Monday, November 30, 2009

WE DID IT!

Hello!!

If you're still reading this.. I know you love us! Thank you so much for following me and my family on this crazy, terrifying ride!

My aggressive treatment is OVER! Done! No more needles in my leg.. I think 21 total is quite enough, thank you! I will get my blood test tomorrow to see if I'm ready to start maintenance..which would be Wednesday. What that means is because my recovery is 3.5 years I have to keep doing what we're doing (to a point) to keep me as healthy as I am right now.
So, once every 29 days I have to be at Childrens, and I take oral medication every day. It's going to be a bit rocky for a bit as they fiddle around with my medicine, however once they get it right we're good to go.

School starts for me January 4th.. very excited! I get to go to my new school on December 9th to meet my class and make gingerbread houses with them.

This weekend I turn 6! I was 'selected' to be on Santa's float in the big parade on Sunday morning, so watch for me on TV. My special friend from Kelowna is coming down and she will be on it too! Then we're going to the aquarium and out for lunch. Should be a great time. I also have a birthday party at Ronald McDonald House with Dad, Grandma and Grandpa! Busy weekend coming up! I need to rest up!

Thank you so much for reading and following! Your support has not gone unnoticed and we appreciate all of you that were in our corner these past 8 month! Amazing!!!!!!

I will be writing less and less as life is hopefully going to be back to normal sooner then later. Pls keep in touch with mom via email, text message, and phone calls.

Did you hear!??? WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love
Leukemia Free AIDEN

Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday November 20th

Needle number 14 done! Ugh!!! It was not fun at all!!! However, I didn't have to get the transfusion they thought I'd need.
All my blood went down except my platelets!! And no one knows why??? We don't question good things though! Two days ago I was at 84 platelets and today 144... My Oncologist cant tell us why or even how.. so more blood work on Monday. Geesh!
.. looking for answers.

So for those of you who don't know .......... we're moving to Vancouver. The for sale sign went up on the house today and we hope to be settled in South Surrey/White Rock by January.
It was a big decision for our family, but it's best. Best for all of us. I will really miss my friends in Kelowna and I know mom's had some tears about missing "her girls." It's been a community that has gathered around us like nothing we've ever seen.. amazing!! Thank you!

We're off for the weekend, my needle is out and everything.. so it's time to get crazy. I can't go anywhere, because me white blood cell count is so low.. so we've been making play dough, now tickle and tackle, then movie night and tomorrow we're going scootin!

Next needle. #15 in the leg, is Monday.. however we have two days to enjoy before then.

Hope this finds you all well. Signing off from Vancouver!

xo
Aiden

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Thursday November 19th

Hello hello!!!

How is everyone? Well we're pluggin' along here. We have 11 days to go until I'm done the super hard stuff! They sure like to make it brutal right until the very last day!

Tomorrow is needle number 14! That's right.... can you believe it? Number 13 didn't go so well. That was Wednesday. I had to get poked in chest to access my VAD to give me another blood transfusion and my chemotherapy. Then they poked me in the leg - that was number 13. Just before my poke, my nurse told me she hates needles and that she's a big chicken. So when she poked me I yelled "Yeow!!! Ali you're a big chicken, BAD ALI." I was once again the talk of the clinic. They all think I'm very funny! And then they poked me in the arm for the 2nd shot for the H1N1. Enough already!!!!!

So after November 30th, then I have to wait until my counts climb back up again (usually 2 to 3 weeks) and then I start maintenance..... until 2013! And then we are going to celebrate!!!!! BIG TIME!!! Mom says she has 3 years to plan it and that's a very long time for her very busy brain! Should be awesome! I hope to be back to "normal" school after Xmas! yay!!!

So we're off to bed.. all of us! I will probably need a transfusion of platelets tomorrow before the big needle, so it could be a long day once again!

We're on the count down.. and it's actually a little scary!........... weird!

xoxo
Aiden

Monday, November 9, 2009

http://copsforcancer.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=310590&lis=0&kntae310590=B94265211A08451C981DFA89809F7804&supI

Hello everyone..

We are on the count down!!! Woot Woot!! Everything is going really well here. I'm feeling great, no side effects and everything is just pluggin' along.

We're back in clinic again tomorrow and for the next four days.. it's nothing I haven't done before so whatever. I'm still not the happiest when they access my VAD (the plastic thingy in my chest) but it is what it is. I think I look like Iron Man! :)

My mom heard that there has been some trouble accessing the Spin a Thon Website.. so here it is again.. up in the title of the blog. Thank you to everyone that has donated! Camp Good Times is suppose to be super fun and I can't wait to go next year!!!

Thank you to the Bells for the special "drop off" at the Oncology clinic. That was a pleasant surprise! xoxo wink wink.
Thank you to Nana for coming out and helping with us.

I hope this finds you all well.

xoxo
Aiden aka Iron Man

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tuesday November 3rd, 2009

I'm good to go! So, normally at this stage of treatment kids are having to have blood transfusions or have to wait for treatment as their blood counts are not high enough. That my friends, is the norm. However, we've proven time and time again (even before leukemia) we are FAR from the norm! My blood counts are not only where they need to be to continue, they are DOUBLE!
Mom of course is convinced chocolate on Halloween and every day since hasn't hurt this one bit, in fact, she's certain it's helped. Why mess with a good thing!?
My steroids are still lingering around my system and my appetite is still crazy. I can't get enough Wendy's! Seriously, I dream about it. I eat something almost every hour.. mom tries to steer me healthy; oranges, carrots, banana, apple with peanut butter, and fair enough I will eat those things.. but there's nothin' like mom's mash potatoes and that packaged, high sodium gravy! Mmmm! Mom, cringes every time she makes it.. but it's soo delicious. Almost as delicious as the bacon-ater! Again, mom cringes! HA! And to top it off I think mom's a bit distracted or something! She's really been struggling with the laundry lately as she's been shrinking ALL of my pants! Geesh mom! :)

Other then that.. Nana arrives tonight to help keep this ship afloat this week. Tomorrow is the beginning of what has potential to be the last 30 days of the REALLY hard stuff. We still have 3.5 years to go after this... and lots of medicine, lots of Children's hospital visits, etc.. but the brutal part is almost over. We almost did it. And we kicked A**!

Thanks for reading. Hope this finds you well.

XOXO
Aiden

Friday, October 30, 2009

Hello everyone..

Just an update.. my steroids are wearing off and I've been feeling really well these last couple days. No more tears and I'm really looking forward to Halloween!!
We wore our costumes at school today, and NO one recognized me. It's super super scary!

I've had my H1N1 vaccine without any side effects, it was a sinch! Seriously! Nothing compares to the needles in my legs, it was seriously a breeze. However, I am a little excited to watch Addison get it on Tuesday. Hee hee!

I wanted to let you all know that mom and some of her "network" down here in Vancouver are doing a spin a thon. They are spinning for 12 hours to raise money for Camp Good Times. That's the camp I get to go to every summer starting next year, for the rest of my life. It's a great time to meet other kids that have had leukemia, and share our stories of bravery and just be a kid. It's expensive to send us there, approximately $1500 per week. I know that each of you have been VERY generous to me and my family over the past 7 months and we all thank you.
This is a great cause and if you're able to help, that would be great... The link is below. I'll be cheering on my (very sweaty) mom on November 29th.

Thanks for reading!

Hugs
Aiden
http://copsforcancer.kintera.org/faf/donarReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=310590&lis=o&knate310590=B94265211A08451C981DFA89809F7804&supld=274971533

Monday, October 26, 2009

Monday October 26

Hello everyone,

Just a quick update.. It's been a tough week for us. The steroids make my body and my emotions feel pretty crazy. Lots of tears, and I don't really even know why... Mom and I have decided we hate steroids (minus to eating part of course) Mom hates the eating part because she says she eats too.. one more day of it!!!

They thought I'd need blood this week, however so far so good. My Dr's pretty surprised it's holding so well.. but no transfusion is good news for me!
So, we're counting on another round starting next Wednesday. I'm 'count dependant' however she thinks I could be ready. I'll get my blood tested Thursday, and again on Tuesday to see how I'm holding and hopefully we're good to go. Nana's going to come out as I'm in hospital all day the first day and then once a day for three days after that. So mom's needing some help with Sally Sue as I shouldn't be in her school/ballet/when we're in clinic etc. Thanks Nana, can't wait to see you!

We carved our pumpkins last night and they are so cool. Addy got a small one and a skeleton's face carved out on it and mine has fire. They are very cool! We're pretty awesome carvers!

Tomorrow Addy and I are off to school in the morning and then we're going to Wendy's for lunch, AGAIN. ( I eat two kids chicken nugget meals with fries, sprite and sweet and sour sauce) It's so good! And then mom's going to teach us how to make playdough from scratch, go for a scooter ride (if it's not raining), and then we're having a camp out on our family room floor. Popcorn, Nachos, and Fruit is on the menu... and Kung Fu Panda! We are the funnest family ever.

Mom picked up my Halloween costume! I'm a zombie.. it's awesome!! So super scary. We're going out with the family next door and staying up for 830 fire works! Late!

Thank you to Mr Wardle and Papa for collecting their Canadian Tire money for me... I'm thinking about getting some fishing stuff.. that's the latest and greatest plan. Thanks again!!!

It's a windy rainy night tonight, perfect for sleeping and snuggling with my mom.

Hope this finds you all well. We're shutting it down and hitting the sack!

xoxo
Aiden