Sunday, January 17, 2010

"Wishes do come true"

Good evening,


I just have time for a quick entry tonight because we are a very busy household these days. Dane's "wish" to watch a San Jose hockey game and meet "big" Joe Thornton has been granted and we are on a plane to California later this week. As you can likely imagine, the excitement factor is kicking into high gear and everyone is really looking forward to this trip (ok, so Clare isn't sure what is going on but that's kind of been the story of her life thus far).

We will be staying in Anaheim for several days (lets hope the torrential rain forecast for this week ends before we arrive) and then we'll move to San Jose. We plan to take in as much of Cali as we can, including Disneyland, Universal Studios, shopping (this is MY part of the trip), hockey, the ocean and general sightseeing. This experience has been a long time coming and it will be very nice for Ashley as we will be away around her birthday.

Dane gets to spend "one-on-one" time with Joe T. and we're pretty sure the Sharks have some neat stuff in store for him. It will truly be a once in a lifetime moment and many photos will be taken to capture it for his "fan base"!

The after effects of his Jan 5 chemo treatment & steroid boost have worn off and he's feeling great. Although his team had a tough outing against a very strong team this past Friday night, he played what was likely his best game of the season. He skated hard and fast and carried the puck more than he has all year. It was wonderful to see. Aside from the pills he takes at home every day, he is "med" free until early February and this bodes well for the trip.

A catch-up item from my last post ... I forgot to include the link from the story that ran on CTV on X-mas Eve re: the Believe in the Goal Foundation. So if you missed the story, please just click the link below and it's the second story.

http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/sports/

So, until we return from Cali, take care everyone ... Janie, Dirk, Ashley, Dane & Clare

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

"365 Days"

Today is the day. January 6, 2009 - Dane's oncologist confirms he has leukemia and our lives would never be the same again. As is the case with most traumatic events, I have been having "flashbacks" to this time last year. Although it has been 365 days, I can still vividly remember meetings, phone calls, procedures, needles, medical explanations, visits from family and friends, and lots and lots of tears. Fortunately I can also remember many tender moments shared with Dane and Ashley - lots of hugs and kisses and reassuring words. So in the spirit of the"glass half full (vs. empty) philosophy", I have compiled the first "top 10" list of Dane's blog. Here goes ...
Top 10 Highlights of the Past 365 Days (in no particular order because that would be way too difficult)
#10 - Dane's oncologist tells us that although Dane has leukemia, it's the "best" kind to get - very common (as common as childhood cancer is) and very treatable.
#9 - Children's Wish Foundation. Everything about this organization is fantastic and our entire family has been treated very well. As of earlier today it seems like some progress is occurring on Dane's request to meet Joe Thornton so we'll keep folks posted (Ashley is sooo looking forward to a warm trip this winter to make-up for cancelling Disney last year).
#8 - Ongoing and amazing support of our family and friends. People in our lives have been outstanding this past year and as we have said many times in this blog - thank you so very much!
#7 - After a mere two weeks of treatment, Dane's body kicks the leukemia's @#*# and he is declared an "Early Rapid Responder". This means he is in remission and his prognosis is even better than when first diagnosed.
#6 - After an eight month hiatus from the sport he loves, Dane steps back on the ice in September for camp. After a slow start, he gains speed, strength and stamina and is successful in his attempt to play 8A1 Hockey. Halfway through the season he is passionate about the game again and asking to go on our backyard outdoor rink on a daily basis.
#5 - CancerCare Manitoba. The doctors, nurses, child life therapists, pharmacists and Foundation staff are wonderful. Our family has been treated with nothing but care and compassion throughout this difficult journey and we are so grateful. We "give back" by agreeing to be the face of the Holiday Appeal campaign and this leads to many great things - CTV Sports Star and NHL Experience.
#4 - Dane's body puts up a very good fight and infection germs are kept at bay all year long. This results in zero re-hospitalizations in 2009 and that is great news for everyone.
#3 - Believe in the Goal Foundation. The surprise news on Christmas Eve that Dane has been chosen for the NHL Experience was an exciting day for our entire family. We are very grateful to Shawn Churchill (CTV), the Believe in the Goal Board and Bob & Barb Davison (Todd's parents).
#2 - The gem amongst the pokes, prods, nausea, blood transfusions, etc. of our visits to the Clinic are our new and dear friends. To the following kids and their families - Hayden, Jessie R., Jessie L., Nick, Zoe and of course our special Kendra - thank you for friendship and kindness.
#1 - May 11, 2009 - Clare Avery Hantscher is born healthy & very happy. Not much more to say about this event as it speaks for itself. It was a real highlight this past year and even though I said at the beginning that these are in no particular order, this one is hard to beat!
Here's to hoping the 2010 highlight reel is filled with many great moments, stories and memories.
Take care - Janie & Dirk
p.s. I just about forgot the darn medical stuff. Dane had his monthly IV chemo yesterday and all went well. His neutrophils are just high enough to stay at 100% of his pill dosages (they were .82 yesterday) and the doctor figures they are borderline because he is fighting yet another cold (he just can't seem to stay away from them right now). His hemoglobin is at 130 and that's great news for energy & attitude!

Friday, January 1, 2010

"Welcome 2010"

Happy New Year! We hope that you enjoyed your evening last night. We celebrated the beginning of this new decade with our very good friends "The Martin 5". It was casual and cozy and just the right pace for our family. One of the highlights was watching Canada beat USA 5-4 in a shootout - it was a very exciting game.
The past holiday week has been filled with lots of activities - special times spent with friends and family and many hockey games. Dane's team ended up coming 5th out of 14 teams in the X-mas tourney and they even won a trophy. The last game featured a tight score and a victory lap by all the players. Dane was a bit behind the pack as he was too busy trying to find his new hockey gloves in the pile in the middle of the ice. It was quite funny to watch him pick up gloves and throw them back into the pile until he found his pair.
The "Believe in the Goal" euphoria has subsided for a bit. I'm sure it will pick up again once the trip planning begins. We are still waiting to hear from the Wish Foundation re: a trip to San Jose ... we are hopeful an answer will come soon because we are hoping to go away later in January. The story that aired X-mas Eve is no longer on CTV's website but I am trying to get an electronic copy soon so I can post it on the blog.
The past few days have been pretty tough. Kendra's funeral was Wednesday and it was very emotional. It was a beautiful service - a fitting tribute to a young woman who was beautiful inside and out. I think I've found it particularly tough because even though it's been 11 years, I can still vividly remember the intense sadness we felt in the days, weeks and months after Cole died. My heart aches that her family has to feel such sadness and I find my mind drifting to them often. Dane's next appt at the Clinic is on Tuesday and it will be hard to see the construction on "Kendra's Room". When it is finished though it will be a wonderful legacy.
The kids are calling because we promised we'd play a game to end what has been a very lazy Jan 1. It is exactly one year ago this week that Dane was diagnosed with leukemia - what a year it has been. It has been filled with many hard and scary moments, but at the same time, much joy (aka Clare of course). As a family we are relieved to say good-bye to 2009 and welcome what we hope and anticipate will be a gentler 2010.
All our best - Janie and Dirk