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Monday, November 28, 2011 3:51 AM CST
Wonderful way to end Thanksgiving weekend - Nathan was baptized into the family of God for remission of his sins. We are proud of Nathan.
Another positive - Jarrett was named Terrific Kid for his class. He has been named Terrific Kid every year of elementary school. That is quite an accomplishment! We are proud of both boys!
Merry Christmas 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011 11:16 AM CDT
Great first week of school. Jarrett got the teachers he wanted, Mrs. Brookie and Mrs. Meadows. Nathan has Mrs. Bolt and is excited out Gifted and Talented classes beginning next week.
We had a great time on the Southern end of the Swap Rabbit Trail this morning and Frankie's Fun Park tonight.
Lori
Sunday, August 14, 2011 3:45 PM CDT
What a whirl wind summer. Jarrett and Nathan enjoyed two weeks of camp - one at Palmetto Bible Camp and the other at Camp Happy Days. They had a blast at both camps. The boys also enjoyed swimming lessons and spending time with Popa and Grammie as well as their cousins.
Jarrett had a great check up with Dr. Stroud in July. Dr. Stroud said Jarrett's counts were perfectly NORMAL!!!!! We are very grateful for his continued good health!
It is hard to believe it is already time for school to begin. Just two more days of summer break. We are all looking forward to cooler weather.
hugs,
Lori
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 5:43 AM CDT
It has been seven years since we first heard the word Neuroblastoma. To say the least it was a scary time for our entire family. However, God has always been with us, to guide us and protect us.
We are forever grateful for the doctors and nurses who took of Jarrett and for the friends and family who took care of the rest of us. We love you all.
Tonight we will celebrate life by playing baseball!!! Win or lose tonight is a victory for Jarrett.
Love :)
Lori
Saturday, April 9, 2011 8:59 AM CDT
We had a great night on the ball field. Nathan made an awesome catch, surprising himself, then threw the ball for a double play. He also made a good hit. Unfortunately, his team lost 8-4.
Jarrett's team looks good so far. He pitched in the opening game and they won. He was the closing pitcher in the second game and stopped the winning run for a tie game. Last night he as called in as a closing pitcher struck out one batter and tagged another out at home to end the game. It was an exciting finish to a great game. His team won 7-3.
The highlight of the night for me was visiting with one of the moms from Dean's first t-ball team. She told me her son is walking in Relay for Life in honor of Jarrett. CJ and Jarrett remain friends (even though CJ was the one Jarrett struck out last night) and enjoy playing against each other now. I thought it was very sweet for this family to honor Jarrett.
Hugs the ones you love,
Lori
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 7:37 PM CDT
Jarrett leaves for Charleston in the morning for a school field trip. I know he will have a blast, especially, on the Ghost Walk...but I will miss him. Thankfully, it is only one night out of town.
Enjoy the spring!
:)Lori
Saturday, February 19, 2011. 9:20 am
Jarrett had good test results from the oncologist in January. We are very thankful and blessed to be almost 7 years past his diagnosis and cancer free!!! What an amazing gift from God.
Jarrett has also amazed us recently. He has always struggled to learn new material. However, he has memorized all of his Bible verses this quarter (by himself) and his math facts are finally sticking!!! This is a huge accomplishment for Jarrett!
We all loved the snow in January. Now we are loving the 70 degree weather in February. Jarrett has even broken out the shorts to play basketball in outside. Got to love the weather in the south.
Daddy, Dean and the boys are getting fishing fever!
Hugs the ones you love,
Lori
PS Jarrett turned 10 this month!!
Monday, December 6, 2010 3:32 PM CST
Jarrett is in full Christmas mode. He decorated the tree on Friday night. He is always on the look out for new decorations.
Hopefully, we will build a gingerbread house tonight and attend the Fountian Inn Christmas parade on Wednesday.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.
Lori
Thursday, November 25, 2010 3:42 PM CST
Happy Thanksgiving. Among our many blessings are three healthy children.
Saturday, September 11, 2010 1:49 PM CDT
School is going good. Jarrett is adjusting to the adderall. Nathan is soaring. He loves school and just absorbs everything. Olivia is adapting to on line school.
I just wanted to remind everyone Septmeber is "National Cancer Awareness Month". Please remember those children still in the fight. I heard yesterday that 46 moms will hear the words, "your child has cancer" every day in America. That's 322 children every week! They need your help. Something as little as pint of blood can be life saving for someone going through chemo. Something as powerful as prayer can uplift a family, heal a broken heart, and bring peace to a troubled soul.
Enjoy the fall.
Lori
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 7:04 PM CDT
Today our family is rejoicing in good results from Jarrett's latest test. His ultrasound and chest x-ray were normal. His blood test results were "perfectly normal"!!!!
We needed that good news, considering Dean was laid off again. I know God will have a plan for Dean. It is just hard to wait on his plan. I guess it is like the old spiritual song, "Learning to Lean".
Love to all,
Lori
Thursday, July 8, 2010 5:13 PM CDT
PBC was so much fun. It was the one of the best weeks at camp we have had. Nathan was recongnized for learning Bible verses and he won a joke award, Get A Clue". He was more proud of his joke award than the certificate for learning Bible verses!! I guess he figures he learns Bible verses regularly, so the other award was a big deal.
The boys are now at Camp Happy Days. Dean missses them more than I do. I try to keep busy and not think about it too much.
Next week Jarrett will be at Camp Courage. Nathan will be Camp GrannyPoppa for swimming lessons.
Then we will all be home together again at last.
Lori
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 5:43 PM CDT
We are gearing up for a busy few weeks. Jarrett, Nathan, Dean and myself will leave for Palmetto Bible Camp on Saturday. When we return the boys will repack for Camp Happy Days, then Jarrett will be off to Camp Courage.
While I dread the packing, unpacking, and laundry involved I know each day, each adventure is a blessing. I know we all will enjoy the week at PBC. The boys will learn more about our awesome God. As a family we can grow closer to each other and to our heavenly father. The boys will have too much fun at Camp Happy Days, but I will miss them.
The summer will fly by, but I am going to enjoy it while it last.
Sunday, May 16, 2010 3:03 PM CDT
Here is my proud momma moment.
Jarrett's team has struggled this year, they had lost every game until Friday night. Jarrett was pitching. Half way through the game, the coach asked Jarrett is he was alright or needed a break. Jarrett said he wanted to stay in because they were going to win. Jarrett continued to pitch a good game. In the bottom of the last inning Jarrett hit an inside the park home run. Then the next batter hit a home run.
In the end Jarrett pitched a no hitter and they won their first game!! Not exactly the world series, but certainly a confidence boster for Jarrett and the team.
Three weeks of school - then the summer fun begins!
Lori
Monday, April 5, 2010 6:46 PM CDT
Spring is in full swing. Jarrett and Nathan start with their baseball games this week. Jarrett will have two games a week and Nathan will play on Saturdays. Dean is coaching both teams. So, far the rec center did a great job wth scheduling, we have only one conflict of games. Dean is a big guy maybe he can be two places at the same time!!
We have started planting our garden. The last one we had burned up in the summer heat. Hopefully, this year will be better.
Things are going well around here, Dean in busy being Mr. Mom while he is looking for work.
Take care,
Lori
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 6:48 PM CDT
Great News! Jarrett and Olivia were baptized on March 3rd. Dean and I are very proud of their decisions.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 4:59 PM CST
Finally, an update. Jarrett's test were negative. We are always thankful for great test results. Jarrett is a handfull on any given day, but I am thankful for him inspite of any unwanted behaviors.
He had his 5th set of tubes on Tuesday. We were amazed at how well he could hear after this set. During the night he told Dean to be quiet because he was talking to loud. Jarrett has not been able to hear in the dark for several years!!!
Life is good.
Lori
Friday, January 15, 2010 5:08 PM CST
Christmas was great. The kids loved it. They also loved spending time with their Grammie and Popa.
School is back in full swing. Everyone's grades are good so far.
Jarrett will have an ultrasound and chest x-ray on Monday. What a blessing, no bone scan or CT scan. We should have the results during his appointment with PHOC later in the morning.
I will update after the appointment.
Happy New Year!!!
Lori
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 7:16 PM CST
Whew!! Christmas is coming fast!!!! Too fast!!! We are all doing well. The boys are excited about the big day. Hope to update more later.
Saturday, November 7, 2009 1:16 PM CST
Jarrett had so much fun playing in the super bowl. His team lost, but was recongized on the field after the game. Each player recieved a medal for playing in the game.
The next morning, I walked Jarrett to his class, it was fun to see the kids wearing their medals to school. Jarrett was very proud of his. Tonight is the football banquet. The team will recieve their trophies and play at Climbin' High.
Now what to do with ourselves without games and pracitces for a while!
Hugs,
Lori
Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:30 AM CDT
Happy Halloween!! Today my momma and daddy have been married for 45 years!!! What an accomplishment!
Jarrett's football team did pull out a few more wins. They tied for 2nd place in their division. They had a play off game to decide which team would go to the super bowl game against the 1st place team. With only 6 seconds to go Jarrett's team scored and won the game!!!! Way to go Fountian Inn Red Rams, Coach Red, Coach Trish, and their assistants!!!! Now if we could only get Springsteen to play for the super bowl half time show!!!!
Jarrett also brought home a great report card. Five A's and one B. I am so proud of him. Maybe bringing home good grades will motivate him to want to do his homework instead of fight about it everyday.
Gotta run, Nathan is having a Halloween Party this afternoon.
Happy Trick or Treating,
Lori
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 6:12 PM CDT
Where did the month of September go???? We have been busy with school and football. We have also managed to have two great weekends away.
Labor Day Weekend we went camping in Black Mountain, NC. We had a great time. The mountains were beautiful. We spent a little time in Montreat, NC. No wonder Billy and Ruth Graham never left. I loved the mountain town and wanted to stay.
Last weekend we went to family weekend at Camp Happy Days. It was incredible. Nathan went parasailing!! He loved it. There was so much for everyone to do swimming, tubing, boating, arts, crafts, golf, games, great food and so much more. It was hard to believe so much could be done in less than 48 hours. Thanks to all the volunteers who made it a special weekend.
Jarrett is playing football. His team is 1-3 with 3 more games to go. Hopefully, they will pull a few more wins out.
Jarrett will go to late effects clinic on Monday. This is a new clinic in Greenville. I'll update after the clinic.
Love to all,
Lori Ann
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 5:51 PM CDT
I can not believe the summer is coming to an end. Jarrett and Nathan will meet their teachers on Friday evening. Olivia will pick up her schedule on Monday morning. Then the real thing Wednesday morning. No more sleeping in, UGH!!!!
Jarrett has been hard at work with 2 hour football practices. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year and the only ones complaining were the parents!!
This weekend we had a special treat. We attended a Youth Rally at the Duncan Church of Christ. We were able to spend time with friends from Palmetto Bible Camp. Then on Sunday we had a call from our friends, the Nicholas's. They were meeting us at church! It was great to reconnect with so many friends one last time before school starts.
As part of the Youth Rally, the kids went ice skating. Nathan was so determined to learn how to skate. He used a skate trainer to get his balance. He eventually, was brave enough to go by himself around the rink. He loved skating!
Dean and Olivia are leaving for a youth conference in Alabama this weekend. I hope they have a great weekend together.
Thanks for checking in,
Lori
Saturday, July 25, 2009 1:12 PM CDT
Great News!!!! Jarrett had an ultrasound and a chest x-ray on July 17th (Nathan's 6th birthday). Wednesday morning I recieved the news "excellent results" Praise God, he continues to look over all of us and blesses us each and every day.
The boys have enjoyed a week at "Camp Grammy and Popa". The boys took swimming lessons this week. Nathan is not so sure about the water, but Jarrett is loving it.
Football tryouts are Monday evening. Jarrett is ready for the season to start. The boys have also been looking forward to Vacation Bible School at church. VBS will start Monday also.
Stay Cool.
Lori
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:43 PM CDT
I was not kidding about the kids finding things for me to do after school ended.
Jarrett is playing all star baseball. He has practice three or four times a week. The all star tournament will begin this Friday night. Jarrett loves playing baseball, but he is ready for a break.
We just returned from a week at Palmetto Bible Camp. Dean, Nathan, Jarrett and I spent the week working, playing. catching up with camp friends, and learning more about our incredible God.
The boys are leaving Sunday for Camp Happy Days. So, I need to re-pack for them.
We are also trying to redo a house to move into by next week. Dean has put in a lament floor and still has one room to paint and carpet to lay. I has been cleaning and cleaning. Olivia has been packing.
Olivia has spent her time out of school in Gaffney googling everything there is not know about the Jonas Brothers. In case you need to know ANYTHING about the JoBros, please ask Olivia.
Jarrett also started a Summer Accelleration program at school. He is not happy about going to school in the summer. Hopefully, we will both survive 3 weeks of school this summer.
Jarrett will have a chest x-ray and an ultra sound in July. It is weird (but a good weird) not to have full scans.
Hope everyone has a safe and happy summer.
Lori
May 25, 2009 1:26 PM CDT
Baseball season has ended,school is winding down, now what do I do?!?!?!?!?!
Trust me the kids have plans. The boys are looking forward to camp. I am sure they will keep us busy!!!
Love to all,
Lori
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 6:01 PM CDT
It has been a very busy spring! Nathan in enjoying t-ball. I was not sure if he would like t-ball or not. He really wanted to play soccer, but so far he enjoys t-ball.
Jarrett is very serious about baseball. He is an outstanding first baseman.
Everyone is doing well, counting down to summer break.
Love to all,
Lori
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 6:46 PM CDT
Hello Spring,
The coming of spring means baseball. Jarrett is playing coach's pitch and Nathan is playing t-ball. They both are excited. Unfortunately, most of Nathan's practices have been rained out. They have two more practices before the season opener.
Report cards came home today and Jarrett made the A/B honor roll!!!!! He was so excited and so was I!!!!
Time to get back to work,
Hugs to all,
Lori
Saturday, March 7, 2009 2:41 PM CST
With spring just around the corner, it must be time for fishing!! Jarrett and Dean spent the morning fishing. Jaarrett was so excited.
Jarrett has had two great weekends in a row. Last weekend we had SNOW!!!!! I believe Jarrett saw the first snow flake in the upstate and reported it to the national weather service. The boy just loves SNOW. We had about 6 -7 inches at our house. It was great snow to play in, not too icey, it packed great for snow balls, gave the kids a day out of school and went away quickly!!
This weekend is sunny and warm (You have to love the weather in South Carolina). Perfect weather for fishing, even if the fish are not biting, yet.
Jarrett signed up for baseball yesterday and Nathan surprised us by wanting to play t-ball. I am not sure how we will make all of the games and practices, but with a lot of help from Dean's sister, I am sure we will have it all covered.
Jarrett will have another set of tubes in his ears on Tuesday morning. He dreads the hospital gown, not the needles or the operating room, but the gown. He is just too manly for it. The last time he had tubes, he complained enough that the doctor gave in and let him wear his street clothes into the operating room. I think I bribed Jarrett enough to convince him to wear the gown this time. Let's hope so anyway.
Happy Spring!!
Lori
Sunday, February 1, 2009 6:56 PM CST
Today is Jarrett's 8th birthday. It has been a fun day. The kids went bowling and watched the SuperBowl. The day could have only been better if the Panthers had made it to the big game.
Well, it is time for half time and I have to watch Bruce Springsteen during the half time show.
Take care,
Lori
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 7:00 PM CST
Sorry for the long time in between updates. Life has just been a little too busy. But that is OK.
Things are going fine. Jarrett has a double right ear infection and an inflamed left year. He has made it longer this school year without an ear infection than in the past. I am thankful for that. I am also thankful that an ear infection is all I have to update.
I hope the New Year has been good to everyone so far. If you have time say a prayer for Zachary Finestone in FL. He is in the last days of his life. You can visit his caringbridge page just go the FL and type in his first and last name together in lower case letters.
Happy New Year!!!
Lori
Tuesday, December 2, 2008 5:55 PM CST
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Dean, the kids and myself all ate too much!! But the food was soooo good.
I had a special treat, my cousin from Germany was able to be home. It was great to spend time with him and his family.
Well, the holidays are in high gear. The boys are very excited about decorating, looking at lights, and Christmas parties.
Nathan decided he is afraid of Santa. He told me he was not going on his class field trip to see Santa. I almost did not send in the money. I did not want him to make the trip miserable for everyone. Then I decided Nathan could change his mind between Monday and Thursday. Good thing I did send in the money, because he changed his mind today.
So, what brought about the change of heart, you ask. Well, his teacher told him Laurens Electric (they are hosting Santa's visit) will be serving punch. My poor under privileged child, it only takes punch to impress him enough to over come his fears!!!
I pray you all are enjoying a wonderful holiday season.
Love and hugs,
Lori
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 7:08 PM CST
Last week was bitter sweet for me. I learned of the passing of two sweet babies in Greenville. One passed away in his mother's arms in PHOC (the clinic) and other the next day in the Children's Hospital. While I have never met these families my heart was heavy for them.
Then Thursday night Dean called me from the Fountain Inn Recreatation Department football banquet. He was crying when he told me Jarrett had been presented with the Travelle Wharton Award for sportsmanship, skill and team spirit. Travelle Wharton (lineman for the Carolina Panthers) was on hand to present the award. Jarrett was on Fox 21 news on Friday night. Saturday the Greenville News featured Jarrett on the front page of the sports section. It was very exciting for all of us!
After the awards presentation, Travalle Wharton's agent asked Jarrett if he would like to attend the Panther's game on December 14th. It did not take Jarrett long to say yes.
When I consider everything Jarrett went through, I am amazed at how God continues to answer the prayers that were offered up on Jarrett's behalf. I am eternally grateful for those prayers.
I try never to take life for granted. Each day is a precious gift from God. Remember to be thankful for all God has done and continues to do for you each day.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Lori
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 4:08 PM CST
With the elections over maybe life can return to normal. I am worried about the radio and television stations not being able to sell enough ad time without 45 minutes of polictical ads every hour. Who knows the new president may have to come up with a new bail out package for the media!! (LOL)
Now on to more serious things ... little league football. Jarrett's team lost a heartbreaker last Thursday in the playoffs. They were down 14 - 0. The team rallied back to 14 - 13. They were driving with 26 seconds left on the clock, the last down, the last play of the last game and the coach decides to punt the ball away instead of going for it on 4th down. Oh, well I guess these things build character!
Jarrett made it through football with only a few bumps and bruises only to break his right arm on Sunday night. It was a night mare trying to get the insurance company to allow Jarrett to see a doctor.
None the less, 3 different doctor offices and seven hours later, Jarrett had a cast on his arm. He was so proud. Just in case you are wondering, the 3 doctor office visits were needed to save the insurace company some money!! Go figure! (And if you do figure it all out please explain it to me!!!)
After all was said and done I realized I did not have anything to complain about at least he has insurance coverage and more importantly, he is healthy enough to play football in a parking lot in order to break his arm!!
Remember to always count your blessings!!
Blessings,
Lori
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 4:44 EST
Halloween was so much fun! The day began with Nathan trick or treating with his kindergarten class along Main Street in Fountain Inn. Over 40 businesses opened their doors and gave out candy to the kids.
Then it was back to the school for Halloween parties in both Jarrett and Nathan's class. Parents from both classes went out of the way with treat bags and crafts to make the holiday special for the kids.
Later in the evening the city of Fountain Inn hosted Halloween by the Fountain. Local churches set up games and inflatables for the kids to play. The police blocked off part of Main Street for folks to park their cars and allow the kids to truck or treat. Different group provided drinks, water, hot chocolate, fresh popped pop corn, and snacks. There was even a petting zoo at City Hall. I almost forgot to mention the hay ride through town.
Jack Roper (a local weatherman) brought his band to play beach music and some oldies. Nathan, Jarrett, and I had fun "dancing" the night away. One of the nice things about being older with small children is you can dance anyway you like and not care about what anyone else thinks. I am sure we were quite a sight to see.
The city sponsored a costume contest. One of the winners of the costume contest was a Buddy Holly impersonator. He sang a few songs to close out the music for the evening.
The kids got their faces painted. Olivia had a peace symbol, Jarrett was the bad spiderman, and Nathan was the good spiderman. The lady who does the face painting is a real artist. I am soooo impressed with every face she paints. She has painted faces at other events. We are always kind of sad when we wash off her works of art!
The evening ended with everyone watching "Freaky Friday" on a large outdoor inflatable screen. By the end of the movie it was getting cool outside and we were very tired, but it was a great eveing!!!!!
When I watch the national morning news shows, the host always talk about how great it is to live in NYC. They brag about the culture, museums, broadway, etc. But for me, I love living in a small town. Where else could you have so much fun for free. I never had to worry about where the kids were. Nathan stayed close to me visiting the games and trunk or treating. Jarrett did not want to truck or treat because there was a pick up game of football going on the lawn of City Hall. He was fine just having fun with his friends. Olivia was safe standing around talking with her friends. You saw your neighbors, family, co-workers and were able to visit with them in a safe, friendly environment. It was OK the kids were having their own tree climbing contest or just sprawled out on the lawn watching a movie. How many places are left that allow you to feel safe after dark?? We are very blessed to live in Fountain Inn.
Now on to the nation at large. I hope every one will take advantage of the privilege of voting on Tuesday. It is hard for me to believe we have a candidate running for president who is not proud to be an American, wants us to be more like the Nation of Islam, is ashamed of the American flag, and thinks it is OK to throw away (yes, in the trash can and leave them for dead)newborns because he can decided when life begins!! Please spend time in prayer for our county. Regardless of the out come of this election our country is in for some hard times. God has richly blessed out nation, I pray that he will continue to have his hand of protection on us.
Now I am off of my soap box. I just have one more thing to add. Congratulations! to Ray Ellington and Ellington Racing for winning his racing division Championship. Ray and his team have worked hard all season. Ray took out family to Disney World after Jarrett completed his cancer treatment. Ray and his family are incredible.
Love to all,
Lori
Sunday, October 26, 2008 8:32 AM CDT
Every thing is fine around here. The kids are gearing up for Halloween. How did Halloween become as big as Christmas. I remember wearing a homemade costume and walking around the neighborhood.
Now, I have a party today at work, truck or treat tonight after church, pumpkin cakes for the boys and girl's cottages at the group home where I work, trick or treating on Main St. with Nathan's kindergarten class on Friday, followed by their party, treat bags and cupcakes for Jarrett's class, Olivia's youth group Halloween party, and then the boys finally go trick or treating on October 31st!!! Whew! I am already tired!!
Our little town of Fountain Inn is going all out this year. We are closing off Main Street for Halloween. The local businesses are giving out candy, Jack Roper's band will play, the kids will have hay rides, face painting, games, etc. The best part about all of this - it's free!
Now on to football news. Jarrett's team lost Monday night. He was upset or at least pretended to be Dean. Now Jarrett's team will have to win this week in order to make into the playoffs.
Then last night Jarrett's favorite high school team, the Byrnes Rebels, lost. The Rebels were ranked number 1 in the national polls. Dean and Jarrett both were upset last night. I just reminded them it was just a game.
The Rebels had just signed a contract to play a team from Texas next year at Texas Erwing Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. I wonder if the team was focused too much on things to come instead the task at hand. OH, well they are still in the playoffs in two weeks.
Happy Halloween!
Lori
Sunday, October 19, 2008 9:41 AM CDT
Jarrett is preparing for a big game tomorrow night. They are playing the only undefeated team in his league. If Jarrett's team can pull off an upset, it will create a 3 way tye for 1st place.
Not bad for a team of players who one of the coaches said would need a little extra work if they wanted to win!!!
Everyone is doing fine.
Thanks for checking in,
Lori
Sunday, October 12, 2008 1:46 PM CDT
Wow!! Jarrett has been off of treatment for 3 years and 2 weeks!!! It is hard to believe so much time has flown by. It has been an incredible adventure to say the least.
Jarrett is finally liking football. He started out as a right tackle. Then he moved to lineman. Now he is seeing a little time as quarterback. He has learned to take a hit and get back up. He is learning to hold his own with the bigger boys. His favorite position is quarterback. Not surprising, since his favorite player is Will Korn. [Will was a quarterback at Byrnes and is now the QB at Clemson (he will start for Clemson on 10/19/08). Will took a special interest in Jarrett when Jarrett could not walk due to the side effects of chemo. Will still visits with Jarrett at the Brynes games occasionally.]
However, QB is Jarrett's most challenging position to play due to his hearing loss. The coaches are working with Jarrett and the center to use visual cues instead of Jarrett relying on the count. Even when Jarrett gets sacked he still loves playing QB.
Olivia and Nathan are doing fine. They both love school, I wish I could say the same thing for Jarrett. School is just a necessary evil for him. Learning comes naturally for Nathan, Olivia can do OK with minimal effort, but Jarrett works the hardest for the least results. Thankfully, he has extra help at school. Maybe one day the lights with come on for him and he will enjoy school.
Between work, school, sports and everyday life we are staying happily busy. Thanks for checking in on us.
Lori
Sunday, September 21, 2008 1:30 PM CDT
Just a quick update. Jarrett's football team is now 2 and 0!! Jarrett played better in the last game. I guess he is getting used to running up and hitting total strangers. He was a defensive back in the last game. He likes this position better than tackle. We will see what position he plays tomorrow.
School in going great for Olivia. Her grades have improved this year over last years grades. She loves middle school!!
Jarrett is struggling with reading comprehension. I hope his hearing impaired teacher will be able to help him improve on this skill.
Nathan loves kindergarden. He is making new friends and learning new things.
All of us are loving the cooler fall weather!!!! We have actually had rain on a regular basis!!!!! Praise God!! We have been a draught for some time now. The rain is a real blessing to everyone.
Please remember all those impacted by hurricane Ike.
Take care,
Lori
Thursday, September 11, 2008 4:24 PM CDT
Jarrett had his first football game on Monday. He was so funny. He did not play in the first half, so he stood on the side lines and to get the fans into the game. He was waving his hands in the air and pumping his first. He has seen his favorite Rebel players do things to get the fans cheering, so he thought that was part of being a "real" football player.
Jarrett is playing left tackle. I am not sure if this is the right position for him (like I know anything about positions). He only came up to the chest against the guys he was blocking against. After he blocked, Jarrett would stand out of the way and cheer for whoever had the ball!!! None the less his team won 18 - 12.
His next game is next Tuesday. Maybe he will be more into the game. He has wanted to play football since he was 2 years old. There were times I did not think he would ever get to realize this dream, so it was very exciting to see him suit up for the first time.
Thanks for checking in,
Lori
Sunday, August 31, 2008 10:33 AM CDT
School is off to a good start. All three kids have enjoyed the first week. Jarrett is even wearing his hearing aids without a fight. The school has a "shoe" or a "boot" added to the hearing aid that actually boost the sound and Jarrett loves that part. Whatever works!!
Jarrett loves football. His first game is September 8th. This first year they are trying to teach the foundamentals of football to the children. Each child will play at least 10 plays per game. Jarrett is excited to learn what positions he will play. He is learning to hit hard (I thought he already knew how to hit hard!!!!) and tackle.
The boys are enjoying the weekend at my parents house. Olivia is excited her friend, Song, from Mississippi is spending the weekend with her. The girls have had soo much fun together.
I guess every month has to be designated for some worthy cause and September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Here are just a few facts about childhood cancer. Each year there are about 12,500 children diagnosed with some type of childhood cancer.
Cancer claims the lives of more children than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS combined. Yet, Childhood Cancer recieves much less funding than each of these diseases.
Childhood Cancer knows no social, economic, racial, or geographic bounds. It can and does strike at any time and any place and any child.
The incidence of cancer among teens and young adults is the fastest growing group of victims, except those over 65 years old. Yet, there is is still not enough money for research. Childhood Cancer Research (all 12 major classes and their sub catogories) receive 179.6 million dollars last year. This seems like a lot of money to me, until you read that breast cancer received 584.7 million dollars.
Next Friday night ABC, CBS, and NBC will air a special about cancer in the US. I have watched the previews on the morning news shows, so far no mention of childhood cancer.
I am thankful we are making strides in all cancer survivor rates, treatment options, awareness, I just wish the kids did not get overlooked so often. Before Jarrett was diagnosed he was very sick. He saw two specialist, I begged and pleaded with them to order a CAT scan on Jarrett. Both men refused to order the test. Another doctor lied about the test results from an ultra sound. Our family doctor and his partner tried to help us and referred us to Dr. Jue. Dr. Jue ordered the CAT scan and Jarrett was diagnosed within 15 minutes!!! It took us 6 months of begging to get a 15 minute diagnosis!!!
I am thankful for the research at St. Jude's and the families before us who raised the money to fund the research that saved Jarrett's life.
So, I want to encourage each of you to remember the children who are still in the fight for their lives. If you can donate money to Lunch for Life, Children Neuroblastoma Foundation, Band of Parents, or St. Jude's. You can also donate blood, it takes about an hour of your time, one life saving hour. Jarrett had to have daily blood transfusions during his transplant. Nathan was also dependent on blood transfusions during the first few weeks of his life. Most important thing you can do is pray for the researchers to find the cures, the doctors to care for the patients, strength for the families and for the children to be healed.
Thank you for taking the time to read this long update. I hope all is well with you and yours.
Love,
Lori
Sunday, August 24, 2008 1:17 PM CDT
Jarrett loves football practice. He is learning to block and tackle. He needs to build some speed in his running, but he is having fun!!! I am still amazed to see Jarrett play football. When he was in active treatment he lost his deep tendon reflexes and could not walk. I am sooooo thankful everytime I see him on the field. He is alive and healthy!!! What a blessing!!!!
All of the kids love school. Olivia was scared about starting middle school, but comes home smiling everyday. I guess we will see if that trend continues when homework begins this week!!!!
I have a special pray request. When Jarrett was inpatient at the Greenville Children's Hospital, we met the Riley family. Their son, Logan, had leukemia. Logan had a rough time, but has done well for the past several years. I recieved an email from his mom this morning. Logan's sister, Jillian, was in a car wreck on August 17th. She is in the PICU in Greenville in serious condition. She has a caringbridge site, just type in jillianriley in the vistor space. I know Debbie and the rest of the Riley family will appreciate your prayers for Jillian.
Hug the ones you love,
Lori
Sunday, August 3, 2008 11:23 AM CDT
Nathan has learned a new word this week. His new word is sweltering. When I asked him what did sweltering mean he said hot and sticky. Nathan learned his new word off of "Word Girl" at PBS show he enjoys. Sweltering would certainly describe the weather here in South Carolina. We are praying and longing for mid September and maybe a break in the weather.
Monday will be a big day for Jarrett. One he has waited for and dreamed of since he was two years old. Jarrett has his first football tryout. Every child who tries out will make the team. The coaches will draft according to what they see, need or like during the tryouts. It is just too bad the Fountain Inn Rec Department does not give out sign on bonuses after the draft. A large sign on bonus might make standing out in the heat on Monday more bearable!!! (LOL)
Seriously, our family is just thankful Jarrett is here to play football. A young lady from Florence, SC lost her nearly 10 year battle with NB on Friday. Katie was NED for 6 years before relapsing twice. It was just a reminder of how much we have to be thankful for everyday.
Jarrett had a great check up on Monday at PHOC. Dr. Anderson reminded me of how far Jarrett has come. Jarrett will have his next check up in 6 months. Dr. Anderson wants to check Jarrett's tyroid and hormone levels then. Jarrett does not have any apparent problems, Dr. Anderson just wants to check Jarrett out due to the amount of chemo and radiation he had. So, until then we will continue to enjoy life to the fullest.
Stay cool (or at least try to),
Lori
Sunday, July 27, 2008 8:51 AM CDT
I wanted to share the link for this weekend's blogathon for NB research http://bloggingforkids.shebecameabutterfly.net/. The money raised will go to the Band of Parents. They are raising money for specific research programs at Sloan-Ketterling in NYC. So far the around the clock blogathon is half way to its $2,000 goal.
Jarrett and Nathan are having a ball this weekend. Nathan asked Dean why they had to leave today. Nathan said he still has several more days out of school. He wants to stay at PBC until school starts back. I am glad he is having such a great time. To think I had Jarrett bribe Nathan in order for Nathan to go. Jarrett promised to play putt-putt with Nathan this weekend at camp. Nathan has been pleasantly surprised to learn PBC is more than just putt-putt!!!! Nathan has hiked around the lake, made crafts, attended Bible class, gone fishing and make friends with everyone around him.
All this still amazes me, when I think back 5 years ago. We were told repeatedly Nathan's greatest accoplishment would be to sit up on his own!! Many times the doctors offered to take care of the problem for me (in other words abort him)!!! Just think if I had listened, I would have missed out on the wonderful gift of Nathan. Thank you, God!!
I have admit I have enjoyed the quiet time with the kids out of the house. But tomorrow is a new day. Jarrett has his 6 months check up at PHOC. Then the count down to school begins!!
Enjoy the day!!!
Lori
Saturday, July 26, 2008 6:51 AM CDT
Today is a special day. It is my Momma's birthday!!!! I was able to spend some time with her yesterday and hope she has a great day today.
Jarrett is showing Nathan the ropes at Palmetto Bible Camp. This weekend camp is just for kids under 8 years old. Since Jarrett is a veteran camper of 3 years, he is excited to show Nathan around for the first time. Dean is there with the boys. He called last night and this morning to let me know how much fun the boys are having at PBC.
Jarrett has his 6 month check up on Monday. He seems healthy and fine, but there is always a little anticipation before his check ups.
This weekend you can check out a blogathon raising money for NB research. The money raised will go to Band of Parents to help fund a new research project at Sloan-Ketterling in NYC. I will post the link for the blog.
Only three more weeks until schools starts!!! The summer has flown by.
Hugs to all,
Lori Ann
Sunday, June 22, 2008 8:27 AM CDT
I hope you all are sitting down. I have uploaded NEW pictures on the home page and in the pictures section. I hope you will enjoy them.
This is a test, this is only a test. How many of you realized I added 97 days to the month of June? The date on the last journal entry read, June 127, 2008!!!!!
Wow!! Jarrett's summer vacation is off to a great start!! First he attended Travelle Wharton's football camp on June 14th. Travelle grew up in Fountain Inn, played high school ball at Hillcrest, college at the University of South Carolina (not to be confused with the other USC), and now plays for the Carolina Panthers. There were several pro football players helping out with the camp. The players talked with kids about the importance of obeying your parents (you gotta love that), respecting others and doing well in school. Jarrett loved the training drills and learning about the game.
We had one funny moment. I had tried to sign Jarrett up for football last fall. The rec department said he was too young. Saturday at football camp, the same people were shaking their heads wanting to know why Jarrett was not playing football!!!! This fall Jarrett will be old enough to officially play. Jarrett is counting down the days.
We left last Sunday for Palmetto Bible Camp. The week Jarrett and spend together at camp is a special week for both of us. We look forward to PBC all year long. This year was no exception. Jarrett has matured so much since last year. He was able to wake himself up, get dressed, and come to breakfast by himself. He loved the Bible and singing classes. I do not get to spend much time with Jarrett in the afternoon, but he told me stories about swimming, riding in the paddle boats, playing putt putt, football, and team competitions.
One of the team competitions was football. I did not know Jarrett had played in the staff verses campers game until almost bed time. One of the male counselors came up and asked me if Jarrett had told me about the game. The counselor, a large man who runs a karate school, said Jarrett was blocking against him. Jarrett managed to cut the man's feet out from under him, causing hime to flip up in the air before landing on his back. The counselor said he did not know he could still move like that. He then added he left immediately for his bottle of Advil. (LOL):)
Jarrett showed me just how much he has matured before we left for camp. Dean and I were talking with Jarrett about football camp. Jarrett did not seem excited about attending. Finally, I asked Jarrett what wrong. He thought if he went to football camp, he could not go to Bible Camp. Jarrett became very adament that he was not going to football camp because he could not miss PBC. He finally calmed down and realized he could attend both camps and agreed to attend football camp. On Friday of camp, I allowed Jarrett to sleep in. It has been a long week and he was exhausted. When he finally made it down the cafeteria, he was mad at me. He had missed Bible class be sleeping in. Boy, did I feel small when he aske me if I knew how important it is to attend Bible class.
Monday Jarrett and Nathan will begin swimming lessons in Gaffney. Jarrett is looking forward to being in the water. Nathan has mixed emotions about the pool. Mainly, I think Nathan is trying to "play" his grammie for some extra attention.
I have not mentioned much about Nathan and Olivia's summer plans. While Jarrett and I enjoy PBC, my parents are kind enough to allow Olivia and Nathan to stay with them. I hope Nathan can go to camp next year with me. He will be almost 6 and more able to participate in the activiites. Olivia is just not a camp girl. I miss her but I know she is in good hands!!!!
It is hard to believe the year in know half gone, time flies so fast these days!!! I hope each one of you will be able to enjoy the things you love most this summer before is slips away.
Peace and good health,
Lori
Saturday, June127, 2008 3:38 PM CDT
Time just never seems to stand still. We are always on the move and I do not find enough time to update as often as I would like to.
Jarrett's baseball team won their division the last week in May. The last game was so exciting. Both teams were tied for the championship and Jarrett's team, the Reds, were fired up. Jarrett plays short stop. Jarrett made some good hits, but he was very focused and determined in the outfield. He made several double plays. The game ended on a double play by Jarrett. I was so excited for Jarrett. He was so proud of himself.
I know kids all over the county play ball, hit home runs, make double plays, etc., but every day Jarrett is healthy and playing hard is a VICTORY to me. I am always overwhelmed by just how blessed our family is to have Jarrett here with us. Yes, Jarrett is a handful most days, but he is a handful I am not ready to let go of!!!!
Today Jarrett is at the Trevelle Wharton football camp. Travelle grew up here in Fountain Inn, he now plays for the Carolina Panthers. Jarrett was excited about spending the day working out with Travelle and other players from the NFL. He is working hard running drills and learning the fundamentals of the game.
Tomorrow, Jarrett and I leave for Palmetto Bible Camp. As much as Jarrett wanted to go to football camp, he decided at one time not to go because he would miss a night of PBC. I was touched and proud Jarrett would choose a spiritual activity over a physical activity. (Maybe just maybe trying to parent Jarrett, teaching him right from wrong, his struggle to complete memory work for Bible class is working after all). I convinced Jarrett PBC does not officially start for the kids until Sunday. Jarrett and I usually go up a day early to get things started in the kitchen.
Jarrett loves PBC. He amazes me while we are there. He is too young to be a camper, but gets to attend with me because I am kitchen director. He was 5 years old the first summer we went to camp together. He does not a counselor to help guide him around, I am usually busy in the kitchen and unable to keep up with him. Fortunately, he has made good friends who come back every year. He has learned his way around pretty well. He knows when it is time for Bible class, singing class, rest time, free time, swimming time, etc. Last year he even discovered he enjoys the craft shack. The week Jarrett and I spend at camp is very special for both of us. While we are both busy doing different things, we still have some time together in the afternoon, attend evening chapel services together and at night he tells me every detail of his day before going to sleep.
I hope everyone is having a great summer!!!
Hugs,
Lori
Saturday, May 3, 2008 9:01 AM CDT
D Day
No,I am not talking about the Normandy invasion a month early. D Day for us was Jarrett's "Diagnosis Day". If you had asked me four years ago what the "D" stood for I would have said "despiration", "doom", "despare", and "dread". When your child is diagnosed with cancer and every day is met with more bad news, it is hard to think of positive words.
However, four years later I would say the "D" has taken on a new meaning. "D" has come to stand for more positive words. "Determination" - Jarrett was always determined to live life to its fullest. "Dedication" we have been blessed to have had doctors and nurses who dedicated their lives to caring for children with cancer. It is not always an easy job, but Dr. Hayes and Stroud and the nurses at Greenville's Children's Hospital are always full of life, energy and love for these children. "Diligence" friends and family who were diligent in helping us through those dark days. Some many people found ways to help us, some brought food to the hospital, took care of Olivia and Nathan, raised money to cover the cost of traveling, or most importantly they lifted us up in prayers. My family will be forever indebited to you for the kindness shown to us. And finally, "defeat". Here defeat is a positive word, because it stands for Jarrett's defeat of his cancer.
While there are no guarantees in life, my family now looks toward to the future. We look forward to the next sports season (in the middle of baseball, Jarrett wants to know when will I sign him up for football!), the next school year, the next birthday party, etc. There was a time I did not want to make plans for the next day. I never knew how Jarrett would feel and I did not want to disappoint anyone when the plans had to change suddenly.
Dean and I were even talking about how to celebrate the 5th year anniversary of Jarrett's diagnosis. But there are still 365 more days to live until then, a few more doctor visits, another round of scans, and lots of life left to live.
So, for today I will give praise, honor and thans to the ONE (the true and living God) who made all things possible, who continues to bless us each and every day.
God Bless,
Lori
Monday, March 24, 2008 2:55 PM CDT
Jarrett had his cast removed last Friday. The removal was not without fan fare. Jarrett has had so many test and procedures done in the past four years that we just take things for grant it.
Jarrett had talked with the next door neighbor about having the cast cut off. Jarrett told me step by step what would happen when the cast was cut off, so I thought he was ready for the cast to be off.
Once in the doctor's office, Jarrett jumped up on the table. The athletic trainer cut the cast off and told Jarrett to go wash his arm. Jarrett was standing on a stool washing his arm. When I told Jarrett I would wash it with soap, he protested. I thought he was just being a boy. Then Jarrett's knees buckled and he began falling off of the stool.
For once I was happy Olivia was up in everyone's business. She was standing on the other side of Jarrett (opposite of myself)this blocked him from falling to the floor. I was able to scoop Jarrett up and lay him back on the exam table. Jarrett woke up for a minute and then passed out again. We were in a room at the end of the hallway and could not find anyone to come help with him.
So, I looked around found some pillows to prop Jarrett's legs up, wet the towels with cold water and kept talking to him until the athletic trainer returned to the room. He called the doctor who checked Jarrett out. They said Jarrett was just scared of the saw that cut the cast.
Everything seemed fine until we were ready to get in the car. Jarrett walked around to his door, I noticed I did not see him anywhere. I walked around the car and found him laying in the parking lot!!!! I was able to get him in the car and eventually he was fine.
I would have never thought that after all Jarrett has had poked in him, cut out of him, and other wise proded something as simple as removing a cast would bother him, but it did.
He is fine now and once again playing hard. He is excited about baseball. He has already had a couple of practices and will find out the team name this weekend.
Enjoy the spring like weather,
Lori
Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:43 AM CST
Well, we knew it had to happen sooner or later. Yes, Jarrett broke his arm. You guessed right, he broke it playing football. Excuse me "tough football" Jarrett would say. He broke it on Valentine's Day and he is so proud of his "Rebel Blue" cast.
It has been funny to watch people's reaction to Jarrett's break. People who do not know his past, say, "Oh, Jarrett, I am so sorry you broke your arm". Those who know him well either say, "finally something normal" or "I can not believe it took this long". My favorite response was Dr. Stroud. He ask Jarrett who did he hit!! Dr. Stroud knows him all too well.
Other than the borken arm things are going well for us.
Keep warm,
Lori
Monday, January 7, 2008 12:53 AM CST
Happy New Year!!! Time flies, it is hard to believe we are not only starting a new month but a NEW YEAR!!!!!!
Jarrett is counting down the days until his 7th (yes, SEVENTH) birthday!!! I can not believe he will be SEVEN YEARS OLD!!!! It is not uncommon for children to look forward to their birthday's, but Jarrett is convinced it will snow on his birthday. He is really looking forward to the snow he thinks is coming February 1st. It did snow on his birthday last year. He just not understand there is no guarantee for this year.
Our family had an exciting afternoon at church yesterday. Nathan led singing for the first time. Dean and I were so proud of him. He was partially hidden by the podium, but he sang out loud and clear.
Everytime Nathan has a new accomplishment it reminds me of the power of our Heavenly Father. Nathan was susposed to be physically and mentally handicapped, not much more than a vegetable. I was in the hospital for about 3 weeks before Nathan was born. Everyday I was given the opportunity to abort him!!! It brings me to tears everytime I think about all of the blessings I would have missed if I had listened to the "experts". I liked my doctors, but we just had a differing opinion about life.
As many people around the nation remember Roe Vs. Wade this month and as we begin to select our new President, please remember the unborn children. Support the unborn child's right to life. We never know what possibilities we are throwing away when these precious babies are needlessly murdered everyday.
Oh, well time to get off of my soap box. Until next time I wish you and healthy and happy new year.
Lori
PS Don't forget to make giving blood part of your New Year's resolutions!!!! Oops! I just got on another soap box!
Thursday, December 27, 2007 6:43 PM CST
Whew! It is hard to believe Christmas has come and gone!!! It was very busy around our house, but the kids had so much fun. We tried something different this year. We always spend Christmas afternoon with my family (grandparent, great grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncles, etc) and Christmas night with Dean's brothers and sister. Christmas at our house just gets squeezed out of the way. So we had "Santa" on Christmas eve morning. It was fantastic!!!!
The boys received a basketball goal and new basketballs. They played all day long. Olivia mostly wanted CD's and a DVD. She was able to enjoy her music for the day. I think this will be a new tradition at our house. We all enjoyed both days more and were not as tired!!!!
Jarrett looks so good. He is having trouble with his hearing, since his ears are full of fluid. He will have a new set of tubes placed on January 3rd. This should help improve his hearing. He is not looking forward to it, but he will do just fine. He just does not understand what a small problem this is for him to have.
I have sure New Year's will come and go before I update again. I pray that each of you will enjoy a new year filled with peace and good health.
Happy New Year!!!!
Lori
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 4:14 PM CST
It is hard to believe I have let an entire month and a holiday pass by without an update. I guess we are all moving at the speed of LIFE!
Thanksgiving was great, time with family and friends, too much food and shopping, not enough sleep. I guess that's the American way!!
The kids are excited about all the Christmas activities. Our first big event is the Children's Home Christmas party complete with Santa himself. It will be a busy month but full of fun memories.
On the health front, Jarrett continues to do well. He has finally gotten used to wearing hearing aids, but not his. He only wants to wear the FM system at school. The FM system is the same as his hearing aids only a different color! Go figure but he likes it!!
Please remember our friends Marett and Christopher they are both in NYC for treatments. I can't imagine how hard it is for them to be so far away from home during the holidays.
Merry Christmas!
Lori
PS Remember Jesus is the Reason for ALL seasons.
Sunday, November 4, 2007 11:37 AM CDT
I can not believe it has been a whole month since I last updated!!! My, my, my where does the time go?
Jarrett had his quarterly (yes, quarterly) visit to PHOC. The morning of the appointment Jarrett said he would not allow DJ to stick his finger. I prepared for the worst during the day. That afternoon Jarrett was true to his word, he did not allow DJ to stick his finger - he allowed her draw blood from his arm!!! That is a major improvement for Jarrett. He was so brave. He even watched her stick him and did not flinch. I stepped back and let Olivia and Nathan take it all in.
Jarrett loved Halloween this year. It was the first year he has actually said "trick or treat". He usually says "Christmas treat"! Nathan however, was not so sure about the whole costume and talking to strangers thing. He took his costume off on Main Street and refused to trick or treat at our second stop.
It is hard to believe the year is quickly drawing to a close. As you begin thinking about gift giving, please consider giving the gift of life. Most blood banks are in need of blood donors year round, but especially during the holidays. It will only take about an hour out of your busy schedule and you will become a hero to three people who can not live without you (or at least with out your blood).
Please remember Marett and the other children who are in the fight for their lives.
Lori
PS Just a flash from the past. It was three years ago on October 27, 2004 Jarrett had his kidney and tumor removed. He was considered cancer free at that point, even though he had almost another year of treatment left. We continue to praise God daily for His blessing of good health for our entire family.
Sunday, September 16, 2007 9:57 AM CDT
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!!!!
Just imagine thinking you a have a normal healthy child. He begins to throw up on a regular basis and little by little his health begins to decline. Different doctors give different diagnosis, but your child is still sick, in fact he is worse. Finally, you find the right doctor, the right test, and the right diagnosis. Your child has cancer. You think your whole world will fall apart. Cancer is an adult disease, not a childhood disease.
However, everyday in America 52 children will be diagnosed with cancer. While 52 may not seem like a large number. Consider this 52 children is 2 classrooms full of children each day! Almost 2000 children per year right here in America!!
Most of these children will be diagnosed in either stage 3 or stage 4 of the disease.This means our children have to fight harder and endure harsher treatments than most adults. The American Cancer Society and others have done a great job of informing the public about the importance of detecting cancer early. Most adult cancers are now diagnosed in the earlier stages (1 or 2). However, the ACS does very little for pediatric cancer.
So, every year more children die from cancer than from cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma, and AIDS.
What can be done? Well, if you have extra money donate it to Alex's Lemonade, Lunch for Life, or the Loneliest Road. These organizations can be found on the internet and are working hard to found research specifically for childhood cancer. They are all founded by and ran by parents who are fighting for the cure not just for their own children, but for all of the children affected by cancer.
So, what if you do not have any extra money. You can still get involved. Encourage you representatives in congress to help fund pediatric research. The government allots only $.03, that is right only 3 cent from every cancer research dollar goes to the 12 major pediatric cancer divisions. While $.97 goes to adult cancer research. May we could balance the scales just a little. After all, the children are our future.
OK, so you are not politically active. You can still help. Most children and adults only survive cancer thanks to blood and platelet transfusions. Without replenishing their blood supply, the very drugs we are using to save their lives could take their lives. I can not count how many blood transfusions Jarrett and Nathan have had together. Both of them relied on daily transfusions to keep them alive.
The local blood banks are always needing donors. The local blood bank reports they depended on the World War II generation to keep their shelves supplied with blood. Now, these fine men and women are no longer able to give. It is now time for others to step up to the plate and help to save a life. Actually, every time you donate blood you can save 3 lives!!! Now that is what I call a real hero! If you know anything about me, you know I HATE the thought of needles. I almost pass out every time I give blood. At one time the Spartanburg Blood Bank asked me to stop coming. But now I just warn the staff ahead of time. They place me in a reclining position, place an ice bag behind my head, give me something cold to drink, I close my eyes, relax, and before I know it, I have donated another pint of blood. Now the blood bank even welcomes me back! So, if you are healthy enough to donate, please take the time to do so this week. You will be someone's hero!!
Life around here is good. It actually feels like fall today!! It is a welcome retreat after the heat in August.
Please remember to pray for Merett Cole. She continues to be on a ventilator following her surgery. I know this is a difficult time for her family.
Love,
Lori
Friday, August 31, 2007 11:02 AM CDT
Things are going well around here. The kids are adjusting to school. Nathan loves school, he comes home everyday with a new song to sing. It is a challenge to drop off and pick up at 3 different schools, but we are making it work. As the nurses, at PHOC remind me from time to time, what a good problem to have - three healthy children, attending 3 normal schools!! I will take it!!
I have two prayer request today.
The first one is for my uncle Kenneth. He was diagnosised with a brain tumor 2 1/2 years ago. He was only given 6 months to live. Thanks to many answered prayers, he continues to enjoy life. However, parts of the tumor have begun to grow. The doctors are waiting to see what happens on his next scan before making any decisions. Please pray the tumor will stop growing on its own again (or I should say that God will stop the tumor from growing).
The second one is for the family of Lillie Boyte. Lillie was diagnosed with NB last fall. Her treatments were not successfull. She earned her angel wings on Tuesday and is now free from pain. Her caringbridge site is lillieboyte. I am sure her family will apprepreciate your prayers for peace and comfort.
It is hard to believe it is the last weekend of the summer. It has finally cooled off a little in the South. Jarrett wants to go on a fishing picnic this weekend. I am looking forward to being able to be outside without melting. LOL
Lori
Saturday, August 25, 2007 10:07 AM CDT
Well, 5 school days down and 175 more to go!!! The first week went fairly well.
Olivia is loving school. She has volunteered to be a guide for first year students at Bryson Elementary, a crossing guard, and a library helper. I am very proud of her for wanting to be involved in school this year. Olivia loves her teacher. She seems to require the students to do their best and be organized. Last year Olivia began to slack off, but seems to be renewed this year. She always wants to please her teachers, so a teacher that demands a lot is good for Olivia. Hopefully, Olivia will rise to the occasion.
Jarrett says he loves school, even if he does not love wearing his hearing aids. He has learned to adapt to his hearing loss so well, he does not think he needs his hearing aids. He usually does quite well without them in, then he says something funny and you realize he really does need them. For example, his teacher is Ms. Asberry. Jarrett, however, calls her Ms. Rasberry! Close but no cigar!!
Another Jarrett funny this week came on Thursday. He told me he did not feel well at school and continued to have a stomach ache and fever at home that afternoon. When he tried to explain what was wrong with him, he said he thought his gallbladder was going bad!!! Dean had gallbladder surgery last week and sent the week before with a very upset stomach. I guess it all made sense to Jarrett. Thankfully he is recovering from his stomach and does not appear to need surgery to remove his gallbladder.
Nathan began school on Friday (yes, the baby that was supposed to be a vegetable is in a regular, normal class) with mixed emotions. He was excited to go to school, only he wanted to go to Jarrett's school. Nathan is across town at the Golden Strip Child Development Center. He refused to go into the school. Several teachers, Dean, and the school director talked to him before he agreed to go into the building for some juice. He loved school once he received his juice. He even has homework this weekend!!!
We are back for our third weekend at the group home. So, the kids are being spoiled again by my parents. Not a bad way to end the first week back at school.
Saturday, August 18, 2007 11:55 AM CDT
It is hard to believe school starts Monday!!!!! Jarrett and Olivia met their teachers on Friday. They are both excited about the new school year. Nathan will meet his teacher on Tuesday night and begin school on Wednesday.
It is hard to believe Nathan is old enough to be in school. He has been ready to go to school for over a year. Nathan thinks he is grown, I guess starting school will make it official (in his mind anyway).
It has been a busy last week of summer. The full time house mother at the group home where I work had her baby last week. We have been in the group home for the past week. As if that is not enough to keep you on your toes, Dean had his gall bladder removed on Thursday. He had been so sick for two weeks. He is sore from the surgery, but is feeling MUCH better now.
Stay cool,
Lori
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 9:28 AM CDT
Is it hot enough for you or what?!??!?!?! We are expecting the temperature to be over 100 degree today. With the humidity, the heat will be unbearable (at least for me).
Jarrett is finishing up the jump start reading program tomorrow. He likes the classes, but hates to get before everyone else in order to catch the bus.
School starts for real on August 20th. I can not beleive the summer will be gone!!! Jarrett will sign up for football on Friday. I hope having a structured activity will help Jarrett calm down a little. He has been wild lately.
I guess that is it for around here.
Keep cool,
Lori
Friday, July 20, 2007 2:22 PM CDT
I am sorry that it has been so long since an update. The summer is flying by. I remember the summers of my childhood being full of long, lazy days. What happened to that time???
We have just finished up vacation Bible school. It was a lot of fun for the kids. Dean and I attended the adult classes. Each of the teachers did an outstanding job presenting their lessons. I was certainly blessed, uplifted, and informed.
In addition to VBS we had a couple of other big events last week. On Monday, Jarrett participated in a "golf clinic". It was the kick off to the Blade Jr. Golf Tournament. He was on a team with Jay Hass, Jay Hass, Jr. and Jason. Jay Hass is a professional golfer on the senior tour. His son Jay Jr. is on the PGA tour. Jason is another cancer survivor, who is doing an internship at PHOC. The other team included Charles Warner, another pro golfer.
Jarrett hates crowds, but did stand with the 4 J's team for introductions. He refused to hit the ball on the long drive in front of the crowd. The director pulled one over on him. She moved Jarrett down a little and had him hit just for her. Of course, the crowd and the camera moved with him. Jarrett just did not notice.
Jarrett and Nathan both were allowed to put a ball in the hole for the next part.
Now for the best part, the Blade Jr. raised $100,000 for pediatric cancer research right here in Greenville!!!! I was very excited when they announced the final dollar amount. That is a lot of money raised by kids playing golf!!
Dr. Schimdt, from PHOC was there also. Jarrett has not seen him in quite some time. Dr. Schimdt won my respect one weekend when Jarrett was inpatient for chemo. Jarrett's lab work came back a mess. Dr. Schimdt came to tell me about the changes he was going to make to Jarrett's fluids. During the conversation, Dr. Schimdt began to trail off. He said maybe I should call Dr. Stroud.
Dr. Schimdt, is not just an oncologist and hematologist, he also has a PhD. and is the director of the entire Children's Hospital. He left the play area and called Dr. Stroud out of his garden to ask him what he thought should be done for Jarrett.
Not many of us are willing to admit when we just do not know the answer to all of the questions. But Dr. Schimdt impressed me by being willing to put Jarrett's best interest over any ego he may have.
Dr. Stroud suggested redoing Jarrett's blood work. That was the right answer. The first sample was contaminated.
I could go on forever about how wonderful the staff at PHOC and the Children's Hospital are to the families they serve. The upstate of SC is blessed to have them here.
Our other BIG event was Nathan's birthday on Tuesday, July 17th. Nathan turned 4 years old. I can not believe it! He has come such a long way since then. The doctors gave us No hope of him surviving. When they finally said he may live, he would be handicapped. They would have aborted he at any time, yet (Praise God!) Nathan is alive and well. He will begin 4 year old kindergarten in August. There is nothing handicapped about Nathan. He is bright, energetic, and compassionate.
What an awesome God we serve. Before we are born He knows us and has plans for us. He gave us peace during those months at Spartanburg Regional NICU. He gave us wonderful doctors and nurses to take care of Nathan. Most importantly He gave us Nathan.
Now the family and I are at the group home for 10 days. Dean is taking the kids to a cookout tonight. He has family down from KY. It will be good to see them. Tomorrow, Dean will take the kids to a cookout at church. It should be a fun weekend. I will try to have some fun with the girls here.
Hope you all are remaining healthy and staying cool this summer.
Lori
PS Please pray for Lillie, she is 3 years old. She is from NC. She has NB. She has tumors in her skull that are bleeding into her brain. She and her family are in NYC for treatment. Her caringbridge site is lillieboyte.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007 11:20 AM CDT
Jarrett and I returned from Palmetto Bible Camp on Saturday. We had a great week together at camp. There were not enough hours in the day for Jarrett to play basketball, ride the paddle boats, play basketball, swim, play basketball, go down the slip and slide, play basketball,sing, play basketball, work in the craft room, play basketball, fish (he caught a turtle) and most importantly learn more from God's word.
Did you get the hint? Jarrett loves to play basketball. Some mornings he began playing basketball at 6:30 am. Whew! that is early!!! Jarrett loves every minute at camp.
My favorite memory of camp this year is Jarrett's tall tale about the swimming pool. It is not actually a swimming pool, it is a part of the lake that has been sectioned off for swimming. After his first day at the pool, he showed me a scratch on his leg. Jarrett said the scratch was from the alligator in the swimming pool. He went on to say he was glad there were life guards on duty to keep the monsters in the mountains and out of the pool!!! Jarrett even asked Dr. Stroud to look at his alligator bite. Of course, Dr. Stroud took the time to examine Jarrett's bite.
Dr. Stroud was the bearer of some very good news. Jarrett's scans were clear!!!!!!! Praise God!!! That is always a relief to hear. Dr. Stroud even said the bone scan shows signs of healing! I am not sure what that means, but it sounds good to me.
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer. Stay cool!
Friday, June 15, 2007 3:16 PM CDT
T - 16 hours and counting, until Jarrett and I will be leaving for Palmetto Bible Camp. He is so excited. I will be kitchen director again this year. We are both looking forward to spending the week together at camp.
Olivia and Nathan will be staying with my parents. Dean is looking forward to peace and quiet for the week!!!
Jarrett had his CT and bone scan on Thursday. He did not like the IV, but did well over all. We will get his results on June 25th.
The baseball season has ended. The Rangers finished division champions with a 12 -1 record. We will miss baseball for the summer.
Well, that all that's news for now. We will update after camp.
Enjoy the summer.
Lori
Saturday, May 26, 2007 3:30 PM CDT
Only 4 more days of school left. Jarrett will be a 1st grader!!! It is hard to believe. Olivia will begin her last year of elementary school. This school year has flown. Where does the time go? I must be getting old!!!
Jarrett continues to love baseball. The rangers lost their first game last week. Everyone had field day last Tuesday. The team was too tired to play baseball. The team looked better on Friday. Their bats were hot and they won handily.
I hope everyone will take time to remember those who have given their life in service to our great country over Memorial day weekend. We are so blessed to live in a county where we are free to be Americans!!!
Love to all,
Lori
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 7:16 PM CDT
Hello,
Well, the school year is coming to a close in a hurry. It is hard to believe that Jarrett will be going to the first grade!! Where does the time go?!?!?!?!
Jarrett had his check up at PHOC this week. Everything looks good. He is scheduled for his quarterly scans in June.
Jarrett's baseball team in the top team in his division. He is getting better in each game.
Speaking of where did the time go. Last week marked the THREE year anniversary of Jarrett's NB diagnosis. He has come so far in those three years. I remember him sitting on home plate trying to hit the ball during a softball game at VBS back on 2004. He was unable to stand or walk very well by himself them. Now he hitting the ball into left field and diving to catch ground balls to stop a run. We have so much to be thankful for each and every day.
While we rejoice in Jarrett's good health. Too many friends continue to fight against childhood cancer. Please continue to keep them in your prayers. You do not have to know their names, God knows them and will continue to take of them.
Thanks for checking in,
Lori
Saturday, April 21, 2007 8:06 PM CDT
Wow! what a busy week! Jarrett had a good check up with the ENT. His ears are still clear!! Yea!
He played his first two 'real' baseball games this week. His team lost the first game 9 - 7. Surprisingly, Jarrett was not upset by this. Then on Friday night, the Rangers turned it on and won 13-1. He was very excited. Jarrett stopped a line drive that could have been an inside the park home run.
Saturday, Dean and Jarrett went to the American Cancer Society Fishing Tournament on Lake Hartwell. Needless to say Jarrett loves Lake Hartwell. He caught 11 fish. He brought them home for Dean to clean and cook.
When Jarrett got home (to the group home where we work) I was in the middle of a party for one of the residents with a group of sweet ladies from the local Methodist church. Jarrett had to bring his cooler of fish into show the ladies. They were delighted, or at least pretended to be delighted, to see his fish. After showing off the fish to the ladies, he headed down to see the chairman of the board for SECH. He was as excited about the fish as Jarrett was. Dean, Herb, and another neighbor cleaned and filleted the fish. Then we had a great supper. Thanks to Buck Marchant for taking Jarrett and Dean out for the day.
Jarrett was so excited to go fishing this morning, that he woke us up at 4:17. Yes, 4:17 am. It is now after 9:00 pm, he is still going strong. I wish I could say the same thing about myself.
Did I mention Jarrett was voted a Terrific Kid for his class. Dean and I were so proud, but hey I always knew he was a terrific kid!
I guess I will close now and get ready for another busy week. Jarrett's class is going to the zoo on Wednesday. I am going as a chaperon. I do not know who is more excited - me or Jarrett. It should be fun.
Lori
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 3:47 PM CDT
Hello,
Jarrett and Olivia enjoyed a great spring break. Today was their first day back at school. It was hard to get up and get going this morning. Oh, how easily we get spoiled by sleeping in for a week.
Jarrett loves playing baseball with the 7 and 8 year old boys. He has his first scrimmage tonight. He is so excited to be able to wear his new Texas Rangers uniform. I will update after the season officially begins with the wins and losses.
Happy Spring,
Lori
Friday, April 6, 2007 1:18 PM CDT
Happy Easter!!!!!
The children are enjoying their week out of school. Jarrett has enjoyed playing ball and playing ball and playing ball. Nathan and Olivia spent a couple of nights with their grandparents. They loved being spoiled by Grammie and Popa.
Now the count down for summer break will begin. I am not so sure I am ready for summer break. I know it will be fast and furious.
I hope all of you will enjoy the easter weekend!
Lori
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 3:37 PM CDT
Jarrett loves baseball!!! Who could have imagined?!?! (Ha! Ha! LOL.) He just has practices for now. The games will begin in April. He is so excited about playing in his first real baseball game.
Olivia and Nathan are fighting allergies. Spring has sprung in the Carolina's, pollen is everywhere and on everything. I would be worried if they were not fighting allergies.
I will try to have some spring and baseball pictures on here soon.
Lori
Tuesday, March 20, 2007 4:09 PM CDT
The first Day of Spring!! It has felt like spring for a while here in SC. Jarrett had his first baseball practice yesterday. He was so excited! He is playing on a 7 & 8 year old coach pitch team. He is the smallest player on the team, but he can out throw and out catch all of the other players. He just loves to play ball.
It is always interesting how God puts you where you need to be. We were talking with one of his coaches after practice. We were explaining Jarrett's hearing loss. Another of the players also has a hearing loss and is a family member to the coach, so he is used to working with kids with hearing losses. When we mentioned Jarrett lost his hearing from chemo treatments, the coaches face went pale and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Then he tells us about growing up with a sister who passed away due to childhood cancer. He even remembered Drs. Hayes and Stroud. I know this will be a great team for Jarrett to be on this spring. I will let you know how season turns out.
Lori
Sunday March 11, 2007 1:27 PM CST
The article below is written by a lady we met in Charleston. Her son Christopher also has NB. He had his transplant just before Jarrett went in for transplant. Christopher relapsed in December 2005. He currently is in treatment in NYC. After reading her entry, please contact your state representatives urging them to help save our children. Thanks.
I want you to imagine that within a 2-week time your life can go from normal to hell and never be the same. Your child that looks fine today in that amount of time (or less) can go from having no symptoms to needing an emergency trip to the dr's or hospital where they will tell you that your child has cancer. Every single day this becomes reality for 46 families in the US (Over 12000 annually). And while some statistics will tell you that great strides are being made in cure rates for the children - CANCER IS STILL THE NUMBER ONE DISEASE CAUSING DEATH IN CHILDREN. In 80 f the cases the cancer has spread before it is detected. As adults we are told what we can do to reduce our risks of getting cancer - watch our diet, don't smoke, don't drink to excess, etc. You C-A-N-N-O-T D-O A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G to protect your children from this. It's a nightmare you don't want to think about happening to you and one you'd rather face yourself than have to watch your baby face. I don't know the figures for other cancers, but for Neuroblastoma (the number one solid tumor in children) stage IV (remember 80 f cases have spread by the time it is diagnosed) the figure is about 35 If your child makes it through initial treatment you find yourself holding your breath waiting to see if you will be one of the lucky 1/3. When your don't land in that lucky (even the lucky third will face mild to severe long term side effects the worst being a secondary cancer) 1/3 you are told that Relapsed nueroblastoma is ALWAYS fatal. You watch your child playing without a care in the clinic playroom trying to take that in. How can that be? You grasp for hope.... God is the one with the plan. But you can’t dictate that plan. You hope that a cure is found in time for your child (and all the other children that are in the same boat that you’ve fallen in love with in the meantime). We just need to buy enough time for the scientist to find that one piece of information we’re missing – the cure. Sounds easy right? If you're that scientist you know that it's hard to get the funding to research childhood cancer. Much more money in adults - there's more cases. That explains why most of the treatments our kids get wasn't developed for them, but was found to work in adults and transferred to them (better than nothing right?) So here you are, your child has relapsed. While waiting for this treatment you try the most promising. You hope that your childs body can survive the harsh effects of the treatments and that there will always be one more thing to try. That's not always (unfortunately it not usually) the case. And it's not for a lack of new developments. But it takes money to take a promising idea from lab to hospital bed. And childhood cancer research has been notoriously under funded for quite some time.
(Quick example - Childhood cancer kills more children per year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma and AIDS combined. There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS and yet the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.)
Maybe knowing all of this will outrage you when you hear that funding will be cut even more for childhood cancer research. "In recent years, the amount of funding for childhood cancer clinical research from the federal government has been declining. In response to the most recent cutbacks, the National Cancer Institute has decreased funding which especially impacts childhood cancer research. As a result, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the world’s pre-eminent childhood cancer research organization, has been forced to put 20 new studies on hold and decrease enrollment in new clinical trials by more than 400 children next year. " - www.curesearch.org
I can hope and pray that a cure comes in time for Chris, but this is bigger than just us. This is all the children that will be diagnosed tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and every single day until we finally figure out how to stop this nightmare. It doesn't have to be this way. But if we don't make our voices heard our representatives in Washington will think that we're ok with them putting childhood cancer research on the bottom of their priority list. I understand that there's only so much money and cuts have to be made somewhere but I don’t feel we should forfeit the lives of out children in the process.
You are reading this page because you know Jarrett. You've come to love him. If I can't convince you to fight for him, then we'll never be able to convince those in Washington. If you want to know how to make your views heard go to www.curesearch.org and click the link on the left about budget cuts. You can put in your zip code and it will allow you to put in your contact info and send an email to your representatives. I promise it's easy to do. They've even got preset messages (and you can personalize if you want).
Thanks for reading this and thanks again if you contact your representatives.
It is hard to believe that the first day of spring is just around the corner and we "spring forward" this weekend. I do not look forward to the time change for several reasons. One it is too hard to get up before the sun ("not normal, not normal at all", to quote the mayor in the movie "The Grinch").Secondly, it will be impossible to get Jarrett in the house until late. After all the street lights will not be on until dark!!!
In May 2000 I read the book "What was Good About Today". It was the story of a little girl from California battling cancer in the early 1970's. She had to travel to Seattle for treatment. While I can tell you cancer treatments today are not a walk in the park, the ride certainly seems a little smoother today. This little girl did not have the benefit of anti-nausea and pain medications used today. She and her mother endured some very long, hard days. However, at the end of each day, they wrote down everything that was good about that day. Some days I did not see how they could find anything good about all the child had gone through that day, but they did. I remember one day their "good thing" was they made the doctor laugh by placing silly stickers on her hips where he was going to stick her for the bone marrow biopsy. What a simple thing to be thankful for!! I read the last page of the book about 30 seconds before my husband told me his mother had just pasted away. Since reading the book I have made it a point to always find something good about each day.
Last week we had two really good reasons to be thankful. Jarrett had his bi-monthly visit at PHOC. Dr. Casswell was somewhat concerned about Jarrett's white count being elevated, but gave Jarrett a CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH!!!!! That was worth celebrating at Stevie B's pizza.
Of course the devil would never want us to be happy, so he finds a way to steal our happiness. The day after Jarrett's appointment at PHOC. I notice what appears to be a"knot" on one of Jarrett's ribs. All night all I could think of was his elevated white counts. The next morning I mentioned this to Dean. Dean felt the "knot" also. Dean called PHOC as soon as the phones were turned on that morning. Dr. Stroud wanted to see Jarrett. Denise and Dr. Stroud both checked Jarrett out and decided the "knot" is just a thickening in that rib. It did not hurt for them to press and poke on his rib, it tickled. Once again God is so GOOD! So get behind me and my family Satan are going to celebrate Jarrett's good health everyday!
Another good thing this week was Jarrett's trip to the ENT. Dr. Foster declared Jarrett's ears CLEAR!!!!!!!! Dr. Foster joked that Jarrett would be good for six months, then laughingly said don't count on it. I told him I would take the good news and run with it for today.
I pray that each of you will find the good things God has given to you today.
Peace and happiness,
Lori
Thursday, February 22, 2007 9:05 AM CST
Jarrett continues to do well. His ears are still draining. He will see the ENT on March 8th. Maybe the doctor will make a decision on how to best treat this drainage.
Hope all is well.
Lori
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 4:26 PM CST
Good news! the fever came and went without a trip to the doctor. However, the ears are draining. So, much for a week without draining.
We are recovering and feeling a little better each day.
I pray that you all will avoid all of the "Bugs" out there and stay healthy.
Lori
Sunday, February 11, 2007 2:30 PM CST
Jarrett has been doing OK. The rest of the family has been under the weather, except Jarrett and Nathan. Now, Jarrett has a 102 degrees fever. I guess we will be off to see the fine doctors and nurses at PHOC tomorrow.
With all of the "bugs" going around I pray that you all will stay healthy.
Lori
Saturday, February 3, 2007 3:14 PM CST
Happy Birthday to Jarrett! Jarrett is very excited to now be 6 years old! How did we celebrate such a special day - with a snow day! Jarrett was so excited to see his first snow fall in about 3 years. He thought he was so special to get snow and a day out of school for his birthday. It is funny how he thinks it was all just for him.
We also went to the ENT on Tuesday. More of the same, with just one change. We are trying to keep his ears dry with a hair dryer and using antibiotic drops. The hair dryer is an european remedy for chronic ear problems. I hope this works for Jarrett. Jarrett like the hair dryer better than the ear drops.
Hope all is well with you.
Lori
Thursday, January 25, 2007 5:18 PM CST
Jarrett saw the ENT yesterday. The ear drainage was greatly improved. During the exam, Dr. Foster began asking me questions about past infection. Finally, I said are you talking about MRSA. He said yes. (MRSA is a staff resistant infection. Once you are positive for MRSA you are always positive for MRSA.) Dr. Foster believes Jarrett has MRSA in his ears. The tubes are giving the MRSA a place to breed and grow. At this point Dr. Foster and I both are thinking "now you tell me". Dr. Foster cultured Jarrett's right ear. We will get the results for the culture on Tuesday. If it is positive for MRSA then Dr. Foster will have to remove the tubes,Jarrett's adnoids and possibly his tonsils. Hey whatever works!
I am so glad we switched ENT's to Dr. Foster. He he a very kind and gentle person. He seems to have Jarrett's best interest at heart, even though Jarrett has yet to speak to him. I think I will take a football with me to the next appointment. Maybe Dr. Foster will take the hint and break the ice.
I will update after Jarrett's next appointment. Thanks for checking up on us.
Lori
Monday, January 22, 2007 11:20 AM CST
We all had a good weekend. Nathan and Olivia went with my sister to see "Super Grover - Ready for Action!" Nathan loved it. Jarrett opted out and stayed home to play basketball.
Jarrett's ears started draining again on Sunday. So, no hearing aids for him. You know that he just hates it when he can not wear his hearing aids! (NOT! - LOL)
Jarrett goes to the ENT on Wednesday. Hopefully, this will be a good checkup.
Have a great week!
Lori
Friday, January 19, 2007 7:04 PM CST
WOW! I can not believe I have gone almost an entire month without updating.
We all are doing fine. Jarrett has good days and bad days with wanting to wear his hearing aids. Thankfully, more good days than bad days.
Just before I logged on I remembered that next Wednesday will mark the two year anniversary of Jarrett's release from MUSC following his transplant. He remembers very little of our time in Charleston. What a blessing that is, he was VERY sick during transplant. We continue to thank God for every day with Jarrett.
All too often we are reminded not every family has been this blessed. Just after Christmas another of the families we met along the way lost their son to cancer. However, our family continues to walk by faith. I know that God has a plan for each of us. I pray that His plan for Jarrett is a long healthy life!
Another important date coming up is February 1st, Jarrett's 6th birthday. I can not believe how big he is getting. My baby is growing up.
Love to all,
Lori
Thursday, December 28, 2006 5:56 PM CST
Happy New Year!!!!
The Tripp Family had a great Christmas weekend! The kids loved all of their presents. However, we recieved the best Christmas present today while at "the clinic" from Dr. Stroud. He told us that Jarrett's bone scan, CT, and echocardiagram were ALL CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!! Praise God!!! I was so thrilled to hear such good news!
Our friend Kaye also recieved good news. She will not need chemo to treat her Lymphoma. The cancer was induced by her RA treatment. The doctors believe the best treatment is to stop her RA treatments.
I also wanted to ask everyone to pray for Dean's brother Mike. Mike fell 7 feet into a grease pit at work on Tuesday. He has two compression fractures in his spine at the L1 and L2 levels. He will receive his back brace soon, but not soon enough for him. Until then he has to lay flat on his back.
It is hard to believe that the end of the year is already here. I pray that each of you will have a happy and healthy 2007!
Lori
Don't you just love the snowmen while we are enjoying 60 and 70 degree weather here in the south.
Saturday, December 23, 2006 12:53 AM CST
Can in be Christmas is only TWO days away!!!! I still have one more Christmas gift to finish up tomorrow. I pray that each of you have a safe, healthy, and happy Christmas!
Jarrett had his scans on Friday. Nurse Kristi was able to start the IV without too much trouble, thanks to Nurse Carol praying for Kristi and Jarrett during the stick!!! Jarrett did fairly well during the scans. He stayed awake during the entire 2 hours it takes for the bone scan. He only had to stop the test one time. Not too bad for a boy who only know one speed - WIDE OPEN!
Before I forget my friend Kaye recieved good news from her test. Her cancer is in an early stage and she will not have to have chemo. Praise God for the answer to prayers.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Lori
Friday, December 15, 2006 4:39 AM CST
I just wanted to share a few memories with you all about December 15th. Today has been a fairly quiet December 15th (knock on wood), but for the past 3 years it has been anything but quiet. Three years ago we were packing and ending our five year stint as full time houseparents at Southeastern Children's Home. I could not leave entirely, so we still work as relief houseparents. Then two years ago we were admitting Jarrett into MUSC to begin his stem cell transplant. That was the scariest day of my life. It is hard to believe that was two years ago. Last year the upstate was bracing for an ice strom and my grandmother past away after a brief battle with cancer. Of course we still miss her, but rejoice that she is in heaven. Thank you for helping us through all of those Decmeber 15ths.
Now back to the regular update.
Wow!! December 14th! The month is almost half way gone. Eleven days until Christmas (have you checked your list twice, or atleast once), 17 days until New Year's and then the YEAR will be gone! Where did it GO! I pray that 2006 has been a good year for everyone. It has been a great year for our family.
On to news about Jarrett. He had the new tubes placed last week. They are working great. I never knew how much gunk could come out of someone's ears. His ears are still draining. What a blessing to have gunk glued to the side of you face and ears everyday! His hearing has greatly improved. He can hear me call his name even without the hearing aids. He is in a much better mood in the mornings and does not mind wearing his hearing aids.
Jarrett sang in his first Christmas concert on Monday night. He did not know every word to every song, but he sang the words he knew and faked the rest! We were so proud. I did not believe he would actually go up on stage, but he did. I think Jarrett would do anything for Mrs. Clark, his teacher. Maybe Mrs. Clark would want to come live with us or maybe just take Jarrett to some of his doctor appointments. She would probably have better luck convincing Jarrett to co-operate than I have been having lately.
Speaking of doctor appointments, Jarrett has just a few more before the end of the year. He has his tubes checked on December 19th and his PHOC visit on December 28th. On December 22nd are his quarterly scans. Now that they are only a week away everything Jarrett does begins to put doubt in my mind. Two nights ago Jarrett came and got into bed with us. He told me his legs were hurting, leg pain and NB go hand and hand. I just keep quoting I John 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out all fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." I know that the one who makes everything perfect has Jarrett right in the palm of His hands and guards Jarrett's every footstep (Psalms 121 "He will preserve your coming out and your going in - this little short chapter is encouraging and uplifting).
Sooooo, the short end of this story is we are enjoying the Christmas season. We took the kids on a carriage ride through Fountain Inn last weekend. The town is beautiful at Christmas. We are baking Christmas treats tonight. Decorating the group home Christmas tree tomorrow night. Attending the agency Christmas party on Saturday and have a group coming on campus Sunday. (Can you guess I am working this weekend.) So, let the fun begin.
Please pray for our friend Kaye, she has been diagnosed with Lyphoma. She will get all of her test results back tomorrow. Dr. Bearden will let her know the stage of the cancer and her treatment. I know that waiting is the hard part. Please pray for stage 1 and easy treatments.
Thank you for checking in on us. We pray that you will all have a very safe and blessed holiday season!
Lori
Thursday, December 7, 2006 3:37 PM CST
Today was the big day. Jarrett had a new set of tubes put in his ears. Dr. Foster said once he removed all of the impacted wax, he could see that the middle ear space was completely filled with fluid. Hence the reason Jarrett could not hear with or without the hearing aids. Jarrett was impressed that he could hear after having the tubes placed. It is so nice to be able to talk to him and have hime understand. He was so loving and sweet all day. He even took Dean to the doctor this afternoon. Dean is battling the gout. Hopefully, he will be feeling better soon.
Jarrett will sing in his first Christmas program at school on Monday night. I am excited for him. I just hope he does not chicken out on stage.
Thanks for checking on us. Guess that is all for now. Take time to enjoy all of the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Remember Jesus is the reason for all of the seasons!
Lori
Thursday, November 30, 2006 5:03 PM CST
First, I want to apologized for the delay in updating Jarrett's site. When I returned home from the group home two weeks ago, I discovered that our computer has a virus. The good news is if I can find the original operating system (who knows where Dean could have hidden it) I can take the computer to a local community college and they will fix it for free.
We had a great Thanksgiving. Lots of food, family and friends. I even got to see the newest member of the family, Mason, for the first time.
Jarrett went to the ENT today. It is the first time he has seen Dr. Foster. Dr. Foster has some different ideas on how to treat Jarrett's continuing problems of impacted ear wax and fluid behind the ear drum. Unfortunately, Jarrett would not co-operate today. So, he will have to be put to sleep in order for his ears to be cleaned out. Dr. Foster will then access whether or not Jarrett needs a new set of tubes. Jarrett hates to be put to sleep, but he made the decision not to co-operate. Jarrett used to be very co-operatative at the doctor's office, but lately things have changed. I think it has something to do with the 6 sticks he had to endure before his last scans.
Oh, well we will press on.
Before I close, I wanted to asked that you remember my friend, Kaye Sanders. Kaye was diagnosised this week with Lyphoma.
Hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Christmas season. Remember Jesus is the Reason for every season.
Lori
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 9:50 AM CST
I John 4:18.. Perfect love cast out all fear…
Over time Jarrett has developed and perfected his tough guy routine. He always wants to play tackle football with the big boys. He is constantly wanting to body slam and clothesline Nathan (we do not watch wrestling, just imagine what Jarrett would do if he watched the WWF!). Our family joke is that Nathan had to be strong to survive being born 15 weeks premature, but he has to be a lot stronger to survive Jarrett. Being born prematurely was just the testing ground for surviving Jarrett.
Well, yesterday Jarrett’s tough guy routine came crashing down. He was scheduled for his echocardiogram. We had talked about what to expect from the echo. Jarrett’s first question was about having a new broviac line placed. I assured him that he did not a broviac line. He was fine until he was called for his appointment. I had to drag him back to the exam room. I finally wrestled his shirt off of him. Then he jumped off the table and tried to run around the room. At this point I am puzzled. He has never reacted this way to any test or procedure. He sometimes cries about IV’s, but he has never ran from me. Once back on the table, he does his best to cover his chest by wrapping his arms around himself. I tried to reason with and reassure him that we are not putting a new line in him. Jarrett could not be convinced or consoled. Finally, I had no choice. I had to use some of his own moves on him. He was body slammed onto the table and held down for the test to begin. Once the lady began scanning him, he calmed down, overcame his fears, and watched “Shark Tales” and the scan on the monitor.
He did get scared again when he asked why there were red and blue lines on the screen. I told him the red and blue represented his blood moving around his heart. Jarrett’s eyes enlarged and he said are you going to take the blood out of my heart. (LOL) We laughed and told him no that he could keep the blood in his heart.
The technician said the scan looked good. I will get the official report in December.
Jarrett also showed his softer side when he watched the computer video of Hannah Sobeski’s funeral. Hannah was a young lady in Spartanburg who recently past away after a tough battle with sarcoma. The local news station videoed the service and hosted on their website. Jarrett sat through the 1hour and 20 service twice. The first time Jarrett watched the video with his head on Dean’s shoulder and second time with his head on my shoulder. He even wiped away my tears. So, now I know he can be a sweet boy!
We are still trying to change ENT’s for Jarrett. Hopefully, I will hear something today about and appointment. Maybe a new set of eyes will have some different answer to Jarrett’s hearing problems.
The kids love the warm weather we are enjoying. They play outside all of the time. Hopefully, the nice weather will continue for a while.
Thanks for stopping by and the continued prayers.
Saturday, November 11, 2006 11:00 AM CST
On the eleventh hour, the eleventh day, the eleventh month of the eleventh year the treaty was signed to end the war of all wars - the Great War - what we all call World War I. Unfortunately, we forgot that war was susposed to end all wars and many more wars, conflicts, police actions, and other such battles have taken place since then. I am very proud to say several of our family members have served our country over the years. The new photo trail shows pictures of my grandfather M.B. Cash who served during the 1940's. My step grandfather, Ray Scates. Ray served on the Yorktown during WWII and in the air force during the airlift over Berlin in the 1950's. My cousin Marty Rhinehard who is currently serving the US Air Force. One who I did not have a picture of is my uncle William Cash. William is a full time guardsmen. He has served his country for 38 years. Dean's great uncle gave all when he died of starvation in a German POW camp during WWII. These brave men all help to keep us all free. Please remember that we all live in the "land of the free" thanks to brave men and women who have served in order for us to have that freedom. Also, don't forget to pray for those men and women who are currently serving around the world. May they all return home safely.
I wanted to share with you a story Olivia had to read this week for school. It is entitled “The Clever Smuggler”. In a small mountain village in South America a man walking with a donkey approached the border inspector. The donkey was carrying several bales of straw on his back. The inspector informed the man that he suspected the man was trying to smuggle goods into his village. The inspector told the man he as going to inspect his bales of straw and if he found anything the man would have to pay a large fine. The man agreed to have his straw inspected. The inspector went the work. He threw the straw in the air, on the ground and all around. The inspector did not find any contraband material and allowed the man to pass.
The next day the smuggler again approached the inspector. Again the inspector tore through the man’s bales of straw and found nothing. So he allowed the smuggler to pass. As the days went on the smuggler came the border inspector everyday. The inspector began to inspect the donkey and the straw. Still the inspector did not find anything unusual in the straw or on the donkey. The days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years. Finally ten years passed and the inspector retired. Even in his retirement the inspector continued to think about the clever smuggler. He was still convinced the man was smuggling something into his village. He wondered if something could be hidden in the hairs of the donkey’s tail.
One day the inspector was in the village open market, when he saw a familiar face. It was the smuggler. The inspector walked over to the smuggler and introduced himself. The inspector explained that he was now retired, but still wondered about what the man had been smuggling into the village. The smuggler simply smiled and said DONKEYS!
The story reminded me about how we are with God’s blessings. We spend so much time looking for happiness in all of the wrong places. So many times people say if God would only give me my dream house, or a new car, or whatever material possession they want then they would be happy. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities all is vanities”. Solomon had all of the world riches and yet he could not find happiness in those things. Solomon learned that true happiness is found in service to the Lord (Acts 2:38, Acts 8:26-40, Matt 25:44-46).
Sometimes instead of hunting for God’s blessing, we just need to realize where our blessings lie. This is a lesson I learned the hard way this week. Our schools were closed on Tuesday due to elections. It was raining and the kids had cabin fever. The boys were wild, fussing, fighting and just generally being boys. It was really starting to bother me. Later in the day I read on a caringbridge site where one family had been challenged by their doctor to make the funeral arrangements for the daughter before going to vote that day. Suddenly, the boys seemed a little calmer. Maybe it is a blessing to have the kids swinging from the ceiling fan. Then Thursday night while I was at work, Nathan decided to see what would happen if he pulled the fire alarm. Well, let me tell you what happens-the sprinkler system above the stove goes off covering the stove and counters with a liquid acid and the alarm sounds very loudly. That situation could have upset me, but just moments before I learned the young lady I mentioned earlier had indeed lost her battle with sarcoma and won the victory. So, again maybe it is not so bad to have a child who is curious. After all Nathan was not supposed to be here at all and he is healthy enough to be pulling down fire alarms.
Yes, I would rather other blessings (and I do), but for today I will take my blessings where God gave to me and be thankful.
Some of the other things I have to be thankful are Jarrett visit to PHOC this week. Jarrett’s blood work all looked great. Dr. Casswell scheduled Jarrett’s next scans for December. Provided those scans are clean (I trust in the great physician that they will be), Jarrett will not have to be seen for 6 months!!!!!!!!!! That is hard to believe. It does not seem like too long ago that we were going to the clinic 3 times per week. Dr. Casswell said that Jarrett is doing well and does not see the need to continue to expose him to unneeded radiation. Jarrett could still relapse, but the more frequent scans will not prevent that from happening. It is kind of scary to let go of the life line. Fortunately, we know that perfect love cast out all fear (I John 4:18)
Jarrett continues to have trouble with his ears and therefore his hearing. We are switching ENT’s this month. Prayerfully, we will find answers to his problems.
Thank you for all of the prayers and concern for Jarrett all along this journey.
Lori
Tueday, November 7, 2006 6:11 PM CST
DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE!!!!!! It is raining here today. The Kids are out of school today. It is not surprising that Olivia wants to go shopping and have her picture made! Maybe we will get some of that done after a visit to the polls.
Halloween was fun. The kids love dressing up for the evening. Momma and Daddy came down to celebrate their anniversary (that's right 42 years of wedded bliss on Halloween!) Momma even walked around town with Nathan. The kids loved having her with them. Nathan loved having his grammie around so much that he went home with her. Imagine that!
We had another big event this week. In addition to Daddy celebrating his 42nd wedding anniversary, he also celebrated his 61st birthday!!!! Happy Birthday to Daddy and to his twin brother Lynn.
Jarrett went for his neuropych evaluation on Friday. Of course, Jarrett's ears are full of fluid and he can not hear anything. He can hear maybe a little bit with the hearing aids, but does not know when we call his name without them. He did OK on the visual part of the test. He could not do the hearing part of the test even with his hearing aids. The doctor asked Jarrett what animal had four legs, fur and purred. Jarrett was suspose to answer "cat". Instead, Jarrett answered a "baseball". The questions went down hill from there. Jarrett tried to read lips but just came up with wild answers to the questions. I will get the official results on 11/28/06.
Can you believe it is already NOVEMBER?!?!?!?!?!??! Thanksgiving, Christmas and the year will be gone. It is hard to believe. I remember when I was in second grade, the teacher told us that in the 21st century robots would teach our children. Thankfully, we still have real, live, human teachers. The further we go into the 21st century the more I laugh at the predictions we made back in 1976.
Well, the kids are wild. Nothing new there, but I guess I need to try and settle them down for bed time.
Lori
PS: I also added new pictures to the photo page.
Sunday, October 29, 2006 12:47 AM CST
If you are privileged enough to live in the south, then you know just know beautiful this weekend has been. The leaves are turning into a wonderful display of colors, the temperatures are cool but comfortable. All of these are a testament to the Master Creator.
Yesterday, we spent the day at the Atlanta Aquarium. It was simply amazing to stand in the tunnel and watch whale sharks (they are the world's largest fish) swim just above your head. Jarrett and Nathan loved watching the fish. Jarrett said the aquarium had almost as many fish as his poppa's pond (LOL). Thankfully, Jarrett did not insist on trying to fish in the aquarium. I can just imagine Jarrett bringing Miss Ruth, one of his PHOC nurses, a gaint grouper. The fish was as big as he is, she would have loved the present I am sure.
Today Jarrett and Dean are in Black Mountain, NC. They are helping out in a little mountain church. Dean led singing, Dean's dad, David preached, and Dean and Jarrett drove the van to pick up kids for church. Jarrett loves the mountains. When I talked with them earlier, Jarrett was having fun.
On the academic side of life, Olivia brought home a great report card. Jarrett did not get a report card, but had an excellent report from his teacher. We all wondered if Jarrett would be able to settle down and co-operate with his teacher. Thankfully, he has a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Clark. Once we get Jarrett to school, he loves it and works very hard for his teachers.
The kids are excited about trick-or-treating on Tuesday. Jarrett will be a race car driver. They did not have Dale Jarrett, but they did have Terry LeBonett. Nathan is going to be B.J. from Barney and Olivia is going to be Hannah Montana.
Jarrett will begin the late effects clinic next month. We have several appointments coming up. I will post the results from the appointments as I get them.
Happy Fall,
Lori
Monday, October 23, 2006 6:31 AM CDT
Happy Fall,
Another great weekend in the south. Jarrett, Olivia, and Nathan ALL spent the weekend with my parents. Dean and I loved the quiet time together at home. Dean and I were able to take a ride through the SC/NC mountains to view the beautiful change of colors. There is just something about fruits and veggies grown in the mountains. They are always better. I bought some apples to make applebutter with this week.
Jarrett and Olivia are enjoying a four day weekend.We are going to carve a pumpkin and work on Halloween costumes today.
We hope you all enjoy a wonderfully, healthy, happy week.
Lori
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:36 AM CDT
Whew! we are finally beginning to recover from our fun filled adventures in Orlando. The entire family participated in the Lunch for Life Silent Auction on Sunday. Jarrett had fun playing tackle football with the older boys. Everyone knew Jarrett as the little boy with NB. When he began playing football with the older boys, other parents kept coming to us telling us that Jarrett was playing tackle football and wanted to know if it was alright. We just laughed and said it was alright as long as he did not hurt the other boys. Jarrett is tough for his age and is not afraid to take on the bigger boys.
We also were able to visit with the Cole family. We met them shortly after their daughter, Merritt was diagnosed with NB. Merritt is now 2 years old. She is curly haired and beautiful.
I am not sure how much money was raised, but our main goal was to raise awareness of childhood cancer and support NB research. I think we accomplished those goals. I was able to a television interview along with Ms. Ruth Cook, (one of Jarrett's sweet nurses from the clinic) for the Peggy Denny show on WGGS channel 16. It is a local station that covers the mountains of NC, the upstate of SC and all the way to Atlanta. The money raised from the auction and lemonade stand will benefit the researchers looking for the cure for NB.
Jarrett is enjoying the football season and looking forward to the next big game - the Byrnes Rebels vs. the Gaffney Indians. Byrnes is #1 in the state, Gaffney is #2. They are both undefeated. We love the Rebels, but Gaffney is home for me. So, I will be pulling for both teams. Go Rebels! Go Indians!
After the game, we are heading up to Palmeto Bible Camp for the weekend. I know the boys will love spending time at camp and watching the leaves turn into beautiful gold, red, and orange colors.
Hope you all enjoy a beautiful weekend.
Lori
Wednesday, October 4, 2006 8:33 AM CDT
UPDATE!!! Finally new pictures! You will be amazed at how much both boys have grown. I will be adding more pics soon.
How do you celebrate the one year anniversary of no chemo? By going to Disney World!!! On December 24, 2005 Jarrett received a trip to Florida complete with tickets to Disney World, the Animal Kingdom, Sea World, and Universal's Island of Adventure from Ray Ellington and Ellington Racing.
It took several months to find a date that would work for everyone. Just by chance the week that worked for everyone is the same week of September Jarrett finished his oral chemo last year. So, we celebrated one year of good health and no anti-cancer treatments. After so many emails, it was so much fun finally meeting Ray and his family. He planned a fantastic week for our family.
After arriving in FLA we settled in and it was off the Animal Kingdom. We loved the safari ride through the Animal Kingdom. We saw so many animals and got to hunt down the poachers across Africa. It was a fun "ride".
Monday morning, bright and early we had breakfast with a princess, that right breakfast with Cinderella and all of her fairy tale friends. Olivia loved having her picture made with the Cinderella and the other characters and getting their autographs. Monday was the hottest day we had during the week. The good thing about Monday was the park was not crowded. We were able to walk right up to the rides and hop on. The 3:00 parade was incredible maybe and even "Magical".
Tuesday we went to Sea World. The shows are fabulous! It is amazing to see what the trainers can do with the animals. I wonder if they have any pointers on how to train my kids to get ready for school on time!?!? The boys and I were glued to the shows. Nathan is so funny he always wants to do whatever Jarrett does. While we were at Sea World, Nathan got his chance to get one up on Jarrett. Jarrett does not like to ride rollercoasters, so Nathan decided that he would ride the Shamu Express coaster. He was so brave until the ride started. He was scared to death, but he was proud of himself for riding the rollercoaster when Jarrett would not.
Wednesday was Universal's Island of Adventure. Jarrett got to meet Spinderman. Jarrett loves Spiderman! He had his picture made and had his face painted to look like Spiderman. Another fun day.
Thursday found us back at the Magic Kingdom. This time we went in the evening. The park was a lot more crowded, but just as fun. Nathan loved the night time parade. What was not to love all the lights, music and disney characters!
Friday - Dean got to live out one of his dreams. We went to Daytona USA. He has long wanted to visit the Daytona Race Track. He and Jarrett rode in a race simulator. Jarrett was wide eyed when Dean hit the wall and flipped the car. Dean said he felt like he was upside down. They did not get to do the track tour, because Tony Stewart and Kyle Petty were testing. I guess they trump Dean and Jarrett when it comes to the Daytona race track. They had a great time. One of the employees noticed that Jarrett was too short to enjoy some of the exhibits in Daytona USA and brought him a handfull of tokens to the arcade. How Sweet! After a morning at the races, it was time for the beach. All three kids loved playing in the waves. It was very different to see the cars parked on the beach and an ice cream truck driving back and forth on the beach. It was a beautiful day to spend at the beach with family and friends.
Saturday came all too quickly. It was time to begin to drive home, but not before a quick trip to Down Town Disney.
All in all it was a great week! We can not thank Ray Ellington, Ellington Racing and it's sponsors, and John Sines, Jr enough for the wonderful week we all enjoyed.
The only down side to the week came after we returned home. Jarrett complained of an earache on Thursday night, but seemed better on Friday. However, when we got home Jarrett's temp was 101.5 - 102.0. He did not complain with his ears, so we waited until Monday to call the doctor. Of course by the time I got him in to see the doctor Jarrett did not have a fever. He did have an ear infection and his antibiotics for the next ten days. Still not a bad price to pay for such a wonderful week in FLA. Jarret remained tired and just did not have any energy, until we went the chiropractor. He was adjusted first. When I got off the adjusting table, Jarrett was wide open! He still has not settled down.
Yesterday, I was interviewed for the Peggy Denny Show about childhood cancer. Peggy Denny does a community interest program on WGGS channel 16 in Greenville. The program broadcast from western NC through the Upsate to Georgia. The program will air October 13th at 1:00pm.
One more piece of good news. My cousin, Marty and his wife April, welcomed their first child, Mason, into the world on Monday. I pray that Mason will enjoy a long and healthy life, surrounded by the love of a great family.
Until next time enjoy the wonderful fall weather.
Lori
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 10:07 AM CDT
Many of you may not know that September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I wanted to share a few details about Childhood Cancer with you.
Each year more than 12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer. One diagnosis is all that it takes to change your life forever.
One in every 330 Americans will develop cancer by the age of 20.
Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in children between the ages of 1 and 19.
Young patients often have a more advacned stage of cancer when they are first diagnosed. Approximately 20% of adults with cancer show evidence the disease has spread, yet almost 80% of children show that the cancer has spread at diagnosis. I personally believe that 3 of the specialist we saw before Jarrett was diagnosed, refused to believe a child could have cancer.
While a child is 27 times more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than with AIDS (8,550 cancer to 310 AIDS). AIDS research recieves over 6 times as money as pediatric cancer research.
The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) federal budget for 2003 was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer 12%, prostate cancer recieved 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediactic cancers combined recieved less than 3%.
While the American Cancer Society does a great job raising money for research through their Relay for Life events. (We support their work and participated in this year's Relay at Dorman High School and Gaffney High School.) They do not give ANY of that money to pediatic cancer research.
Neuroblastoma, is near and dear to our hearts(LOL), but little is know about the disease. There is no known cause or cure for NB. Neuroblastoma is a very aggressive solid tumor that strikes children. The children have less than 30% chance of survival upon diagnosis. Neuroblastoma accounts for 7 - 10% of all childhood cancers and well over 15% of the deaths; but recieves less than 5% of the national pediatric cancer research dollars.
What can you do? Somethings are very simple.
Donate blood or platelets. Both of my boys are alive today because of generous people who bothered to roll up their sleeves and save a life. Almost anyone who is 17 years old and weighs at least 110 pounds can donate. The local blood bank is always in need of blood. I recently read that the WWII generation has been responsible for maintaining the nations blood supply. The WWII generation is fading fast, most of them are no longer able to donate due to health reasons. It is time for the rest of us to step up the plate. Jarrett and Nathan were blessed to not have to wait on blood supplies. I have heard of stories in other areas where children had to wait days for blood to be donated. These children could literally bleed to death without the donated blood supplies. Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE the sight of blood or needles. I get queesy just watching Jarrett get stuck for IV's. Yet, even I can manage to donate blood (it is easier when Jarrett is with me). So, I KNOW the rest of you can donate blood. One blood donation will save 3 lives. So roll up your sleeve and become someone's hero.
You can also drop your change into the bucket at McDonald's. Many families rely on the Ronald McDonald House as a affordable place to stay while they are out of town for treatment. You will probably never miss the change, but the families who stay in the Ronald McDonald will be forever grateful for a place to stay while they are away from home.
Many families have joined forces to create Lunch for Life, the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation, and Alex's Lemonade Stands. These organizations are leading the way in raising money for pediatric cancer research. When you see a Alex's Lemonade stand, stop by enjoy a cup of lemonade and help a child.
Personally, I am working with another family in the Greenville area on an auction for Lunch for Life. We are collecting items to be used in a silent auction. The Auction will be October 15 from 3:00 - 5:00 at the Stonehaven Club House. If you have items or services to donate please let me know. Otherwise, mark your calendars and join us on the 15th.
We appreciate all of the support we have recieve from so many during the past several years. Without it the journey would have been much more difficult. I wanted to close with a quote from First Lady Laura Bush. President George Bush lost a sister to leukemia in the 1950's. She was just 3 years old and President was 10 years old. Ms. Bush said, "I am wearing my gold ribbon (the symblom for childhood cancer) because I believe that together we can find a cure for every child with cancer. There are many personal stories of triumph and tragedy. When told in one voice these stories become lessons for all in courage and hope. By sharing your stories you show the world that children with cancer are not statistics - but young people with hope, passion and purpose."
Love,
Lori
PS. Little Christi Thomas gained her angel wings yesterday. She had battled NB for 4 years and 8 days. She fought until the very end. Please remember her family in your prayers. They are making their way back home from PA to OH. I am sure the 10 hour drive will seem much longer without their sweet liitle girl with them. Her website is christithomas.com
Monday, September 11, 2006 10:38 AM CDT
UPDATE: Please pray for little Christi Thomas and her family. Christi is in the end stages of NB IV. She has tried every clinical trial available and never had remission in the four years since she was diagnosed. You can visit her website at Christi Thomas.com and click on her blog.
So, how do you celebrate CLEAN scans! By having a great weekend. Friday night Dean and Jarrett went the football game. Since Jarrett's favorite team had the week off in anticipation of Saturday's big EPSN game (Byrnes will play again on ESPN. This time in OH), they went the Laurens High game. Laurens lost which Jarrett just did not understand. Saturday we went bowling with friends from church and to eat at the Beacon. If you have ever eaten at the Beacon, you know the food and sweet tea is great, but takes a few days to recover from. Sunday we went to Camp Courage. Jamie and the rest of the folks at PHOC did a great job with the carnival. Jarrett, Nathan and Olivia had a great time. Jarrett got to dunk his oncologist in the dunk tank on his first throw. Jarrett was so proud of himself!
While we were at Camp Courage, Nathan reminded me of a very important lesson that my momma taught me long time go. Momma told me to never say "my child will never do that", because one day they will do it (whatever it is). We are sitting on the porch eating our lunch and enjoying the beautiful day. I look up to check on the boys who were playing in the grass in front of us. And what did I see - Nathan's little white naked behind. Nathan was peeing on the grass. In the words of Ray Steven's song "The Streak" "it was too late". Everyone enjoyed the free show.
The count down is on 12 more days until Disney World.
Lori
Thursday, September 7, 2006 9:41 AM CDT
The results are in - the bone scan and CT scan were CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are extremely gratefull and filled with praise for these good results.
Please continue to pray for Christi Thomas and her family. Christi is going through a very, very hard time in CHOP. Her website is christ thomas.com click on her blog.
Praise Him,
Lori
Friday, September 1, 2006 6:45 PM CDT
Thankfully, the scans are finally over. Jarrett always amazes me. Sometimes I can not get Jarrett to co-operate with anything. He refuses to put his shoes on, brush his teeth, take a bath etc. But today, Jarrett was incredible. There was a new person in radiology, he did not understand that we have a well oiled machine going between CT and nuclear medicine. He delayed Jarrett getting his oral contrast by 2 hours. Then Jarrett had to be stuck 6, yes SIX (6) times in order to his IV started. Jarrett only cried the last time. Thanks to Kristie, Carol, and DJ for working so hard after office hours to get that IV started. We finally made it home just after 6:00 pm. Being short tempered, I became frustated. Then at some point I realized just how blessed I was to be at the hospital getting scans done. Just this week two families in OH were told their children were out of treatment options for NB. So, we continued to be blessed even when I am frustrated.
Now, we have to wait until Wednesday in order to get the results of the scans.
Jarrett surprized me today. I worked with him for months and months on learning to recongize his letters and numbers. We never made any progress. Today while we were walking around the hospital, Jarrett pointed out every letter he saw. He was so excited. He even practiced writing his name all day. I was so proud of him.
Jarrett made his first appearance on ESPN (LOL). He was in a crowd scene during the Byrnes game on ESPN last Saturday. I was very excited to pick him out of crowd of over 13,000 people on national TV.
Olivia continues to do well in school. She recieved a treat for being the best behaved in her class this week. Maybe all of my preaching, teaching, fussing and spanking is sinking in and one day they all will let me enjoy them being well behaved.
Have a good Labor Day weekend.
Lori
Friday, August 25, 2006 10:03 AM CDT
UPDATE: Jarrett's scans were posponed due to technical difficulty until next Friday.
Well, almost a whole week of school down. Jarrett likes being at school, but does not like getting up early for school. He is fine once he hits the bath water and gets his morning bike ride in. He will have his quarterly scans this Friday in Greenville. Prayfully, these will also be clean.
If you have time stop by and visit our friend Christopher's caringbridge site. We met Christopher in Charleston. He also have NB that has relapsed. He is in NYC having antibody treatment. His birthday in tomorrow, August 24th. I am sure he and his mom would love to have some happy birthday messages. Access his site just like Jarrett's. caringbridge/sc/christopher
Lori
Thursday, August 10, 2006 7:45 AM CDT
Hello,
Well, the count down has begun. School officially starts in one week. ARGH!!!! When the kids are fighting, I am ready for the first day of school, but I do not look forward to getting up early every morning. I especially do not look forward to getting Jarrett up early every morning. But all good things must come to an end!!
Jarrett has had all of his checkups for starting school. We have been to the eye doctor (he refused to let them check his eyes), the dentist, and the oncologist. All systems are go. So, he will start kindergarten next Thursday. It is hard to believe he is ready for school.
Jarrett is ready for the start of high school football. His favorite team the James F. Byrnes High Rebels are ranked #1 in the nation. It is an exciting time in the little town of Duncan, SC. Jarrett, Dean and maybe Nathan are going to the Rebel jamboree this Friday night. Jarrett is so excited.
Earlier I mentioned going to the dentist. Nathan also had an appointment. We had to wake Nathan from his nap for the appointment. He was not too happy about that. So, I had to bribe him in order for him to co-operate with the dentist. Guess, what the bribe was, not candy or ice cream or a toy. I had to promise to take him to see Dr. Hayes, Jarrett's oncologist!!!!! I suspose that says a lot about Dr. Hayes when kids who are not his patients will do anything just to go see the man.
Keep cool.
Lori
Thursday, August 3, 2006 7:29 AM CDT
Sometimes when I come to update, I am almost ashamed at how easy our lives seem now. Far removed from the chemo treatments and weekly ocology appointments. But I not ashamed to admit I am enjoying this time.
One of the things I am doing to fill my time is helping with a local auction to raise awareness of and money for Neuroblastomaresearch. If you live in the Upstate of SC the auction will be on October 15 at Stonehaven Club house off of Woodruff Road in Greenville. Last year's auction raised $1,500.00. Hopefully this year will be even better. The money will go to Lunch for Life. Lunch for Life uses the monies to fund research grants for Neuroblastoma. Please pray for the success of the auction and the doctors who are working to find a cure for NB.
On the lighter side, we made it to the Panthers training camp Monday evening. We were amazed at how "cool" it was on the observation hill. "Cool" is a relative term when you are in the middle of a heat wave. But it was comfortable outside. Jarrett and Dean enjoyed watching the practice. Jarrett wanted to know why they were not playing "real football". The players are very gracious to their fans. Many of them took the time to sign autographs after almost 2 hours of practicing in the heat. This was our fifth visit to the training camp and was by far the best visit. I am planning to take the kids back after Spartanburg county schools start back. We will have another week of summer break left. Maybe it will be less crowded and Jarrett can get more autographs.
The kids had their friends, Job and Song, from MS spend the night last night. We all love having the Nicholas kids visit with us. Unfortunately, we have a broken water line and the water district does not know when they will be out. This could be "fun" 5 kids and no water. We will survive none the less.
I pray that you will all keep cool as the record temps are passing over the country.
Lori
Friday, July 28, 2006 8:14 AM CDT
Well one week down with the new hearing aids. Jarrett will wear them if he wants to hear something, but just as soon as he is through he pulls them out. He says that he can hear more with them in and seems to be excited when he can hear. Let's just pray that he will want to hear more and more often.
Dean is slowly improving. Thanks be to God! Hopefully he will make the changes he needs to in order to improve his health.
Jarrett is excited about the Panthers coming to Spartanburg for their training camp. We are going Monday night. Monday is the first night session. I do not think I can bear the 3:00 in the afternoon session with the heat and humidity. I will leave that time open for those who are crazy enough to be out there.
Have a good weekend.
Lori
Saturday, July 22, 2006 8:14 AM CDT
Hello,
It has been an incredible week. First things first, On Monday the baby that was not suposed to be born alive and if he did survive birth should have been serverly handicaped turned THREE years old. It is hard to believe that Nathan is THREE and of course he is not handicapped. He is a vibrant, healthy, intelligent THREE year old. I praise God everyday for the blessing of Nathan. The doctors would have had me abort him. But thanks to the GREAT physcians he lives!
Jarrett had his monthly visit to PHOC yesterday. His counts were all within normal limits. Just one more thing to be thankful for this week. Jarrett will have scans on August 25th, but I will worry about them later. Jarrett also recieved his hearing aids yesterday. He was SOOOO excited all day. He can not wear them when he is playing outside. Since he plays outside all of the time, I am not sure when he will wear them (LOL). Seriously, he will wear them when he is inside for a while until he gets used to wearing them. He said he could hear better, but he has to get acustom to listening in a different manner. Hopefully, this will not be a difficult transition. OLivia always pretends she does not hear me when I ask her to do something. Well, yesterday she listened attentively to the audiologist. She remembered more than I did from the instructions on how the take care of the hearing aids. All of the instructions reminded me of learing how to take care of Jarrett's broviac line. We will all adjust in time.
The only downer this week has been Dean. He has not felt well for several weeks. He finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I guess that is a common side effect of being a couch potatoe. He is taking medication and has to start exercising. Dean even hates the word "exercise". So pray for him.
Seriously, we continued to be blessed with three very healthy children and a wonderful support system. We thank God daily for his goodness and mercy.
Love to all,
Lori Ann
Saturday, July 22, 2006 8:14 AM CDT
Hello,
It has been an incredible week. First things first, On Monday the baby that was not suposed to be born alive and if he did survive birth should have been serverly handicaped turned THREE years old. It is hard to believe that Nathan is THREE and of course he is not handicapped. He is a vibrant, healthy, intelligent THREE year old. I praise God everyday for the blessing of Nathan. The doctors would have had me abort him. But thanks to the GREAT physcians he lives!
Jarrett had his monthly visit to PHOC yesterday. His counts were all within normal limits. Just one more thingk to be thankful for this week. Jarrett will have scans on August 25th, but I will worry about them later. Jarrett also recieved his hearing aids yesterday. He was SOOOO excited all day. He can not wear them when he is playing outside. Since he plays outside all of the time, I am not sure when he will wear them (LOL). Seriously, he will wear them when he is inside for a while until he gets used to wearing them. He said he could hear better, but he has to get accustom to listening in a different manner. Hopefully, this will not be a difficult transition. OLivia always pretends she does not hear me when I ask her to do something. Well, yesterday she listened attentively to the audiologist. She remembered more than I did from the instructions on how the take care of the hearing aids. All of the instructions reminded me of learing how to take care of Jarrett's broviac line. We will all adjust in time.
The only downer this week has been Dean. He has not felt well for several weeks. He finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I guess that is a common side effect of being a couch potatoe. He is taking medication and has to start exercising. Dean even hates the word "exercise". So pray for him.
Seriously, we continued to be blessed with three very healthy children and a wonderful support system. We thank God daily for his goodness and mercy.
Love to all,
Lori Ann
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 1:12 PM CDT
This has been the busiest summer ever. We are having an inner city vacation Bible School this week at church. We have been out knocking doors inviting area children, building sets, practices for skits and puppet shows. It has been a very busy week. Jarrett and Nathan are fun to knock doors with. Nathan is the doorbell ringer and Jarrett hands out the coloring sheet with the VBS info on it. Jarrett has also made a new friend, Will. Will is a fine young man from Alabama. He is also spending time with Abel.
The best news I have is Jarrett gets his hearing aids in 10 days!!!!!! His ears were finally clear and he had the molds made for the hearing aids. His hearing aids will be blue and the ear mold will be swirled blue and yellow.
Enjoy the summer!
Lori
Thursday, June 29, 2006 7:12 PM CDT
Wow!!! Camp was fun. My brother-in-law, Kenny and sister-in-law, Tammy and I worked very hard in the kitchen, but we had so much fun together. Everyone said the food was good. By Friday, we were ready to come home, too bad camp did not end until Saturday (LOL).
Jarrett loved every minute of camp. He picked up on the schedule quickly. Every morning after breakfast, he told me, "It's time for Bible class". The next I checked on him it would be time for singing class. During free time he would find some older boys to take him canoeing. Of course, there was foos ball, ping pong, baseball, wiffle ball, putt putt, air hockey, pool, volleyball and basketball. He even found his way to the senior devo-bonfire and weiner roast. He loved camp. He did not want to come home.
Olivia on the other hand, is not camper material. She was sick the entire week. She made it to the craft shack about every afternoon and she did go swimming one day. For the most part she was sick and miserable, but did not complain about being at camp. Next year she will stay with her grandparents.
We went to have Jarrett fitted for his hearing aids last week. Of course, we did not get him fitted (we have only been trying to fit him since February - why did I think things would work out this time). He had a blood clot in his left ear. So, he is back on ear drops. Jarrett always hates when I put drops in his ears. He fights me. However, he has spent this week with his grammie and popa. He lets Grammie (my mom) put the drops in without any fighting or complaining. Grammie is so proud of herself. He goes back to the ENT tomorrow (Friday) to see the clot is gone. We will try again for the hearing aids next Friday.
Say your prayers and keep your fingers crossed that Jarrett will be fitted for hearing aids next week.
Have fun in the sun,
Lori
Thursday, June 15, 2006 6:56 AM CDT
Hello,
Summer is in full swing around here. I justed finished a week at the group home. Jarrett stayed with me, Nathan stayed with Lisa, and Olivia had fun with her Grammie and Popa. It was a pretty good week.
We are packing for Palmetto Bible Camp. We will leave on Saturday for the week. Nathan is still a little too young and will spend most of the week with my parents. Jarrett will spend the entire week at camp. Do you really think Jarrett can handle an entire week of playing ball, fishing, swimming, canoeing, and just generally being outside 24 hours a day. Jarrett will think he had a free pass to heaven for the week. Olivia is starting the week out at camp, and we will see how long that last. Olivia is not sure about the great outdoors, but is excited to see her best friend from MS. I am the designated kitchen director. I have been on camp staff and actually began dating Dean at camp, but I have never worked in the kitchen. Well, at least we know that I love to eat. Just pray that we will work it all out during d the week.
Jarrett went to the ENT yesterday. Guess what his ears were CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the first time his ears were clear since having the tubes put in back in February. Jarrett will see the audiologist next Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed and stay your prayers that the tubes will stay open until Tuesday, so we can fit Jarrett for hearing aids. His hearing does seem some better, since the tubes are unclogged.
Please pray for our friend, Jesse. Jesse has just been declared cancer FREE!!!! But he still has to have another bone marrow transplant. He just a successful stem cell transplant earlier this year. The bone marrow transplant will be at Duke over the summer. He will be gone for 4 months. Pray that the time will go quickly and he will remain forever cancer free.
Love, Hugs, and Good Health to all,
Lori
Tuesday, June 7, 2006 7:27 AM CDT
Hello,
Summer has officially begun. Today is Olivia's first day out of school. It is an actual school day, but she was finished with everything, so she skipped the last day. She finished the year on the A/B honor roll and was named the best science student in her class. We are very proud of her. This is the first "normal" school year she has had. There was a noticeable difference in her grades and attitude.
All three of the children enjoyed the day at Carowinds last Saturday with PHOC. It was a wonderfully fun family day. All three kids got along for the entire day. That is a blessing in and of itself!
T-ball has ended. Jarrett's team finished 5-4-1. He loved every minute of the game. I am going to sign him up for summer league this week. He is also going to basketball camp next week. Anything to keep him busy!!!
Love and hugs to all,
Lori
Tuesday, March 22, 2006 5:14 AM CST
Hello,
Jarrett visited with the audiologist. His left tube is blocked again! So we are doing another round of antibiotic drops. He will see teh ENT next week. Then maybe we can have him fitted for his hearing aids. It seems like it is taking a long time to get him ready for hearing aids, but considering what other problems we could be having, I'll take these.
Jarrett is loving t-ball. Nathan thinks that he is on the team also. Nathan thinks that he is so grown it is funny.
Hope all is well for ya'll.
Lori
Friday, March 3, 2006 7:56 AM CST
Jarrett had a good check up at PHOC yesterday. He does have a "nasty" ear infection. This probably explains why he can not hear in his right ear. Dr. Hayes put him on Zithromax. Jarrett is scheduled to see the ENT on Monday. Hopefully, the infection will be cleared up by Monday.
Jarrett is spending the night with his Popa Jimmie. Jarrett is trying to wiggle a fishing trip out of his popa. I hope that he catches the big one.
Have a great weekend!!!
Lori
Tuesday, February 28, 2006 12:36 AM CST
Hello,
Fishing season has officially opened in SC. Jarrett caught a 4 pound bass last week. He and his Popa Jimmie were very excited. They brought home a stringer full of fish.
Dr. Stroud ask Jarrett on every visit if he brought any fish with him. Well, Dr. Stroud will have a surprise on Thursday. I think that I will cook the fist before Jarrett takes it in to Dr. Stroud. Last summer Jarrett took a whole frozen fish into to Miss Ruth and Dr. Stroud. They both got a kick out of their present.
All is well on the home front and we pray that it will continue that way.
Hope you all are enjoying the spring like weather across the country.
Love and Peace,
Lori
Wednesday, February 8, 2006 4:50 AM CST
Jarrett had a great birthday. It was his first birthday party since his first birthday. It was also the first time he was not sick on his birthday since that first birthday. We were all truly thankful for these blessings.
Thank you to everyone who sent a card and birthday wishes.
Love and Blessings,
Lori
PS Please remember Jarrett's friend, Jesse. Jesse is a wonderful young man who is going through stem cell transplant at Duke. His site is at caringbridge sc/jesseking. Also remember Justin Albers. He is having a tough time. His site is caringbridge/sc/justinalbers.
Thursday, January 26, 2006 5:22 AM CST
Great News!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jarrett's MIBG scan was CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's right. The tech's pulled him off of the machince early, because the scan was identical to the one he had over a year ago. I questioned the doctors and techs about his lungs being clear and they reaffirmed that there was NOT anything is his lungs.
The Psalmist wrote: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His mercy endureth forever". And it is still true today.
Thanks for all of the prayers and words of encouragement. They have helped us to remain strong during the waiting period.
Have a great week!
Lori
Sunday, January 15, 2006 5:27 AM CST
We have the results from Jarrett's last scans. The CT showed "spots" on his lungs. We will go to Charleston on January 25- 26 for an MIBG scan to determine what the spots are exactly.
Please pray for Olivia. She will be having an abdominal ultrasound and upper GI series on Monday, January 16th. She is scared and rightfully so. Jarrett had and ultra sound done on his stomach and had cancer. Then my grandmother had test done on her stomach and had cancer. So, now you know why Olivia is scared.
Also, please remember our friend, Jesse, he is beginning his stem cell transplant on Monday, January 16.
Thanks for stopping by and for the prayers.
Lori
Friday, December 30, 2005 10:52 AM CST
Happy New Year!!!
Jarrett made it out of the hospital in time for Christmas at home. The doctors could not find anything wrong with Jarrett.
Once at home he found a football net under the tree. Nathan and Jarrett are both enjoying the net. Olivia is enjoying the portable DVD player her poppa gave her.
Their biggest gift was from Mr. Ray Ellington of Virginia. He and his racing team is sending our family to Disney World in 2006!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to Ellington Racing.
I pray that each of you will find peace, happiness and good health in the new year.
Lori
Thursday, December 22, 2005 9:19 AM CST
Merry Christmas!!
I have been told that Christmas is an important time of the year to spend with friends and family. So, I guess in that spirit - Jarrett is spending time with his extended family at the Children's Hospital in Greenville.
Jarrett has been vomiting and spiking fevers for a few days. Yesterday (Wednesday, December 21st) Dean took Jarrett into see Dr. Hayes. Jarrett's temp was 103.8. Dr. Hayes said that made him break out in hives, so Jarrett was admitted to the Hemoc unit. So far, he has tested negative for the flu. Dr. Hayes is treating him with antibiotics for lack of any better to do. If Jarrett temp stays down today then he can go home this evening. Until them we are just watching and waiting.
Please keep Jarrett is your prayers. This is the 3rd Christmas in a row that he has been sick. He is so excited about Christmas. We were all excited about this being our first Christmas together since Nathan was born.
Also, please remember my daddy and his brothers and sister as they mourn the loss of their mother. Today would have been Memaw's 79th birthday.
Finally, please pray for my Uncle Kenneth. He has brain cancer and is experincing some difficulty.
Wow! some Christmas update. As down as this update sounds I know that God is more power powerful that all of this. HE is the ONE that will help my family in the coming days and weeks ahead.
I pray that each one of you will have a safe and happy Holiday Season.
Love,
Lori
Monday, December 12, 2005 7:26 AM CST
Hello,
We are very thankful to be preparing for Christmas at HOME this year. Jarrett is excited about everything.
Our family is doing great health wise, except for the stomach bug that has been going around. But we will take that over where we were at last year.
Please continue to pray for my grandmother, Sara Bagwell Scates. She is in her last days with cancer. We will always love her and miss her.
Merry Christmas,
Lori
Friday, November 4, 2005 10:28 AM CST
Happy November!!!
Jarrett continues to do well. He enjoyed going trick or treating on Halloween. Now he is enjoying eating all of the candy he recieved.
Jarrett had a really big day on Sunday, October 29th. He was invited to attend the Panthers game in Charlotte, NC. He was allowed to stand on the sidelines during the pregame warm ups. Steve Smith was assigned to Jarrett. Jarrett loved meeting Steve Smith. While talking to Steve, Jarrett's nose began to run. Being a tipical boy, Jarrett wiped his nose on his hand. When Dean corrected Jarrett, Steve Smith spoke up and said "Nah, Jarrett how about wiping some of that snot on my hand. Maybe it will help me have a good game." Well, Steve Smith had a great game and the Panthers won the game.
Nathan caught his first fish this week. The tradition continues!!!
Please remember my grandmother, Sara Bagwell Scates. She has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Love to all,
Lori
Thursday, October 13, 2005 5:59 PM CDT
Hello,
Wow! It has been a long time since since I updated. We have been very busy.
Jarrett has finished his last round of chemo!!!!! Thanks be to God for seeing us (but particularly Jarrett) through to the end. Now for the really good news! Last Thursday Jarrett was scheduled to have a CT scan. The kind people in radiology agreed to also do a bone scan that same day. Jarrett did a great job of laying still for both test. A pretty amazing feat for a 4 year old boy to lay still for over an hour! The best part is ... Both scans came back NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God has been so good to us throughout this journey. Jarrett enjoys every day and meets it head on, full spead ahead.
Our family went on vacation a couple of weeks ago. Children's Wish Foundation sent us on a Disney Cruise. It was sooooo much fun. Jarrett loved riding on the ship. Olivia loved swimming with the Dolphins. Then last week The Outdoor's Dream Foundation arranged for Jarrett to go fishing in Seabrook, SC at the Nemour's Wildlife Foundation. It was an exciting fishing trip. Jarrett had the first catch of the day - 9.5 lbs and 28.5 inches long. We all had a lot of fun and caught a lot of fish. Olivia brought in the biggest fish - 9.7 lbs and 30.5 inches long. Yes, Jarrett was showed up by his sister, but he was just as excited as she was. Mr. Ernie Wiggers, director of Nemour's, fileted the fish for us to bring home. We will be having a fish fry this weekend. Thanks to Children's Wish, Outdoor Dreams and Nemours for helping us to make such great memories.
Thanks for stopping by. I will try to post pictures of Jarrett's adventures this weekend. Please pray for Dakota who is having a rough time going through a stem cell transplant at MUSC.
Peace,
Lori
Tuesday, September 13, 2005 8:07 AM CDT
Jarrett had another good visit at PHOC. He has begun his last round (did I say last?!?!?!) of oral chemo. He will have new scans on October 8th. Until then Jarrett is having a great time going to football games (Go Rebels!!) and fishing.
Saturday we met with a family whose 1 year old daughter was just diagnosed with NB. Olivia was praying for the family recently. She prayed that the little girls cancer would go away as fast as Jarrett's did. Funny, I did not realize we were on the fast track to good health. But I am glad that she thinks we are.
Please remember those in the gulf states. Also please remember Dakota. Dakota arrived in Charleston this week to begin stem cell transplant.
Thursday, September 1, 2005 1:02 PM CDT
Jarrett is doing well. His mood swings are settling out. He is enjoying fishing with his Popa Jimmy this week. Look PHOC you may a present next week when Jarrett comes in.
Let us all be thankful for our blessings and remember those suffering as a result of the hurricane.
Lori
Sunday, July 17, 2005 11:54 PM CDT
Jarrett continues to do well. We visited PHOC yesterday. His counts are great and he is continuing on his oral chemo. Last week Jarrett was able to spend a lot of time in the swimming pool. He loved it! He was two years old the last time he was able to swim. All three of the kids had so much fun.
Please continue to remember Dalton and his family. We have spent many days as inpatient with Dalton. Dalton's fight is nearing the end. Please pray for his comfort and for strength for his family.
Keep the faith,
Lori
Saturday, June 25, 2005 7:35 AM CDT
Hello,
Jarrett had another good checkup at PHOC yesterday. His counts are good and he is full of energy.
Last week Jarrett was invited to go bowling with Steven Davis who plays for the Carolina Panthers. If you know Jarrett then you know that Steven Davis is his FAVORITE football player. Since Jarrett was two years old he could pick out Davis's number 48 jersey running across the field and always recongnizes Steven Davis' face on TV.
Davis was in Spartanburg holding fundraisers for his BigCountry Foundation to support Breast and Prostate Cancer research. Jarrett bowled five games and made it on the local news on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to Lisa for arranging the meeting and to Tood Summers from News Channel 7 for the report.
Thank you for the prayers on behalf of Jarrett. They have all been answered. Jarrett is full of life and enjoying a wonderful summer. Please continue to remember my uncle Kenneth and his battle against brain cancer.
Lori
Wednesday, June 15, 2005 8:53 AM CDT
Jarrett continues to do well. Jarrett, Olivia, and Dean enjoyed the day at Carowinds on Saturday. Thanks to the folks at PHOC. Jarrett loved the Fairly Odd Coaster, but hated the Rip Roaring Rapids. Later that night we all enjoyed a Bar-B-Que at Alan and Gail Bright's house. Jarrett played until well after dark. Last year at the bar-b-que Jarrett was too sick to play. We left early and took Jarrett to the hospital. Alan and Gail were kind enough to raise money for Jarrett that night to pay for one of Jarrett's first visits to MUSC. We are very grateful to them for their generosity.
Jarrett has a visit to PHOC this week and will begin his third round of oral chemo. He also has to go to the dentist tomorrow. He has a cleaning planned. But he has lost one of his caps and will need to have it replaced. Jarrett hates to go to the dentist, so remember him in your prayers.
On a sad note, you may remember that my uncle Kenneth was diagnosed with a brain tumor the day we left MUSC. Kenneth has had a struggle trying to get a proper diagnosis since then. This week his doctors told him that the cancer is aggressive and terminal. He will decide this week if he will undergo any chemo and radiation. I know that Kenneth and his wife Jean would appreciate everyones prayers.
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 9:24 PM CDT
It is hard to believe that my little (well not so little) girl turned 8 today. She is always excited about her birthday. I think that she is more excited this than in the past. Last year Jarrett was in the hospital on her birthday, so it was kind of a down day. This year she made up for it with a slumber party with her friends Song, Lauren, and Madaline. The girls had fun and stayed up way to late, but it was worth it.
Jarrett continues to enjoy life. He does not have any leg pain - Thank God.
Jarrett and Olivia will be taking Dean to Carowinds on Saturday. Yes, I said that correctly. I have to work. The kids are looking forward to the trip, but Dean is not so sure about it. He would rather be on the lake again this weekend.
Please remember our friend Dalton. He also has NB and is not doing very well. The last time we were inpatient together in the fall, the doctors were not offering Dalton much hope. He is a real trooper and has made it this far, but is having a difficult time now. I know that his sweet grandmother and the rest of his family will appreciate your prayers.
I will post pictures from the fishing trip and Olivia's birthday party when I come home from working at the group home next week.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
God Bless,
Lori
Saturday, June 4, 2005 7:37 AM CDT
Hello,
Jarrett had his weekly doctor visit on Thursday. His lab work was GREAT!!!!!!! His leg pain has deminished!!!!! Praise God.
Jarrett is at a fishing tourney with the Outdoor Dreams Foundation today. Jarrett was so excited about riding on the boat. He could not go to sleep. He stayed up until midnight. Believe it or not my sleepy headed boy was up at 4:30 am ready to go. Dean called from the boat to tell me that Jarrett had caught a 3.5 lb bass. Not bad for 7:30 in the morning. The nurses at PHOC better look out Jarrett will have them another "present" next week. Jarrett loves to carry around frozen dead fish to show off.
Thanks for the prayers they are always answered according to HIS will.
Love to all,
Lori
Tuesday, May 24, 2005 5:00 AM CDT
Jarrett went to the clinic yesterday. We talked to Dr. Hayes about his leg pain. He also feels like Jarrett most likely has some type of injury. The pain has lessened. Jarrett only complains after long physical acivity or if he bumps it against something. Also Jarrett's lab work remains good.
So for now we are still waiting, but I feel better about the wait.
Thanks for the prayers.
Lori
Tuesday, May 17, 2005 6:30 PM CDT
First the good news. Jarrett was able to enjoy his night at the races this past Friday night. I had to work, but Dean, Jarrett, Olivia, and Nathan enjoyed being at the track surrounded by love and friendship. Olivia and Jarrett were so funny when they came home. Before race the drivers have an autograph session. Dean's brother Mike is racing this year at GPS and he gave the kids his autograph. Olivia and Jarrett were so excited!! You would have thought Elvis had came back from the grave to sign autographs. Oh, to be young again.
Jarrett has enjoyed several months of good health, playing strong, and feeling good. However, he crashed hard on us last week. He has had pain in his left leg and hasn't wanted to play as much. We saw Dr. Stroud on Friday, he ordered a bone scan for Monday. The bone scan showed increased uptake in his left leg. Dr. Stroud said that he could not tell if it was an injury, metastatic disease, or some type of infection. We are going to do a urine test tomorrow. If that test does not give us any definite answers, then we will just wait and see.
Patience was never one of my virtures, but I guess I will practice it for a while. Please pray for a positive outcome for Jarrett.
Until next time,
Lori
PS Please pray for Justin, Jesse and my uncle Kenneth - all who are waging their own battles against cancer.
Tuesday, May 3, 2005 8:32 AM CDT
The Greenville_Pickens Speedway honored Jarrett with Jarrett Tripp's Night at the Race last Friday night. Unfortunately, the race was rained out shortly before it was to start. We had fun cooking out with friends anyway. Jarrett is happy not to have to take his oral chemo this week, but he will get started again this Saturday.
Wow! what a difference a year makes. In late April 2004, we were growing increasingly frustrated with Jarrett's detearating health and the run around we were getting from the doctors. My sister talked with her friend, Dr. Jane Watson, who called a friend in infectious disease control. A few days later Jarrett and I met with Dr. Sue Jue. She LISTENED to me talk about all the problems Jarrett was having. She then talked about the need to have a CT scan done quickly. She was concerned about earlier findings from an ultrasound Jarrett had done previoulsy. Jarrett had the CT scan done on the following Monday. Fifteen minutes after leaving the hospital, Dr. Jue called me to confirm my worst fear. Jarrett had cancer. Dr. Jue had already scheduled Jarrett appointment for the next morning at PHOC (the clinic). She also told us to be prepared to be admitted to the hospital.
Of, course, we had no clue what to expect from the doctors or nurses at PHOC or the children's hospital. What we found were doctors and nurses who are full of compassion and love the children they work with. They have not only met Jarrett's medical needs, but have given the rest of the family the emotional support and encouragement we have needed along the way. Their concern for Jarrett goes beyond his medical treatment, while Jarrett was in isolation in Charleston, we recieved calls, e-mails, and even visits from the staff in Greenville. I know that we could not have found better doctors and nurses anywhere.
Two stories that stick out in my mind are the first time we met Dr. Hayes and the day Jarrett threw gold fish crackers all around his room. We met Dr. Hayes the second day after we were admitted to the hospital. Jarrett had just finished having a hissy fit (as my grandma would say). He was in a lot of pain. He was screeming, crying, and had just torn off his diaper and threw it across the room. Jarrett was sitting in a chair beside his bed, butt naked, legs wide open. I knew it was time the doctors to make their morning rounds. I was prepared to hear a lecture about how I need to control my son and get a diaper on him (which would have been impossible at that time). Instead, Dr. Hayes entered the room and introduced himself to Jarrett and ask if he could take a listen to Jarrett. Jarrett complied with the request without kicking, screaming or peeing on Dr. Hayes (he was a very brave man). Jarrett even had a look of wonder on his face. I think he was surprised by Dr. Hayes calm demeanor. We have loved Dr. Hayes from that moment on.
The other story happened one afternoon, Jarrett was upset because I had left the room (I was leaving Jarrett with Dean when I hit a car in the parking, but that is another story). When I entered to the room I saw colored gold fish all over the floor! The unit secretary, Melissa, was talking to Jarrett about how much she loved him. She did not like it when he chose to act out by throwing his snacks, but that did not change her love for him. She told him to calm down and spend some time with me, while she cleaned up the goldfish. Unconditional love.
I could tell stories about how each of the nurses and doctors have touch of lives, I am not sure caringbridge gives us that much computer space. Needless, to say they are all near and dear to us.
One year after Jarrett's initial diagnosis, it is hard to believe he is the same child. He loves playing and being outside. He is so full on energy and is constantly singing. We haven't found anything that he does not like to do, except picking up his toys.
As we rejoice in Jarrett's improved health, we are mindful that none of this would have possible with out the answer to so many prayers. We appreciate all of the prayers on Jarrett's behalf. We ask that you will continue to pray he will continue to have improved health. We are also mindful of others who are contining to struggle. Please keep Justin and Dakota in our prayers.
Thanks for everything,
Lori
Thursday, April 7, 2005 10:41 AM CDT
Hello everyone,
Jarrett is doing great. He is full of life and energy, a much different child than he was this time last year.
We have been privileged to meet many very special people along our journey. Last summer one of those special people, Stephanie, called Dale Jarrett's organization and arranged a for Jarrett to meet the other Jarrett. Well, Jarrett was sick in the hospital. She rearranged the meeting and again Jarrett was in the hospital. Dale Jarrett was very nice to us and allowed Stephanie to visit in Jarrett's place. Dale Jarrett sent a care package and then another one followed. Jarrett was excited to recieve both packages. Again, we tried to arranged a visit during the off season, but Jarrett was in the hospital (surprise, right).
Finally, the big day came. Dale Jarrett was testing at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway on Tuesday. Guess what Jarrett is not in the hospital and he got to meet Dale Jarrett. We did not tell Jarrett about the meeting before hand. When we pulled down onto the track, Jarrett started squelling, "Daddy, Daddy, number 88 is here. Dale Jarrett is here. I see him, I see him." He was so excited. Dale Jarrett was very kind and patient with Jarrett. Jarrett likes to ask questions and Dale took the time to answer every on of his questions. If you have any questions about how to set a car up for Martinsville, just ask Jarrett, he is now the expert. We are very thankful to Dale Jarrett for taking the time to meet with Jarrett and to Matthew Morgan and Big Steve for arranging the visit.
Jarrett will begin is oral chemo next week. It will be a challenge to get Jarrett to take a capsule everyday and deal with new side effects. I know that the Lord will provide a way, HE always does.
Lori
PS check out the new photos
Sunday, March 13, 2005 8:14 AM CST
Hello,
Jarrett has completed all 12 rounds of radiation. We had a great time in Nashville, TN for Easter weekend. Olivia and Jarrett are participating in the Lads to Leaders/Leaderetts program at the OpryLand Hotel. Olivia recieved a trophy for memorizing 100 Bible verses. She did a great job in oral Bible reading and song leading. Jarrett backed out on his song leading, but enjoyed the "up and down" hotel as he calls the Opryland Hotel.
Jarrett will begin oral chemo soon. This will be another challenge for our family, but we are confident that Jarrett will rise to the ocassion.
Lori
Thursday, March 3, 2005 9:16 PM CST
Hello,
Jarrett had good news all around this week. We traveled to Charleston on Monday and the doctors there transfered Jarrett's treatment back to Greenville. No more weekly trips to Charleston. I enjoy the city of Charleston and my time there, but the 7 hour drive every Monday was getting old.
We also met with the radiation oncologist today. For the first time since Jarrett began treatment, he does not have to have the strongest dose of the treatment. He will have 12 rounds of radiation over two and half weeks. He will only have the radiation to the original tumor bed. He will have his last dose of IV medicine on Friday.
Although, we had a busy week (a total of 7 doctor appointments), it was a pretty good week overall. I have mentioned my uncle Kenneth several times. He has been discharged from the rehab center and is improving every day. Thanks for the prayers on his behalf. God is so good everyday!!
Lori
Thursday, February 24, 2005 7:51 AM CST
Hello,
Yes, we made it out of the hospital on Monday. Jarrett's nurse, Paul, said we were paroled for good behavior. Whatever the reason, I was happy to be out of the hospital.
Jarrett came home with an IV in his hand. I need to IV to last for one more day (Friday). He will have it removed in clinic on Friday. He then will be free for the weekend, before having another one placed on Monday. He only has one more week of Gancylovir(hopefully).
Wow! what a week we have had. Monday night was a very special night for Jarrett. He was invited to the Byrnes High School football banquet. Jarrett loves the Rebels and attends their games when he is not in the hospital. Headcoach Bobby Bentley presented Jarrett with a Byrnes windsuit with Jarrett's name on it along with a Rebel jersey. Jarrett was very excited. He surprised me by going up on the stage and not crying. Jarrett does not like to be in front of an audience (he gets that from his momma). USC headcoach, Steve Spurrier, was the guestspeaker. Coach Bentley stopped the banquet and ask Jarrett to come back up front and have his picture made with Coach Spurrier. Jarrett loved the banquet and sat there for three, yes three, hours. A DVD of the seasons highlights was played at the end of the banquet. Jarrett yelled and cheered for every play. It was a wonderful night.
Jarrett and I made our weekly trek to Charleston yesterday. His counts were good and his CMV titers were normal for the third week. YEAH! We will meet wtih the radiologist oncologist next week to set the radiation schedule. We will also see Dr. Abrams, Jarrett's surgeon, and have a new port placed later next week.
So, as you can see the fun never ends.
Until, next time,
Lori
PS: Please feel free to sign the guestbook and let us know you were here.
Saturday, February 19, 2005 12:01 AM CST
Hello,
Jarrett had his broviac successfully removed this morning. It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Dr. Abrams was able to remove the line the room with the aid of some morphine and versaid. Jarrett was pretty well loopy from the medicine. The first thing Jarrett said after the line was removed was when can I go swimming. He was not able to get wet with the line in, so he is ready to play in the water.
Nurses Vicki and Allison started a new IV on Jarrett. The IV mad him mad, but he is OK now.
Enjoy the nice sunny weather while it last.
Lori
Friday, February 18, 2005 8:50 AM CST
Hello,
I suspose I spoke too soon about Jarrett doing great. Tuesday afternoon he spiked a fever of 102.1 degrees and we were off to Greenville Memorial. Jarrett's blood cultures grew back a staph infection.
At first Jarrett seemed to be responding to the treatment - no fever and no new growth. Then the staph began growing again. This morning the decision was made to remove Jarrett's broviac (his IV line). Jarrett hated the thought of going back to surgery. It is a bitter sweet decision for me. It will be nice to be free of the device and not to worry about tubes dangling out of his chest, but it will also mean IV's in his arms when he needs IV meds. Hopefully, the IV started in surgery will last long enough to finish out his IV meds.
Even though Jarrett is losing his line, it is still an answer to prayer. I had the line placed in October, two months before Jarrett went to transplant. I prayed that the line would last through transplant and the line lasted for 4 months. I am thankful for the longivity of the line.
I also wanted to update everyone on my uncle Kenneth's progress. He was diagosed with a brain tumor in January as we were leaving the hospital. He had the tumor successfully removed, but was paralyzed on his left side. He is undergoing physical therapy in Charlotte, NC to regain the use of his left arm and leg. Fortunately, he will not require any radiation or chemo.
Please continue to pray for Jarrett, my uncle Kenneth, and the Joshua Young's family.
Lori
PS I am not sure what happened to the pictures I posted. I will work on them when I get home.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005 5:45 AM CST
Jarrett is doing great. But my heart is heavy, our friend Joshua Young, lost his battle with nueroblastoma early Monday morning. Please pray for his family.
Tuesday, February 8, 2005 5:42 AM CST
Day 43
Jarrett has been one of the happiest children I have ever seen since we made it back home. He has enjoyed playing with Olivia and Nathan.
Last night Jarrett stayed with Dean by himself while I was at work. Jarrett loved having Daddy time. He was so excited.
We had our first visit at PHOC yesterday. Jarrett's counts are low, but are heading in the right direction - upward. It was good to see Dr. Stroud and the nurses there.
Thanks to all of the drivers in Virginia at Arema Racing League and GPS for the birthday presents. Jarrett was excited to open his presents.
Thanks for all of the prayers while we were away.
Lori
PS Finally more photos.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005 8:08 AM CST
Day 33
We are packing up Jarrett's room today. It is amazing how much stuff you can accummulate while in the hospital. Thankfully, my daddy surprised me with a visit on Sunday and decided to stay until Jarrett is discharged.
I am waiting for the doctors to round and a nurse to go over the transplant book with me. That should not take long, I have read and re-read the book numerous times. Jarrett needs platelets this morning, then we are out of here.
Although, I feel victorious today. I know that we have only just begun to fight. Jarrett has won this battle, but the war against cancer continues. There is radiation and oral chemo still ahead. But for today we will celebrate Jarrett's discharge.
I want to ask that you remember Joshua. Another child with NB who is struggling at this time. He has decided not do continue with treatment. Today is his 6th birthday.
I also want to thank everyone for their support for Jarrett and our family during this battle against NB. Whether you have helped with fundraising, taking care of Olivia and Nathan, brought us food, visited us in the hospital, send cards, or said prayers on our behalf you are lifted our spirits and lightened our burderns. I will be forever grateful to God for each of you.
While Jarrett and I are in the apartment in Mt. Pleasant, Dean will take over update the page. If you know anything about Dean's computer skills, you know that this will be challenge for him. But I know that he will rise to the occasion.
Thanks for everything.
Love,
Lori
Sunday, January 23, 2005 5:56 PM CST
Great News!!! Jarrett began eating on Saturday night. He is not eating a lot, but he is eating and drinking. He ate a little more on Sunday than on Saturday. Hopefully, his appetite will continue to increase over the next several days and he will not need the TPN.
Finally, I have good news to report. Jarrett's colon biopsy came back negative for CMV disease. His CT scan did not show anything new. He still has colitis, but without the CMV it will be easier to treat (or atleast I hope it will be). The doctors are weening him off of the antibiotics.
I have appreciated everyones prayers for Jarrett. God has been so good to us. He has answered so many prayers of Jarrett's behalf.
I have also appreciated the medical staff from Greenville. Whether it has been signing the guestbook, calling to check on us, even visiting (Paul, a nurse from 5F stopped by tonight) you have lifted my spirit in ways you can not imagine. The doctors and nurses of 5F and PHOC are an incredible team. They will always have a special place in our hearts.
Jarrett has felt more like playing and dancing around the room. He is gaining strength and energy every day. The doctors are hoping for a discharge early next week. I know we have thought we would be released two other times only to face another challenge. Prayerfully, this time will be the real McCoy and we will fly this coop.
Lori
Monday, January 17, 2005 9:04 AM CST
Well, we have a new plan for the week. Jarrett will have his colon biopsy on Tuesday. We will do the prep work today and he will move the PICU tomorrow for the biopsy. Jarrett will have the follow up CT on Thursday. We had to rearrange the CT because he will have to be sedated for both procedures. We have to wait a day inbetween sedations. Hopefully, we will have good results from both test.
Jarrett continues to be in pain around the clock. They have increased his pain meds, but he continues to have breakthrough pain. I am prayerful that this week will be better. I am ready to have my wide open, into everything, ball playing Jarrett back.
Until next time,
Lori
Wednesday, January 12, 2005 9:27 AM CST
Day 24
Jarrett was diagnosed with colitis. He is in pain most of the day. He will have a repeat CT on Monday. The doctors want to do a colon biopsy, but have not been able to schedule it.
Hopefully, this week will be better for Jarrett.
Lori
Sunday, January 9, 2005 2:23 PM CST
Day 17
Jarrett has been more alert, but has been throwing up around the clock since Friday. The transplant co-ordinator said the vomitng could be coming from the mucosidus. The vomiting seems to be subsiding some today. Jarrett is resting a little better now. His counts continue to improve.
I wanted to say thank you to everyone who stops by and signs the guestbook. I especailly wanted to thank everyone from GHS on 5F and at PHOC. It is always good to hear from you. You all have been so much more than doctors and nurses to us. Jarrett and I miss you all so much.
Please remember one of Jarrett's favorite nurses, Angela. Angela lost her father on Friday morning. Jarrett enjoyed visiting with Mr. Aiken in the hospital in September.
Love,
Lori
Thursday, January 6, 2005 9:17 PM CST
Hello,
Jarrett had his CT scan today. It showed signs of pneumonia and decreased kidney function. The doctor's think Jarrett is recieving the right treatment for the pneumonia. The doctor also thinks that time will heal the kidney.
Jarrett also tested positive for CMV virus. This may the cause of the pneumonia. The doctor changed the antiviral medication to treat the CMV.
We will discuss being discharged next week if all continues to move forward.
Thanks for stopping by and for the prayers.
Lori
Wednesday, January 5, 2005 10:39 AM CST
Hello,
Jarrett's continues to improve on paper at least. His counts continue to go upward, with the exception of his platelets. He still needs a daily transfusion of platelets.
Today the doctors decreased his pain meds and canceled two of his antibiotics. Jarrett also has a pass to go to the playroom this afternoon. Unfortunately, he still sleeps about 21 - 22 hours a day. I do not know if he will be up to playing or not.
Tomorrow, Jarrett will have a CT to look for fungal infection. If the CT comes back clean then he can stop his anti-fungal medication. The doctors will also stop his growth factor in the morning.
Thanks for the prayers. God is always so good and answers them according to his plan. I will update as soon as I have the report on the CT.
Sunday, January 2, 2005 9:20 PM CST
Day 10
Jarrett continues to show signs of improvement. His AGC continued to climb today all the way to 187. I am prayerful that he will be over 500 either tomorrow or Tuesday. The increase AGC will heal the painful mouth sores. He is still needing platelets, but that is to be expected.
Jarrett continues to spike daily fevers. Please pray that the fevers will subside.
Thank you all for the support we receive from each one of you.
Friday, December 31, 2004 10:23 AM CST
Day 8
Jarrett showed a slight improvement yesterday. His platelets held overnight. His platelet count was a whopping 37,000. Only a 100,000 or so cells short of normal, but enough that he did not need a transfusion. His AGC was 9. WOW! only about 1,000 cells too low, but it was not 0. Atleast we are moving in the right direction.
Hopefully, those numbers will continue to climb a little each day.
Happy New Year!!!!!!!!
Lori
Wednesday, December 29, 2004 10:11 AM CST
Day 6
Jarrett continues to be in pain. We are trying to keep him comfortable with pain meds. He is receiving blood and platelets today.
Most of Jarrett's pain is from the sores in his mouth and the break down of skin on his bottom.
Please pray for his cells to begin to grow and the pain to subside.
Lori
Monday, December 27, 2004 5:30 PM CST
Day 4
Well, what can I say. Today was basically more of the same. Jarrett continues to be in pain from the mouth sores. The morphine pump helps and may be increased. I have asked for benadryl to help dry up the muscus secretions and help Jarrett rest better. He had his daily dose of platelets. We continue to wait for the cells to grow. Hopefully, the "miracle grow" I(also known as growth factors) will kick in this weekend and Jarrett will start to feel better.
Happy New Year,
Lori
Sunday, December 26, 2004 7:27 AM CST
Day 3
Things here are progressing as expected. Jarrett has mouth sores and feels pretty well miserable. Unfortunately, he will probably feel worse before he feels better. He being placed on a PCA morphine pump this morning. It should help keep him comfortable around the clock. Jarrett is also getting his daily bag of platletts. His counts remain low, (white count 12,000, AGC 0, but his Hb was 10.7 - that's a good number)so he is transfused daily. He is also spikiing a fever daily, but just for a few hours. It usually comes down on its own, which is good because Jarrett can not swallow his Tylenol.
He is alert several times a day. During that time he likes to watch sports on TV (imagine that). His favorite person here is a young man named Mario. Mario played high school football. He still looks like a football player, but has the gentlest touch. He is a nursing tech. He realy is not supposed to be in Jarrett's room, but he comes in every morning to do vitals. Jarrett's body relaxes when Mario comes in and co-operates with him.
Thanks to everyone who signed the guest book on Christmas. It really brigtened our day. We really miss the nurses on 5F in Greenville, but you all really need to lay off of Dr. Hayes. You know you love his singing!!! Tell Cynthia that her trick of using gauze permenated with vasoline once again helped to heal Jarrett's sore bottom side. The nurses here were happy to learn that little trick.
Well, that's all for now. Enjoy all of those Christmas leftovers.
Lori
Thursday, December 23, 2004 3:25 PM CST
Day 0 Transplant Day
Jarrett had his stem cell transplant today. He did extremly well during the transplant. The entire procedure last only about 15 -20 minutes. However, the transplant makes you feel sick. Jarrett held on to the very end before he got sick. The doctors were impressed with how well he did during the transplant. He has continued not to feel well, but managed to play for a while before needing the pain meds.
Thanks for the prayers and well wishes in the guest book.
Merry Christmas
Lori
Saturday, December 18, 2004 2:20 PM CST
Well, so far so good. Jarrett is on day two of his chemotherapy. He is tolerating well so far, a little sick today, but not too bad.
Jarrett has been busy since we arrived in Charleston. On Wednesday, he had a visit from Santa. Olivia and Dean arrived today (Saturday) and we saw a magic show and listen to a brass band play Christmas music. Jarrett loved the music. He did not want the band to stop playing. He loves the playroom here. We have played lots of basketball and a new game he invented. It is played on the pool table using a golf club. I am not sure what we are going to call it, but Jarrett has fun anyway.
Thanks to everyone who has signed the guestbook, it is great to hear from all of you.
Merry Christmas,
Lori
Wednesday, December 15, 2004 2:00 PM CST
Jarrett has checked into MUSC room 770. He will begin prehydration today and chemo tomorrow. He is enjoying playing with his friend Abel for now.
Friday, December 3, 2004 5:16 AM CST
All of Jarrett's recent test came back with positive results with the exception of his sinus x-ray. He has a sinus infection. He will be ceftin (anitbiotic)for two weeks. He hates taking medicine so this should be fun.
We have heard from Charleston on the dates for transplant. Jarrett will be admitted on December 15th to begin high dose chemo. He will have the transplant on December 23rd. He will remain in the hospital until his counts recover.
Well, the high school football season ended Friday night (Byrnes won their 3rd state championship - Jarrett was thrilled). So, Jarrett had to find a new hobby - golf. He loves playing golf with his Uncle Regis.
Finally, we have new photos in the photo album.
Merry Christmas,
Lori
Sunday, November 21, 2004 6:16 AM CST
Well, round one of testing is complete. Jarrett's CT showed some signs of disease on his bones. However, the more sensitive bone scan came back completly clear of any disease. Dr. Stroud explained that the bone scan can tell the difference between old and healing places and active sites of disease. His bone marrow aspiration also came back clean. We are still waiting to hear from the biopsy.
The next round of test begin next week. We are going to Charleston for a MIBG scan on Wednesday and Thursday. Jarrett will also have to have an EKG, echocardiagram, hearing test, dental exam, and a 24 hour urine test. He will probably have to be in patient for the 24 hour urine test. I am going to ask for them to do thet while we are in Charleston. At least we could be home the next week. Charleston also wants Jarrett to be admitted for transplant on December 12th. We are going to ask to postpone the transplant until after Christmas.
Olivia has sprung her ankle and refuses to try to walk. Finally both boys are walking and now Olivia is crawling. Oh, well, maybe one day they will all be walking at the same time.
Thanks for the continued prayers. I will update with the results of the new testing as we get the results.
I will update with test results as soon as possible.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004 7:17 AM CST
Jarrett saw Dr. Hayes and Dr. Stroud on Tuesday. They are waiting on Charleston to decide if we are going to do another round of chemo or begin radiation therapy. Hopefully, will know something today. He is enjoying being at home. He wants to help his daddy work. Jarrett told me that when he goes to work (he pretends to go to work every morning) he is building me a 10 bedroom house. He is a very hard working young man.
Yesterday at clinic the activity was to color a leaf, write down what you are thankful for and tape on the tree painted on the walls. When I asked Jarrett what he was thankful for he said, "I am thankful for Jesus loving me". He melted my heart.
Please remember our friends Logan and Hannah who are currently undergoing bone marrow transplant and stem cell transplant.
Thanks for the prayers.
Lori
Lori
Tuesday, November 2, 2004 3:14 PM CST
Well, finally the Tripp's had a normal weekend. We enjoyed a beautiful drive around the Greenville Water Shed. The leaves were ablaze with color. The only traffic we had were a few bicyclists. After the beautiful drive we took the kids to play at the Saluda Park. Jarrett and Nathan always love playing outside. That evening we took the kids trick or treating (or Christmas treating as Jarrett would say). The folks on Main St. Fountain Inn really go all out for every holiday. Nathan had more fun than anyone. Sunday we had a Halloween party at church. If you see Olivia ask her what she got in her trick or treat bag. Jarrett had a good check up with Dr. Hayes on Monday. He had a followup CT done today. He was sooooo good. We will see Dr. Abrams on Wednesday. Hopefully we will hear from his CT on Wednesday also. Jarrett will have an additional round of chemo in a couple of weeks. Until then we are going to enjoy being home for a while.
Thursday, October 28, 2004 8:40 AM CDT
Yesterday I realized how self aware Jarrett is about not having any hair. He was susposed to have his picture made with Matthew Morgan and Jason Smith (two local racecar drivers) for the Greenville News. Jarrett became very angry and refused to have his picture made. He would not even allow me to make his picture with Nathan and Dean. After all of the cameras were put away, Jarrett started playing ball with Jason and Matt. But if we mention pictures than he would get upset.
Please remember our friend Abby and her son, Lucas. Abby's husband passed away on Tuesday of an apparent heart attack. Jason was only 24 years old.
Until next time,
Lori
Tuesday, October 26, 2004 6:26 AM CDT
Jarrett is a free man. We will be leaving the hospital in just a few hours. Jarrett was walking all over the hospital last night. He is in good spirits and ready to go home.
As most of you know, Jarrett loves his nurse Angela. Well, Angela's father had surgery a couple of weeks ago. Jarrett was not content until he went to visit with her father yesterday. We made two trips over the main part of the hospitlal. Jarrett was quiet while in the room, but he was so happy that he was able to meet her father. Sometimes I am not sure if my children learn the lessons that we try to teach them. But seeing Jarrett's concern about visiting Angela's father confirmed that he has picked up on a few of those lessons.
Take care until next time.
Monday, October 25, 2004 5:56 AM CDT
Jarrett had a great day yesterday. It is hard to believe that he is only a few days post op. He helped to pull his NG tube out of his nose. The nurses took his epidural and cathater out later that evening. Jarrett enjoyed playing with the nurses all morning. Thanks Allison, Paul, and Melissa for making the morning fun. Jarrett has lots of visitors on Sunday. He enjoyed playing with them and watching the race. He was happy to get to eat his clear liquids (funny how M& M's are on the clear liquids diet, who knew). It was a very full day. Finally, Mom was worn out and insisted that we turn out the lights and go to sleep. Jarrett would have played all night, but you have to call it quits sometimes.
Olivia was back at the hospital again today. She was busy making Halloween pictures for Jarrett's room. One of the surgical nurses, Kim, and her family brought Jarrett a Shrek mask and hands. So, guess what Jarrett will be for Halloween.
Please pray for our friend, Logan, who is having a rough time with bone marrow transplant this week.
Have a great day.
Saturday, October 23, 2004 5:42 PM CDT
Jarrett was more alert and responsive today. He wants to eat and drink but can not because of the NG tube (a tube running from his nose to his stomach). Hopefully, the tube will be out tomorrow. He is also pulling at his cathater and refuses to keep his saturation probe on his finger. I guess these are all signs that he is feeling better.
Olivia spent the day with us at the hospital. She does great while she is here. She finds ways to occupy her time. Today she drew Halloween pictures for Jarrett's room. She has been a real trooper this week.
Please remember our friend, Logan, in your prayers. Logan is going through a bone marrow transplant. He and his family are going through a rough time and need all of the prayers they can get.
Friday, October 22, 2004 12:40 AM CDT
Jarrett is resting comfortably following his surgery. He has had a little trouble with nausea and vomiting but it is managable. Dr. Abrams came by today. He seemed rather pleased with the results. Jarrett tried to get out of bed for a little while, but it caused him too much pain to be held.
Olivia spent the day with us yesterday during Jarrett's surgery. She did great being couped in the hospital waiting room all day. Olivia had fun at the Children's Hospital Halloween Carnival. She played games and won prizes for both herself and Jarrett. Now Jarrett just has to get to feeling better so he can see all of his surprises.
Thursday, October 21, 2004 3:09 PM CDT
Well, the day for Jarrett's surgery finally arrived. Dr. Abrams was able to remove the remainder of the tumor and his right kidney. Dr. Abrams also placed a new port access. No more 4:00 am blood draws for Jarrett. YEAH!!! Jarrett is resting as comfortable as possible now.
Friday, October 15, 2004 12:22 AM CDT
Jarrett has had a good week. His counts are decent. He was able to go to the Spartanburg County Fair on Monday night. He rode one ride and was afraid. They had to stop the ride and let him off. Never the less, Jarrett and Dean found a park bench and enjoyed a night under the stars listening to Jack Roper's Weatherman Band. On Thursday, Robert Kimberly arranged for Jarrett to meet his favorite football team - the Byrnes Rebels. Jarrett was excited about attending practice, but was shy when we got to the practice field. Coach Bently gave Jarrett a signed Byrnes football and a sweat shirt. Jarrett loved the ball. He spend the evening throwing the ball to whoever could catch it. When he could not find a reciever, well then, Jarrett was both the quarterback and reciever. He had fun either way. I will have the pictures from both outings posted soon.
I talked to Dr. Hayes yesterday. Jarret is scheduled to go the hospital on Wednesday, October 20th for possible transfusions and will have his surgery on Thursday. Please pray for Dr. Abrams and his surgery team that they will be successfull in removing the tumor. Also pray for Jarrett to a sense of peace. He is very neverous about going to surgery.
Olivia got her cast removed today. So, maybe just maybe, the Tripp family will have a weekend where all of the children will be feeling good and we can enjoy the beauty of the leaves turning colors.
Hope that you all enjoy the cooler weather and the color spectacular going on all around you.
Monday, October 11, 2004 12:17 AM CDT
Jarrett is back home after an over night visit to the hospital for a blood transfusion. His counts are climbing upward. He is scheduled for surgery on October 21st at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Monday, October 4, 2004 1:47 PM CDT
Jarrett is feeling a little better today. He is trying to eat, but continues to have trouble keeping the food down. His counts are a little higher today.
Sunday, October 3, 2004 3:59 PM CDT
Jarrett's continue to hover just above 0. I gues that is better than 0. Jarrett tried to eat today but it made him sick. So, maybe we will try again later. Thanks for stopping by and take time to check out the new pictures.
Saturday, October 2, 2004 3:23 PM CDT
Jarrett's counts have begun to inch their way up. He is resting more comfortably and he has some of his fight back. I talked to Dr. Stroud about the spots on his lungs. Dr. Stroud said we would have to wait and see if they remain stable. If they grow or change then we will know it is the neuroblastoma. We will keep praying for the best. He enjoyed watching a little of the Gaffney-Spartanburg game. He felt well enough during part of the game that he told me that to call Bobby Bentley (coach for Byrnes) and tell Coach Bentley that he was ready to play for the Rebels. I guess that is a start on the road to recovery.
Friday, October 1, 2004 10:13 AM CDT
Jarrett had his CT scan this morning. The scan continues to show spots on his lungs. I will talk to the doctor this evening to find out more details. Jarrett did try to eat and drink some last night. He is also resting better. The CT did show a sinus infection.
Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:12 AM CDT
Well, it has been a roller coaster ride. First Jarrett's counts are up and now they are down again. He began running a fever last night and his counts crashed in around him. He feels worse today. He will have a CT of his head, chest, and abdomen today. We will pray for good results.
Saturday, September 25, 2004 11:50 AM CDT
Jarrett had his port removed this morning. He is resting in his room. Prayfully, this will clear the infection and he will begin to feel better.
Friday, September 24, 2004 5:05 PM CDT
Jarrett's doctors haved decided to remove his port. He will have it removed on Saturday morning. Hopefully, this will allow him to heal quickly. His family is ready to have him home for a while.
Friday, September 24, 2004 7:38 AM CDT
Jarrett's counts continue to remain low. His stomach and knees hurt him. Dr. Hayes increased his pain medication last night. Jarrett is able to rest with the help of the medication. Dr. Stroud thinks Jarretts counts will improve this weekend. So do I. I am ready for him to feel better again. Please remember our friend Dalton. He also has neuroblastoma and is being sent home with hospice today.
Thursday, September 23, 2004 3:59 PM CDT
Our prayers were answered and Nathan was able to go home from the hospital today. He is enjoying playing with his grandparents.
Jarrett continues to not feel well. He has pain in his stomach and his knees. We are able to keep him comfortable with pain medication. So far his latest blood cultures have failed to grow any new bacteria. Hopefully this means that the antibiotics are working and his counts will soon recover. He is still in need of your prayers.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004 10:15 AM CDT
Jarrett continues to not feel well. The doctors believe that the infection is coming from his port. The doctors are trying to treat the infection with different antibiotics. If the infection does not clear up in the next couple of days then they will remove the port. Our baby, Nathan, is also in the hospital with pneumonia. Please pray for both boys to return to their active selves so that they can exhaust everyone around them.
Monday, September 20, 2004 1:52 PM CDT
Jarrett gave us all a scare on Saturday night. His temperture reached a high of 105.5. He also began having seizures. His doctor was on the floor and was able to be with Jarrett when he had the seizure. Jarrett had a cranial CT and spinal tap during the night. Thankfully, both test came back clean and clear. He is continuing to run a fever, but it is controlled with Tylenol for longer and longer spans. We will be at GHS until his counts improve (hopefully, later this week or weekend). Keep Jarrett in your prayers as he continues to feel bad.
Saturday, September 18, 2004 4:30 PM CDT
Well, it was a short visit home. Jarrett spited a fever of 104.6. So we are back at our home away from home. Jarrett will begin the usual round of antibiotics, antifungal, and antivirus medication.
Tuesday, September 7, 2004 2:23 PM CDT
Jarrett saw the surgeon today. The tumor has shrunk, but is still wrapped around two large blood vessels. So, Dr. Abrams (Uncle Randy as Dr. Hayes calles him) decided to complete Jarrett's last round of chemo before attempting the surgery. Jarrett will begin round 6 on September 13th. We will see the surgeon again on October 5th. The good news today was that the tumor is now about 1/8 of the size it was in the beginning. The tumor itself is small. Now if the tumor will let go of the vessels the surgery will not be that complicated. So many of our prayers have been answered, but we continue to pray for him complete recovery.
Saturday, September 4, 2004 5:21 PM CDT
Jarrett has been enjoying a few weeks at home. His counts have been low and he has been transfused with blood products in the day hospital. He has loved going to the races and the football games. He is scheduled for surgery on September 13, 2004 in Greenville.
Friday, August 13, 2004 7:50 PM CDT
We're BAACCKK! Jarrett was admitted to Peds HemOnc today for round 5 of his chemo. He also had his hearing test today. His hearing is normal for speech, but there is damage to the hair cells in his inner ear. Only time will tell if the damage will effect his ability to hear in the future. He is currently in good spirits and his singing at the top of his lungs. So, listen up and you might hear him singing "Long Black Train".
Friday, August 6, 2004 8:07 AM CDT
Jarrett was cleared to go home today. He is looking forward to fishing tonight with his daddy.
Thursday, August 5, 2004 6:36 AM CDT
FINALLY Jarrett felt a little better last night. Dr. Stoud even mentioned the "home" word as a possibilty in the near future. He has enjoyed visits from 3 of the local track drivers. One of his new friends Stephanie brought him a bag full of goodies from Dale Jarrett. His bag included a signed hat, shirt, and car, along with some other goodies. Chad Hunter's (a driver from Greenville-Pickens) family has been especially kind to Jarrett. Chad's daughter saw Jarrett at the race a couple of weeks ago. While her parents were visiting with Jarrett, she began a fundraising effort for Jarrett because she was afraid that he would not have anything to play with while he was in the hospital. She sent him a bag full of loose coins, rolled coins, and dollar bills. How sweet!!!! Now I know why the Bible says that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven we must become as little children.
Monday, August 2, 2004 12:33 AM CDT
Finally, Jarrett is feeling better. His counts have begun to inch their way upward. He begged for pancakes today, which is always a good sign for him. He was a very happy camper after eating a plate of pancakes. Thanks for all the of the prayers.
Friday, July 30, 2004 9:59 PM CDT
Jarrett has been very sick today. He has tested positive for "c-diff" bacteria in his intestine. This has caused the high fevers and severe stomach pain. He began a new antibiotic today. His doctor's believe that it will take several more days for the infection to be cleared up. Until then we will hang out on 5F our home away from home.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004 3:22 PM CDT
Jarrett remains in th hospital. He is recieving blood and platelets. We are just hanging out here until his count return to normal and his fever is normal.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004 4:26 PM CDT
Well, we'er baaacckk! Jarrett begin spiking fevers on Sunday night. He was admitted back into the children's hospital on Monday (July 26, 2004). He is not feeling well but is resting. Hopefully he will recover in a couple of days.
Sunday, July 18, 2004 9:03 AM CDT
A lot has been happening since the last journal entry. Last Saturday night (July 10th) Jarrett was the guest of honor at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway. He was allowed to ride in the pace truck. He loved waving to the fans as he made laps around the track. He recieved several t-shirts and hats from the local drivers. His favorite t-shirt was from a Dale Jarrett fan. The fan gave Jarrett a Dale Jarrett t-shirt from Dale Jarrett's championship year and a Jarrett Drive sign. Jarrett was given a tour of the pits where he met several of the drivers and even got to sign his name on two of the cars. He was so excited. He had a great night. Olivia and Lauren were also at the race. They had a ball collecting autographs from the drivers. Pictures from this exciting night can be seen on "itracin.com" or on "fireball.com". Thanks to Bud and the gang at GPS for making this a special night. Vacation Bible School began on Sunday, July 11. Jarrett has so much fun. He is unable to walk, but that did not stop him from playing baseball or going bowling. He loved the skits and puppet shows each night. Our theme was "Got Fruit" and we learned about the fruit of the spirit. Jarrett and Olivia are still singing the songs about the fruits of the spirit. They sing pretty loudly, so listen up and you might just hear them. As always the group from the Salem Church of Christ did a great job with VBS. Nathan celebrated his first birthday on Saturday, July 17, 2003. It is hard to believe that he is already a year old. We celebrated the big day with a picnic at the Greenville Zoo. I think his favorite part of the day was eating ice cream. Jarrett is currently in the children's hospital for round 4 of his chemo. Only two more rounds to go!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, July 4, 2004 6:19 PM CDT
Jarrett had a special visitor on Saturday. Local ASA driver, Toby Porter came to visit. Toby brought Jarrett t-shirts, hats, and autographed programs. Jarrett pretended to be shy while Toby was there, but enjoyed showing off his hat and t-shirt later in the afternoon. Toby also invited Jarrett to visit his shop later on. We appreciate Susan Tripp for arranging the visit. We are celebrating the 4th of July with Jarrett at Greenville Memorial having Jarrett transfused with platletts. Hope you all are having a fun and safe July 4th.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004 8:11 AM CDT
Jarrett is going home today. His blood counts are low, but we are going to try it home for as long as he can. We are anxious to see Olivia and Nathan.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004 11:58 AM CDT
Jarrett has finished his third round of chemo. This round has made him nauseated and he has slept a lot. On the positive side his friend Gracie is here for her third round of chemo also. He is very sweet on Gracie. She makes him feel better instantly. They had fun "cruising" around then Peds Hem/Onc unit today in the wagons and little tikes car. The staff also joined in. You would have thought we moved the Peds Hem/Onc unit to Chesney. Jarrett also glued butterfly pieces onto the nurses faces this morning. We have enjoyed some much needed comic relief today.
Saturday, June 26, 2004 10:04 AM
Well we are back at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Jarrett is doing well. He will get 4 doses of chemo this week.
Thursday, June 22, 2004 6:58 PM
WE JUST FINISHED JARRETT'S STEM CELL HARVEST!! OUR TOTAL COUNT WAS OVER 11,000 (WE ONLY NEEDED 10,000)!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE WILL RECEIVE BLOOD TONIGHT AND REMOVE HIS CATHETAR FROM HIS GROIN. WE WILL GO HOME TOMORROW AROUND 10:00. THANKS FOR THE E-MAILS, ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRAYERS. WE LOVE YOU.
Thursday, June 22, 2004 3:50 PM
They are harvesting more stem cells today. The aphresis team thinks that they will have a good harvest today. Yesterday's was actually better than expected.
Monday, June 22, 2004 5:35PM
Jarrett's first in Charleston has gone fairly well. The cathater was placed in his groin and the stem cells were collected. However, his counts were very low and he did not have a good harvest. They will collect again tomorrow. The nurse in charge of stem cell collection feels as though tomorrow he will have a better harvest. Olivia (Jarrett's sister) has done exceptionally well at the hospital today. She has enjoyed playing in the Atrium ( the play area) and doing art projects.
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