Spoiled Rotten

 BJ with the Kansas City Chiefs stopped by Friday afternoon for a game of spades and to bring Logan a KC Chiefs sweat shirt signed by some of the current Cheifs players.

THANK YOU BJ!

Thank you to Kris, Rex, and Krista for the visit too!  You guys are spoiling our boy rotten!  And he is loving every moment!

Double Transfusion

Logan's CBC this morning;  Hgb 7.9, Platelets 11.  Getting a double transfusion.  Otherwise Logan is doing great.

Caroling Friends

A huge thank you to our friends for taking the time to spread a little holiday cheer to Logan last night!  You put a smile on all our faces.  We feel loved and cared for indeed.  

First Week with no Transfusions

Logan and I just got back from the doctor office, and this looks like it will be his first week with out a transfusion since September.  His numbers are not wonderful, but good enough to let him go another week before the next CBC (we have been going twice weekly).  His hemoglobin is 8.3, Platelets 33 & ANC 200.  They have been tracking the trends and believe that the hemoglobin, while still dropping, will soon be on the rise.  Logan feels a little more tired than usual and has some dizziness when he stands but nothing severe and all quite manageable.  An ANC of 200 is still concerning to us and we are keeping Logan on the germ avoidance protocol that has been in effect for the last two months.   If Logan's condition worsens we will go in for an early CBC but as of right now we are looking forward to a quiet week of holiday festivities.  

CHIEFS!

COLDEST CHIEFS GAME EVER!  And we were there!  Logan's friends have connections!  They gifted our family with tickets to today's Chiefs game and pregame sideline passes.  Logan has been so excited for today to finally get here.  The cold couldn't curb this guy's enthusiasm.  

Eric took a picture of the snow covered seats from the field.  Trust me... it was colder than it looked!

While we enjoyed seeing the players practice drills from the sidelines we were very grateful to have a warm suite waiting for us.

The folks from Farmland welcomed us with open arms.  They heard about Logan from former Chiefs player Anthony Davis. 



 They gifted Logan with a very nice autographed football signed by all the 2016 Pro Bowl players then took Logan and Amanda shopping in the gift shop for some Chiefs gear.  I can't believe the generosity of these kind people.  

The view of the field was amazing!

Our warm breath would fog up the window but we were happy to scrape off the ice and dry the moisture every so often.  We were so thankful to watch the game from the warm suite!

There were many visitors to the suite throughout the game but I think Logan particularly enjoyed meeting some of the Chiefs cheerleaders!  

Today we made some lasting memories.  Thank you to Farmland, the Chiefs Ambassadors, and other friends who worked behind the scenes to make this special day a reality.

Amanda's First Concert

Amanda had her first concert at school on Thursday.  She is in the orchestra and choir.  Feel free to watch the videos if you like!  I'm sure it's just like being there!!!

Family Birding Trip

Since we are still avoiding places with lots of germs Logan hasn't been getting out of the house much and is going a little stir crazy.  Today we all piled into the car and drove to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge for some bird watching.

We spotted more than 30 eagles... but with only a dinky cell phone for photos this was the  best I could do...  Some day I  will remember my stinking camera!

Logan was in awe of thousands of snow geese.

We also spotted hundreds of trumpeter swans and a flock of about 20 sandhill cranes.  Eric and Amanda were good sports while Logan and I made them stop over and over again to look at this bird and that bird...  towards the end of the loop Logan spotted a monster buck chasing a little doe.  I wasn't fast enough to get a junky cell phone photo of that.

Labs from Today

Logan had another lab appointment this morning and while he needed yet another platelet transfusion his ANC jumped more than one hundred points to 290 in just 3 days!  Looks like his bone marrow is starting to get to work!

Results Are Back

The test results are back for Logan's bone marrow aspirate.  He is only 11% leukemic cells!  The doctors are shocked by his response to this new drug.   We will take it!

End of First Cycle

Today is the last day for Logan's first round of this new drug.  He will have 7 days off before starting again.  So far so good with side effects.  He had a little bit of rash, minor occasional nausea, and only a a couple of headaches so far.  He is still going in for weekly transfusions since his own body is still not making blood but the last two CBC showed no blasts in the peripheral blood.  Logan goes in for a bone marrow aspirate on Tuesday and we should have those results by Thursday.

Our Weekend in Photos

We have had a busy Thanksgiving weekend. 

The dogs played in the leaves...

... we destroyed our living room while putting up our Christmas tree...

... and we went camping with Grandpa and Debbie.

We had a visitor join us at the campground...

 ... and enjoyed exploring Grandpa's new camper...

... and meeting their new dog Lucy.

It was a beautiful weekend for camping...

... and while we needed to bundle up to be outside...

...it wasn't too cold for us!

 

Quiet Thanksgiving

The four of us enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving yesterday followed by our annual Christmas tree trimming.   We have plans to go camping tonight, but this morning Logan is at the clinic getting tanked up on blood and platlets.  I will post pictures of our family weekend soon.

Little to Report

Logan has had several doctors appointments this week for lab draws and so far so good with this new drug.  He has had minor side effects so far with headache, nausea, and a small rash covering his scalp being his only ailments.  He did need another platelet transfusion yesterday but his ANC was up slightly to 140.  We are still being hyper aware of illness and avoiding crowds and so far so good in that department too.  Next checkup will be Monday morning.

Day One

Day one for the new chemo drug was a long one but uneventful medically.  Logan tolerated the new drug with only minor a headache.  So far so good, but time will tell as he will be on this drug for a long time.

His ANC is up to 100.  That is still considered neutropenic but Eric and I did a little happy dance that the boy has a little bit of an immune system.  He also got a double bag blood transfusion yesterday so he is all tanked up and ready to take on the world.

Shooting Sports

Logan has a love affair with guns.  I'm pretty sure he has never met a gun he didn't like.  Big guns, little guns, shotguns, and riffles... he loves them all.  His dad and grandpa took him to the shooting range for a fun afternoon of pulling the trigger.

He took a liking to grandpa's handgun.  He's a good shot too.

He also tried his hand at trap shooting.  He will need to practice more at this sport, as he didn't hit the target once, but fun none the less.

Eric also had a chance to shoot.  His first time out he shot 4 out of 25 targets.    

Then on opening day for deer season Logan and Eric braved the cold to sit in a tree stand.  They were only in the stand about 40 minuets before Logan shot his first deer of the season.  I am told that it was a great shot.  

New Drug Is A Go

Logan has been given the green light to begin this new chemo drug on Monday.  This first day is going to be a long one as Logan will need to have labs drawn multiple times throughout the day to test how his body is processing the drug.  We expect to be at the clinic from 7am to 6pm on Monday and will need to go back again for more labs on Tuesday and Thursday this week.  After the first week he will have clinic appointments every Monday.

Each drug cycle lasts 21 days.  Logan will get a week off from the drug in which time they will do a bone marrow biopsy to check for remission.  We are being told to expect at least two cycles (so 2 months) before we start to see improvement.

Fighting Weight

Logan had another clinic appointment yesterday and he is now officially back up to his pre-chemo fighting weight.  Operation Calories Count is now officially over.  Operation Healthy Food has now been enacted.  It certainly helps to be back here at home with Dad's yummy home cooking!

Logan did great yesterday for his procedure, however his CBC showed that his ANC is down to 30.  He has a weaker immune system than when he was released from the hospital.  Eric and I are doing our very best to keep the germs out of the house by avoiding the sneezing and coughing people out in public.  Amanda is even doing her part by taking extra showers when she comes home from being around germy kids at school and such.

Logan's other blood counts were low too on Tuesday so they are asking us to go back to the clinic on Thursday for another CBC and probably transfusions.  As of right now, they are planing to start the new drug on Monday.

Logan is still in good spirits and feeling good.  You wouldn't know he is sick by looking at him.

Ring and Results

Right before Logan left the hospital last week, Mark Collins, former KC Chiefs player, stopped by to visit Logan again.  Logan wasn't feeling very energetic due to medication, but while Mark was there he gave Logan his Chiefs Ambassador ring to hold onto until Logan kicked this cancer.  We have placed the ring in a place of great honor... on our fireplace mantel next to our beloved family photos.  Logan looks at the ring often and is hoping it will bring him good luck in the coming months.

Logan's rash is continuing to improve.  His skin still looks a little modded, but the texture of his skin is back to normal.  The skin biopsy came back as inconclusive, except they know for sure it is not leukemia in the skin.  Whatever caused the rash will not keep Logan from taking this new chemo drug.  

Logan has an appointment tomorrow for another bone marrow biopsy that is required for the drug study.  I believe this is the last step before the new drug trial can begin.  I'm not sure when his official start date will be but I expect it to be sometime next week.  

In the meantime, we have been enjoying spending time together watching movies, doing crafts, and other assorted projects.  

Two Fellas Missed Him

  Logan is home and soaking up the  attention of two golden retrievers.  The boys have missed him over the past month and a half...  Eric and I are enjoying cooking a meal together for our family.   Amanda is loving having her whole family under the same roof.    Sometimes the simple things are missed the most.

Tomorrow Is Only A Day Away

Logan will be released from the hospital tomorrow.  The doctors have lined up a whole slew of tests for tonight and tomorrow morning to make sure he is eligible for this clinical trial.  If his heart is good, kidneys are working, liver function is okay, and he passes his skin biopsy he will be good to go for the trail.  After they do all those tests they will be sending us home.   We should hear the results in a few days.

40% Leukemic Cells

Logan's test results are back.  40% of his bone marrow is leukemic.  We have done all the tried and true medications so now we are left with experimental drugs.    Eric and I have weighed all the pros and cons and consulted with Logan and we are going to put him on a clinical trial for Lenalidomide.  It will be done mostly outpatient so Logan can be home where he is most comfortable.  We are still waiting to hear of the timing of everything, but hopefully he will be home soon.

Done and Back in the Room

Logan's bone marrow biopsy is done and he is back in his room recovering while surrounded by his Halloween swag.  We should get the results either late today or early tomorrow.  

The rash is still going strong and the doctors are running tests and consulting experts to see where we go from here.  Next CBC is tomorrow.

A Rash That Won't Go Away

Logan's rash from this Platelet transfusion keeps coming back.  The doctors are not sure why, but have tried several different drugs that have had little to no effect on the rash.  It doesn't seem to be bothering him too much so there is the bright side!

Today's CBC Results

Today's CBC results are back.  Logan is still not making any blood.  His doctor will do a bone marrow biopsy on Monday to see what is going on in his bones.  Hemoglobin 7.5; Platelets 110; ANC 10.  He also had a lot of blasts in his CBC.

Busy Day

This morning Logan started off his day with a double bag platelet infusion.  His platelets were at 5.  Hemoglobin was 7.4. 

 ANC 20.

However, unlike every other time Logan has gotten platelets, this time Logan had a reaction to the second batch.  It started as itchy skin and eyes.  Then he started coughing and his nose was running like crazy.  About that time I noticed he was getting hives.  Then a rash popped up over his whole body.  Doctors were called and while they were looking him over, Logan said he couldn't hear very well and it was hard to swallow.  He also felt like he couldn't breath.  Logan was having a severe reaction to the platelets.  After a double dose of benadryl he started to feel better.  It took several hours for him to feel like his normal mischievous self.  

About the time he was feeling better he got another round of Chiefs Ambassador visitors.  Keith Cash, Shawn Barber, and Billy Baber hung out with Logan and played a couple of rounds of Phase 10.  

One of Logan's friends from Camp Quality has organized this massive cheer up party for him and it is working.  He is really enjoying meeting the football players and playing a few rounds of cards with them when possible.  

THANK YOU CQ!

Chiefs Ambassadors

Logan's friends at Camp Quality organized some cheer up visits from the Chiefs Ambassadors.  This morning, Deron Cherry stopped by to bring Logan lots of junk food, a very nice signed NFL football, and a signed poster.  Eric was here with him but was not able to take a photo (bad phone!)

Then his afternoon, while Logan's Aunt and cousin were visiting, Mark Collins stopped by.

Then Anthony Davis dropped by shortly thereafter.  We invited him to join our card game and he was a great spades player.

As you can tell from Logan's face he really enjoyed the visits today. 

Don't Panic

Logan has had a funky blood test result that concerned his doctors and prompted further tests.  He has had some blasts in his blood that were unusual.  The blasts are immature white blood cells that should have stayed in his bones to mature and become something... like a neutrophil... to fight infections.  Sometimes, when a person is recovering from chemo, their body will spit out white blood cells before they are done maturing.  I think of it as the body going into a panic attack and trying to hurry the blood making process along.  The blasts are lazy white blood cells, just taking up space and not doing anything.  Because Logan had blasts in his blood, and no other white blood cells to speak of, the doctors had them do a stain test and discovered that some of the blasts were suspicious.  It is possible that the latest round of chemo did not get all of the leukemia.  

Logan can still do the bone marrow transplant if he has 5% or less leukemic cells in his body.  After his first round he still had 11% leukemic cells, ergo the second round of chemo.  We won't know what percentage of cancer might still be there until they do a bone marrow biopsy.  

The last couple of days of CBCs were encouraging to the doctors so right now we wait and see.  Once his bones start making some "good blood" he can do the bone marrow biopsy to determine if the leukemic cells are still there.  If the "lazy blood" makes a come back, they will do the bone marrow biopsy early to see what's going on in the bones.  

Daily CBCs

Logan is currently getting daily CBCs.  Eric and I have different options on this.  I love getting the daily counts.  They draw the labs at 4am while everyone is sleeping so at 7am shift change I hover over the nurses waiting for my morning fix.  They are always happy to oblige and read off his blood counts to me.  Of course, that's not enough for this blood junkie.  I also need a paper print out to put on my CBC wall of fame.  I then pour over the printouts and compare today's numbers to the past few days to look for upward trends.  I live for the CBC results.

Eric, on the other hand, just wants a thumbs up or down from the doctors.  He doesn't want to know the numbers.  He doesn't want to look at the printouts.  He feels less stress if he doesn't obsess over the numbers.  If the doctors tell him the CBC looked good, he's happy to take their word for it.  It's funny how different we are in that respect.  

So, for those of you like my husband... Logan's CBC got a thumbs up today.

For those of you like me... his hemoglobin is 8.5, platelets are 30, and ANC is 20.  (ANC is on the rise!!!)  Fingers crossed that tomorrow the numbers will be higher.  

Best Room In The House

For the past month we have been enjoying watching the helicopters land on top of the building and today I finally got a photo!  It's the little things that make us smile.  ANC this morning was 10.  Could be a little blip or could be Logan making some blood finally.  They will be doing daily CBCs through the weekend and monitoring him closely.