Starting Monday morning Joshua will be Star of the Week in his 2nd grade class.
Here are a few great photo's celebrating our awesome son.
Here are a few great photo's celebrating our awesome son.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Growing up!
Joshua - 2nd Grade
Jacob - 3rd GradeThis weekend both boys surprised me by wanting to post on the blog. Jacob got things started after he spent an afternoon building with Lego's. He has so much imagination - he doesn't just build, he creates entire universes filled with action and adventure. Every piece is part of the story and has so much detail behind.
Joshua wanted in on the action the moment he saw his brother typing. His love and passion is baseball and he wanted to share a few of his favorite baseball cards with all of our friends and family. This year when we ordered school pictures, some of the wallets came "baseball card" style. Joshua immediately got out his binder for 2008 and put his new card in with all of the other Red Soxs players. How cute will that be to show when he is rookie of the year!
Joshua wanted in on the action the moment he saw his brother typing. His love and passion is baseball and he wanted to share a few of his favorite baseball cards with all of our friends and family. This year when we ordered school pictures, some of the wallets came "baseball card" style. Joshua immediately got out his binder for 2008 and put his new card in with all of the other Red Soxs players. How cute will that be to show when he is rookie of the year!
Joshua's thoughts on a few of his baseball cards
Man what great stat' wouldn't you say?
What a picture!
What a player.
Nice stance!
What a guy.
Nice hit.
Man he's great!
Some fans.
No one like him!
What a throw.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Lego Jedi Battle Scenes
The Sith have invaded the Jedi outpost base and have killed most of the Jedi!
A Jedi is holding onto the Jedi plank.
The prison cell.
Watch out for breakouts!
The droid shocker Sith.
Alien prisoner.
The Jedi outpost base.
Sith guard in action!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Maintenance!
On behalf of all of us at the Carlson household - let me be the first to say - we have made it to maintenance! I don't just want to say it - I want to scream it, yell it, sky write it and shout it from the mountain tops.
Jake's counts came back today with very positive results, a huge jump in numbers (800's) indicating that he is producing blood. Wonderful, healthy, life giving blood!
Red blood cells - check!
White blood cells - check!
Platelets - check!
We have completed the first 4 phases of chemotherapy during the last six months and God has been faithful and present EVERY minute and EVERY step during the last six months. When we heard the word cancer there was no way we could fathom all that was coming our direction. Neither could we have imagined how the good would far out reach and out weigh any of the down side. I know that it sounds like a very trite cliche - but cancer has brought about so many blessing in our lives. Some of the greatest we have yet to see but are looking forward to them being lived out in our lives.
You - are friends and family - are some of the riches of these blessings. Thank you so much for your love, prayers, encouragement and every other wonderful act of kindness you have poured out on us.
Tomorrow morning Jacob and I will be heading into the clinic to start the first treatment of the maintenance phase. We will be in this phase for the next two and a half years and it is this stage of treatment that transitions us from remission - to cure. Jacob will be taking oral chem0 on a daily basis and having clinic visits once a month. These visits will consist of IV chemotherapy and every 3rd month a spinal tap with intrathecal chemotherapy.
During maintenance most kids are able to live a normal life. School (which Jake is very anxious to return to) church, playing and being fully active and on the go. We will need to continue exercising good judgment and limit exposure to sickness and disease but no more lock down!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Jake's counts came back today with very positive results, a huge jump in numbers (800's) indicating that he is producing blood. Wonderful, healthy, life giving blood!
Red blood cells - check!
White blood cells - check!
Platelets - check!
We have completed the first 4 phases of chemotherapy during the last six months and God has been faithful and present EVERY minute and EVERY step during the last six months. When we heard the word cancer there was no way we could fathom all that was coming our direction. Neither could we have imagined how the good would far out reach and out weigh any of the down side. I know that it sounds like a very trite cliche - but cancer has brought about so many blessing in our lives. Some of the greatest we have yet to see but are looking forward to them being lived out in our lives.
You - are friends and family - are some of the riches of these blessings. Thank you so much for your love, prayers, encouragement and every other wonderful act of kindness you have poured out on us.
Tomorrow morning Jacob and I will be heading into the clinic to start the first treatment of the maintenance phase. We will be in this phase for the next two and a half years and it is this stage of treatment that transitions us from remission - to cure. Jacob will be taking oral chem0 on a daily basis and having clinic visits once a month. These visits will consist of IV chemotherapy and every 3rd month a spinal tap with intrathecal chemotherapy.
During maintenance most kids are able to live a normal life. School (which Jake is very anxious to return to) church, playing and being fully active and on the go. We will need to continue exercising good judgment and limit exposure to sickness and disease but no more lock down!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The Great Turkey Escape!
Bruce Turkey doesn't want to be Thanksgiving dinner. He is imprisoned in a pot on the cupboard. He jumps out of the pot. He uses the Bat Rope to get down from the cupboard quietly. Bruce uses his Bat - Teleporter to transport underground and there Bat Turkey suits up. He teleports to the vent system. Bat Turkey climbs to the roof. He uses the Bat Rope to swing on the roof tops. At TM (turkey manor), where Bat Turkey's gadgets are invented, he gets in the Bat Plane to fly in to the turkey cave where he is safe. He meets Turkey Wing (you know - like Night Wing) for another adventure.
For more information go to www.BatTurkey.com
Story and Art by Jacob Carlson
For more information go to www.BatTurkey.com
Story and Art by Jacob Carlson
The web site listed above was for story purposes only!
We do not support or endorse the British American Tobacco industry.
We do not support or endorse the British American Tobacco industry.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Quick Update
I will try and write more this weekend....something with some substance. But for now, it is what it is.
Counts on Thursday were 180. We are moving in the right direction, but we thought they would be higher. We did not get info on the specifics such as platelets and red blood, but we assume they were good because the Dr took Jake off of all of the antibiotics he has been on for the last few weeks.
He is doing good - his appetite has returned to normal, his cheeks have begun shrinking, his energy is back up, his mood swings have gone away........ He is hoping for the hair to start growing back soon, it's starting to get a little chilly outside.
Here's to a quiet weekend!!!!!
Counts on Thursday were 180. We are moving in the right direction, but we thought they would be higher. We did not get info on the specifics such as platelets and red blood, but we assume they were good because the Dr took Jake off of all of the antibiotics he has been on for the last few weeks.
He is doing good - his appetite has returned to normal, his cheeks have begun shrinking, his energy is back up, his mood swings have gone away........ He is hoping for the hair to start growing back soon, it's starting to get a little chilly outside.
Here's to a quiet weekend!!!!!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Another week of tests.
Jake is beginning to get a little cabin-fever. Due to the low counts over the last couple of weeks, we have had to limit the interaction that he has with others. This means fewer trips to the store, fewer trips to church, and few family outings. Most of his days are spent inside the house, keeping himself protected from the risk of virus or infection.
Today he was able to get outside for a little while. He played with his brother and couple of other boys from our neighborhood. These are some new kids that have recently moved into our complex. The 2 others boys and Josh decided they were going to ride their bikes around. Jake came and asked if he could ride his bike as well, but unfortunately we could not allow this. With his immune system being low as well as hi platelet counts being low, we could not risk an accident on his bike. For most boys, scraped knees are simply signs of an active childhood. For Jake, a scraped knee could be the predecessor for admittance to the hospital. When the boys found out that Jake was unable to ride his bike, they chose to go put theirs away and just play football instead so that Jake could play with them. It was a wonderful site to see and the attitude those kids possessed was to be commended. Jake had a great time getting some fresh air, playing with friends, and giving his body a chance to get some well needed exercise.
Monday morning he will make another trip to the clinic for blood tests. With his counts being low, the doctors are trying to keep a close eye on them to make sure he is remaining as healthy as possible. They will use tomorrows results as a determining factor for whether or not to give him another transfusion. If the counts are anything like we have seen the last few days, we are expecting another all-day visit to the clinic to get some healthy blood pumped into his system.
Jake is a little naive with this process. We asked him if it felt weird having someone elses blood in his system. He said, "It's not from a person silly, it's from the hospital." Oh to be young again.
Today he was able to get outside for a little while. He played with his brother and couple of other boys from our neighborhood. These are some new kids that have recently moved into our complex. The 2 others boys and Josh decided they were going to ride their bikes around. Jake came and asked if he could ride his bike as well, but unfortunately we could not allow this. With his immune system being low as well as hi platelet counts being low, we could not risk an accident on his bike. For most boys, scraped knees are simply signs of an active childhood. For Jake, a scraped knee could be the predecessor for admittance to the hospital. When the boys found out that Jake was unable to ride his bike, they chose to go put theirs away and just play football instead so that Jake could play with them. It was a wonderful site to see and the attitude those kids possessed was to be commended. Jake had a great time getting some fresh air, playing with friends, and giving his body a chance to get some well needed exercise.
Monday morning he will make another trip to the clinic for blood tests. With his counts being low, the doctors are trying to keep a close eye on them to make sure he is remaining as healthy as possible. They will use tomorrows results as a determining factor for whether or not to give him another transfusion. If the counts are anything like we have seen the last few days, we are expecting another all-day visit to the clinic to get some healthy blood pumped into his system.
Jake is a little naive with this process. We asked him if it felt weird having someone elses blood in his system. He said, "It's not from a person silly, it's from the hospital." Oh to be young again.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Transfusion Tuesday
We went in for counts last Friday and then again today and Jake's ANC is down in the 200's. This is incredibly low and puts him at a bery high risk of contracting a virus or an infection. His blood counts as well as his blood volume is low, so it was tough for them to draw blood today. He has the bruises to prove it.
Tuesday morning we have an appointment at the hospital so Jake can receive a transfusion. We are not sure how many pints they are planning on giving him, but the hope is that the transfusion will help give his system enough of a boost to help it through the next week or so. He is finishing up the last few weeks of this phase of his treatment, and we are just waiting for his body to recover from the last round of chemotherapy. Once he begins to rebound, we will be able to start planning for him to return to school and catch up with all of his friends.
Tuesday morning we have an appointment at the hospital so Jake can receive a transfusion. We are not sure how many pints they are planning on giving him, but the hope is that the transfusion will help give his system enough of a boost to help it through the next week or so. He is finishing up the last few weeks of this phase of his treatment, and we are just waiting for his body to recover from the last round of chemotherapy. Once he begins to rebound, we will be able to start planning for him to return to school and catch up with all of his friends.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Treatment Update
We made another visit to the clinic today for some treatment.
Jake's counts were low, around 400. This was a little bit of a surprise, but we had moved his treatment up just in case they had dipped this low. He received a chemo treatment today and we will have to give him 2 more at-home shots over the next couple of nights.
The Dr. is happy with the progress he is making. Just to be safe, they have scheduled a blood transfusion for Monday in case we run into any problems between now and then. They are expecting that his counts may drop even further over the next few days so they have started him on some antibiotics to make sure we start fighting off any potential infections.
Our next treatment will be on Tuesday(11/12). Things are going as planned to this point - if you can really "plan" for an of this. In talking with the Dr. today - she is thinking that he will be ready to return to his classroom before Winter Break. Now, I know that there are some incredible people from his school who check in on his status. I am not trying to get anyone's hopes up or to have any plans made for an expected return date. As with most things through this entire process, the further into the treatment we get the clearer the next steps will become. Continue to keep Jake in you thoughts and prayers. He is doing good with the treatment as well as the limited side effects, but I think he really misses his friends from school and just being able to do "normal" things that kids do.
Jake's counts were low, around 400. This was a little bit of a surprise, but we had moved his treatment up just in case they had dipped this low. He received a chemo treatment today and we will have to give him 2 more at-home shots over the next couple of nights.
The Dr. is happy with the progress he is making. Just to be safe, they have scheduled a blood transfusion for Monday in case we run into any problems between now and then. They are expecting that his counts may drop even further over the next few days so they have started him on some antibiotics to make sure we start fighting off any potential infections.
Our next treatment will be on Tuesday(11/12). Things are going as planned to this point - if you can really "plan" for an of this. In talking with the Dr. today - she is thinking that he will be ready to return to his classroom before Winter Break. Now, I know that there are some incredible people from his school who check in on his status. I am not trying to get anyone's hopes up or to have any plans made for an expected return date. As with most things through this entire process, the further into the treatment we get the clearer the next steps will become. Continue to keep Jake in you thoughts and prayers. He is doing good with the treatment as well as the limited side effects, but I think he really misses his friends from school and just being able to do "normal" things that kids do.
Interesting comparison....
I have been watching Jake go through some pretty major physical changes over the last few weeks of treatment. This portion of his treatment has required him to take a good size dose of steroids. It started high, but has been tapering off over the last few days. When we were in the clinic 3 weeks ago there was a professional photographer who was there to take some pictures for a website that is being put together. Last Wednesday we received a copy of photos they had for Jake. These photos were taken prior to the latest steroid treatment. I didn't use the actual photos because I was unsure whether they were any copyright issues. But I did have a photo of him taken early in Oct that works just as well.
I was amazed at how much his body had changed after only 3 weeks of steroids. Call me a cynic, but when I compared the photos there was only one thing that came to mind.
Barry Bonds then vs. now
Jake then vs. now
I am not making accusations.......just making a comparison.
I was amazed at how much his body had changed after only 3 weeks of steroids. Call me a cynic, but when I compared the photos there was only one thing that came to mind.
Barry Bonds then vs. now
Jake then vs. now
I am not making accusations.......just making a comparison.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Halloween 08
Joshua was the manager for the Boston Red Sox's
Checking baseball stats
Writing his roster
Getting excited to go trick or treating
Being Silly
Peace Out
Focus on the pumpkin
STOP taking pictures of me (roid rage)
Mom was worried that the cheeks wouldn't fit
Working his Batman skills
Jake's favorite sword at the ready
Glow in the dark stickers forTrick or Treating
Saturday, October 18, 2008
How Low Can you Go?!?
I have had the blessing (occasionally the curse) of growing up with a Father who loves music. Blues, Jazz, 50's & 60's Rock and some other styles that I have blocked out. I am pretty sure that music is the source for the very deep voice in my head that is now chanting, "How low can you go?" I am not sure if the song referred to the twist or the limbo, I can't remember any other portion of the song, but as I move through my day, my mind is cycling that phrase over and over.
For me, it references how low will Jake's blood counts go. Last Tuesday he completed his 3rd and final doxorubicin treatment and is currently taking his last week (I think) of high dose steroids. His ANC had lowered to the 800's as of Tuesday and is on the way down. It is very possible that it will go all the way down to 0 (very similar to our first month of chemo after the hospital). We have been given the official word from Jacobs Oncologist that our status has been changed to 'lock down'. For Jake that means no more church, stores, play dates for a couple weeks, and for the family it means a heightened vigilance to kill germs and avoid them as much as possible. Jake's immune system is low enough that an encounter with any type of sickness or infection will send him to the hospital.
I would again ask for all of our friends and family to pray for Jacob. This phase of chemotherapy is critical to moving past remission and towards cure.
Over and Over and Over you have been there for us.
Thank You!
For me, it references how low will Jake's blood counts go. Last Tuesday he completed his 3rd and final doxorubicin treatment and is currently taking his last week (I think) of high dose steroids. His ANC had lowered to the 800's as of Tuesday and is on the way down. It is very possible that it will go all the way down to 0 (very similar to our first month of chemo after the hospital). We have been given the official word from Jacobs Oncologist that our status has been changed to 'lock down'. For Jake that means no more church, stores, play dates for a couple weeks, and for the family it means a heightened vigilance to kill germs and avoid them as much as possible. Jake's immune system is low enough that an encounter with any type of sickness or infection will send him to the hospital.
I would again ask for all of our friends and family to pray for Jacob. This phase of chemotherapy is critical to moving past remission and towards cure.
- Pray for Jacob's total healing.
- Pray for protection from sickness and infection.
- Pray that his spirits would stay high (This has been particularly challenging right now. The emotional roller coaster of a kid on steroids puts PMS and menopause in the kids zone.)
- Pray for the rest of us - patience, wisdom, patience and patience
Over and Over and Over you have been there for us.
Thank You!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Duckbill Platypus
This is Jacob's 3rd grade oral report on the Duckbill Platypus. Since we are working at home with a tutor during this phase of chemo we decided to share it with his class via blogging technology.
Enjoy!
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