"Sports Star - Tuesday November 24"

Hello everyone,

I'm frantically sending out emails and posting this blog entry because we just found out earlier this evening that Dane's "Sports Star of the Week" feature will be on CTV news TOMORROW - Tuesday November 24. It will apparently be on three times - on the lunch hour newscast, at 6:00 pm and at 11:30 pm. The feature will also be posted on CTV's website in case you miss the news.

Dirk was with Dane for the interview portion tonight and it sounds like our 8 year old was a tad reluctant. So if his answers are pretty limited and he looks like he is hiding a bit under his hoodie, so be it. By Dirk's description, it seems we are lucky he got in front of the camera at all. I'm sure I'll get reminded about "how I made him do this" many times over in the days, weeks, months and years to come!!

Hope you enjoy the feature - Janie and Dirk

"Have you seen Dane?"

Before you panic, we haven't lost Dane. "Have you seen Dane?" is my play on words for this week ... yep, he is officially a celebrity.

Starting today the direct mail letter from CancerCare Manitoba is arriving in Manitobans' mailboxes. The letter is being sent to about 40,000 households and we know it's out there because Canada Post delivered ours today. It seemed fitting that Dane was the one who opened this one piece of mail tonight. Below is the link to the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation website, specifically "Dane's Story" (this is the same copy as in the direct mail letter).

www.cancercarefdn.mb.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=534

Starting this Saturday, a piece will also be running in the WFP for about six weeks. I find it to be a striking ad - the picture of Dane is a real close-up and definitely elicits emotion.

The 30 second TV spot is "in the can" (journalist language) and should start running on CTV by the middle of next week. Ashley and Dane did a wonderful job at the rink and performing a spinal tap on the puppet at CancerCare with their favorite Child Life Specialist. They definitely look like future doctors or scientists. There will also be a 60 second spot on the Foundation's website and I will post both links once they are available.

This entire experience has been a lot of things to our family. Although Dane was resistant, he seems to be quite pleased with the finished products and even went so far as to admit he likes the pictures they chose of him. The team working on this project went out of their way to include Ashley and that was wonderful as she has often felt like the odd person out during this incredibly tough ten month journey. Clare has been the "gerber" baby and her mild mannered personality has been the topic of much conversation. Although Dirk has had more of a supporting role, he has been very engaged in the whole process and I very much appreciate his patience. For me this undertaking was more "therapy". A chance to return to my journalist roots while being altruistic and another reminder that when life gives you BIG, FAT lemons, you work damn hard to turn them into a meaningful pitcher of lemonade.

The "bonus" of this project is the CTV producer nominated Dane to be "Sports Star of the Week". The station is taking video footage of his game tomorrow night and then interviewing he and Dirk next Monday. I don't know exactly when it will run but again I will keep folks posted via the blog. He's #19 (Big Joe Thornton's #).

Dane is on his off-week for appointments. Everything went smoothly last Tuesday and all his blood counts are holding. He's still on 100% of the chemo dosages and goes back to the Clinic next Tuesday for his bi-weekly blood work.

Until next time, take care ... Janie and Dirk

"Lights, Camera and Action"

It's the end of what has been a busy week so just a short blog update before calling it a night.

Here's a snapshot of our "happenings" ...

Trick 'r' Treat

All we can say is WOW do the staff at Cancer Care Manitoba know how to spoil a bunch of well-deserving kids! Ashley and Dane had an absolute blast trick 'r' treating last Friday morning. There were many great costumes, friendly faces and best of all a scale at the end to weigh the nearly ten pounds of goodies in their candy bags. This was a trial run for the real deal last Saturday night and they were not disappointed. They each went out with friends (and parents in tow) and collected quite the haul. Dane had no shortage of energy to run door to door and he now has enough chocolate to last an entire year! It was great that he was feeling well and could enjoy the holiday like all his peers. Hope you enjoy the post costume picture. Dane was a Wii remote (imagine that), Ashley was an art palette and have you ever seen a cuter Hershey's Kiss?

Boosting the US Economy

In need of a little get away and some new duds for our ever growing Clare (19 lbs and rising as she closes in on the six month mark next week), I escaped to Fargo and GF with my mom and Clare for a couple of days earlier this week. It was a good break and except for a couple of sleepovers with friends, it was the first time since Dane was diagnosed in early January that I have been away from him. I was a tad anxious when we first left, but I purposefully tried not to think too much about home while shopping til I dropped. The sky did not fall while I was gone and this is encouraging for future potential get aways.

Lights, Camera and Action

I think Dane has come to realize that agreeing to be the face of Cancer Care Manitoba's campaign is a lot more work than he could have imagined. In typical eight year style he not-so-gently reminded me in front of the consultant and photographer that "I made him do this - he never wanted to in the first place". He then asked if he could have a chocolate bar when the photo shoot was done and because sometimes bribery is effective, we caved! Seriously, we've all been busy with photo and video shoots at the house and at the hockey rink. The direct mail portion of the campaign is on its way to the printers and should be hitting mail boxes in a couple of weeks. We still have one more video shoot for the piece that will run on CTV and that will be filmed the week of November 16. We'll keep you posted on the details and will likely put a link to it on the blog once it's ready.

We didn't have any appointments this week and Dane continues to feel really good. He has his once a month IV chemo next Tuesday which also means the start of his steroid boost. This is the beginning of the third and last month of his first 84 day Maintenance cycle and knock on wood, we hope the many, many cycles to come run this smoothly. Now if only we could conquer his eight year old attitude!

Until next week, take care - Janie and Dirk

"A New Year"

Ok, so before you think I've really lost it due to months of sleep deprivation, I will reassure you I do not think it is January and the start of a new calendar year. Rather my "New Year" title today refers to it being a brand new year for Dane - he turned eight on October 18. You will have to bear with my bit of negativity here, but I will say loud and clear seven was NOT a lucky year for our special son. Rest assured if and when we return to Vegas, we will NEVER bet that number again!

Dane had an awesome birthday celebration. I say celebration versus day because his partying lasted nearly two weeks. He definitely deserved the special attention and here is a run-down of all the festivities ...

- Birthday dinner with grandma & grandpa complete with his new Wii remote (thank goodness or he'd be looking to pilfer from the cancer funds) and some cash to help buy a stand-up basketball net next spring

- A bowling party with several of his school and hockey friends. It was his pick and the two hours was more than enough time for mom & dad

- His breakfast of choice on his actual b-day - chocolate chip pancakes and opening his "loot"

- Saving the best for last, four tickets to the Bomber game on Sunday October 18 where Dane was the "kid" of the game (hence the picture above). He was the centre of attention before the game ... they announced his name, sang him happy b-day over the PA, he ran onto the field out of the inflatable football helmet, he "hung" with Buzz & Boomer and received a Doug Brown bomber jersey. The Bombers played a stinker of a game, but that didn't seem to damper his spirits.

Dane said his birthday was "the best day of his life". That was a real pick me-up for Dirk and I and provided a sense of renewed optimism as we begin year eight. We were more than happy to kick year seven to the curb and start fresh. With all that is happening in his world right now - 8A1 hockey, planning his "Wish" trip to hopefully meet big Joe T. in San Jose and of course, feeling so much better - life is pretty darn good.

I think for the most part Dane doesn't think too much about having leukemia, although it's on his radar every now and again. Take earlier this week for instance when we battled the crowds and went for our H1N1 flu shots. Given Dane's condition we are at the top of the priority list and fortunately they fast tracked us so we only waited a few minutes vs. the over two hours it could have been. Ashley and Dane were real troopers with the needles but rest assured they were NOT happy when I told them we have to go back in three weeks for a booster. Dane has also had the seasonal flu shot so he'll be very relieved when these "pokes" are done.

We were at the Clinic on Tuesday for his twice monthly blood work and all is good. For the first time since he was diagnosed in January, his hemoglobin (gives him energy) is in the normal range. This is great news and bodes well for more speed and stamina on the hockey rink. His neutrophils were 1.57 so we keep going with 100% dosages of the chemo drugs we administer at home on a daily and weekly basis. A reliable source has told us Halloween & X-mas are the two best days at the Clinic so we are making a special trip there tomorrow morning for trick 'r' treating and a pizza lunch. This is a first for us - a visit to the Clinic when we don't have an appointment! His next scheduled IV chemo and steroid boost is November 9 so we have almost two weeks without too many meds.

As a family we are generally busy these days. Ringette for Ashley (first league game is this Sunday) ... hockey for Dane (they made it to the playoffs in the pre-season tourney but lost last night in the semi-finals) ... eating, playing and exploring for Clare (she has learned to roll-over and sit-up pretty much on her own as shown in photo with big sis & bro) ... preparing for the haunted holiday this coming Saturday ... and working on the CancerCare Manitoba Holiday Appeal Campaign.

We hope all is well in your world.

Take care - Janie and Dirk

"The Many Faces of Childhood Cancer"

From the start of Dane's journey, it has been evident to me that childhood cancer knows no boundaries. It strikes children at random and has no regard for socioeconomic class, gender, age, geography or family status. All a person needs to do is spend one day at the Children's Clinic at CancerCare Manitoba to see this is the reality. At times this reality has really bothered me because I feel such empathy for families that appear to likely be struggling on a day-to-day basis, never mind the added complication of a child with a life threatening illness. Oddly enough other days this reality has provided me with comfort because I know that regardless of who we are and where we come from, at the Cancer Clinic we are a community. Week after week we get to know each other a little better - we learn each others names, we share stories about how our children were diagnosed and we talk about how they are managing the treatments. We also laugh, cry and lucky for me, get to share our baby with many eager sets of arms on Tuesdays and Fridays.

This subject is on my mind a great deal right now because one of these faces is really having a hard time. Her story has been in the paper and on TV recently and when I think about Kendra, I get teary. She is a confident, articulate and beautiful 18 year old who has been fighting a rare form of this dreaded disease for three years. Just when she and her family thought the cancer was gone this past May, another tumor appeared. This week she is undergoing special surgery to try to remove another tumor that has been discovered behind her eye. Through all of this, she has remained optimistic and grateful for the life she has led the past 18 years. In May she organized a walk at her high school to raise funds to redo the teen room at the Cancer Clinic and the support was overwhelming - over $130,000 was raised. It's my understanding she is planning a second walk in the months to come. Dane, Clare and I participated in May and we will absolutely be there for the next walk.

I have also been thinking about Dane as a face of childhood cancer because he and subsequently our family have been asked to be involved in the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation's 2009 Holiday Appeal. The Appeal is an annual fundraising campaign and this year Dane's name was put forward as the child who will be featured in direct mail, print and TV spots. We have just begun working on this project with the Foundation and the consultant and although Dane was a tad apprehensive originally, he agreed once I reminded him that he is doing as well as he is because of tremendous research that is funded by generous donors. He did ask if he could "pocket" a few of the proceeds - just enough to buy a new remote for his Wii! Crazy kid!! Good thing Grandma and Grandpa came through with that for his b-day (he turns 8 this Sunday). I will update the status of the campaign in future blogs.

Dane started month two of long-term maintenance on Tuesday so he is not quite as energetic this week as he has been. He gets hit hard the first week with many drugs, including five days of steroids, and we notice it takes a toll on his body and spirit for several days. His blood levels are holding up well and he continues to be at 100% dosages of the various drugs. He should be feeling much better by tomorrow - just in time for his first hockey game of the season and his various birthday festivities. He has a special treat this weekend - he gets to be the "kid" of the game on Sunday when the Bombers play the BC Lions. He will be introduced and run out onto the field prior to the game. So if you are going, please watch for him and hope for good weather!

As I end this entry, I reflect that it was 11 years ago today (October 16) that we said good-bye to our special "little man", Cole Andrew. It's always a hard day but time has helped heal our sadness. Although we miss Cole and who we would have been, we live in the present as much as we can with Ashley, Dane and Clare. Ironically, remembering how awful it was to lose him gives me strength as we fight Dane's leukemia. I know ultimately it's beyond my control, however I refuse to feel that sadness again. It helps me keep my head in a good place - the one where there are no complications or relapses and Dane grows up and has a wonderful life.

Until next time, take care ... Janie and Dirk

"We Remember Him"

Sept 29 - Always a tough day for the Kidd/Hantscher families. Eleven years ago yesterday our first child - Cole Andrew - was born at HSC. As we have done every year since 1999, we honoured his special day with a picnic dinner at St. Vital Park and a picture of the kids at a spot close to where Dirk and I took him one warm fall day. Every year is different - last year was particularly tough because it was his 10th birthday and Dane was fixated on the older brother he never got to meet. This year the kids were more pre-occupied and I think had both decided they "didn't want to cry" over Cole quite so much as in the past. I think yesterday was tougher for Dirk because of Dane's health issues - it's hard not to be sad when you are reflecting on one loss in the midst of a serious health issue of another child. The bright spot seemed to be Ms. Clare - Ashley and Dane think she is the best and were delighted to have their baby sister in the annual photo. I think it's a tender shot of the three siblings.

On a more upbeat note, Sept 29 was a rewarding day for both Ashley and Dane. Our Ms. Ashley has turned into quite the little runner and in two cross country meets has placed an impressive 14th (Sept 22) and 8th (Sept 29) out of about 100 grade four girls. She definitely has the build to be a runner - those legs of hers are mighty long (takes after her dad). Yesterday Dane received the email he had been waiting for - he was successful in his attempt to play 8A1 hockey this season. Not too bad for a kid who has been battling the fight of his life the past 9 months! Every ice time he gets stronger and faster and we anticipate this will continue. More importantly is he is ecstatic about the game again. We are seeing a level of enthusiasm we have not witnessed since November 2008 and it is wonderful. Dirk is going to be broke though as many new pieces of equipment were required to start the season. Both kids are now gung-ho to get fancy new hockey and ringette sticks and I told them I wasn't going to be left behind so it will be my turn next!

In terms of Dane's treatment, I don't really have any news to report today. He has not been at the Clinic or Children's Hospital since September 16. We were scheduled to go yesterday, however I have been fighting a wicked cold/virus since last week. To avoid passing my germs onto any of the kids, our appt has been rescheduled to Friday. So far he has been handling the various meds really well. I don't even have one "roid" induced story to share for this month and I'm hopeful this will become the norm for months to come. As much as we all enjoy the humour of his food cravings, the emotional roller-coaster that accompanies "dex" (dexamethasone) is not pretty. So thus far, Maintenance is a much better world than the intense phases of the past eight months.

Until next time, take care ... Janie and Dirk

"BIG News"

Good evening,

So, with cheeks that look like they are stockpiling nuts for the winter, it's likely not a stretch to figure out one of my "big" references for this week. Yes, at four months Ms. Clare has passed the 16 lb mark and she has the dimples and rolls to prove it! She is almost able to sit up, but I suspect it's because she has a few extra layers around her mid-section that get in the way of her toppling forward! She has started "real" food and I'm hopeful it will improve her not so stellar sleeping habits.

Of course the biggest news this week is Dane has officially started cruise control - aka long-term Maintenance. His neutrophils were up to .87 at his Tuesday visit to the Cancer Clinic, just a bit above the required threshold of .75. The following is a snapshot of Maintenance:

- This is the treatment regime he will be on until May 2012

- Each Maintenance cycle is 84 days (essentially three months)

- On day 1 of each cycle he undergoes a spinal tap

- On day 1, 29 and 57 he receives chemo intravenously

- He is on steroids day 1 - 5, day 29 - 33 and 57 - 61 (referred to as a "boost")

- He takes a specific chemo pill once a week on Tuesdays for the 11 weeks of the 84 day cycle

- Starting day 1 (yesterday) through May 2012 he takes a pill called mercaptapurine every night (this pill is a bit of a nightmare because it has to be taken on an empty stomach and he can't have dairy products within two hours of taking it. So, no milk, cheese, yogurt or ice cream after supper for almost three years)

- He takes antiobiotics every Sat & Sun until May 2012 to prevent infections, eg: pneumonia

- He only goes to the clinic every two weeks for blood work/IVs so the visits are going to be much less frequent (yahoo)!

- Now that he has started Maintenance, there is no stopping for low neutrophil counts. If his counts drop below an acceptable level, the dosages of the pills he takes at home will be adjusted. All spinal taps and IV chemo will proceed whether he is below .75 or not

- His various blood counts should stay much more normal and transfusions are highly unlikely. This is great news as it should mean his hemoglobin and platelets will be just like other kids and that bodes well for his energy level and playing hockey

So, there will be a test now on all the facts above. Are you ready?!?! Just kidding ... (a little sleep deprived humor).

More big news is Dragon Boating for Dane was a HUGE success! Our team Paddlestar Galactica had an amazing weekend. We were in 8th place after our first two races on Saturday which put us in the top of Division 1 (mixed recreational). We raced one final time on Sunday and much to our surprise, posted a great time and wound up finishing 2nd overall out of close to 90 teams! More important than our race placing though was our fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society (MB division). We are currently the top on-line individual fundraiser with nearly $3200.00 in pledges. Add our in person pledges to that total and we have surpassed $3500.00!!! Thank you again for your generosity and support - every dollar raised goes toward research and we know first hand how significant studies are to help find cures for childhood cancers, particularly leukemia. Dane's illness proved to be a huge inspiration for our entire team and the weekend was capped off in the beer tent at the Forks with Dane on Dirk's shoulders and the crowd chanting "Dane, Dane"!! Our experience this year was physically, mentally and emotionally draining but we wouldn't have missed it for anything. We are already looking forward to 2010 and what we can accomplish as a team.

Until my next entry, take care everyone.

Janie and Dirk