CAMP SUNSHINE, TAKE FOUR

Kendrie -- Day 137 OT

Blaine -- Quick! Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!! It’s, it’s ….. well, shoot, it IS a plane, with Blaine on it. He’s probably over your head right now on his way to Seattle! (Radiation starts tomorrow -- if you have a spare good thought you could direct to the northwest part of the country, I know he’d appreciate it.)

Yep, that’s right, we headed to our FOURTH Family Camp Weekend on Friday, courtesy of Camp Sunshine, at Camp Twin Lakes in Georgia. I could go on and on (and on and on and on) about what a great support organization this is, and how much our family has benefited from the outings and support groups run by them …. and how fabulous the workers and volunteers are …. and how much we cherish the friendships we have made with other pediatric cancer patients and their families …. and how we always have such a great time at camp ….. and how we hope they never kick us out even though Kendrie is off-treatment at this point …. As I know you all must expect me to …. Considering I never shut up for anything …. But I won’t this time.

Instead, just like our Florida trip, I’ll give you the highlights instead, in pictures. So that those of you on dial-up can permanently remove me from your favorites list since Lord knows all these photos will never show up for you.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO AT CAMP SUNSHINE:




Family Group Activity: painting birdhouses. Ours started out a very cheerful yellow and green. But then the kids wanted to “add details” and they got too impatient to rinse out their paintbrushes between colors, so we wound up with an interesting greenish-brownish-dingy-colored birdhouse that no bird in the tri-state region would nest in unless there was a hurricane coming and they had no other option for survival. I’m sure the Martha Stewarts of the bird world would choose death, rather than hunker down in something so ugly. But the kids had fun, and that’s all that matters.




Playing Frisbee on the lawn with all the other kids: Kellen had a great time, but unfortunately never figured out that the probability for actually *catching* the Frisbee would have been much higher had he kept his eyes open. Oh, well, at least (unlike Kendrie) he keeps his tongue in his mouth.




Hanging out with friends: Brayden and our friend Mary Grace spent all weekend in one another’s company. I’m not sure which one of them enjoyed it more …. Mary Grace, for having a “big kid” to carry her around, or Brayden, for having a “little kid” she could be the boss of for two solid days. Unlike Kellen and Kendrie, Mary Grace actually listened to what Brayden had to say. Quite a difference from the treatment Brayden gets at home from her unappreciative siblings.





Ahhhhh, the bloom of eternally happy siblings ………NOT! I think Blaine was standing behind me with ice cream bars and we told them they couldn’t have any unless they posed for a photo together …. Smiling ….. arms around one another. I am SO not above bribery.





Kendrie and her “new best friend” Keegan. They were inseparable this weekend, with both of them pushing hard for a “sleepover” at the other one’s cabin. Keegan, as many of you know from following his CB site, is currently undergoing some pretty harsh relapse chemo, and I was impressed with what a good job he did keeping up with the other kids this weekend. I don’t know if it was because of Kendrie, or in spite of her, but they both ran pretty hard the entire time. Which, or course, is better for us parents come bedtime, when they’re exhausted and fall immediately off to sleep, which is all that really matters in life.




This was one of the kids’ favorite activities this weekend: paddleboating. One which, by all rights, should have brought me a great deal of shame, since I refused to go in one (after Blaine’s rude weight comment the last time I went in HIS boat, I wasn’t about to risk having a camp lifeguard tell me I’m too fat! Plus, have you ever tried working those pedals? It's hard!!) and so my kids blatantly begged other adults, some who were total strangers, to take them. And people did. Wondering all the while, I’m sure, why my fat-ass was on the dock taking photos as they huffed and puffed by.




Another perennial favorite; gold panning. I keep hoping each time that the kids will find a nice diamond ring, or perhaps an emerald pendant or a pair of sapphire cufflinks, but no such luck yet. In the meantime, we’ve got a nice collection of shiny pieces of glass, plastic, and ornamental rocks, which they guard with their lives and think is truly valuable.




Not to leave all the fun up to Brayden and Kendrie, Kellen snagged another member of Mary Grace’s family for the weekend: Grant. The two boys had a great time playing sports together, and were surprisingly well behaved, considering the mischief they *could* have gotten into, if they had been so inclined. Luckily for us, they weren’t.




A new adventure for our family this weekend: tennis. Well, "adventure" in the sense that Blaine did nothing but throw thousands of balls for the kids to hit, and I sat on a bench and took photos. Considering none of them had ever so much as picked up a racket before, they enjoyed the quick bit of playing we did.





Kellen enjoyed it especially, once he figured out that a tennis racket is NOT the same thing as a baseball bat.





Kendrie never really got the hang of it, and decided pouting on her side of the court was a better outlay of energy than actually chasing the balls around.


Judging by the cheerfulness, cooperation, and gratitude our children showed us for taking them to Family Camp this weekend (I guess they think those suitcases just pack themselves? And unpack themselves at the cabin? And the van loads itself? And all the luggage and bags of crap schlep themselves to and from the cabin? And the dog walks himself to the kennel before hand? And the snacks and drinks just magically appear? You get the picture…….) Blaine and I have decided that our next few vacations will take place at Couples, or Sandals, or some other type of resort that doesn’t allow anyone under the age of 25 to step foot on the property. Not that we don’t love our kids, we do. We just have no desire to travel with them again until they are old enough to vote, pay their own way, sleep in their OWN hotel rooms, and NOT argue with us 24/7/365.

A few of the photos from this weekend that I didn’t take, but that would back up my version of the events:

1. The photo of our kids fighting over whose turn it was to select the movie for the DVD. For Pete's sake, it's not like they haven't seen ALL those movies a dozen time apiece!!!

2. The photo of our kids arguing vehemently with their father and me that Fruit Gushers and Gatorade are a HEALTHY and perfectly rational breakfast choice.

3. A photo of our kids fighting over who got which bed in the cabin (never mind that there are TEN beds to choose from!)

4. A photo of our kids protesting that to walk eight feet to the suitcase to get their own pajamas was simply too exhausting.

5. A photo of the kids fighting over whose turn it was to ride in the wagon, and whose turn it was to pull.

6. A photo of the kids repeatedly, REPEATEDLY, smacking their gum in the van, despite my frequent requests for them to chew with their mouths closed.

6 1/2. A photo of my face turning red as I scream at them politely and lovingly ask them one last time to quit smacking their gum!!!!

7. A photo of me (I am so not making this up) throwing a cup at my children and yelling at them to spit the damn gum out. In my defense, it was a plastic cup so there was no real chance of bodily harm. And I didn’t technically throw it AT the children, I just threw it over my shoulder in the van, towards the general direction of the smacking children. The fact that it hit Kellen in the arm was really more bad luck and unfortunate aim than harmful intent on my part.

8. A photo of Blaine rolling his eyes at the entire lot of us.


Thank goodness the weekend ended on a high note, as finally, in a scene eerily similar to last weekend, we stalked another Canadian family who were visiting the United States on vacation, and showed up on their holiday doorstep. This time, it was Katie and her family, staying with relatives in Atlanta.

Also an ALL patient, Katie was diagnosed a few months before Kendrie and went off-treatment a few months after. Her protocol was slightly longer than ours, but now Katie is reveling in her life post-chemo, and we were so happy, after “meeting” online over two and a half years ago, to get a chance to meet their family in person.




The kids had a great time playing together for the afternoon (or at least *my* kids did … perhaps I shouldn’t speak for Katie and her brother Alex!) Just like right after we met Finn’s family, and Julianna’s family, my kids want to know how much longer until they can get together and play again with their new friends. Obviously, they haven’t quite yet grasped the concept of borders, passports, and ve-e-e-e-e-e-e-errrrry long car rides. And after this past weekend, we’re taking no car ride farther than their elementary school or the local grocery store. But maybe after we win the lottery, we’ll buy ourselves an RV (with a soundproof cabin for Blaine and me) and tour North America, re-visiting these great families, and so many others. We can be the dysfunctional cancer family version of MTV’s Road Rules.

Until then, Blaine and I figure at the rate of one family a weekend, we will be able to party-crash all the families on our All-Kids list in a short five years or so.

So, who’s next??? Any volunteers??? :)

PS. All kidding aside, I am looking for a little bit of help here. Blaine starts his radiation tomorrow, and as WONDERFUL as the support and information I found online for pediatric leukemia has been, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction for head and neck cancers. I’m not sure if it’s because people are more inclined to step up when their children are involved, or perhaps adults are more private ….. I just don’t know why there isn’t a support network to be found (and believe me, we have looked!)

Specifically, we would love to talk to someone who has undergone radiation for salivary gland/sinus cancer …. Even more specifically, neutron beam radiation. But we’re not choosy, we’ll take anything in the ballpark. We would just like to hear from someone who has “been there, done that” and would be willing to give us their know-how with regard to treatment difficulties, severity and length of potential side effects, long-term experience, etc.

It’s too bad there’s no way to “search” these Caringbridge sites by diagnosis. Privacy issues aside, it sure would be helpful! So if you know of anyone, or know of anyone who knows of anyone … etc …. And wouldn’t mind passing our names along, we would certainly appreciate it. Thanks!

CAMP SUNSHINE, HOME OF JACKPOT FOOTBALL, ARTS & CRAFTS, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, FISHING, BUG COLLECTING, AND MOM'S FAVORITE --- NAPPING!

71 Days to Go

We have attended Camp Sunshine Family Weekend Camp a total of three times now. The first two times we went, there was this awesome singer (how embarrassing that I can’t even remember his name) who played guitar and sang silly songs during mealtimes. The song that is playing now, “Love Is”, is sort of the theme song for Camp Sunshine. Everyone stands up and does the hand motions and sings along …. feeling a little self-conscious and embarrassed, but enjoying themselves nonetheless. I was quite indignant when I found out this weekend that Mr. Guitar Man (John? Joe? What the *heck* is his name???) moved to Texas and isn’t able to come to Family Camp anymore. What’s up with that? Does the guy think he has a LIFE or something? Doesn't he realize we enjoyed that?? As much as I used to roll my eyes while making my “faster than a jet plane” movement, deep down, I was having a good time! I missed him this weekend, darn it!

But absence of silly songs aside, Family Camp was once again, fantastic. Held at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia, it is the perfect compromise for me (Mrs. City Mouse) and my more “rustic” family members. Lots of outdoor activities, but running water, beds complete with mattresses, and electricity in the cabins … now that’s my kind of camping. Although I’m hesitant to return, as I found out on the last morning that the cabin of our friends, Mary Grace’s family had visitors ….. of the cockroach variety. SO not something I would have been happy about! We had our share of grand-daddy long legs …. those, I can stomach …. but roaches? Um, no thank you. To put it mildly. I know there is a camp doctor in attendance each weekend, but I don't think resuscitating me with CPR from the HEART ATTACK I would have if I found a roach in my shoe like Mary Grace's brother did is part of their job description!

I’ve talked before about how great it is at Camp Sunshine to meet other families, and also for the kids to spend time with other kids whose lives have been impacted by cancer. Most of the volunteers are former campers themselves, so they have a great connection to the children. And it goes without saying that it’s inspiring to Blaine and I as parents, to meet these young people (who seem young to me but are actually in their 20’s, out of college, working, living as adults!) who serve as a testimony to not only surviving cancer, but embracing life afterwards.

One thing that struck me this weekend, as compared to the previous two weekends, was how "ready" Brayden and Kellen both were to go off with friends and do their own thing. We've always hung out as a family before, but this weekend it was all about playing football for Kellen (not well, I might add) and spending time with "her new best friend Cheyenne, and her new best friend Kacee, and her new best friend, etc" for Brayden. I've never broached the subject of the Camp Sunshine Weekend Sibling Camp held just for the siblings .... but I think next summer we might check into it. I don't know whether to be excited, or a little bit sad. :)

Our family was a “middle” family this year ---- sunk into the cancer world two years ago; not new, but not finished yet either. I loved seeing the kids there who had finished leukemia treatment four and five years ago …. And I hope the parents of the kids diagnosed as recently as July found hope in the other families, as well.



So, kudos and thanks to Camp Sunshine for providing us with another fabulous weekend out of the way, I wanted to share with you some of the lessons learned by the Escoe Family this weekend:



No stretch of monkey bars is too long if you’ve got a strong shoulder helping you along the way. Of course, even the strong shoulder will get sick of it after your three hundredth trip across .... just remember that.



It is important to have a nice smile when you’re fishing ….. makes the fish less suspicious.



It is even more important to be willing to actually **touch** the fish when you catch it … a concept that still doesn’t make sense to Kellen aka “Girly-Girl” Escoe.



While mastering the “touching the wildlife” concept, it is also important to realize when you are entertaining yourself with the wrong end of the food chain. I'm sure these poor worms were relieved when the time came for them to be impaled on the hooks --- probably less painful that the Worm Olympics that Kendrie was putting them through.



Falling down a lot does not automatically make you a football expert. Kellen is the "butt" in the middle, in case you couldn't tell.



Getting in the baby swing and swinging is fun. Getting out is sometimes a problem.



Sometimes slightly blurred photos can be a blessing. Wrinkles and extra pounds are not as noticeable this way.


I mentioned our friend Mary Grace above …. If you’ve never visited Mary Grace’s site, now might be a good time to do so. The day after they returned home from Family Camp, MG went in for a routine scan, after completing her treatment for a germ cell tumor this past February. Doctors found a spot on her lungs …. Chances are it’s nothing more than congestion ….. I imagine if most kids had scans run, you’d see all sorts of funky stuff going on at any given time. But to a child with a history of cancer, this is a scary thing. They will have a repeat scan in a month, and are hopeful it is nothing serious, but I know the family would appreciate some encouragement to get them through this stressful time.

And thank you in the meantime for the support you have offered to the families of Haley and Clare. I’m still struggling to accept these losses and can only imagine how their parents and siblings must be feeling. A few people have asked me about obtaining a copy of Haley’s CD. I’m not sure how, but I’ll try to find out and spread the word. I’m sure it would be comforting to her family to know that we can continue to enjoy her music, and she'll continue to touch others with her talent.

In the meantime, have a great weekend!
Kristie
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KENDRIE’S PERSPECTIVE:

WORST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: You want to hear something gross? (even if you don't, I'm going to tell you) I threw up this morning! That hasn’t happened in a while and I think it took my mom by surprise … but then she remembered that last night was my weekly methotrexate night. Anyway, one zofran and breakfast later, I was raring to go, so no harm done, right?

BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: Well, at least I don’t have to take any more methotrexate for another week!

SPEEDING TOWARDS THE END (or trying to speed, anyway)

86 Days to Go

Actually, I don’t feel very speedy. I don't feel speedy at all. Like when you have a really fantastic, wonderful, much-anticipated goal in sight … high school graduation, wedding, season premiere of Survivor …. and time seems to slow down, the closer you get. Does that happen to anyone else? It sounds a little selfish (OK, a LOT selfish) for me to talk about how weary I am of this cancer gig, when Kendrie is the one doing all the work. But now that we’ve got our sights set and an end seems firmly in place (Have I mentioned to you that there are only 86 days to go?!?) it seems to be taking longer to get there.

Thank goodness for the wonderful social support organizations we have met along the way that have helped smooth (and in some cases, speed up) the process with their encouragement and behind-the-scenes hard work. Some of the biggest for us have been Camp Sunshine, The Lighthouse Family Retreat, CURE, and SuperSibs! I hope everyone knows that I would trade every family camp weekend, every beach retreat, every Quiet Heroes luncheon, every picnic and party and care package and meeting and get-together in a heartbeat. It goes back to the “We’re so lucky Kendrie got cancer!” attitude that I worry a little it must sound like I’m saying. If ever there were a case for a big resounding NOT! … this would be it. But once again, I am thankful for the friends we’ve made along the way and the people who have made it their life’s work to provide support and encouragement to families struggling with pediatric cancer. (Hey, I could describe a few of you Caringbridge junkies the same way!)

Saturday, we got to take part in the first-ever Camp Sunshine Middle Georgia Family Fun Day. Camp Sunshine was kind enough to start up a monthly Middle Georgia Family Support Group Meeting almost a year ago, since most of us live too far away to take advantage of their Atlanta-area activities, where they are based. And this afternoon spent at a local “amusement” center was a fun way for more of the middle Georgia families to get acquainted. It was something like 184 degrees outside (only a slight exaggeration) and by the end of the afternoon, Kendrie (aka “Finishing up her Steroids-girl”) was pooped. But we had a wonderful time and I thought I would share some of the pictures with you.



In the meantime, we can look forward to a few other upcoming activities, like Family Camp Weekend and our (once-hurricane-postponed-pray-it-doesn’t-get-canceled-again) Lighthouse beach retreat. We’ll plug along, putting one foot in front of the other, and focus on the finish line. It’ll get here eventually, even if it feels like we’re speeding through molasses to reach the end, right?


Kendrie, hanging out "in the pit" (This was before she actually worked up the courage to get in one of the go-carts by herself ..... coward, but cute!)



While Dad's 2-seater go-cart was much faster, Kendrie decided she liked hers better. Her comment for Blaine was, "Why is this road so bumply?" Obviously, not the smoothest ride on the road.



Ahhhh, the first-ever taste of being airborne. It's fun, but a lot of work to get bouncing that high.



Kendrie, bless her heart, just didn't have the poundage behind the jump. She never got more than a foot off the trampoline, but she loved every second of it.



If there is a rock climb within a hundred miles, this boy will find it, and conquer it. OK, maybe "conquer" is too strong a word ... but at least give it a good go.



What a perfect way to end up the day .... shooting at your brother from the Bumper Blaster Boats, and trying to avoid his shots in return. At this point, I was dripping with sweat and seriously considered commandeering a Blaster Boat myself and "accidentally" falling in the water. But I thought I might look silly -- a lone adult amidst a group of 7 and 8 yr olds, all of us aiming to steer ourselves under the waterfull on purpose, just to cool off. So instead, I contented myself with sitting on a park bench in the shade, fanning my face with a sheet of paper, like an old lady, and taking the following picture of a very tired Kendrie:




One last thing before I go --- if you haven't heard, Chili's is sponsoring a "Live a Little, Give a Little" campaign on Sept 26th, and will donate 100 percent of their profits (minimum of $100,000) to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. You can also go to their web site Chili's Create A Pepper and create an online "Pepper" in someone's honor and make a donation, if you'd like. Please find a Chili's near you and make sure you eat there on Sept 26th -- what a wonderful event! If any of you are reading in the "Middle Georgia" area, we will be having dinner at the Chili's in Macon (Tom Hill Sr. Blvd, I think is the name of the street?) and we'd love to have you join us -- just e-mail me!

Thanks for checking in,
your non-speedy friend,
Kristie

KENDRIE'S PERSPECTIVE:

WORST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: Well, I have no idea. My mom is an insomniac and is writing this update in the middle of the night .... obviously, nothing too traumatic has happened YET!

BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: Still sleeping ...zzzzzzzzz, zzzzzzzzzzz, zzzzzzzzzzz.

“WOW, YOU’RE SO LUCKY THAT KENDRIE GOT CANCER!!”

Week #8, Long-Term Maintenance

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY:

One year ago today, Kendrie woke up with a fever. Actually, one year ago last night, she went to bed with a fever. We really didn’t give it a second thought. I mean, yeah, she had a weird fever six weeks ago, too, but it’s not cause for alarm, right? We gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed. When she woke up and still had a fever, I just assumed she had some 24-hour bug and kept her home from pre-school that morning. Kellen had a class party scheduled for his kindergarten class in the afternoon and I assumed Kendrie would perk right up -- she LOVED going to the older kids’ classes. Kellen’s teacher took this photo that afternoon, and it breaks my heart to see how pathetic Kendrie looked. I didn’t even realize how crummy she felt until I saw this photo. And I remember being annoyed that the damn fever still hadn’t gone away!



CURRENT:

My sister and I have a running joke going about how lucky we are that Kendrie got cancer. To back up and explain a little, my sister is good friends with a girl (who shall remain nameless because I didn’t ask her permission before sharing this story) whose parents divorced when she was very young. I’m not sure about all the details, but her dad either didn’t pay child support, or didn’t pay enough child support, for years and years and years. About the time she turned sixteen, he made a huge, lump-sum back payment on his child support and her mom let her use that money to buy a really nice car. (Way nicer than the green Maverick I drove --- see journal entry of Feb 7th, 2004, if you don’t remember MY piece of junk!) So when her friends would all say to her, “Wow, you’re so lucky your dad gave you the money to buy that car!” she would think to herself, “Yeah, it’s *real* lucky when your parents get a divorce and you grow up without a dad.”

Along those same lines, while we certainly wouldn’t use the adjective LUCKY to describe Kendrie’s diagnosis with leukemia, I have to admit there are a few silver linings in this cancer cloud, and we are feeling pretty fortunate to have them. Like it or not, you have to admit that sometimes, good things come out of bad situations. It’s hard to see them when you’re so busy frowning and scowling about the crap in your life …… but it’s there if you’ll just remember to look for it! (Wow, that sounded kind of Polly-anna-ish, didn't it?)

Case in Point: Family Weekend at Camp Sunshine, held this past weekend at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia. I was on the phone with my sister, telling her about the weekend we spent at Family Camp last April and how excited we were to go back, and amid the “Oh, it’s so much fun!” and “Oh, there’s so much to do!” and “Oh, we get to spend time with such nice families!” my sister is like, “Um, yeah, you guys are *so* lucky Kendrie got cancer so you could do things like that!” (insert sarcasm) and really, what can we do but laugh? She’s right, of course -- I’d take a boring weekend at home, with three cancer-free kids any day, but as long as this is the hand we’ve been dealt, think of all the great things we’ve gotten to do, places we’ve gone and best of all, the wonderful families we have met along the way!



Highlights of this past weekend included fishing, paddle-boating, bug hunting (NOT my personal favorite) panning for gold, arts & crafts, magic shows, games, baseball, and lots and lots of time just hanging out with other families who also got a big, fat unwelcome houseguest named childhood cancer on their doorstep. As one mom said, “Welcome to the club you never thought you’d join!” Best of all was spending time with online friends: Madie, our fellow ALL friend who is the other half of our Team Kendrie and Madie team for our upcoming Light The Night Fundraising Walk, and her mom Regina. (Thank you all who have donated to our cause already! We appreciate it and will be giving more details and revealing the final amount later this week!)

We also got to spend time this weekend with Brandon and his family, friends of ours from the Lighthouse; with Jacob and his family, whose mom Tiffany is also on my ALL online support group. It was our first chance to meet them in person, but hopefully not the last! (Tiffany, Kendrie has her new outfit for school tomorrow all lined up on the end of her bed --- thanks again!) Other online friends we met in person for the first time included Will and his family, who we had heard so much about, and Brady (Brady's Progress Page) and his family, who we met in passing at the clinic last month .... and who I hope to meet much more often in the future (LaFortune, we need to get together and go for a massage sometime, ha!)

It’s so great that there are organizations like Camp Sunshine who make it their mission to help families like us. Camp Sunshine is the group I am currently working with to start up a middle-Georgia support group for families. Contact me if you or anyone you know would like more information. We are holding our first meeting on November 2nd and I’m very excited about it.

Anyway, like I said, Camp was great. The a/c unit in our first cabin was broken so we had to change cabins the second day (I told you, *this* is my kind of camping!) but everything else went smoothly. Well, except for my kids fighting over everything under the sun (the wagon, whose turn was it to ride, and push, and pull, and whose bag of “jewels” were those, and whose turn was it to use the clippers to pick up bugs, and who was crowding who at the art table, and who got the last can of Coke … the list just goes on and on) But when they weren’t arguing like cats and dogs, we had some real family-bonding time! Kendrie’s favorite part (besides panning for gold which is always a huge hit) was being the “Worm Girl” at the fishing dock. She obviously got THOSE genes from her father!




We also love the Camp Songs CD we were given, which is what the song playing now is from. The singer’s name is (I think) John Abbott and he’s like a kinder, gentler Weird Al, with goofy songs that my kids just love. I could go on and on about how much fun we had, and how relaxing it was to get away from it all for few days, but it’s getting late and I’m tired. So I’ll close for now with a HUGE THANK YOU to the staff and volunteers who worked so hard this weekend to ensure our good time. You were extremely successful. In fact, we are feeling pretty darn lucky to have met you all. (smiles!)



Love, Kristie
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IS TIME SPEEDING UP, OR SLOWING DOWN?

(Or, is my sense of perception just changing drastically…..)


ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: I do not know what is wrong with this whiny child of mine but she is about on my last nerve. “Mom, my legs hurt …. Mom, carry me … Mom, my legs fell asleep” Good heavens, could the kid be any lazier??? I keep telling her that she has to walk … she’s four now, after all, and she will just stand there and fuss until I give in and pick her up and carry her. Good gracious, is she the biggest baby on the planet or what?


CURRENT: You remember when you were in college and you thought how much easier life would be once you were out of school and employed? Only once you got there, you realized how much easier life actually was in college? And how once you had a baby, you wondered what you ever did with all that free time before you had a baby? And then once you had a second and third baby, you looked at all the parents with only one measly baby and thought, “You guys just don’t know how easy you’ve got it!”

Blaine and I were having this exact (sort of) conversation this morning, when I mentioned to him that we are going to be out of town three of the next five Sundays. He, being a “yes, dear” sort of guy, couldn’t remember a single thing we had planned and I had to remind him: Camp Sunshine Day at Wild Adventures Theme Park; Camp Sunshine Family Camp Weekend; and the Light the Night Weekend in Atlanta. And the thought that suddenly ran through our heads was ….. “What the heck did we ever do with all our free time before Kendrie got cancer?”

We’ve only been in long-term maintenance one month, and already I don’t remember a time when we weren’t giving dozens of medications each week, on a demented “this one at night with no food and this one at night with food and this one at bedtime but half of the dose in the morning on Sundays only and this one after supper but before snack” kind of schedule. I counted for the first month: 87 doses of meds. Thank goodness several of them are pills we can give together. Throw in the Zyrtec and ointment Brayden is on for eczema and the amoxicillin Kellen is taking twice a day for his ear infection, and I swear to high heaven I could just have FLORENCE FREAKING NIGHTINGALE tattoo’d on my forehead.

Some days I look at Kendrie and think “I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for almost a year already” and other times I think, “I can’t believe we still have fifteen months to go!” Time is flying --- time is dragging. And I’m pretty sure that when it’s all over, we will sit back and think, “I can’t believe we thought we were busy when Kendrie was on chemo --- we didn’t know how easy we had it!”

But it’s certainly not all bad! Although I don’t miss our weekly trips to Atlanta, I have to say that I look forward to the monthly visits for a social reason --- it’s our chance each month to hook up with our chemo-buddy Catie and her mom Jenny, when Catie has her monthly chemo on the same day. This month Catie went inpatient a day early, so we had lunch with them in her hospital room. She is so cute and Kendrie just adores her! But it was also our chance to meet Mary Grace’s mom D.D., (who actually treated for lunch, and it was NOT purchased at the hospital cafeteria, let me tell you! She goes to what must be the neatest deli in Atlanta and Kendrie is still talking about her chocolate-covered cherry/Hershey kiss mouse with the walnut ears!) Mary Grace was diagnosed with a germ cell tumor only a month ago and I’m so impressed with D.D. for already being so proactive about meeting other moms and getting as much support as possible. As far as I’m concerned, getting together socially with these wonderful moms and kids will be the highlight of our Atlanta trip each month. (Kristin, next month we’ll have to arrange better with your schedule! And Regina and Tiffany, how far are you from the clinic??? You up for lunch some time?)

Oh, well, yeah, in case I forget, there’s also the whole “chemo” reason for going. Kendrie’s counts were fine, although her oncologist warned us that usually in the second or third month of long-term maintenance the counts will start to bounce all over the place as the body adjusts to the medications. Something highly technical about red blood cells living 90 days, so it takes that long to accumulate, blah blah. We’ve just been forewarned not to panic if it happens. But for now, Kendrie is still doing great. (whew!) She received her vincristine through her port and except for a few moments when it wouldn't flush and they thought they might have to re-stick her, things went fine. Luckily, Kendrie's favorite nurse Mary came to the rescue. Dr. B tickled her foot (Kendrie's, not Mary's) and I think the wiggling allowed Mary to get the heparin through, thank goodness!

So, back to the support part of the equation. After the great lunch we had, I had a meeting with a staff member at Camp Sunshine, the wonderful support group that meets in Atlanta. You know they are wonderful,and brilliant, and helpful, because look at the stunning family that was on the cover of this quarter’s Camp Sunshine newsletter:




I mean, really, how could they go wrong? (wink, wink)

But seriously, I am working with Camp Sunshine to get a support group started for parents of kids with cancer here in the middle Georgia area. As wonderful as their programs are, and the awesome facility and staff they have there, Atlanta is simply too far of a drive for most of us to zip up there after work in the evening. So it’s in the very initial, beginning, baby-step phase right now, but hopefully we’ll be able to pull it together, get the facilitators hired, and get our first meeting lined up in the next two or so months. I’m very excited about the prospect of meeting with other parents on a regular basis, and hope it’s well-received. If anyone reading this is located in the middle-Georgia area and would be interested in more information, or knows someone who might like more information, please e-mail me privately and I’ll be happy to let you know what’s in store.

Just thought I should mention that since starting steroids last week, Kendrie, along with Ivan, has been upgraded to a Level 5 Hurricane. She’s not eating us out of house and home yet, but we had an ugly episode today when Brayden was commandeering the television, watching The Saddle Club, and wouldn’t offer up the remote for change. I always forget how Sybill-ish Kendrie can become on steroids and it takes me by surprise when it happens; when my normally fun-loving, pleasant child turns into Charles Manson. Sooooo happy it’s only five days worth of steroids!

Speaking of storms, on a more serious note, I knew my perspective had changed when I started reading the front story of today’s local paper about the DEVASTATING local effects of Hurricane Frances. Apparently, a large number of pecan crops have been ruined and we’ll be paying something like $300 a bag at the grocery store for pecans this winter. Whatever. THAT is not devastating! That is annoying, that is too bad, that is “maybe you should make fudge with walnuts instead of pecans at Christmas” kind of stuff. It is not devastating. Devastated is how the parents of Carter Martin must feel right now, watching their beautiful, wondrous son pass away this afternoon at home after losing his battle with Ewing’s sarcoma. Devastated is how the parents of Thomas Peterpaul must feel, losing their son yesterday to leukemia. I never knew Thomas; I only met Carter and his family once. But I feel such a huge loss for their families, all the same.

I wish I had something profound to say about time … and how I’m sure they would give anything to have some of it back with their sons. But I don’t.

Peace be with you both, Carter and Thomas.

Kristie

“Makin’ Lemonade!”

Week #3 of IM #2

OK, let me be the first to say cancer pretty much stinks and no one wants to be here voluntarily. But you know what they say about when life hands you lemons ….. well, to be sure, Country Time ain’t got nothing on us! We are making lemonade, baby!

After our fun (albeit cold, and no thanks to my Canadian friends for mocking my pain) trip to DC for Easter, we had two more fun, cancer-related events happen this past weekend. Who knew that a diagnosis of leukemia would be such a boost for our sagging social life?!?

First, on Friday, we attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the brand spankin’ new AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders Service Outpatient Clinic at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. (Whew, what a mouthful!) While the staff has been fabulous since Day One of Kendrie’s diagnosis, they were falling all over each other in the old, cramped, crowded clinic. Now, with 23,000 square feet of space, funded in part by a $2.5 million gift from AFLAC, well, I don’t know that we’ll actually *look forward* to chemo, but let’s just say we’ll be riding in the Rolls Royce of Cancer Centers from this point on. It was nice to be a part of the opening day ceremony and see the excitement of the staff who definitely deserve such an amazing facility.












Did I mention that amid the new, immaculate, spotless facilities, with new carpet, new treatment rooms, conference rooms, offices, etc (emphasis on the word NEW) they served a BBQ lunch and one of my family members (not me!) had the dubious distinction of being the first one to spill a plate of BBQ on the brand new carpet? It’s always nice to be remembered for *something* but that wasn’t quite what I had in mind. And for the record, it’s much harder to yell at your kids when there are lots of other adults present.

Then, we left from the ceremony and took part in a Family Camp Weekend at Twin Lakes Camp, sponsored by Camp Sunshine. “Camp Sunshine provides programs throughout the year to give children with cancer the opportunity to enjoy normal activities like swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, and making friends!” Now if that sounds like a commercial, it’s because I took it directly off their website. Go there and check out this wonderful organization and all they do for kids with cancer, and the parents and siblings of kids with cancer.













Before those of you who know me fall over backwards in your chairs at the fact my name and “camping” were mentioned in the same sentence, let me be quick to reassure you that this is MY kind of camping --- private cabins that have heat, a/c, full baths and electricity. The camp is run by volunteers who cook, clean, and facilitate activities for the families that include fishing, boating, archery, panning for gold (my kids’ favorite!) tennis, putt putt, arts & crafts, sports … the list goes on and on. After our weekend in DC (have I mentioned to you guys that it was cold there?) the weather Gods threw us a HUGE bone and it was perfect at Camp Sunshine! Sunny, high 70’s, perfect weather for being outside. In fact, hiking down to the lake I got something suspiciously close to perspiration on my upper lip so I’d say it was almost too warm.

All of the families who attended (around twenty families) have a child either on treatment, or finished with treatment, for a variety of cancers. Talk about a peer group made in Heaven for us! And although the prevalent mood of the camp is FUN, not cancer, it was still a great chance for us to visit with other parents facing the same challenges, fears and frustrations as we are. A special memory for me this weekend was meeting Dustin, one of the counselors at the camp who used to attend as a camper himself. Diagnosed at age 7 with ALL, Dustin is now a college junior who was kind enough to visit with our family, take a special interest in Kendrie, and provide me with a glimpse of what “can be” in our future. Thank you, Dustin, for holding out that special hope for us this weekend … that kids can and are cured of this disease and go on to become kind, caring adults. The kind who now spend their spare time helping other kids with cancer attend camp. Many MANY kudos to the wonderful people who make Camp Sunshine a success.

So, I guess that’s it for us the past few days. I feel a little odd talking about how much fun we are having with all these cancer-related activities. Trust me when I say I’d much rather be sitting at home, watching a boring movie from Blockbuster, complaining that there just isn’t anything to do. You know, the way my life used to be, about six months ago. Oh well (sigh) pass me the lemons … I’ve got some squeezing to do!

Love, Kristie

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED AT CAMP LAST WEEKEND BY OUR FAMILY MEMBERS:

Blaine: Having a massage by a man does not automatically make you gay.

Kristie: Wearing new tennis shoes to camp is a really stupid way to start the weekend.

Brayden: Never go to bed with gum in your mouth. Enough said.

Kellen: Being the kid who actually catches a fish in front of everyone else is a cool thing!

Kendrie: Conga lines are much more fun when your Mom is carrying you! Hey Mom, why are you breathing so hard???