CCA Blog

Last week, I went to the Seattle Children's Hospital to check in with my doctors.  Luckily, my Aunt & Uncle live in Seattle so we stayed with them.  My mom, grandma, and I left Portland on Monday because my doctor's appointment was on Tuesday.  Since my cousins were on Spring Break I was able to hang out with my cousin Mackenzie.  We played board games and the Wii.  It was kind of weird not having my sister around, but it was also nice just to be there by myself.  Mackenzie and I also played the piano together (that was fun).  My Aunt also taught me how to knit and it was so much fun.  I finished my first scarf in two days, and she is going to send me more starts through the mail so I can keep knitting (she didn't teach me how to start a scarf, just how to knit using a start). 

Before my doctor's appointment, we went to this great place in Seattle called Archie McFee's.  My grandma found it while looking for fun bandages for me.  She figured I needed some cool ones since I was using 5 bandages a week due to Sub CU.  We had already had ones that were kisses, toast, eggs and bacon.  Now we have eight new ones:  devil duck, bling, monster, tattoo, black cat and a few more.  I really like having fun bandages!

At my doctor's appointment I found out that I will be getting steroids every other week starting in June.  That will be nice, but I will also start rehab therapy.  They want to do that because of all my muscle pain and my tiredness.  I am not sure what to think of that.  My mom says maybe I can do something on the Wii, like yoga.  I really like yoga!  Also at my appointment we found this great thing called a J-tip.  I use a cream to numb my skin before every IV.  The J-tip numbs you right away.  I loved it!  The nurse gave is the packaging to take home with us so I can show my IV nurse Susan here in Portland.   Susan was happy to take it and do some research.  I was hoping they would have it for my next IV, but they didn't.  They did find it in the ER though, but it was a bit different.  The IV took 3 pokes this time because of broken veins.  It was so painful!  I was able to hang out with my Chemo Pal Krystal though, which is always a good thing.  I like playing games with her.

Another thing my family is working on right now is a blood drive.  And now we have a date and a place on June 7th at our church in West Linn.  I am excited!  I have wanted to do this for a really long time!  I am hoping we will also get the okay to do a toy drive for Bingo at the Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel since I love bingo and I would like to do something nice for Child Life.  I hope that we are able to do something like that along with the blood drive.  We will just have to see!

Until next time, your friend Olivia

Earlier this week, I had an Immunologist appointment and he said I looked pretty good (WOO HOO!). Wednesday was another infusion day and this time I only got one poke in the hand (WOO HOO again!). My Chemo Pal Krystal came to the hospital and I had such a good time with her - we played "Scene It!" 

I got pretty good sleep Wednesday night, but not well enough to go to school the next day, so I missed out on a field trip to see the "10 Grands." I think that I would have fallen asleep anyway.  This is probably going to be my last week for school for a while. Friday was another medicine day. I actually fell asleep during treatment so it went by REALLY fast.  I also went shopping for Easter gifts for my parents at the dollar store.  I bought my Mom chocolate-covered grahams and oatmeal cookies for my Dad. We got our new puppy a bowl and our other dogs got beef-flavored treats.  On Easter our family decided to go out to eat. We went to Outback Steakhouse!  I LOVE OUTBACK!  I had a BIG hamburger and three sodas (my Mom let me have them and it was such a treat).

Monday, my grandma is driving us to Seattle to see my doctor at the Children's Hospital. She goes to all our medical appointments with us (and we LOVE having her with us!) I am getting checked out to see what my next step in treatment will be. In Seattle, we're staying with my Aunt & Uncle. My cousins are out of school for Spring Break so I get to see them too.  I am so excited!

Talk to you more soon.

Your friend,

This week was spring break and I had a great time - I was busy!  We went to my aunt's on Sunday, and Monday we went to the Chinese Gardens (it was so pretty).  On Tuesday, we took my nephew to the zoo.  The zoo has this cool new "Predators" exhibit.  Wednesday is my hospital day and I was able to meet my new Chemo Pal Krystal.  She was so nice and pretty.  She and I played a cool game called "Are You Kidding?"  It was so much fun!  I can't wait until I get to see her next Wednesday!   My doctor and I decided that me attending my one class in school is too much for me, so I will have to go back to the tutor.  I am upset because I really miss all my friends.  I have been out of school since September.  It is hard to think about my classmates having so much fun everyday while I am stuck at home.  Someday I know I will get back there, I just have to wait until I feel better.

This weekend was kind of hard for me.  I started to not feel well on Friday.  Some of the side effects of all the medicine are bad - I had a fever and an upset stomach.   I woke up Saturday feeling better, so I went to my Uncle Marc's with my dad to play in the sun - WOO!  My uncle has horses and a dog named Scout.   I started feeling bad again though by the end of the day.  I really try not to let it get me down, but I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.  

Well....I hope everyone has a great week!

Your friend, 

Olivia

I hope you all a great week.  I had a good week at school, and a lot of fun this weekend. I was able eat pizza and watch a movie with a few Portland Trail Blazers, thanks to CCA!  I also went to the Zoo Lights.  If you have never been to the Zoo Lights you should check it out. There were so many bright, fun displays. 

I am getting excited for winter break with just one more week remaining.  I don't have any big plans, except staying up late every night and sleeping in every morning.  I love watching movies and playing video games late at night when I don't have school the next day.  I also hope that while I am on my break my dad will take me to the mountain to play in the snow.
 
Enjoy your own break and I hope this week goes by super fast for all of us :) 
  
Your friend,

Jacob

Hi friends! Hope you all are doing well, I am am doing great! I have been busy getting ready for Christmas. I got my tree this weekend and we decorated our house inside and out.  I love this time of year when I get to hang out with my family doing cool stuff like this. I look forward to baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve and giving him a large glass of soda.
 
I am hoping that the weather stays cold like this and we have snow for Christmas day. How much fun would it be to be out sledding on Christmas?! Hope you all are great and I will talk to you next week.

Your Friend,

Jacob

Hi friends, hope you all had a great long weekend; mine was good. I ate lots of good food and enjoyed spending time with my family. I had Thanksgiving dinner at my grandma's house. On Black Friday, I went shopping with my dad. On Saturday, I went to the Winterhawks "Teddy Bear Toss" game with my family and my Chemo Pal's family also. I had a great time! I even got to go on the ice and help pick up the bears. Sunday, I went to a holiday party and now I am home writing to you all. I hope you all had an awesome weekend and I hope you have a great week at school too.

Your friend,

Jacob

This Thanksgiving I have so much that I am thankful for. My LIFE is what I am most thankful for, being able to put up the fight I did this year and to come out a winner! I am also thankful for my FAMILY for their support, and my CHEMO PAL Ryland for sticking by my side.

I give thanks for My AUNT DAWNA that I never really knew until recently. Today my Aunt and I are like best friends, we talk to each other everyday and play Club Penguin all the time on the computer together. I also give thanks for my FRIENDS for sticking by my side through it all.

I could go on forever about what I am thankful for—what I challenge you to do is find five things you are thankful for, write them down, and share them at your  Thanksgiving dinner.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Your friend, Jacob   

Sunday my family and I woke up and really wanted to do something but it was raining outside :(  Then we remembered this place we went to before I had cancer, with my cousins in downtown Portland—pirate glow-in-the-dark miniature golf.  I forgot how much fun it was! First, you must wear white so you can glow along with every pirate there. 

You will find a fun 18-hole course with so many different glow-in-the-dark pirates, skeletons, and even sharks.  On the course, you will find boxes that move and rattle and old broken-down fences that creek and shake.

You can buy  3-D glasses, which really make the course harder. They even have a snack bar there that serves pizza (my favorite)!  Soon, I am going to ask my parents if they will take me and my friends.

Your friend,

Jacob

October marked one year since I started my treatment.  Looking back brings a lot of different feelings to mind.  When I was diagnosed, I thought “why me?” and “what did I do to deserve this?”  When I accepted the diagnosis, I just had to figure how I was going to get through it.  I couldn’t have done it without my family and friends! They showed me so much support throughout the last year that it has given me the STRENGTH, COURAGE and most of all the POSITIVE ATTITUDE it takes to get through what will be a very long journey.

I started my cancer journey on October 14th, 2008 and to be given the news that I was already in remission by October 31st, 2008, (HAPPY HALLOWEEN to me!) less than two weeks into my treatment. To be given that news was just so AMAZING and  UNBELIEVABLE!
 
The next several months were full of ups and downs due to a lot of complications with my port and blood clots, but cancer-wise I was doing great. In May, I was really starting to feel so much better. I started getting my hair back, blood clots were going away, and I was getting a lot of my energy back. I started feeling really good!!!

I did miss my entire fourth grade year, and that was kind of hard for me because I did not get to see my friends much, but in regards to the lack of homework—I liked it! Then my parents got me a tutor.  I was tutored from November until the end of August just before school started back up. I will be honest, having a tutor was not so bad after all; she helped me out so I could be with my classmates this year.  I am now feeling just like every other healthy kid. I just visit the doctor a little more than them. 

I am now back in school full-time.  My parents are making me do chores again (and even grounding me).  This year, I had more opportunities than ever.  I have met so many awesome people.  Looking back, I am so grateful for how POSITIVE the year turned out to be for myself and my family!

Have a good week at school and I look forward to next week.

Your friend, Jacob 

A Chemo Pal is a special friend that CCA sends to help you go through treatment. Chemo Pals hang out with you while you are in the hospital, or if you’re out, they even come visit you at home. They have the coolest bag they bring with them full of fun things to keep your mind off treatment—all kinds of different toys and board games. They also do a lot of fun activities with you like bowling, rock climbing and going to the movies. Most importantly, they offer you support when you need it the most.
 
My Chemo Pal is like a big brother too me! He helps me when I am having a rough day. I can always call him whenever I need and he is there for me. He comes to most of my appointments with me and we have a lot of fun messing with the nurses and doing wheelies in the wheel chairs. He helps keep my mind off of my treatment. He puts up with me when I am in a bad mood. We always have so much fun when he comes over, and he also plays with my little brother.
If you are in treatment and aren’t sure if a Chemo Pal is right for you, trust me. If you like to have fun, mess around, and are tired of asking your parents when it is time to leave the clinic—then you should check it out!

Hope you all enjoyed my blog this week, I can't wait until next week.  

Your friend,

Jacob