long and we can really notice the return of his strength, stamina and muscle tone. His blood counts have been excellent so he has remained on 100% dosages of all his meds. He and Ashley strap on the skates this week for hockey and ringette camps and we are anxious to see how they fare.

Late August and early September also signifies dragon boating season. As was the case last year, we are paddling on team Paddlestar Gallactica. If you are interested in supporting our cause, the following is the link to our personal page. Our team captain and me are the honorary spokespersons for the event this year. Apparently our team spirit (aka loudness and time spent in the beer tent post races) and Dane's story caught folks' attention in 2009!

http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/Manitobathirdpartyevent/DRAGON_MB_Winnipeg_?px=2893401&pg=personal&fr_id=8520

Hope summer has been good to everyone - Janie & Dirk

"Seeing is Believing"

Just time for a quick update and posting of a picture from this week's "Believe in the Goal" activities. It's been a whirlwind three days which I will recap in more detail in my next update when I'm not prying my eyes open with toothpicks. Suffice to say Dane had an AMAZING time as the NHL Experience child and the highlights included golfing 18 holes with Cam Barker, dropping the puck and co-coaching with Jonathan Toews!

Great people united for a great cause ... helping kids & adolescents fighting cancer.

Take care ... Janie & Dirk

"Is he a celebrity yet???"

We're thinking that three CTV stories in eight months has likely "elevated" Dane to a local celebrity but we're certainly not telling him that! And we think after this many tries he might just be getting the hang of how it's done ... the first time all he did was nod; the second story he muttered one word answers and yesterday's piece he nodded, smiled and wait for it ... gave a two word answer! He also obviously poked at one of the hockey stars a bit before the press conference as is evident by Travis' quote about Dane reminding him Jersey went out in the first round - again! Our boy is sure subtle ....

So, in case you didn't catch the story, here is the link to the Believe update that aired July 19. The footage is from the press conference held back in June and it's meant as a lead-up to the big game on August 12. It should be a great couple of days and if you are interested in tickets, they are just $20 and available through Select-A-Seat at at local Dairy Queen stores.

http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTemplate/?tf=ctvlocal%2Fhub%2FhubCap.html&cf=ctvlocal%2Fwinnipeg.cfg&hub=Winnipeg&page=search&site_codename=Winnipeg&query=Dane+Hantscher+&x=30&y=8

The first three weeks of summer have been really good. We've been at the lake for most of it and enjoying some pretty good weather. Dane had his monthly IV chemo appt today. It was long but went not too bad. He was a bit more stressed than usual about the IV ... that's the "double-edged sword" of going infrequently. Needles became second nature for him when he got so many that he didn't even flinch but now he gets a bit more worked up because he kind of forgets from month-to-month. His neutrophils are only .51, so just high enough to keep going at 100% dosages. The oncologist figures it's because he's had a congestion virus for the better part of three weeks so she's not worried. It means a trip back though in two weeks for blood work but that's just a finger poke so he should manage ok. Today is day one of "roid rage" week so we're bracing ourselves for the inevitable emotional roller-coaster. The good news is he should be fully recovered for our next stint at the lake and all the Believe activities.

The change of pace has been nice for Ashley. As much as she loves school, a break from routine and academics is welcome. Clare is "going" even more than last month ... we think she is going to be a handful.

Take care and hope the summer is treating you well - Janie & Dirk