Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Michael's favorites
Grandmama got some great shots!
Michael getting ready to throw heat!
Closing Ceremonies 2008
The fabulous trio! (Tristan, Michael & Seth)
Hunter and clan, proud of the 2nd place trophy!
The awards! The boys racked up!Ball pics 2008
This weeks wrap up
This week has been a very busy one!
Michael has been at bible school for the first time in years. He usually misses it due to baseball. He got a week off before practice starts for All stars. His practice starts this Friday night and he is so siked about the team this year.
Hunter on the other hand has not been able to attend. He has been at practice every night from 7pm until as late as 10pm. He usually wants to stay after his practice is officially over and hit batting practice. He is working hard and very proud to be on the All star team again this year. His first tournament is in South Hill next weekend. Feel free to send any gas donations :-). Go HCS!!!!
My cousin from Richmond is getting married on Saturday. David and I had planned to make a weekend of it, but due to traveling with baseball, Michael's condition, and ball practice, our plans got a little twisted. We are however going to try real hard to drive up for the wedding and come home the same night. I really want to see all of my family as I think so much of them and they have been a great support group! I hope we make it and if so, I'll post pics!
Michael has been at bible school for the first time in years. He usually misses it due to baseball. He got a week off before practice starts for All stars. His practice starts this Friday night and he is so siked about the team this year.
Hunter on the other hand has not been able to attend. He has been at practice every night from 7pm until as late as 10pm. He usually wants to stay after his practice is officially over and hit batting practice. He is working hard and very proud to be on the All star team again this year. His first tournament is in South Hill next weekend. Feel free to send any gas donations :-). Go HCS!!!!
My cousin from Richmond is getting married on Saturday. David and I had planned to make a weekend of it, but due to traveling with baseball, Michael's condition, and ball practice, our plans got a little twisted. We are however going to try real hard to drive up for the wedding and come home the same night. I really want to see all of my family as I think so much of them and they have been a great support group! I hope we make it and if so, I'll post pics!
Michael's medical update
Wednesday June 4th-
Dad brought Michael by the office as they were in town and we checked his counts and to our shocking surprize he only had 9K Plts. This was an all time low. I kept my emotions intact. Both of my doctors were called to look at his smear and do manual counts of his platelets. The PA and MD at Duke were contacted with the verbal results and I nervously worked away. The manual counts weren't much better at 20K. Both my docs were on stand-by. At 4:50pm the PA from Duke calls and the dreaded Prednisone was about to be prescribed. Michael started a whopping dose of 140mg. Also Duke said, let's start getting things together for a spleenectomy. I said ok, but not til August, you all have to get him thru All stars. With alot of thought, we let him play ball anyway that night. I was on pins and needles but everything worked out.
Thursday June 5th-
I had a melt down at work....... my baby is sick and there isn't anything I can do about it. Am I a bad mother for letting him play ball and try to be as normal as possible?????? nuff said...
Friday June 6th-
Drew's 2nd Anniversary of his death. Mary's blog entry made me smile for Drew! My brain was on overload. The Llewellyn family was on my mind, my kid was down in the dumps about his 9K platelet count, the meds were making him funky, I am sometimes feeling overwhelmed at work with not enough hours in the day to be a mom, employee, daughter and wife. Yep, I was on a pity trip and I don't feel quilty about it one bit!! Good news: Platelet count was up to 100K, can't remember the exact number.
Wednesday June 11th- Michael's last game at HCS. He stricks out 4 times!! Yep, 4 times! Bases loaded and all. It was ugly. Good news: His platelets are 636K... now we have too many! Gees! Duke lowers his dose to 70mg/day. He still isn't eating real good and not feeling his best, but other than striking out, he played a great game!
Friday June 13th- Baseball closing ceremonies (i'll post pictures) Michael graduates from HCS after 10 years of playing ball. He went out with a bang: he played with an undefeated team, 1st place, graduated & made Major League Allstars! It was an emotional night! Hunter's team came in 2nd place and he made AA Allstars. I was one proud mom! More importantly Mom & Dad were here to share in the excitement!
Saturday & Sunday were pool days!
Which brings us to today: Michael's platelet count today was 316K. They have lowered his dose of Prednisone again to 50 mg/day for 5days then we have a tappering regimen for the next several weeks.
The great part of these meds is that his platelets are up and he is no danger of bleeding. Bad news is that I can't keep enough groceries in this house for this constantly starving child! When Michael started the Preds, I went to the grocery store and bought tons of health snack foods and the first week he didn't eat much at all. The thought of food, just made him gag! Boy has that changed. He can eat a foot long sub within a matter of mins. We have to tell him to slow down so he can at least taste it. Michael doesn't sleep very well and is up most of the night and taking cat naps during the day. Usually when he is awake, he is eating. He is certainly enjoying food now! It's rather entertaining watching him eat every hour or so as he expresses how delicious it is, whether it be a Subway sub, sandwhich from home, bag of chips, an orange, ice cream... whatever it is, he LOVES it!
Dad brought Michael by the office as they were in town and we checked his counts and to our shocking surprize he only had 9K Plts. This was an all time low. I kept my emotions intact. Both of my doctors were called to look at his smear and do manual counts of his platelets. The PA and MD at Duke were contacted with the verbal results and I nervously worked away. The manual counts weren't much better at 20K. Both my docs were on stand-by. At 4:50pm the PA from Duke calls and the dreaded Prednisone was about to be prescribed. Michael started a whopping dose of 140mg. Also Duke said, let's start getting things together for a spleenectomy. I said ok, but not til August, you all have to get him thru All stars. With alot of thought, we let him play ball anyway that night. I was on pins and needles but everything worked out.
Thursday June 5th-
I had a melt down at work....... my baby is sick and there isn't anything I can do about it. Am I a bad mother for letting him play ball and try to be as normal as possible?????? nuff said...
Friday June 6th-
Drew's 2nd Anniversary of his death. Mary's blog entry made me smile for Drew! My brain was on overload. The Llewellyn family was on my mind, my kid was down in the dumps about his 9K platelet count, the meds were making him funky, I am sometimes feeling overwhelmed at work with not enough hours in the day to be a mom, employee, daughter and wife. Yep, I was on a pity trip and I don't feel quilty about it one bit!! Good news: Platelet count was up to 100K, can't remember the exact number.
Wednesday June 11th- Michael's last game at HCS. He stricks out 4 times!! Yep, 4 times! Bases loaded and all. It was ugly. Good news: His platelets are 636K... now we have too many! Gees! Duke lowers his dose to 70mg/day. He still isn't eating real good and not feeling his best, but other than striking out, he played a great game!
Friday June 13th- Baseball closing ceremonies (i'll post pictures) Michael graduates from HCS after 10 years of playing ball. He went out with a bang: he played with an undefeated team, 1st place, graduated & made Major League Allstars! It was an emotional night! Hunter's team came in 2nd place and he made AA Allstars. I was one proud mom! More importantly Mom & Dad were here to share in the excitement!
Saturday & Sunday were pool days!
Which brings us to today: Michael's platelet count today was 316K. They have lowered his dose of Prednisone again to 50 mg/day for 5days then we have a tappering regimen for the next several weeks.
The great part of these meds is that his platelets are up and he is no danger of bleeding. Bad news is that I can't keep enough groceries in this house for this constantly starving child! When Michael started the Preds, I went to the grocery store and bought tons of health snack foods and the first week he didn't eat much at all. The thought of food, just made him gag! Boy has that changed. He can eat a foot long sub within a matter of mins. We have to tell him to slow down so he can at least taste it. Michael doesn't sleep very well and is up most of the night and taking cat naps during the day. Usually when he is awake, he is eating. He is certainly enjoying food now! It's rather entertaining watching him eat every hour or so as he expresses how delicious it is, whether it be a Subway sub, sandwhich from home, bag of chips, an orange, ice cream... whatever it is, he LOVES it!
