Message from Andrea - November 2, 2009

Our family really appreciates the prayers, cards and good wishes from you. They just make our day! Julian received a couple of fun care packages last week and his eyes lit up when the mailman delivered them. It makes him so happy and really helps him move past the many visits he often has to make to the clinic and infusion center. Like last week: he had IV infusions on three separate days. Monday, an IV antibiotic, Tuesday, whole blood, and Friday, another IV antibiotic. He was doing great the first half of the week, but by Wednesday night he had some kind of bug. Threw up throughout the night, felt warm, but never had a fever. Thursday night and Friday morning, same thing but this time he did have a fever. Thankfully, he could go to OPI (Outpatient Infusion Center) and he spent half the day there connected to an IV pole with a very effective antibiotic. Since he never spiked a fever the while we were in OPI, he was able to go home that afternoon. He was so glad that it was still daylight (he can't tell in the room we are usually in) so he could ride bikes with Nolan in the afternoon. His white blood cells are coming back up so has at least he has some fighting power against infection and the rest of his counts are looking better, too. He was pretty tired this past week and we had to cancel his visit with his school teacher twice, but he did well last Friday and was getting very excited about Halloween the next day. He definitely has made the most out of his skeleton costume because he would put it on to scare the neighbor girls just about each night (yes, he mustered enough energy do to that as much as possible!). On Halloween, he was so excited to go trick or treating, but was content to go home after just three houses. Since our last update, his hair has fallen off again. Julian goes in for another round of chemo this Friday and his MRI is scheduled for Nov. 19. Thank you in advance for your prayers for him: that the chemo would not make him too sick and that it would not damage his hearing any further, and that the MRI will come back clear. Thank you so much for your prayers and your encouragement. We love you! -- Rich and Andrea(PS: There are some newer photos now on the Photo Gallery)

Message from Andrea - October 19, 2009

Ducks, chickens and RBCs
Posted 17 hours ago
So glad we went to CHOC today for Julian's monthly IV infusion of an antibiotic because every time we go to a clinic or infusion appointment his blood is drawn and we immediately find out more about his current condition. Today we learned that his white blood cell count is very low right now, and so is his red blood cell count. So, he'll be receiving a transfusion of hemoglobin tomorrow morning. On Thursday, he'll have labs drawn again during his scheduled clinic appointment. Hopefully they'll show that his WBC and RBC counts are creeping up. He loves to go on outings to Fresh and Easy and to the library, but we'll have to limit our trips right now to the backyard or maybe to the nearby duck farm to feed the chickens (no sign of ducks lately). He's been doing so well lately, except for tiredness which can be explained by his low RBC. His hair is starting to grow back again (it's in the 'fuzz' state) and he is doing more and more of the things he used to do. Even the vroom vroom sound effects he makes when playing with cars and Legos have come back. He has really enjoyed the late afternoons on the driveway, riding his trike while Nolan and our neighbor friends Maya and Lilly ride their scooters. It's amazing how gentle the kids are around him. He has some trouble with his emotions and can't keep up with the kids physically which causes the tears to flow, but the kids will slow down and, at least for now, let him win when they play a quick round of hide n seek or red light/green light. No word yet on when the next MRI is scheduled, it should be done within the next four weeks, and he'll have another audiogram before his next round of chemo to see how his hearing is compared to his last test. I don't really notice it getting any worse, so hopefully that will be good news. One spooky thing: Julian wants to be a skeleton for Halloween. We were really glad when, for the longest time, he said he would be a duckie for Halloween. But now he wants to scare those same sweet girls who play with him so nicely. But he promises that next year he will definitely be a fuzzy yellow duckie.

Message from Andrea - October 9, 2009

Dear friends, just wanted to send another update as the Tumor Board met this morning and reviewed Julian's most recent MRI. Thankfully, they did not spot anything along the spine, but they did note something at the tumor site in the brain that they had not seen previously, a little 'tail' on the cavity where the tumor had been. This hadn't been there in earlier MRIs. Our doctor said the group didn't think it looked like cancerous growth because it normally isn't shaped that way, but they want Julian to have another MRI in one month. Please pray that this turns out to be only scar tissue or something totally benign. Also, he will have more chemo this weekend, so we would ask for God's protection on his body as these chemicals go in and destroy the bad cells and hopefully spare the good ones. For a sense of their potency, one of the drugs he is getting is a derivative of mustard gas.
Julian continues to be a trooper and a love bug and makes us all laugh and smile. He loves his daily rituals. Every morning, after changing Bun Bun (his stuffed bunny) into his daytime clothes, he brings a treat to our dogs, Smokey and Bandit. And every afternoon (after first setting the table for dinner -- in that order), he gets on his trike and burns rubber in the driveway daring anyone to cross his path. As the kids do their laps (Nolan on his razor), Rich is the race ''pronouncer,'' as Julian likes to call him. After a while, Smokey, the neighborhood cat (there are 3 pets on this street named Smokey), wanders into our yard and Julian especially loves going after him with his squirt gun. Last night, two girls from the 'hood joined him and Nolan in chasing Smokey, back and forth, through the holes in the fence. Tonight, we saw a repeat of the same but three more kids joined in and the gathering evolved into a road rally on the driveway complete with nerf guns, chalk, razor scooters and bikes. It was exactly like many nights here a year ago. The radio gets turned on an oldies station ('70s music gets everyone happy). Julian didn't want it all to end and the other kids didn't either and we kept the action going until it was almost dark.

Message from Andrea - October 7, 2009

So much to write and so hard to condense it all. Most recent news first: Julian had an MRI today of his head and spine. Even after 3 surgeries and 27 sessions of radiation (where each time he was put under with propofyll -- aka Michael Jackson's famous ''milk''), it's still unnerving to have your child go under general anesthesia. We met with Dr. Loudon, his neurosurgeon, afterward who said, in his pensive way, that overall it looked good (Praise God) but there continues to be an ''enhancement' at the site where his tumor had originally been. He said they will watch it and discuss Julian's case at Tumor Board this week. It's probably the scar tissue, he said. We are so grateful that they did not see anything new. Truly, truly. It certainly could have been different news. Yet, the more we are learning about medulloblastoma, the harder this gets. It's a beast of a disease and very aggressive. That's why he needs MRIs every 3 months this year, and every 4 months next year, 6 months the year after that, etc. Recurrences at the site of the tumor are ''common'' and usually occur within the first 2 years, one article said. Significant impact on the endocrine system. Cognitive impact. Toxicity to various organs. Stature impacted. High-risk for another malignancy. Long-term, life-long health issues. I can go on and on. Early in his diagnosis, I clung to the words, ''he has an 80 -85% chance.'' I naively thought that, even though he would go through a year of treatment, we had dodged the bullet! I was so relieved that he had medulloblastoma and not one of the other brain cancers. But medulloblastoma itself is a terrible, terrible cancer and it is robbing him of so much now and in the future. I guess after learning that a boy named Noah (cp: NoahDowell), who was only one year older than Julian, died of brain cancer last weekend at CHOC and then reading more about what medullo is going to do to Julian over time, it just makes the nightmare worse. Forgive me for unloading. I usually try and keep things positive, but I just need to share my thoughts tonight. Maybe the fact that he is 2/3 of the way through is contributing to these feelings. Right now, we have a plan to hang on to, a protocol, and we are following it and, thank God it seems to be working. But when the chemo is done and we complete the plan, then what? How do we keep the beast away? There is no plan after that. Just to trust God even more. And pray. And live life. One day at a time. Just like the doctor told us the day after Julian's first surgery. ''Don't fret about if he'll marry someday, or go to college. Just take it one day at a time.'' It's simple advice and actually something you have to consciously practice, taking life one day at a time, but it really does help. And, as another friend said, one day at a time is all any of us really have, isn't it? Good night and blessings.

Message from Andrea - September 15, 2009

“What do clouds taste like?” Julian asked on the way to CHOC this morning. The freeway drive was actually kind of pretty today because of the white cloud puffs above us. The sky was bright blue so the clouds looked especially bright against it. “Do they taste like marshmallows?” They sure do, I said. I wanted to remember his observations today just like I want to remember our summer and all the late afternoons we spent at the beach. That last week of summer, we went to our favorite spot seven afternoons in a row including the night of Julian’s birthday (Lynn: that night we threw a sand dollar back in the ocean for you) and the evening of Nolan’s first day of school. Nolan didn’t have homework yet, so we decided to push the envelope one more time.
Julian said his birthday was his very best day ever. His oma and opa and grandma and grandpa were there as well as three school friends. It was a sweet morning and he really enjoyed himself. Thanks to all who sent him birthday wishes and to the three cutie pies who were able to come to his party! Sept. 3 was also a special day because his stomach felt OK that day. He had only been home from chemo for five days and the nausea was hitting him hard again, but that day, he had a ‘bummer-free’ morning and he felt good all day.
Now with Nolan in school and Julian missing him a lot, timing is such that his days are becoming filled with appointments: occupational therapy, physical therapy (good news: our insurance gave the OK for him to have OT and PT at home because he is immuno-suppressed), another audiogram to check his hearing (the last one showed significant loss since the June test), an MRI on Oct. 6 and his 6th round of chemo coming up Oct. 9. After that, he will have three more cycles of chemo bringing him to February 2010 when his treatment ends. We’ll know a lot more then about long-term effects and next steps, but we’ll have a big party and you are all invited!
Some special moments: Yesterday, Julian wanted to ride his tricycle on the driveway. He hadn’t been on that trike since last November and Rich and I were quietly celebrating this victory. While his peers are now learning to ride 2-wheelers without training wheels, Julian’s riding his tricycle again was a very big deal for him. And, true to his wonderful personality, he just enjoyed himself thoroughly.
We were also blessed by our little friend up the street, Lauren, who recently held her third lemonade stand for Julian on Balboa Island. (She and Julian may have been in the same kindergarten class had it not been for all of this.) We realized that this little girl is responsible for raising about $1,000 in total. Lauren, you are amazing (and so are your parents)!
Well, that’s our latest update. School starts Friday; his new home teacher will begin her afternoon visits then. We are looking forward to that. Also praying that his new case of sniffles won’t escalate. Thank you so much for your prayers. Blessings from us to you!
(Also, please pray for a boy named Noah Dowell and his family. He has brain cancer needs a miracle tonight. Thank you.)

Dancing and giggling - August 27th

Posted Aug 27, 2009 2:17am
As Julian heads into his next round of chemo tomorrow, I'm glad to report that he has been doing so well these past few weeks. Not sure if it's the change in his feeding formula which he is tolerating much better, or if it is the benefit of time, or God graciously answering prayer, or all the above, but these past few weeks have, in a word, been progress. Julian has enjoyed going to our special spot on the beach many afternoons since our last update. Our visits are not long, but they are great, and we all love them (especially with our current heat wave in So Cal!). Another surprise came Sunday night when he agreed to go to the Concert in the Park. There was no hesitation, and he was silly and goofy and got up and danced. We suspect he really likes latin jazz! He says he wants to play with other kids now and wants to have a few buddies come to his birthday next week (up until now, he mainly wanted to stay to himself or just play with Nolan). This afternoon he and Nolan filled their water guns (actually, Nolan used one of Julian's syringes -- an interesting sight - no needles though) and squirted cars passing by (up until now, he wouldn't play in the front yard at all). Some of our neighbors were cool and got even cooler as they encouraged the boys to literally squirt them through their open car windows. There have been lots of giggles lately, and I hope his good spirits will continue over the next few days as he gets chemo. On the flip side, he had an audiogram last week and they are seeing more impact to his hearing and predict it will continue to deteriorate. But, we're a while away from hearing aids yet. In the meantime, we would ask once again for your kind prayers as Julian receives chemo, has his nasal tube changed out, for the future teacher who will be coming to the house once school starts, for his hearing, and, while I'm asking, for life-long remission. Thank you and many blessings!!

Dancing and giggling - August 27th

Posted Aug 27, 2009 2:17am
As Julian heads into his next round of chemo tomorrow, I'm glad to report that he has been doing so well these past few weeks. Not sure if it's the change in his feeding formula which he is tolerating much better, or if it is the benefit of time, or God graciously answering prayer, or all the above, but these past few weeks have, in a word, been progress. Julian has enjoyed going to our special spot on the beach many afternoons since our last update. Our visits are not long, but they are great, and we all love them (especially with our current heat wave in So Cal!). Another surprise came Sunday night when he agreed to go to the Concert in the Park. There was no hesitation, and he was silly and goofy and got up and danced. We suspect he really likes latin jazz! He says he wants to play with other kids now and wants to have a few buddies come to his birthday next week (up until now, he mainly wanted to stay to himself or just play with Nolan). This afternoon he and Nolan filled their water guns (actually, Nolan used one of Julian's syringes -- an interesting sight - no needles though) and squirted cars passing by (up until now, he wouldn't play in the front yard at all). Some of our neighbors were cool and got even cooler as they encouraged the boys to literally squirt them through their open car windows. There have been lots of giggles lately, and I hope his good spirits will continue over the next few days as he gets chemo. On the flip side, he had an audiogram last week and they are seeing more impact to his hearing and predict it will continue to deteriorate. But, we're a while away from hearing aids yet. In the meantime, we would ask once again for your kind prayers as Julian receives chemo, has his nasal tube changed out, for the future teacher who will be coming to the house once school starts, for his hearing, and, while I'm asking, for life-long remission. Thank you and many blessings!!