Archive for March, 2009
3/19 post
Today Ryan had his LP, which he doesn’t like, but he got through it great. For Round A, he completed the last bag of chemo. Now we start rebuilding his system for Round B.
We have had several visitors today. Cheryl brought us lunch, and it was great! Matt came by to visit, and both Matt and I got beaten at Wii Mario Sluggers. I know, how sad that an 8-year-old boy could be a couple of adults, but it happened. Ryan also got a visit from a Burkitt’s survivor today. Her name is Paige, and she was 15 years old when she was diagnosed with Burkitt’s. Now she is 17 and fixing to graduate from high school. It did Ryan some good to see someone that has been through what he is going through now.
Like I said yesterday, I can tell that the chemo is starting to make Ryan sick. Since he has been in the hospital, he hasn’t had to take a nap, until today. His energy level is going down, although right now his counts are high. (His ANC was 11,000+ this morning). I know that the counts will go down, and he might need transfusions, but we just have to wait and see what happens.
3/18 morning update
Sorry I didn’t post yesterday, but Ryan is a totally different child from the last time. He has been pole surfing up and down the halls and making friends on the floor. Every time the activity room is open, you can find Ryan there playing with one of his new buds. I think the nurses are in shock in the difference they see in Ryan.
So far, Ryan has only been sick twice, and he is his old self. He is having fun cutting up with everyone on the floor. Today is third day of this round of chemo. The doctor came by and said Ryan’s counts are still up, which is good. Of course, we are not finished with this round, and we expect the counts to go down.
Please continue to pray for continued healing and no sickness. Also, please keep Xavian Hall and his family in your prayers. We have a link to their blog (The Hallway) on our site.
3/16 midday update
well… it has been a great day at the hospital. Ryan has had a blast. At 6:30 this morning, they came in to get him to go do his LP, then at 9:30 they started his first bag of chemo. He has been up and about, going to the activity room and a birthday party. He is waiting for the activity room to open up tonight as he can’t wait to play. So far the chemo hasn’t made him sick. The nurses have been surprised at the change in Ryan from the last visit, and they are happy to see him like his old self.
Tonight at 9:30 they will do the next bag of chemo. My prayer is that he doesn’t get sick this go around.
Reconciled?
Many of us in the so-called “Bible Belt” have become numb to the power and message of the Gospel, myself included. We have heard it since our youth. Do we still consider the “Good News” to be that good? Do we share it with the passion it deserves? With our family? With our friends? With strangers? With our enemies? As I was reading Romans 5 tonight, I was convicted to the core.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
I’ve read that chapter and verse many times, but not in light of our current situation. Would I give the life of my children or put them through any amount of suffering to save an enemy or to reconcile a relationship? Absolutely not! It is simply not in me to do so. Even though I’ve heard other people give that example, it never hit home until now. In reality, the converse would be closer to the truth; that I would consider inflicting suffering on an enemy if it would save my children. I’m not proud of that, just stating my nature.
I am not going to expound on the above tonight. I am just going to ask a simple question. Do you know what it means to be reconciled to God by His Son?
Good Night and God Bless!
3/15 Midday Update
Well, we are now officially readmitted. We are at the same address, but this time in room 366. Ryan’s spirits are high as long as he doesn’t think about the procedures to come. I am very hopeful that this go around will be easier than the last for a couple of reasons:
- We know better what to expect.
- We have a baseline for the recovery drugs and how long and what dosages were effective.
- As bad as the chemo was, last time it was mixed with dialysis, surgery, etc. This time it will prayerfully be only the chemo and recovery drugs.
We took advantage of our time home as I’m sure you’ve already read. Yesterday, we went to a baseball game where the University of Southern Mississippi played Louisiana Tech. USM won 24-3. Click below for pictures of our day out.
3/14 Morning Update – Updated
Like Victoria said, we are enjoying our time at home instead of posting every 5 minutes. 
To catch everyone up, yesterday Ryan and I spent from 7:30 am until 2:00 pm at the hospital getting an ECG, an EKG, a bone scan, blood draws, evaluation, and finally a review of the CT scan he had on Thursday. This is all in preparation for him to be readmitted on Sunday. Regarding the CT Scan results, our oncologist said “I still have to review with the radiologist, but the tumors look to be 90-95% smaller. They are responding well to the chemotherapy.” Praise God! WOOOHOOO! Amen and Amen! We are attempting to keep our emotions in check as we know how quickly the tumors went from 0 to critical and know that could happen again. I know she would not have told us that unless she were certain of the results as to not falsely set our expectations. This changes nothing with regards to the treatment plan as they must totally eradicate the cancer and make sure it hasn’t spread into the bone tissue or other areas as well.
Ryan’s spirits are high as well. He even started picking on the doctors and nurses instead of becoming instantly timid and apprehensive every time they entered the room. Ask him about “tripping down the hallway” when you see him.
To celebrate, I took all three kids to the movies and let Victoria have the rest of the day at home to relax. We had a great time. Today, we are heading out to Deanna’s birthday party, that’s right 5 years old today. Also, if it is not rained out, I am taking the boys to a baseball game in Hattiesburg.
Thank you, yet again, for your continued prayers and support. Please keep remebering the Hall family in your prayers as well. http://theahallwayblog.blogspot.com This has been an AWESEOME week overall and we feel blessed to have had it at home.
3/12 evening update
Today Ryan went in for his CT Scan. He didn’t like it when they accessed his port, but he did well during the scan. Deanna had the last of 3 shots to get rid of her ear infections, and Bryce went back to school.
Today has been better for me. My children are getting better, which is a good thing. Ryan had so much energy that he went fishing today with Bubba and Carol. They took some pictures which I’m going to post for all to enjoy.
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- Ryan and Bubba with the catch of the day
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- Ryan and Carol with the catch
Tomorrow Ryan will be going back to the hospital for a bone scan and EKGs. All this is normal procedure right now for us – ~25 days of chemo, scans and such, another ~25 days of chemo, etc..
Thanks to everyone for the prayers. Please know that they are so appreciated and welcomed.
Something to share
Yesterday was a rough day for me. The old saying “When it rains, it pours” has been so true for the entire year of 2009 so far. And with finding out that Bryce and Deanna are sick as well was hard to deal with. As a mother I want to take care of all my children, but who do you stay with – the one that is fighting for his life, or the ones that (at this point) have minor problems? When I dropped Bryce off at a friend’s house, he cried for me. I can’t remember the last time that he did that when I dropped him off there, and it broke my heart. And something that I never do I did yesterday – I cried in the doctor’s office with Bryce and Deanna. I didn’t know how much more I could take at that point in time.
After talking to a friend yesterday, we, along with some who could make it, met at a restaurant to have a girls night out. It was something I needed and will probably need again before all this is over. I felt connected to the world outside of cancer and sickness and could get some things off my chest that had bothered me that day. Thanks to my girlfriends that met me there, and hopefully next time more of them can come.
I wanted to share this with everyone. My cousin’s boss will be running in the Memphis In May’s Olympic Distance Triathlon this May, and he asked us if he could participate in honor of Ryan. Of course we said yes, and this morning I received an email explaining why he was participating. Please read the quoted email as it touched me. A man that I have never met is participating a triathlon in honor of my son. Wow!
I am training to participate in Memphis In May’s Olympic Distance Triathlon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.
During the past several months, God has allowed me to begin praying specifically for three newly diagnosed cancer patients. I have already been given permission to share information about two of these three patients. Last fall, my friend and colleague, Mississippi Chris Sharp, was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Ryan Harrison, an 8-year old cousin of my friend and coworker Derrick Carter, was diagnosed with Stage III Burkett’s Lymphoma in February 2009.
As February drew to an end, I signed up to race for a cure! I knew I could do the run, but I reflected on the fact that I had not swam more than two consecutive laps in 20 years, I didn’t yet own a bike, and the triathlon was scheduled for May 17th. My goal now is to train to triumphantly cross the finish line. I am completing this event in honor of Chris, Ryan, and all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line – a cure!
First, give me 5 minutes. Please visit my personal Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fundraising web site (http://pages.teamintraining.org/msc/memptri09/Budlong) to learn more about The Society and my fundraising progress. Please prayerfully consider making a donation in honor of these and all the patients battling cancer. You can make a secure credit card donation online. You can rest assured that your donation will go toward a great cause!
Next, please forward this email to at least 5 Friends or relatives you know, but don’t necessarily know me, to help spread the word about funding research to find new treatments and cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. The LLS also provides critical education, services, and support to patients and families battling these cancers. Every 5 minutes, someone new is diagnosed with a blood cancer – money for research is desperately needed – so please donate now! Together, we can make the cure a reality!
Thank you,
Keith Budlong
ARUGH!
Well, we are now home two days and the challenges have started. Bryce’s eye started swelling yesterday and Deanna started complaining of an ear ache. Victoria took them both to the doctor this morning. Turns out that Deanna has another ear infection and Bryce has a staph infection around his eye. Deanna has to get shots the next three days in a row and Bryce has to take some strong antibiotics. If the swelling in his eye doesn’t go down quickly, they are going to admit him to the hospital for some IV antibiotics.
We have been keeping the younger two away from Ryan of course, but are going to have to do something to help cross infections. Why does everyone have to get sick at the same time?!? Ryan is feeling great right now. I even put a mask on him and took him to school for a few minutes this morning. He loved seeing his classmates and getting to talk to them.
Please pray that Bryce and Deanna get over their sickness and that Ryan continues to have a good and healthy time at home and that Victoria and I don’t kill each other in dealing with the situations!
God Bless.
The first night home
As I type this morning report, Ryan is still in his bed. I am still in shock that he is home at least for this week. He was so happy he was home and he could play with his brother and sister. Our neighbor came over last night to visit for a few minutes, and Ryan played with Wii with him. It was great to see Ryan so happy!
Ryan will have to go back and get some scans ran this week. As long as he doesn’t start running a fever, he will be home until March 15. On that Sunday, he will be going back into the hospital so he can start his treatment on the 16th. I think he has had enough of the hospital, but for now it is a part of his life.
There may be fewer posts this week considering Ryan is home, so please don’t be upset. It just means that things are going well, and there is nothing to report. Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and prayers. The first groupings are complete, but Ryan still has more chemotherapy to do in the next 2 to 4 months.