History

Journal History

Sunday, February 4, 2007 4:10 PM CST

Howdy out there!

Ben had scans last week and he remains CANCER FREE!! Seems like I have been holding my breath since last April. Ben continues to do well in school and is just a normal eight year old boy!

I am so grateful for the good news.

Ben's friend Chris, whom I have wrote about many times, passed away January 1, 2007. He was 22 years old. This was very hard for Ben but now he believes Chris is his own guardian angel. Even though they were 14 years apart, they are very much alike.

Another buddy of ours, Christian, is battling a relapse with Clear Cell Sarcoma. He is halfway through his chemo and will be having a stem cell transplant. Please keep Christian in your prayers.

Thanks for checking on Ben.

Take Care,
Mags

Check out the links below - I have added my own blog site. Also, I am raising funds for Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Every 500 dollars helps one patient with services insurance does not cover. The money also funds researchers here in North Texas.

You may be asking "When will she stop?". Well, when one of two things happen; My body and spirit give up or we find a cure for ALL cancers.

Thanks everyone for your support.

Wednesday, November 1, 2006 5:52 AM CST

****Surgery Update****
Ben de-portation has been scheduled for Monday, November 13, 2006! Please say some prayers for Ben; that the surgery goes well, that this be his last surgery related to cancer, and for continued health from this point forward. Thank You so much for your support during the last 4 years.

Howdy out there –

Long time no update. So here goes:

Ben is doing great. You can see by the picture, he has tons of hair now, and won’t let me cut it! I figure he worked hard for every inch so he can get away with it.

He has been off treatment for 6 months now. About a week and a half ago he had some scans (chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound) and received the “all clear”. I was sweatin’ it! We have a consultation with the pediatric surgeon on Thursday and will set a date to have Ben’s port-a-cath removed. After that, we will have exams and scans every 3 months for a while.

Ben has said he just wants to be a normal kid – and hopefully now he will get that chance. He is doing great in school and has loads of friends, most of which can be found at my house playing video games or Yu Gi Oh. He is a very unique kid with a quirky sense of humor. Most of the time, he is just tons of fun to be around.

We continue to give thanks to God for Ben’s good health; however, some of our friends are not doing as well. Chris, one of Ben’s friends that we met 4 years ago, has increased activity in his tumors. He has fought a long, hard battle and I ask you to pray for him, every day! He and his family are so sweet and do not deserve what cancer has dealt them.

No family deserves this and we have to make it stop – for all people – little and big. Unfortunately, in our lifetime, most of us will be touched by cancer in some way. I beg you to get involved in cancer awareness and research.

My way to get involved was to join Team In Training; the biggest fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The mission of TNT is to use running, walking, cycling and triathlon as symbols of endurance and hope. Funds raised are used for research to help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Did you know that finding the cure for leukemia might greatly advance the cure for all cancers? Over the years, leukemia research has proven to be the window of hope for the treatment of other cancers. Bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy treatment was developed from leukemia research.

The Amarillo Team now has a website, please visit and check our progress – the link is below. Last season we raised $58,000!

Thank you for checking on Ben. I will really try to update more. Feel free to give me a call or send a quick email if you don’t see an update :)
Take Care and God Bless!

Wednesday, November 1, 2006 5:52 AM CST

Tuesday, March 28, 2006 6:53 AM CST

Hello Out There!

One more to go! Yep that's right, Ben is almost finished! His last treatment is going to be on April 11. Ben continues to do great and his hair is even coming back.

Other news:

During Spring Break we took a short skiing trip. Ben had a little trouble getting started but soon regained his confidence on the snow and was sailing down the mountain. Angel Fire, NM was very warm so the snow turned to slush by the end of the day, that was Ben's favorite part. The day we left for home we went tubing on the Polar Coaster. Way too much fun! I'll post pictures soon.

Take Care,
Maggie

Team In Training Update

First I would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that has donated so far. To date, the Amarillo team has raised over 18,000 dollars for research and patient services. WOW!

Well I was up to running 6 miles when my plans changed. While skiing in Winter Park, CO last weekend, I had an accident and significantly sprained my ankle. My training has been put on hold but the doc assures me I will be ready come race day, although I may end up walking the race instead of running. No matter what, I will be there - this cause is too important! If you haven't already, please consider making a donation to the very worthy cause. Read below to find out how.

Ever since Ben’s diagonosis, I have wanted to get involved with raising money and awareness for childhood cancer, but didn’t know how. Then I found out about Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT). The mission of TNT is to use running, walking, cycling and triathlon as symbols of endurance and hope. Funds raised are used for research to help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Did you know that finding the cure for leukemia might greatly advance the cure for all cancers? Over the years, leukemia research has proven to be the window of hope for the treatment of other cancers. Bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy treatment was developed from leukemia research.

Why did I choose this organization? Well, many of the drugs that are being used to treat Ben’s cancer can also cause leukemia. Also, a very good friend’s sister is battling Hodkin’s Lymphoma. Julie is only 26 and is the mother of a 2 year old little boy. She currently is in treatment for relapse and a stem cell transplant may be her only chance for a cure.

On May 14, 2006, I will be running a half-marathon in Dallas, TX for TNT. In return for professional training and travel to Dallas,I have committed to raise a minimum of $1800 to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's mission.

Please help me in my TNT adventure by making a donation to LLS. Online donations can be made at my LLS web page (the link is below) or you can send a check directly to me. Checks should be made out to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or LLS. Send to: Maggie Mager; 5713 W. 38th; Amarillo, TX; 79109. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at magers@amaonline.com or give me a call at 806-433-3422.

Thank You for your Support!
Maggie

Sunday, February 5, 2006 4:58 PM CST

Hello –

Can you believe I am updating again so soon?!

Well, Ben has had a minor setback. His blood counts were not good enough to get his chemo last week. His ANC (a calculation telling us how well Ben’s body can fight infection) was only 600 – it has to be 1000 to receive chemo. Ben’s bone marrow is finally starting to take a hit from the drugs. Not a big deal but now the finish line is extended by a week. Bummer! We are sooo ready to be done. So now our last chemo date is April 11.

Ben is now an uncle!! Yep, my oldest son, Shawn’s baby girl was born on January 17. Jasmine Serena weighed in a 6lbs. 13 oz. and was 20 ľ inches long. She is very tiny and very cute. Ben loves her! He even asks me if he can take her into his room and play with her.

Thanks for checking on Ben
Take care and God Bless
Maggie

Ever since Ben’s diagonosis, I have wanted to get involved with raising money and awareness for childhood cancer, but didn’t know how. Then I found out about Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT). The mission of TNT is to use running, walking, cycling and triathlon as symbols of endurance and hope. Funds raised are used for research to help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Did you know that finding the cure for leukemia might greatly advance the cure for all cancers? Over the years, leukemia research has proven to be the window of hope for the treatment of other cancers. Bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy treatment was developed from leukemia research.

Why did I choose this organization? Well, many of the drugs that are being used to treat Ben’s cancer can also cause leukemia. Also, a very good friend’s sister is battling Hodkin’s Lymphoma. Julie is only 26 and is the mother of a 2 year old little boy. She currently is in treatment for relapse and a stem cell transplant may be her only chance for a cure.

On May 14, 2006, I will be running a half-marathon in Dallas, TX for TNT. In return for professional training and travel to Dallas,I have committed to raise a minimum of $1800 to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's mission.

Please help me in my TNT adventure by making a donation to LLS. Online donations can be made at my LLS web page (the link is below) or you can send a check directly to me. Checks should be made out to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or LLS. Send to: Maggie Mager; 5713 W. 38th; Amarillo, TX; 79109. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at magers@amaonline.com or give me a call at 806-433-3422.

Thank You for your Support!
Maggie

Tuesday, December 27, 2005 8:28 AM CST

Hello Out There!

WOW – I can’t believe it has been so long. Sorry.

Ben is doing great! He is still in treatment until April 04, 2006 – but only has 5 more chemo sessions. YIPEE!!! He has been very fortunate during this round of treatment; blood counts are holding strong, no fevers or hospitalization, and no sickness. The only area of concern is his kidney, which is not functioning to full capacity, probably due to the chemo. To help his kidney, Ben has to take an ACE inhibitor once a day to improve kidney function and so far it is working.

Other than chemo and blood work once a week, our life is pretty normal. Ben is doing great in school. He enjoys playing with his friends; video games and Yu-Gi-Oh are the hot play items right now.

Ben had a fantastic Christmas! Santa was good bringing a go-cart, a new guitar (with lessons) and lots of Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

I hope all of you had a great Christmas as well. Thanks for checking on Ben, even if mom has been slacking off in the update department.

Take Care,
Maggie

Thursday, June 2, 2005 4:04 PM CDT

Hello All –

Wow – I can’t believe how long it’s been since I updated this site. In this case that is good because everything is going so well for Ben right now.

First of all, on May 18, Ben turned 7!! On his actual birthday, we went out to eat with family and friends to celebrate and had a great time. Then, on the 22nd, Ben had his party with his buds at Sports World. The boys had a great time playing miniature golf, laser tag, and riding go-carts.

Medically Ben is still doing great. He finished up his weekly chemo treatments this past Wednesday and now can get a 2 week break between treatments. We will still have to go to the clinic once a week for blood work. Ben had a chest x-ray a couple of weeks ago and all was clear.

The last week of school, first graders were exposed to chicken pox. Both of the boys that came down with the pox had their vaccinations. For a regular kid, exposure is not a big deal, but for a cancer kid, chicken pox can be deadly. Ben had to go to the hospital and get two big VZIG shots to prevent him from contracting the pox. So far it seems to be working.

No chicken pox but he does have pink eye!! He is currently taking antibiotic eye drops and both eyes are clearing up nicely.

New pics have been posted so make sure to check ‘em out!

Take Care,
Maggie

Friday, April 22, 2005 11:26 AM CDT

Hello Everyone -

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but there really isn't much to tell.

Ben is doing GREAT with his treatments. The only side effects so far are tiredness and constipation. What a combo!! Otherwise, his spirits are great and he has a fantastic attitude.

His 7th birthday is coming up on May 18! He has INSISTED that no medical stuff be done on that day. I hope we can swing it.

Ben and Dad went to Six Flags over Texas this past weekend and had a blast! I have posted some pictures from the trip.

Thanks for checking on Ben! Keep the prayers coming for Ben and ALL kids with cancer.

Take Care,
Maggie

Wednesday, March 23, 2005 5:00 PM CST

Hello Out There –
****UPDATE****

Ben just returned home from his first chemo treatment (Well, for this round).
He received the Actinomycin-d which only took about 5 minutes to push into his central line. Ben is feeling good and having fun playing his new Gameboy game.

Sorry for the delay in updating. There has not been much to report and we also were gone Spring Break.

Saturday, March 12, we all set out for Angel Fire, NM.

We arrived Saturday afternoon, the weather was beautiful; sunny and clear skies. Since it was Spring Break we headed straight to the slopes to register Ben for ski school, it was his first time to ski. Ben also needed some goggles and gloves so we stopped at a local ski shop and geared him up. Then, it was off to the trailer to rest up for the next day of skiing.

Sunday was a little overcast and cold, but nothing we couldn’t handle so it was off to the slopes! I dropped Ben off at ski school – he was very excited! I signed up for first timer lessons. During my lessons I could watch Ben. His first few attempts did not look good – he was falling all over the place! Momma was a little worried. But, about an hour later, I saw Ben on the training slopes and he was doing great! I couldn’t believe how fast he improved! At 3 pm I picked up Ben at ski school and talked to his instructor. His group had just finished the Heading Home trail – a 3.5 mile beginner trail! All in all it was a great day!

Sunday night – it snowed – a lot!

Monday we rested and just hung out.

Tuesday, we skied together all day and had a blast! The snowfall from Monday made the ski conditions great!

Wednesday, we rested.

Thursday - we came home – Boo Hoo!

OK – enough fun – now for the medical stuff. The last 2 days Ben has had some tests; echocardiogram, abdominal ultrasound, CT of the chest, and bloodwork. All of the results have come back normal (don’t have the results from the CT scan yet – should today). We met with the oncs yesterday afternoon for a treatment plan. Ben will receive chemotherapy for 57 weeks, a little over 14 months. He will get 3 drugs; Vincristine, Doxorubicin, and Actinomycin-d. The Vincristine he will get every week for the first 10 weeks then drop to every 2. The Dox and Act will alternate every 2 weeks for the duration of the treatment schedule. All of this will be done OUTPATIENT, and will only take 1-3 hours AND can be done after school. NO HOSPITALS!!! – except for fevers. This treatment is about 83 percent effective for CCSK relapse.

Treatment will probably start today with his first dose of Actinomycin-d.

Very doable – like I have a choice :)

It’s going to be a long haul so please keep up the prayers.

Thanks for checking in and making it through my long post. Make sure to check out the new pics from the ski trip.

Take Care,
Maggie

Tuesday, March 8, 2005 3:35 PM CST

Yesterday was the last day of radiation!!!

YIPEEE!!!!

The receptionist had ballons and a big bag of goodies for Ben. In the bag was silly string, nerf dart guns, splash ball, frisbees, slinkies and a ton more stuff. Ben had fun shooting the therapists with the dart guns and silly string, and they had fun shooting him back!! One of the therapists, Camille, gave Ben a really cool RC car which he drove around the Cancer Center and the clinic where he went to have his blood drawn after radiation.

Ben had a check-up with the radiation oncologist. He is still not having any side effects from the radiation. We will return to the Cancer Center in 1 month for another check-up and a chest x-ray.

In two weeks Ben will go back to his regular oncologist to start plans for chemo. Until then, we will just enjoy being normal. Luckily, all of this won't start until after spring break!

I have posted some new pictures. My dear friends bought Ben a 6 ft. tall blow-up Incredible Hulk! Ben had a blast beating him up last night.

Thanks for dropping by,
Maggie

Thursday, March 3, 2005 9:11 AM CST

Hello -

Ben had a check-up with the radiation oncologist yesterday and he checked out great! His lungs are clear, he is eating good, and his energy level has not changed a bit.

On Monday, we had a brief visit with the regular oncologist and it seems as if they have a plan for Ben. There is a study published noting the success rate of cure with long term chemotherapy using 3 drugs that are NOT cleared by the kidney. The entire course will take about 1 year but can be done outpatient - no long stays in the hospital for chemo!

The docs want to give Ben about 2 weeks after the completion of radiation, time for his bone marrow to recover, before starting. Ben will go back to the clinic on Monday for blood work so hopefully I can get some more information out of the doctor.

We are still very sad about Andy's passing, please keep his family in your prayers.

Take Care,
Maggie

Monday, February 28, 2005 9:17 AM CST

Hello All –

I have some awful news to share – one of our fellow CCSK kids has passed away quite suddenly and unexpectedly. His name is Andy and he had been off treatment for quite some time. He was only 7 years old. The worst part of it is that it wasn’t cancer that got him, but rather complications from his cancer surgery almost 6 years ago! I am in complete shock! This just goes to show you how vicious cancer is and you can never turn your back on it. NEVER! Andy was supposed to be the boy who was cured!

Please pray for Andy’s family.

Terry, if you are reading this, please know that my heart and prayers are with you. Andy’s story was always such an inspiration for me and Ben. You were there for me when Ben was diagnosed and when he relapsed. If there is anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask. Although we have never met face to face, I love you like one of my family.

Ben news:
Ben is doing great, more about him later.

I sign off to day with a broken heart.

Maggie

Friday, February 25, 2005 1:36 PM CST

Hello Out There -

Well, first week of radiation has gone very well - no side effects. Ben will have his last treatment for the week this afternoon and will get a much deserved break for the weekend.

Yesterday, the techs at the Cancer Center got out the equipment to make the permanent "tatoo" marks; Ben took one look at the needle and came unglued! So..the techs decided that Sharpie marks would be just fine.

I posted some new pictures of Ben. At school on Tuesday, the kids made George Washington hats and Ben had to wear his to the cancer center. He specifically requested that I take his picture with his hat on and his shirt off - at the Cancer Center. So I did. You have to look real hard for the hat since he is standing next to the radiation machine. I also included a picture of Ben and his friend Tyler with their hats on. The third picture is what Ben looks like after radiation. The mask he has to wear leaves mesh marks on his head, making him look like an alien! LOL!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Take Care and God Bless!

Maggie

Thursday, February 17, 2005 8:49 AM CST

Hello Everyone -

Here's the latest:

At Harrington Cancer Center today; they did a CT scan of his chest to determine the exact position of the lungs and their volume. This info will be entered into a computer for analysis. Ben was “marked” with a sharpie for location of the beams and we were sent home. The markings were covered with small tegaderms to minimize the chance of them coming off during baths. Ben will have to stay out of the pool until next week; big bummer. Ben loves to go swimming and I like the fact he is getting excercise and not sitting in front of the TV playing video games.

Next Monday, at 1:00, will be the final simulation and markings. Yes, Ben will have tattoos which he thinks is pretty cool.

Radiation treatments will begin on Tuesday and will continue for 10 days, with weekends off. The treatments are scheduled for 3:45 every day. Ben will receive radiation to both lungs. The dose is relatively small and the risk for toxicity is low but not without risks. There is a 1% chance of permanent damage to the lungs which of course would be lethal. The most common side effects are tiredness and an upset stomach.

I know the risks are low - but so were the risks of him ever having cancer. It will be a very nerve-racking 10 days, 14 if you count weekends.

Thanks for checking on Ben and let's all pray no bad side effects from radiation.

Love to you all,

Maggie

Wednesday, February 9, 2005 4:04 PM CST

Radaition Update
Next appointment is Feb.16 @9;00AM.

Hello Again –

I bet you all thought we had fallen off the end of the earth? Nope, we are still here!

Sorry I haven’t updated in a while – no excuses.

Ben is doing very well. Since my last entry he had one more round of chemo but the drugs were taking a toll on his one good kidney and unfortunately the damage is not reversible. The oncologists have decided to stop chemo and try radiation instead.

We met with the radiation onc yesterday. The plan is to treat both lungs with small amounts of radiation so the risk of toxicity will be very low. He will receive 8 treatments total. No appointments yet. Don’t have any idea if he will receive more chemo after radiation.

Ben is having a great time out of the hospital. He is going to school every day and has started swim class. His sweet bald head is growing some fuzz, which he is very happy about!

I have updated the pictures – I know, it’s about time!

Hope everyone is happy and healthy!

Thursday, December 16, 2004 11:36 AM CST

Hello -

Second dose of chemo went off without a hitch.

Ben slept all night, I wish I could say the same for mom.
Ben is in an excellent mood and ready to go home tomorrow.

The doc came in this morning and chatted for a moment - they are still very concerned about Ben's kidney. Seems it is only functioning at about 60% of normal. This will have to be watched very closely.

There is going to be a surprise later today, but I can't tell you because Ben is watching me type.

I will update later.

Take Care,
Maggie

Wednesday, December 15, 2004 10:27 AM CST

Hello Everyone -

Ben's counts were good enough to make it into the hospital Monday. He was admitted Monday evening to start hydration and 12 hour urine collection (to check kidney function).

Tuesday morning Ben had another, different renal scan. That scan, and the urine analysis, showed Ben's kidney was not working at 100%. The docs don't know if this is normal for Ben or because his kidney took a hit from the last chemo session.

Chemo was started at around 9:00 last night. The docs have decided to use a new drug combination in the hopes they will be easier for Ben to tolerate. Most of them are the same drugs he received 2 years ago - there are 4 different drugs total. They will be used in different combinations alternating every 21 days. One drug - Vincristine - will be given every week - luckily this one can be given at the clinic.

He received vincristine, doxirubicin, and cyclofosphomide last night. (Please excuse the spellings, I am to lazy to look them up right now :)

Just talked to dad and Ben is doing well this morning. He is up and in a very good mood. Ben has requested a meat lovers pizza for lunch so I had better get on it.

Hopefully I can get to the store and buy a new digital camera and take some pictures of Ben and his new bald head. There is still a little white fuzz hanging on but not much.

Thanks for checking in -
Maggie

Friday, December 10, 2004 8:57 AM CST

Happy Friday!!!!

Ben had labs drawn yesterday and they were pretty good - but not good enough to start chemo this weekend - BUMMER!

His ANC (infection fighting cells) are way up but the platelets are down due the Neupogen shots. Since his ANC was good, the shots were stopped so the platelets should recover in a couple of days. Ben's blood will be rechecked on Monday.

Ben's swollen eyelid has gone down with the help of some Benadryl. Yea - one less thing to worry about!

Still no word on the renal study.

And.......Ben is loosing his hair. It's almost all gone on the top. Boo-hoo! He saw himself inthe mirror for the first time since his hair started coming out and he was not too happy. He decided it was time to start wearing a hat. Ben is very concerned about looking like a freak (his own words). His school is being EXTREMELY supportive and that is going to go a long way in helping Ben psychologically.

This weekend we are going to relax and just enjoy being at home. I will try to update Monday after I get blood results.

Have a Great Weekend,
Maggie

Tuesday, December 7, 2004 8:42 AM CST

Howdy -

Sorry it has taken me so long to update.

Here goes:

Ben was released from the hospital Friday evening. His fever came down on its own but his counts were still really low.

Saturday the oncologist called and reported that Ben's blood cultures had come back positive and he had elevated protein levels in his blood which meant there was an infection "somewhere" in his body. However, the antibiotics he was given in the hospital can sometimes cause a false positive in these readings. So, we had to go BACK to the hospital for more blood draws. We suspected his platelet count was low (nose bleeds, red dots on skin) so the nurse left his port accessed, just in case.

Got a call about 2 hours later and, sure enough, his platelets were down to 4,000 - normal is over 100,000. YIKES! Back to the hospital we went. Luckily, Ashton, one of Ben's buddies, was over playing at the house. I packed up the Game Cube,the Spider Man toys and both boys and hauled them up to the hospital. They played the entire time and were the entertainment for the pediatric wing that night. The transfusion went great until the last 5 minutes when Ben started itching all over. The nurse gave him some Benadryl which did the trick but knocked him out. As a result of the itching, we had to stay an extra hour. Ben was released around 1 am. It took 3 of us to get everything out - boys were crashed and had to be carried to the car.

Since then Ben has been doing great. The doc started him on Neupogen shots to boost his white count. Still nothing definite on his treatment. Ben is at school but has a swollen eyelid, gonna have to call the doc, again. Also, Erica is sick with a swollen throat, more doctors.

Gotta run and make all of the doctor phone calls - YIPEE!

Thanks for checkin' on Ben,

Maggie

Thursday, December 2, 2004 2:31 PM CST

Hi Everyone -

Just when you think life will be somewhat normal for a couple of weeks - WHAM - fever strikes!

Yep, Ben had a fever yesterday afternoon and was sent to the hospital. YUCK!!! He is VERY MAD! Things are a lot different than 2 years ago when he liked the hospital. He was put on anti-biotics last night and his fever came down to normal on it's own. If he continues to do well, he should be released tomorrow. His ANC is 0 - which means he has NO infection fighting cells in his body.

We still have no word on the chemo situation. I talked to a doctor in Washington D.C. and she suggested we check out the brand of Ifosphomide that was given to Ben. It seems the generic brand has been known to cause more severe side effects than the Bristol-Myers brand. Our oncologist checked it out and sure enough, the generic was given to Ben. The hospital will order the Bristol-Myers just in case.

Another drug in question was the Carboplatin. It has been known to cause kidney damage. Ben is having a Renal Nuclear Study done today to check his kidney functions. We should know more about that tomorrow.

Thanks for checking on the little one - let's hope he gets out tomorrow! I am ready to have my happy Ben back :)

Maggie

Sunday, November 28, 2004 9:04 PM CST

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving -

Ours was great because Ben was feeling well!

Tuesday night Ben starting throwing up blood - ugh!! This may have been caused by the chemo irritating his stomach. He was given Zantac and some heavy duty anti-nausea drugs and by about 10 pm he was starting to show signs of his old self.

He had a great nights sleep and by morning he was completely normal - no wobbling, no vomiting and he was extremely cheerful. We were home by 11 am.

Ben has had a wonderful 4 days but is starting to show the signs of chemo - tiredness, dark circles under the eyes, etc. He has a doctor's appointment at 3:30 tomorrow to check blood counts and to try and map out a new treatment plan.

Thanks again for all of the support over the last 3 weeks.

Maggie

Tuesday, November 23, 2004 9:16 AM CST

Update @ 3:00

Just talked to the doc and we agreed that Ben's body cannot handle this chemo combination - so we are stopping this round. He will continue to get fluids and anti-nausea meds tonight and go home in the morning if he is feeling Ok. The plan is to let him recover from the chemo and go in for a check-up on Monday. In the meantime, the doc will do some more research and consult with other oncs to find another treatment.

Thanks for checkin' on us,
Maggie

Hello -

Well, Ben started chemo on Saturday. We decided to start on that day so Ben would be out of the hospital for Thanksgiving.

It was decided that Ben would receive 3 chemo drugs - Ifosphomide, etoposide, and carboplatin and radiation after chemo. These drugs will be administered over 5 days (carboplatin only on the first 2) in 6 cycles - 21 days apart.

Simple right - WRONG!!!

The carboplatin can be damaging to the kidneys, and since Ben has only one this is a big concern. His creatine clearance was not as good as hoped so he only received 1/2 of the carboplatin this round. A nuclear study will be done on his kidney to get an accurate reading on his creatine clearance. Dye will be injected and the techs will watch to see how long it takes for the kidney to clear it out.

Day 1 of chemo went OK. Ben was very sleepy and lethargic the next day (chemo is not being started until 9 pm) - but by 4 pm he was back to his normal self.

Then came Day - or night - 2. During the etoposide infusion Ben had to go to the restroom. I got him out of bed, took him to the bathroom, and while he was peeing his legs just gave out. The nurse and I got him back to bed. Since then he has had trouble with muscle control. His arms, legs, and neck seem to be the most affected. Yesterday he had gained some control back but was still wobbly. Pillows have to be placed around his head because his head will just flop over - like a newborn. He is also having trouble with stomach pains and is being given pain meds. Also, an x-ray was done yesterday to see if the cause of the pain can be found. On a positive note: Ben perked up yesterday afternoon when some little girls from school cam to visit. Also, his friend Tyler came up and played video games for a couple of hours which Ben seemed to enjoy.

Day 3 - Just talked to Dad (it was his turn to stay the night). Ben is not doing well. He has been vomiting all night and has lost most of the control in his arms, legs, and neck. The oncologist should be in this moring and hopefully we can try to make some adjustments that will be better for Ben. I just don't know how much of this he can take - and he still has 2 more nights to go!

Sorry I couldn't end on a more pleasant note - but there is nothing pleasant about all of this!

Please keep Ben in your prayers. Pray for relief from these damn drugs.

Love to you all,
Maggie

Thursday, November 18, 2004 3:38 PM CST

Happy Thursday -

Ben went to school today!!

The kid amazes me. It has not even been a week after surgery! I picked him up a few minutes ago and his teacher said he did just fine. He seemed to be a little tired but very happy!

The appointment with the oncologist was postponed until tomorrow morning at 10:00. All of the pathology reports would not be ready until this afternoon and they needed time to go over it all, properly stage the cancer and determine treatment. Also, Ben gets 4 whole days off; no hospitals or doctors. Chemo will probably begin on Monday. If we started this weekend then Ben would be in the hospital for Christmas and the doctor did not want that to happen.

I will try to update after the doc appointment tomorrow.
Till then, keep the prayers comin' for Ben and all kids with cancer.

Did I mention that cancer really sucks!!! (pardon me)

Love to you all,
Ben and family

Wednesday, November 17, 2004 2:52 PM CST

Hello Everyone -
Sorry it has taken me so long to update but the past week has been very busy.

This will be long so bear with me -here goes:

Friday, November 12, Ben had his surgery. They gave him some silly medicine before he went into the operating room to lessen his anxiety and it WORKED!! He was so funny. We were playing Uno and he kept falling into his cards and moving in slow motion. The anesthesiologist was WONDERFUL and didn't start any IVs until Ben was out. She said she put Ben on the table and hooked him up to a heart monitor, when it started beeping Ben asked "What's that?" -she replied "That is your heart"; he just shook his head and said "Cool". Classic Ben.

The surgery officially started at 12:20 and the surgeon was out talking to us at 2:15 - very short. The tumor WAS on the lung after all, but only hanging on by a small bit. The Dr. was able to remove the entire tumor with clean margins. It was malignant, so a port-a-cath was inserted into the right side of his chest. Side note -all of the other scans - MRI, bone scan, CT of abdomen and pelvis - have come back negative

Ben was in his room in PICU at about 4:30 and very mad - don't blame him. He had 2 IVs - one on his left arm and one in his right leg, an arterial line in his right arm for blood pressure, a catheter, and epidural, and a chest tube - not to mention a 5 inch incision that runs under his arm and onto his back. However, the worst part of all of this was the itching caused by the pain meds. Poor baby itched all over and we could not get it under control. I literally scratched his bottom for hours!

Every day was a little better than the day before. He had some anxiety with coughing on recovery days 2 and 3. He would cough and it would get stuck in his throat and then he would panic. One time he shot out of bed and kinked his epidural line. Luckily the anesthesiologist just happened by to check on him and fixed him up.

Monday was a great day because Ben was free of all the tubes and lines. Tuesday he was doing so good that he got sent home - HURRAY!!!

This morning we took Ben back to the hospital for a bone marrow aspirate. He did great with his first port access although he was very scared. Ben does not remember having a port 2 years ago and associated an IV with all of the sticks he has had in the past 2 weeks. After the port was accesses he realized that it wasn't going hurt and he calmed down. He went to sleep like a champ but woke up in quite a bit of pain. A little morphine and he was good to go.

Ben is now resting comfortably at Grama's house while mom tries to get a little caught up at work.

What's next? You guessed it, chemo. We will meet with the oncologist tomorrow at 3:30 and get all of the details. Ben is very worried about losing his hair :(
Please keep Ben in your prayers.

Also, we would like you to keep Ben's special friend Chris in your prayers as well. He is having a tough time down in San Antonio.

Thank You for all of the Love and Support,

Ben and Family

Wednesday, November 10, 2004 9:49 AM CST

Hello Everyone –

We took Ben to 4 different doctors this week to get answers as to what is going on inside. 2 surgeons agree that after looking at the CT scan the new mass is NOT in his lung but hanging out in the chest cavity. It is 3.9cm long and 1.4cm in diameter. Whatever it is, it needs to come out! Ben is scheduled for surgery Friday morning at 11:00am at BSA. He also will have a bone scan and MRI of the brain this afternoon. We are praying for no additional spots.

We still do not know what this mass is. It could be the same cancer he had before, it could be a new cancer, or there is a slight chance that it is a benign growth.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and positive energy. Keep the prayers comin’!

Many of you have expressed that you want to help in some way. There is a wonderful page on this website - http://www.squirreltales.com/articles/friends.html - it lists several suggestions to help families in crisis.

One of the biggest ways to help is to go and donate blood or platelets!

I will update Ben's site sometime Friday after surgery.

Take Care,
Maggie

Thursday, November 4, 2004 11:50 AM CST

Hello -

No results yet - big bummer :(

The CT scan went very well but getting Ben to drink 2 big bottles of barium - at 6:20 this morning - was quite a challenge! But he did it. While going into the CT room they hit us with the fact that they were going to start an IV on Ben, momma was not too happy. But again, he did great, cried a bit when they poked him but settled down quickly. The IV was needed to inject X-ray dye - this dye helps the technicians see tumors more clearly.

After the scan, Ben got a gift certificate for $5 from the hospital gift shop which thrilled him to no end. He picked out his toy then Mom took him out for steak & eggs - Ben's favorite :)

Ben is at school, mom & dad at back at work trying to stay busy and not think about test results - ha, ha!

Keep praying for clear scans - NO TUMORS!!!!!!!

Thank you for checking on us!

Ben and family

Wednesday, November 3, 2004 1:18 PM CST

Hello All -

Today Ben had an abdominal ultrasound and chest x-ray and a "questionalble" spot was found on his lung. The oncologist does not believe it to be anything to worry about, however, Ben will have a CT scan of the chest abdomen and pelvis tomorrow morning.

We are EXTREMELY worried and ask for everyone to pray for our Ben.

I will post the results ASAP.

Love,
Ben and family

Sunday, March 28, 2004 2:20 PM CST

Hello Everyone -

Quick Update:

Ben had scans at the beginning of March and all is CLEAR!! He continues to be a happy, healthy, NORMAL five year old boy. Ben will be celebrating his 6th birthday next month, what a miracle.

Take Care,
The Mager Family

Friday, December 19, 2003 4:47 PM CST

Surprise!!!

We are still here. I hope you are still out there checkin' on us.

Today is Ben's one year anniversary!! One year ago today was Ben's last chemo treatment. Since this time last year, Ben has come a LOOONG way. His last scans were in November and were perfectly clear. The baby fine hair is gone and Ben's thick, straight hair is back. He continues to eat and grow like a weed. Ben started Kindergarten this year and absolutely LOVES it!!

I will post some pictures after the holidays as I will not be near a computer for 2 whole weeks!!

Here's wishing all of you a blessed Holiday season!

Take Care,
Ben, Erica, Maggie and Steve

Monday, July 28, 2003 8:56 AM CDT

Hi Everyone –

Sorry for the long time between updates, but fortunately there is not much to report.

Ben is having a GREAT summer. We put up an above ground pool in our backyard and he has taught himself how to swim! Naturally he wants to be in the pool all of the time. We have also had a couple of camping trips, Santa Fe and Red River, NM. On these trips Ben had a blast hiking and hanging out around the camp. He missed out on so much last summer, its nice to see him have FUN!! Ben is very excited about starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks, I am excited too. The only downside? He had to have 4 shots (immunizations) before starting school. But he handled it like a champ and was back to himself within a few minutes after it was over. Erica helped by cheering him up with a bribe. She had to have a shot too which also made Ben feel better :)

Medically, Ben is still doing well. His post-surgery check up went off without a hitch and his incision is healing nicely. The surgeon excised some of the scar from the first surgery in hopes that the scar would appear thinner; it seems to have worked. On August 11, Ben will have a chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound and approximately 1 week later blood and urine tests will be done. I am a little nervous since this will be the first arm stick in a long time.

We are so lucky to have made it this far! There are so many kids who don’t. Go hug your kids and thank God for them every day!!

I will post the results of the scans when I can. Also, I just upgraded our Picture Trail site and will be working on getting more pictures posted this week.

Thanks for checking on us!!

BEN, Erica, Steve, and Maggie

Monday, June 23, 2003 11:21 AM CDT

Hello Again -

Well, its official, the port is OUT!!!

On Friday, we arrived at the hospital around 9:30 and Ben was taken into surgery at 10:40 AM, a whole 20 minutes early! The entire procedure took about 40 minutes and Ben was back in his room within an hour. The first 30 minutes after he woke up was pretty rough, he was mad and the incision hurt. But, after a little Tylenol 3, he mellowed out quite nicely. The surgeon brought the port-a-cath to us as a souvenir; Ben will have a GREAT show-and-tell for kindergarten. After leaving the hospital we made a stop at Toys R Us and went to lunch at McDonalds. We were home by 2:00 PM. Not too shabby. Ben was up and running around the house with his cousins by Saturday evening and has not stopped since.

Yesterday, the Harrington Cancer Center hosted a picnic and Wonderland day for the pediatric cancer patients. We spent the day riding rides and eating!! The only damper on the day was the fact we could not ride water rides, Ben could not get his “surgery” wet.

What’s next? We will return to the pediatric surgeon in 2 weeks for a check-up. In August, Ben will have his routine Chest X-ray and Abdominal Ultrasound. He will also return to the clinic for blood work (the first arm stick in a year!) and a physical exam.

Please continue to pray for Ben and all of his buddies.

Thanks for checking on us!

God Bless,
BEN, Maggie, Steve and Erica

Wednesday, June 18, 2003 11:42 AM CDT

BEN IS FINALLY GOING TO BE DEPORTED!!

Ben's surgery is scheduled for Friday, June 20 "around" 11:00 AM. We will arrive at the hospital at 9:30 that morning. Ben cannot have anything to eat or drink until the surgery is over - that's always the fun part but he usually handles it very well. We plan on taking his Game Boy and a new game to keep him busy. The entire procedure will take approximately 1 hour and will take place in Day Surgery. As soon as he wakes up, and is stable, we will be allowed to go home - no overnight stay.

I am ecstatic!!! This surgery means Ben will FINALLY be "normal". Normal meaning if he gets a fever, he can go to a "regular" doctor and not have to be rushed to the hospital. Of course on Friday I will be a nervous wreck, mostly because it will cause Ben stress. However, I am not nervous about the operation itself. Ben and I have talked about what's going to happen. At first he was very unhappy about another surgery, but after I explained why he needed it, he agreed that it would be OK.

Ben will be a little sore, but the dr is going to put some numbing medicine inside the incision to help with pain. The only restriction on activity will be around water, he cannot get the incision site wet for 3 days. No pool for an entire weekend - YIKES! We are in the pool everyday.

Visit Hayden's website - his after chemo tests all came back clear!!!! Way to go Hayden!!

Thanks for checking on us,

BEN, Maggie, Erica & Steve

Tuesday, June 3, 2003 10:25 AM CDT

Hello Again -

Ben had another drs appointment yesterday, all is well. I still have not heard from them as far as surgery.

Ben, Erica and I participated in our local Children's Miracle Network Celebration this past weekend. It was wonderful. So many people had not seen Ben since his chemo days and they did not recognize him! He looks so different. They aired the story that was taped back in December and we could not believe how bad Ben really looked. So pale and thin! I cried all weekend because they played that story at least once every 2 hours.

Now for the good stuff!! I have added more pictures to the photo gallery and on our Picture Trail site. Day 2 of the Make-A-Wish trip is complete and there are also pictures from Ben's birthday and 1st haircut. Please sign our guestbooks, we have not heard from you all lately. Ben loves to have the entries read to him!

OK everyone - it's prayin' time. Please say a prayer for Hayden, that all of his tests are clear. Sophia, baby girl with CCSK still going through treatment. Alex, 5 yr. old with leukemia and recovering from cord blood transplant. Josh, 11 yr. old battling leukemia relapse after 2 years. And Chris, 19 yr. old with Ewings sarcoma in the foot (that has been amputated). Off treatment but battling a nasty infection in his leg where the amputation took place. These are just a VERY few who need our CONSTANT prayers!! Please continue to pray for these kids and all kids with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. No kid should have to endure this.

Thanks for caring,
Maggie, Steve, Erica & BEN

Wednesday, May 21, 2003 3:52 PM CDT

Hello -

It is a beautiful day in Amarillo! Hard to believe that exactly one year ago today we found out that Ben had cancer. This past year has been an adventure in both a good and bad way. We have seen Ben go through a horrible experience but we have also experienced the joy that goes along with his recovery. Every day and every little milestone is more precious now. The simple fact that he has hair on his head is thrilling beyond belief.

May 18 was Ben's 5th birthday! There was a little party at our new house with family. Of course there were presents and birthday cake. I am just thankful he made it to 5! Today I registered Ben for Kindergarten. He does not understand why he cannot go to school now - when you turn 5 you immediatley go to school, right? It's going to be a long summer! Hopefully we can keep him busy. Since we were not able to travel much last summer, we are making big plans. The camper is out and ready to go!

Ben's next Drs appointment in on June 2. He will have blood work done and hopefully his surgery will be scheduled.

Finally - trip pictures are posted! Well, not all of them but Day 1 and part of Day 2. The website is www.picturetrail.com/magers.

Thanks for one year of prayers, love, and support.

God Bless,
Maggie, Steve, Ben and Erica

Tuesday, May 13, 2003 12:43 AM CDT

Hello Everyone -

Hope you all had a nice Mothers Day!!

Ben's scan results are in and the results.....Perfectly Clear!!!!!! I received the news on Friday and as far as I am concerned, that was the best Mothers Day present I could have received. Ben is "supposed" to be scheduled for port removal but who knows when that will be. Hopefully around June 12.

Ben got his first "post chemo" haircut on Saturday. This haircut was more exciting than his first baby cut. Of course I took pictures. I will post them as soon as I get them developed.

Also last weekend, we finally moved into our new house. Steve and I are extremely tired. Ben has had a blast in his new backyard, he rarely comes into the house. If you tried to e-mail me for the new address and did not receive a response, try again. My account was messed up for a couple of days.

Better run - I will post more when I know when the next surgery will be scheduled.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. Keep praying, there are many more kids who needs your prayers.

Take Care,
Maggie, Steve, Ben and Erica

Thursday, April 24, 2003 9:45 AM CDT

Hello Everyone -

Sorry for the long delay between posts. We have had alot going on the past few weeks. I am still working on the new website. I did not realize how difficult it was going to be but it is starting to come together.

Ben continues to do well. His hair is about buzz length and is going to need a trim soon!! He will have scans performed on May 1st, abdominal ultrasound and chest x-ray. If all is clear, surgery will be scheduled to remove his port-a-cath (central line). Hopefully we can schedule this around the first of June. Ben also has a birthday coming up, he will be 5 years old. It seems like such a miracle to make to 5 after the last year. He is very excited because being 5 means you get to go to school. We will be attending the Kindergarten round-up on May 6. Also on this day we will get the results of the scans and he will have a physical exam and blood work.

Other news - we have purchased a new home and will be moving on May 11. If you would like our new address, please e-mail me privately. Our e-mail address has changed, the new address is "magers@amaonline.com".

Ben and I will be participating in the Children's Miracle Network telethon the weekend of May 30. We will do 2 television spots and 3 radio interviews. I will post the dates at a later time.

Thanks again for the prayers and support. We would have not made it through the last year without all of you.

Take Care and God Bless,
Maggie, Steve, Ben and Erica

Monday, March 24, 2003 4:26 PM CST

We're Back!!!

The trip was FANTASTIC!! We had such a good time. Here is a quick overview:
Day 1 - Arrived in Florida
Day 2 - Spent the entire day at Give Kids the World with Hayden and his family.
Day 3 - Magic Kingdom
Day 4 - Animal Kingdom
Day 5 - Sea World
Day 6 - Universal Studios
Day 7 - Home Sweet Home

We were very lucky and got to spend all day Saturday with the Moores (Hayden's family). It was so wonderful to finally meet them. I wish our schedule would have allowed us all to spend more time together, but hey, that's a perfect excuse to go back!!

I am in the process of building another web site so that I can post more pictures and go into more detail about the trip. But, in the meantime, I have added a few pictures to this site from the trip. Hopefully the new site won't take very long.

We love you all and thanks for your prayers and support.

Monday, March 10, 2003 3:48 PM CST

Hi Everyone -

Ben had a check-up today and everything went great!! No blood counts yet but his weight is up to 38 1/2 pounds and he is 42 3/4 inches tall. On or around the 7th of May, Ben will have an abdominal ultrasound and a chest x-ray. If all is clear, surgery will be scheduled to remove his porta-cath. I have very mixed feelings about this. That port has meant no sticks for the last 8 months and without it Ben will have to have blood drawn from his arm every 3 months. However, leaving it in means a greater risk of infection and blood clots.

We have 4 days left until Florida!!! Everyone is so excited. Ben can't wait to go find Donald Duck! The rest of us are just ready to get out of town and not think about cancer or doctors or treatments. We also get to help Hayden celebrate his 3rd birthday!! Click on the link below to his website and wish him a Happy Birthday!

Thanks for almost a year (can you believe it) of love and support. Please continue to pray for Ben, Hayden (over half-way done with treatment), and Sophia (just starting her regimen). Also, pray for all of our cancer kids.

Take Care,
Maggie

Friday, March 7, 2003 4:13 PM CST

7 MORE DAYS!!!!!

We will be getting ready this weekend for a week in Florida!!

I will post an update after the doc appointment on Monday.

Make sure to check out the new pictures!!

Love,
Maggie

Wednesday, March 5, 2003 2:54 PM CST

9 DAYS TO GO UNTIL FLORIDA!!!!!

Not much else to report. Ben is doing great and I have added new pictures!!

Next doctor's appointment is on Monday, March 10.

Love to you all,
Maggie

Thursday, February 20, 2003 4:04 PM CST

EXCITING NEWS!!!!!

I just received a call from Sharon at Make-A-Wish. Steve and I will meet with her next Tuesday to pick up our traveler’s checks, T-Shirts, and travel information. Ben is so excited. This will be his first airplane ride! He is also looking forward to meeting Donald Duck, Buzz Lightyear, and Spiderman. I am in the process of creating another website for posting pictures of this trip. Everyone tells me it will be amazing. I will probably be in tears the entire trip!! After 8 months of torture, we are really going to enjoy this vacation. And, as an added bonus, we finally get to meet Hayden (check out his website below) and his family!!!

On a down note, another kid has been diagnosed with Clear Cell Sarcoma. Her name is Sophia and she is 15 months old. She is just starting treatment and is in great need of our prayers. Please remember Sophia and her family in the months ahead.

Thanks to all of you for your continued love and support.
God Bless!

Monday, February 10, 2003 3:12 PM CST

Hello -

The results of the bone marrow aspirate and biopsy are in and there is no evidence of disease!!!! HOORAY!!! Ben is in remission!!! We have waited a long time for this news. Ben does not have to go back to the clinic for an entire month. We won't know how to act.

Thanks again for all of the prayers and support. Check back soon for news on Ben's Make-A-Wish trip.

Wednesday, February 5, 2003 2:18 PM CST

Hello Again -

The results from all of the tests performed so far are in and everything is normal!!! Only one more test to go, bone marrow aspiration. This was supposed to take place today. Well, after waiting around at the hospital for 3 hours, Ben's bone marrow aspiration was postponed. The pediatric floor was hit with several critically ill kids and the doctors had their hands full. The procedure is now scheduled to take place Friday at 11:00AM. Dr. Vats said since his blood counts were so good last week, he expects good results.

Ben continues to do well and his hair is coming in fast. The jury is still out on the color. The majority of it is still blonde but some dark hairs are starting to come in. It is still very fine and fuzzy; and it makes his head look dirty :)

Keep the prayers going for all of the cancer kids. I know of several that are having a very hard time; battling relapse, strep infection, and painful tumor growth. Also, say a quick prayer for Hayden today. He needs good blood counts to make it into the hospital for chemo tomorrow. After this treatment, he will be half-way done.

I will update when the results of the bone marrow are known.

Thank You for your continued support and prayers.

Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 07:01 AM (CST)

BEN HAS HAIR!!!!!
If you hold his head just right, in the right light, and look at his head at just the right angle; you can see hair starting to grow!!! Everyone, except Ben, is very excited. He could care less and would rather we quit talking about his head.

Since my last post, Ben has been thriving. He has tons of energy, is eating every minute of the waking day, and he is still gaining weight. However, last week he contracted pink eye. We have to put drops in his eyes 4 times a day and he HATES it!

Last Thursday Ben started his tests. So far he has had an abdominal ultrasound (results were normal), chest x-ray, and skeletal survey. He is scheduled for a bone scan and abdominal CAT scan next Wednesday and MRI of the brain on Thursday. February 5 is when the bone marrow aspirate will be done.

Dr. Vats and I had a discussion about Ben’s quality of life with one kidney. Basically his body will function normally with just the one kidney. He can participate in all kid activities with the exception of football, unless he wants to be the place kicker since they are not tackled much. Ben will need to learn about self examinations when he is older and will be educated about his increased risks for secondary cancers from activities such as smoking. His immune system will not kick into high gear for about 6 months so we still need to take precautions against infections.

Make-A-Wish update. Ben received his welcome letter from Give Kids the World Village, this is where we will be staying. It is a resort built for wish kids wanting to visit Orlando. Check out the website – www.gktw.org – it is very cool. We should be receiving more information from them very soon as well as our Make-A-Wish package.

Thanks for checking on us. Don’t forget to keep Ben and all of our Cancer-Babies in your prayer.

Monday, January 13, 2003 at 09:17 AM (CST)

Hello Again –

We have had a great week! Ben had to go to the doctor only once, no shots, and no hospital. The blood work last Wednesday was very good; ANC was 3000, Hemoglobin 10.1 and Platelets 187. But, the best news was his weight gain, Ben weighed in at 38 ˝ pounds!! His cheeks are starting to fill out and he is able to wear clothes that were way too big at Christmas. There are still no signs of hair, any day now.

Dr. Vats returns from India tomorrow and I am sure he will schedule Ben’s follow-up tests immediately. He will have a chest x-ray, chest and abdominal CAT scans, MRI of the brain, echo-cardiogram, abdominal ultrasound, skeletal survey, bone scan, bone marrow aspiration, and bone biopsy. When, not if, these test come back clean, Ben will officially be in remission. BIG PRAYERS!!

Update on Make-A-Wish. It looks like we are leaving for Florida on March 14 and will return March 20, Friday through Thursday. Everyone is very excited about the trip and we have an added bonus, we will get to spend some time with Hayden and his family while we are there. They live in Daytona Beach, not very far from Orlando.

Thank you everyone for your love and support. KEEP PRAYING.

Monday, January 06, 2003 at 02:23 PM (CST)

Hello Again –

Sorry I have not posted any info for a while but I just could not bring myself to a computer for the past couple of weeks.

After Ben was released on December 20, he has been doing well. However, on Christmas Eve he did give us a little scare. Earlier that morning he had a blood test and the result was very low hemoglobin – 6.5. So we were off to the hospital for a blood transfusion. Ben was literally dancing in the kitchen when I broke the news – he was so happy! Well, a few minutes before the transfusion was to start, he started running a fever; 101.6 to be exact. We were in a panic! We had already spent Thanksgiving in the hospital and did not want to be there on Christmas Day. The transfusion was started and, by the Grace of God, his temperature started to come down and by 1:00 AM it was back to normal. The doctor agreed to release Ben and we were home around 1:30 AM.

Christmas Day was great!! Ben finally understands the whole Santa Claus thing which made the day so much fun! His ANC was EXTREMELY low – 18 – so we could not go to any large family gatherings, but we still had fun playing with all of the new stuff.

Ben had his last shot (December 29) and all blood counts are coming up nicely. He has been eating for 4 solid weeks with no vomiting and is starting to gain some weight. Steve and I keep looking for signs of hair, but none so far. When Dr. Vats returns from India – January 14 – Ben will have a ton of tests performed to make sure he is cancer free. After that, he will go to the clinic once every month for a check-up and he will have scans once every 3 months.

Thanks again for the many good thoughts and prayers.

Please take a moment and check out Hayden’s website below. Hayden is 2 and was diagnosed with the same cancer that Ben has/had. Yesterday he had to make another trip to the hospital because of fever. Keep Hayden and his family in your prayers, they have not been in treatment very long and have a long way to go.

Friday, December 20, 2002 at 08:46 AM (CST)

WE ARE DONE!!!!

Ben's last chemo treatment was over around 7:00PM last night. The nurses bought him a cake and some really cool Mickey Mouse walkie talkies. When the chemo bag came down, we had champagne ready and waiting. While we celebrated, Ben kept on playing games. He told me that being done was "not good" and he still wants to come back to the hospital.

I will post more medical stuff later. For today, I just want to be happy that the chemo is over.

YIPEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 09:02 AM (CST)

TWO DOWN - ONLY ONE MORE!!!!!

The second of 3 Cyclophosphamide doses was finished at around 7:00 PM last night. Ben was completely oblivious to the whole thing thanks to the hospital provided video games. Aunt Bert came by and took us to lunch in the cafeteria. It was nice to get out of the room for a while and away from the games.

Ben's last chemo dose will start around 6:00 this evening and, as soon as it's over, there will be a little party in our room, complete with champagne.

This is a great day!!!

Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 12:06 PM (CST)

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!!!!!!!!

Dr. Vats just called and told us "We made the cut". Steve and I are literally jumping for joy!!!!!!

More info as I get it.

Thanks for checking and thanks for all of the prayers. They worked!!!

Update as of 9:30PM.
One down, two to go! Ben had his last doses of Vincristine and Doxirubicin tonite. The Dox. came down at 8:30. What a milestone! He has 2 more doses of Cyclophosphamide to go. He was very happy to go back into the hospital because they have "cool games". He is still eating and is in a great mood.

When we first started this, 7 months ago, I never thought this day would come. It's so overwhelming to see how far we have come.

Thanks again for all of the positive energy sent our way.

Monday, December 16, 2002 at 02:19 PM (CST)

Hello -

We had a fabulous weekend!! Steve and I spent a lot of time Christmas shopping since we have not been home for 3 weekends and Ben and Erica just hung around the house. Ben's energy and appetite are back with a vengeance, he cannot seem to get enough to eat or drink. Last night he ate 20 fish sticks!!! His counts on Friday were good, ANC – 5,733; Hemoglobin – 8 (No transfusions) and Platelets – 52,000. Ben had his last shot of GCSF this weekend so his hemoglobin and platelets should recover quickly. We were also interviewed by our local TV station while at the Dr’s office. I was very nervous!

EVERYBODY SAY A BIG PRAYER TONIGHT! Ben will go in for blood counts again tomorrow and if they are good, he will be admitted into the hospital for his LAST round of chemo. His ANC has got to be 1000 or better and Platelets need to be at 100,000. If all goes well, the last bag of medicine will be hung on Thursday and we will released on Friday. This would be the absolute best Christmas present EVER!!! So, START PRAYING!

I will post the results tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 11, 2002 at 08:40 AM (CST)

Hello Again -

The news is good today!! Ben's had a blood test yesterday and his counts were very encouraging. ANC was 2,728 - yipee we can leave the house again!!! Platelets were 72,000 and Hemoglobin was 7.6 - this is a little low but Dr. Vats is going to wait for Friday's counts before ordering a blood transfusion.

Ben's energy level and attitude have improved dramatically! He is back at daycare and having a wonderful time. Life is somewhat back to normal.

The next counts will be done on Friday with an added bonus - KAMAR, Amarillo TV channel 4, will be doing a story on Ben. They are going to meet us at the Drs. office on Friday and do the interview. It will air next Wednesday on the 6 o'clock news.

Till then - thanks for checking on Ben.

Monday, December 09, 2002 at 08:21 AM (CST)

Good Morning -

Ben is home! We arrived home around 6:30 yesterday evening. He is in good spirits and doing well. From Friday to Saturday his blood counts continued to decline. Sunday's counts were a little more encouraging, his white count started rising and the hemoglobin and platelets were the same - 7.8 and 7,000. The platelet counts was dangerously low so Steve and I requested that he have a platelet transfusion before being released; and to our suprise, our wish was granted! The transfusion started at about 3:45 and ended at 6:00.

Ben will stay on the GCSF shots until his ANC is over 10,000. More blood work on Tuesday or Wednesday - not sure which just yet.

Friday, December 06, 2002 at 04:57 PM (CST)

Well, the news is not great today.

Yesterday morning Ben started running a fever and had to be hospitalized. We arrived at about 10:30 and stayed stressed out until about noon. First, he HATES to have his port accessed at the hospital, they just don’t do it right according to Ben. Second, in addition to having a blood culture drawn from his port they also had to take one from his arm. As soon as the nurse applied the EMLA to his arm he knew what was going to happen. He cried for a solid hour he was so stressed. He has not had blood drawn from his arm in 6 months. Then, a urine culture was needed, more stress. Ben HATES to have his penis cleaned with Betadine and of course he cried some more. As if all of this was not enough, a chest X-ray was ordered, but he did not fret over it too bad. The regular hospital rooms were full so we were put in PICU for a while and did not get settled into our regular room until 8:30PM.

Ben had blood work done today and all of his blood counts are very low and will probably have both red blood cell and platelet transfusions tomorrow. Ben’s platelet are at 12,000, his hemoglobin is 7.9 and will surely be lower tomorrow. His ANC is 24, severely neutropenic (no infection fighting cells), so he is confined to his room. Another blood test was done to see if he has an infection and he does. He is on IV fluids and antibiotics. I don’t know when he will be released but it will be Sunday at the soonest.

His mood is OK – not his normal jovial self. He has lost a few pounds over the last couple of weeks so he is extremely skinny and we cannot get him to eat much. He does have a video game machine in his room that is keeping him entertained, so that is good. Also, his eyelashes are growing back – this is a big deal to us.

Thank God we are almost at the end.

I will post more tomorrow.
Thanks for checking on us!!

Tuesday, December 03, 2002 at 08:36 AM (CST)

Good Morning All -

Ben was released from the hospital on Saturday around 4 pm. After dropping off all of our stuff at home (we haul the entire house to the hospital) we headed over to Oui-Oui's (pronounced wee-wee, this is Ben's name for his granmother) house to play cards with the family. He headed straight for the toy room and started playing with the legos. It's so nice to be free from that IV.

Ben's stay at the hospital was long and boring, but we did have some good moments. Aunt Bert came on Tuesday and took Ben and myself to lunch at the hospital cafeteria. Ben LOVES to go eat at the cafeteria. Thursaday, Thanksgiving Day, we were in the hospital. Oui-Oui and Grampa brought an entire turkey dinner to us; complete with real dishes, wine glasses, tablecloths, and even centerpieces. We reserved 2 private dining rooms downstairs and spent a quiet afternoon there. Steve and I brought a mini-stereo where we played Christmas music, which was very good because Santa Claus came in for a visit. One of the nurse techs from the pedi floor dressed as Santa Claus. Ben was a little intimidated at first but we did persuade him to sit on Santa's lap. It was a very good day.

The chemo treatments went well and Ben did not have any reactions. His chest x-ray was clear but we still do not have the results from the other tests. Sunday morning, after not having any Zofran for a while, Ben started throwing up. We started him back on the Zofran and he has been better. He is still very tired and not quite up to his old self. Thank God chemotherapy is almost over!! His last session is scheduled to start on Dec. 17 and the LAST chemo will run on Dec. 19.

As I am typing this update, Ben and Dad are headed to the clinic for blood work. We expect the counts to be good today but they should bottom out before the weekend. We started Ben on his GCSF shots Saturday night so hopefully his white count will rebound quickly. Unfortunately, history tells us that after the 5 day chemo round, Ben's hemoglobin drops dramatically, requiring a transfusion. We will know more after Friday's blood work.

There are new photos in the photo album, from Thanksgiving. I will try to post the results of today's tests later or tomorrow morning.

UPDATE @ 3:30
Blood Counts are in:
ANC 124 YIKES! Way too low - looks like were are staying in for a few days.
Hemoglobin - 10.3 Very Good
Platelets 40,000 Not great but no transfusion yet.

IT'S SNOWING IN AMARILLO!!!!
The snow is starting to accumulate and it's very pretty!!

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 10:18 AM (CST)

Day 1 in the hospital is over!

We arrived at the hospital at approximately 12:30 PM and Ben headed straight for the Playstation 2. He told me on the way over that he was going to be very happy at the hospital this time. He is so silly. While Ben was busy playing games, I decorated his room with a giant turkey, fall colored garland & lights, and also some Christmas garland and lights. It is very festive!

Medical stuff: Ben had a chest x-ray and an echo cardiogram yesterday afternoon. He cried the during the echo. The technician apparently loves Playstation as well because he hung around after the test and played games with Ben. The chemo was hung at about 6:15 PM and ran for 3 hours. No reactions. This morning Ben was picked up for an abdominal ultrasound. Dad said he whimpered a bit but did not fuss too much. We do not have the results yet. For the next 4 days he will have 3 hours of chemo each day and then 1 full day of hydration.

I will post the results of the tests when they are given to us.

Monday, November 25, 2002 at 11:15 AM (CST)

Real Quick Update -

Ben's blood counts were GREAT and we are headed to the hospital. This will be Ben's second-to-last chemo session.

More details later.
Thanks

Friday, November 22, 2002 at 12:54 PM (CST)

Hello Again -

Sorry about the depressing post from yesterday, the blood results were not what we were expecting. But after I picked Ben up from daycare, my mood improved dramatically. He was in such a great mood that it was hard to be depressed for long. It's amazing how these little guys handle all of this. When I told him we were going to the hospital for blood, he didn't seem to mind at all.

We picked up big sister, Erica, from school and made our way to the doctor's office so that Brenda could access his port. He hates to have his port accessed at the hospital but does not even cry for Brenda. With his port apparatus in placed we drove across the street to the hospital for more surprises. The pediatric floor was completely full, lots of RSV and pneumonia and not a good place for a severely neutropenic kid. The charge nurse put us in the treatment room (this is where they start IVs and do blood work). Ben was totally freaked out!! He thought we were going in for an IV or some other needle poke. Poor baby! He cried for a few minutes before I could assure him that nobody would be poking him. We made ourselves as comfortable as possible with our tiny bed, 2 hard chairs and no potty. The accommodations were not great but the service was good. A cart with a TV and Playstation 2 was wheeled in and Ben stayed glued to it most of the night. I managed to get him to watch a movie with me in hopes he would fall asleep, no such luck. As soon as the movie was over, Ben was back to playing games. The blood was hung at about 9:20PM and we left the hospital around 1:30AM. Ben did not have any adverse reactions or fever!

This morning we all slept until 10:00AM, except Erica who had to get up and go to school. Steve and I decided to stay home and rest today. Even though we had some sleep, we are still very tired. Plus, with Ben's ANC being so low, he is not able to go to daycare today as any illness would be life threatening at the moment. Thank goodness we are blessed with good jobs that allow us to take care of ourselves and Ben. If either one of our supervisors are reading this post today - THANK YOU!!!

Our next goal is to be admitted for chemotherapy on Monday. Ben's blood counts will need to rise significantly for this to happen. Keep this in your prayers.

We have a new friend that we would like you all to pray for. His name is Hayden and he was diagnosed with the same kind of cancer as Ben's. Hayden has just started his treatments and needs our positive enery, thoughts and prayers. Below is the link to his website.

Also, continue to pray for all of our friends with cancer. Unfortunately, we know way too many cancerkids.

Thanks for reading and I will post again next week after the blood tests.

Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 01:53 PM (CST)

Hello -

I will make this short - I am not a very happy camper at the moment. Ben's blood counts were not good today - this was totally unexpected!! His ANC is 20; platelets are 66,000; and his hemoglobin is 7.2. As a result, we are headed to the hospital for a blood transfusion this afternoon. Hopefully, we will escape tonight without any fevers like last time. Please pray that his counts rise before next week, he is scheduled for his second to last chemo session.

Monday, November 18, 2002 at 01:47 PM (CST)

Hello Again – I hope everyone had a good weekend.

We had a very good one – no fevers and no hospital!! Ben just hung around the house since his white count was low. Last night we made a tent in his room out of bungee cords, clothes pins, and a sheet. We took our baby dolls inside and our friend, jelociraptor (a stuffed dinosaur). Ben decided it was our boat-tent and we had to stay inside so the sharks would not eat us.

Ben had blood work done last Thursday and the results were decent. His ANC was down to 500, Platelets were at 66,000 but his Hemoglobin was down to 7.2 – pretty low. Dr. Vats said that since Ben was feeling well he would not make him have a transfusion and he wanted the counts redone on Monday, today. I have just heard from the Dr’s office with results of today’s blood work, here they are: ANC 21,271 (no shots for a whole 2 weeks!!!!!!!), Platelets were 94,000, and his Hemoglobin was 7.5. The hemoglobin number is not great but better than last week. Dr. Vats wants his counts redone on Thursday to make sure his hemoglobin is still rising, if not, he will need a transfusion before he can start his next round of chemo. Now that Ben is not getting his GCSF shots, his platelet and hemoglobin counts should rise quickly.

I will make every attempt to post the results on Thursday.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!!!

Wednesday, November 13, 2002 at 04:47 PM (CST)

Blood Test Results from yesterday -

Very Good! Ben's counts are all up, but they are expected to drop thoughout the week. We are giving him shots every evening to stimulate bone marrow development. He is a little dehydrated but not enough to put him in the hospital, he will just need to drink a lot of Gatorade. Ben's spirits are good and I think he is over his illness.

Next blood test is Thursday afternoon.

Tuesday, November 12, 2002 at 02:10 PM (CST)

Hi Everyone –

Ben was released from the hospital last Friday, I am sorry that it has taken me so long to update the site. He did cheer up while he was there and managed to entertain everyone by walking around the hospital in his Power Ranger costume and Blue’s Clues slippers.

Since Friday morning Ben has been a little sick. At first we thought the culprit was the chemotherapy; but after Dad came down with the same illness, we realized that he had picked up a stomach bug. Over the weekend he did not do much of anything. He would just lie around and watch cartoons. Also, he has not been eating or drinking much and has lost almost 2 lbs. (that’s a lot for a little skinny boy); I am afraid he might be a little dehydrated. Ben had his blood drawn today and I am still waiting for the results. If he is dehydrated, we may be back in the hospital this afternoon. Let's hope not - we all have had enough of that place.

Wednesday, November 06, 2002 at 08:33 AM (CST)

Hello Again -

We made it into the hospital - yippeee!!! Ben's counts were good and he started his treatments around 6:30 last night. He received 3 different drugs and slept through the entire process. Ben seems a little depressed about being back in the hospital since he did not have much of a break. Hopefully his mood will be better today. Per a request from Ben, Great-Aunt Bert is coming for a visit and lunch in the cafeteria. That should cheer him up.

I have a special request from you all - if you have posted to the guest book, sent Ben or myself an e-mail, or simply check the web site often - would you please send us a picture of yourself and your family. I am putting together a scrapbook for Ben and would like for him to be able to put faces to the names. Send to: Maggie Mager; 5220 Loyce Ave; Amarillo, TX; 79109.

Thanks a bunch and God Bless you all for your support of Ben and our family.

Thursday, October 31, 2002 at 05:13 PM (CST)

The Latest –

Well, there is a lot to report. The past week has been very eventful. Ben did go to the hospital for a blood transfusion last Friday night. The transfusion was scheduled to end at approximately 9:30 PM then we were to go home. However, at about 9:00, Ben developed a fever. The doctor decided to observe him for a few hours to see whether the fever was caused by a reaction to the blood or by infection. If the fever stayed steady or declined, it would be due to a reaction. But, if the fever spiked, then that would mean infection. As luck would have it, about midnight Ben’s fever spiked and he was admitted. He was put on IV fluids and antibiotics and cultures were drawn from his port. By Saturday morning the fever was gone but his blood counts were declining. His ANC was 14 (needed to be above 1000) and his platelets count was 20,000 (needed to be 100,000). Since the counts were SO low, the doctor decided he needed to stay on antibiotics for at least another day or until his counts started to rise. One bright spot to this day, WT Students came to the hospital and delivered toys to all of the kids. Ben received a really nice safari set with animals and trucks. They took Ben’s picture and it ended up in the Sunday paper – I have uploaded the picture to the photo album.

Sunday, counts were worse. ANC was 24, this was better but his platelets were 11,000 – dangerously low. (Platelets are needed for blood clotting). We tried to convince the doctor to order a platelet transfusion; then finally, at about 6:15PM, the transfusion was finally ordered. Ben did great! No reactions.

Monday, platelet count was better, 86,000; but the ANC was a whopping 0. So, you guessed it, another day in the hospital. By this time Ben was climbing the walls, not just from boredom, but from all of the candy delivered by various civic organizations and church groups.

Tuesday, ANC – 240 and platelets – 73,000; good enough to go home!!!! Ben is always so happy to be home. He spent most of the day playing with his toys, watching cartoons, and eating! He also had a great time picking up big sister from school.

Wednesday – shopping for a Halloween costume. Being in the hospital all weekend, we did not have a chance to shop for a costume. Everything was picked over but Ben was determined to be a Power Ranger. The only Power Ranger we could find was a girl PR. Ben decided that was better than no Power Ranger at all so we bought it for him.

Thursday – Happy Halloween! Ben had more blood work today and the results were FANTASTIC!!! His ANC was 11,000 – no more shots this week; his platelets were 86,000 and hemoglobin was 9.7! This means we are free and clear for any and all Halloween fun!

Next – Ben is scheduled for another round of chemo starting next Tuesday, November 5. This is dependent upon his blood counts. His ANC has to be 1000 or better and the platelet count has to be above 100,000. Say a prayer that his counts remain steady until then. We REALLY want to stay on schedule. Thanks for reading my book.

Friday, October 25, 2002 at 12:00 PM (CDT)

Well, we are packing up once more to head to the hospital. Ben's blood counts just came back and they were not good at all. His hemoglobin in 6.8 - yikes!!! This means he is in need of some blood. We will be at the hospital at approximately 1:00 PM, they will draw blood for typing and cross-matching. It could take a while to get the blood to the room - from there it will drip over 4 hours. His white count is 0.1 - barely any white cells at all. This always happens after his 5 day chemo round. Currently, he is having a GCSF shot every night so his white count should rebound in the next couple of days. Ben's low white count means he will be confined to the house until at least next Tuesday. That is the day his blood will be tested again.

If you are reading this page from the Amarillo area, please go out and donate blood this weekend at the Blood Drive. Our area is in critical need of blood of all types!!

Take a look at the photo album as I have posted new pictures!!

God Bless you all for your love and support.

Thursday, October 24, 2002 at 02:53 PM (CDT)

Hello!!

Sorry for the late update. Ben is home and doing well. He has been in a great mood since leaving the hospital on Sunday afternoon. He has been eating a lot and drinking tons of chocolate milk. Ben had his blood tested on Tuesday and his counts were fairly good. ANC was 1302, Hemoglobin 7.7, and Platelets 119,000. Brenda, Ben's nurse at Dr. Vats office, was a little concerned about his hemoglobin but will wait for Friday's counts before deciding on a transfusion.

Make-A-Wish update - no definite dates yet.

Saturday, October 19, 2002 at 06:04 PM (CDT)

Day 5 of Week 15 –

Today is Ben’s last treatment day for this week. Everything has gone smoothly. It is a gloomy, foggy day here in Amarillo and as a result Ben slept until 11:00 this morning. Then, until about 1:15, we laid in bed and watched cartoons. The weather has made our room very dark so the Halloween decorations look really good today!! Dr. Vats – Ben’s oncologist – came by and said if all goes well we will be able to go home around 3:00 tomorrow afternoon. The pediatric floor is very busy so it will be nice to get out of there.

Yesterday we heard from the Make-A-Wish foundation. It looks like Ben is going to have his wish granted – a trip to Orlando, FL. He wants to go to Universal Studios and see Camp Jurassic. They did not give us any definite dates but they are trying to schedule our trip for Spring Break 2003.

Check back on Monday, hopefully I will have some new pictures posted.

Thursday, October 17, 2002 at 08:56 AM (CDT)

Howdy –

Sorry for the delay in updating the site – we have had a very busy week/weekend. Last Wednesday, our beloved Papa (Ben’s great-grandfather) earned his angel wings. Tons of family arrived from all over arrived on Friday and Saturday. Ben had a lot of fun playing with his cousins. Although it was a very sad occasion, it was great to see everyone!!

Friday, Ben had his blood tested and the results were fantastic. His ANC was over 36,000!! No shots for an entire weekend. His hemoglobin and platelet counts remained high.

On Tuesday, Ben was admitted to the hospital for week 15 of treatment. He has received 2 rounds of chemo so far and is doing well. We have passed the time by playing games on the Playstation and watching movies. We also went down to the cafeteria and had some BBQ potato chips and orange juice. Yummmm!! Last night Ben realized that he could stand on his IV pole and mom could push him around. So, for about an hour, we played race car all over the hospital. Dad went out and bought some Halloween decorations for our room. There is a plastic pumpkin full of blinking lights and flashing purple bats. It is very festive.

Tuesday, October 08, 2002 at 05:10 PM (CDT)

Hi Everybody –

This week is #14 in Ben’s treatment. This is his first week in a loooooong time not to receive any chemotherapy. He did go to the clinic today for some blood work, since he is still taking the GCSF shots. His counts improved dramatically from last Friday. His ANC was 5253 up from 20. This means we can finally leave the house!!! White count was 10.3 – up from .2; Hemoglobin was 9.8, on Friday it was 9.7; Platelets were 100, up from 57. Ben will go back to the clinic on Friday for more blood work and will have to continue the shots until his ANC is above 10,000.

Thanks again to everyone who has signed the guestbook and sent e-mails. Also, thank you for all of the prayers.

Wednesday, October 02, 2002 at 03:56 PM (CDT)

Hi Everyone - Welcome to Week 13!!!

We had a fantastic weekend at home. Saturday Ben attended the birthday party of his old daycare buddy Baleigh. He had a great time playing after being hosptialized for 4 days.

Ben is more than half-way done with treatments!! Yesterday was his last weekly chemotherapy and he only has 4 more hospital rounds to go. Ben also had his blood tested yesterday; his ANC was 490 which is very low. This reading tells us about his ability to fight infection. Since the numbers are low, we have to be very careful. Ben cannot go out in public without a mask and definitely cannot be around anyone who is sick. The rest of his blood tests were good; Platelets:154 Hemoglobin: 10.1. We are currently giving Ben shots to increase his ANC numbers. Ben will head back to the doctor on Friday for more blood work.

Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 09:48AM (CDT)

Week 12 Completed!
We're Home and Half-Way Done!!!!

Ben was released from the hospital last night at about 8:00. He made sure the nurse was ready on time, he stood outside the nurse's lounge and stared at her until she came out. He is VERY happy to be home. Ben will not eat well in the hospital, but as soon as he arrived home he started chowing down. The whole family watched Monsters Inc. and then Ben fell asleep on the living room floor.
It's so nice to have everyone home at the same time.

Ben's next doctor visit will be on Tuesday, Oct. 1. This will be his last weekly chemo dose, although we will still be at the clinic for bi-weekly blood tests while he is on GCSF shots. We will start his shots tonight and will continue until his white cell count comes up. His next hospital stay is scheduled for October 15 - this will be the long 6 day stay.

Thank you for all of your prayers this past week. Ben continues to amaze us with his strength and energy.

Friday, September 27, 2002 at 09:48AM (CDT)

Hi Everyone, thanks for checking up on Ben!

Yesterday we had some excitement! Ben's second cousin was born, Garrison Robert. We stayed busy checking on baby and visiting with family. Ben's cousins, Alex and Jordan, came to his room and played with him for a little while. Thanks guys, Ben really enjoyed your visit. Also, Aunt Missy and Uncle Tim brought Ben a really cool dinosaur hat! I have uploaded the picture in the photo album. Ben's treatment was uneventful. He is feeling good this morning and will be released at 8 o'clock this evening.

Say an extra prayer tonight for all kids with cancer and other life threatening diseases.

Thursday, September 26, 2002 at 11:15 AM (CDT)

Day 2 of Week 12

Another boring day in the hospital. Ben's treatment did not start until midnight so that left the entire day open. We killed time by walking around, playing with dinosaurs in the bathtub, playing games on the playstation, and drawing pictures. His treatment went well - he slept through it. One more treatment to go before going home. More exciting news - Ben's second cousing should be born today - in the same hospital. Everyone is very excited as this will be the first great-grandbaby!!

Wednesday, September 25, 2002 at 09:15 AM (CDT)

Day 1 of Week 12 Done!!

Ben started treatment about 4:40 PM yesterday evening. First, he had a blood transfusion and the Benadryl they gave him to counteract any reactions put him to sleep for a few hours. He received 3 chemotherapy drugs and handled those just fine. Only snag, a small leak in his IV pump caused a chemo spill which had to cleaned up by a special process. So, Dad and Ben did not get to sleep for the night until approximately 1:30 AM. When I called this morning, around 8:30, Ben was still sleeping. Dad, however, was awake and is completely wiped out! Ah, life in the hospital. Mom - that's me - will take over at lunch time and will report back tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 24, 2002 at 11:09 AM (CDT)

Hello All -

Thanks to everyone who has signed Ben's guestbook. Ben likes hearing the words of encouragement.

This is week 12 of treatment. Ben went in for blood tests today to determine if counts were good enough to start chemo this week. Good news - we are going to the hospital. His white cell count and platelets were very good, however, his hemoglobin was way down - 7.1, normal is 11.5 to 15. So, he will need a blood transfusion before he can start chemo. This hospital stay should last 4 days, 3 days of chemotherapy and 1 day of hydration. Please pray for a very uneventful stay. After this round of treatment is over, we will be half-way done!!!

Hosptial info listed below.

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

September 18,2002

Welcome Back -

There is not a whole lot to report today. Ben went to the doctor yesterday for some chemo and blood work. Like always, he handled it like a champ!! The results of the blood work were pretty good. His white count was WAY UP from last Friday, but not good enough to stop taking shots. At least he has some infection fighting cells which means we can leave the house now. His platelets and hemoglobin are lower, but not low enough for a transfusion. He will go back to the clinic Friday for more tests.

Check out the new picture in the photo album. This is classic Ben in his shark goggles and riding Tigger.

September 14, 2002

Hello All -

Thanks for taking the time to visit Ben's website. A little background information. Ben is 4 years old and is the youngest of the Mager children. He is a very loving kid with a great sense of humor. Ben LOVES dinosaurs, super heroes, and his family (hopefully not in that order). He enjoys playing outside, swimming and camping. And, until May of 2002, hardly sick a day in his life.

On May 21, 2002; just 3 days after his fourth birthday, Ben had an ultrasound that confirmed a mass on his left kidney. That kidney, along with some lymph nodes, were removed on the 23rd of May and a few days later we were told that he had a Clear Cell Sar