Going South Should Be Easy

We met with Harry and Sharon yesterday over pizza and pop.  What a wonderful couple to represent the Make A Wish foundation.  They came to deliver our shirts, check on our plans for Hannah's Make A Wish, and brought us pizza and treats to boot.  We even got to hear about their trip to Africa in support of building a school.  It was fantastic!

We finally received the 'BIG' package from the Michigan Make A Wish headquarters, which outlines our travel plans and time to be spent at Give Kids The World.  It was one of those moments that makes you sit back in order to catch your breath - right before all the screaming begins:  "WE'RE HEADING TO FLORIDA!"

Hannah and Max have never been on a plane before, so our excitement for them matches their excitement to go.  It's a lot like watching the kids come down the staircase on Christmas morning to see what lies under the tree.  Besides the plane ride we found out that the whole family gets to have a luncheon at the castle with the princesses.  I could see the puzzled look on Sam's face when I said, "The reservation here says it's for five people.  Guess what,...you're dining with fairy tale gals!"

"Nooooo!  Do I have to go?"  Sam may have been outwardly protesting, but deep, deep down I know he's thinking he's the luckiest guy on the face of the planet.  

Aside from the ladies in big puffy dresses, we're ready for takeoff and what ever comes our way!  I mean,... once we figure out what the parameters for flight actually are.  

Tis The Time

Going Christmas Retro

"Have you done the Holiday Cards yet?"

Kim already knows the answer to the question. She's just toying with me psychological-like. We've been receiving various cards and photos in the mail (thanks everyone). It was just her casual way to put verbal reminder-foot to my butt in order to get me moving. And yet,... I sit here once again, having left everything I need at home.
I still have time, right?

The whole family is getting geared for Hannah's Make A Wish trip over Christmas Break - "Sixteen days," Sam mutters to me as I drop him off at school this morning. I didn't even need to ask what he was talking about. We are heading to a place called Give Kids the World.
Countless smiles, endless laughter… and a week full of dreams come true. Each day, Give Kids The World lives by this mission and has made a promise to never turn a child away. The Village was built through the selfless commitment and generous spirit of individuals and corporations who wanted to make a difference in the life of a child. Since 1986, more than 88,000 children have had their dream come true at Give Kids The World. No child in need has ever been turned away – and no child ever will. Give Kids The World is a place where families find joy, laughter, serenity, and a lifetime of memories. Through the tireless support of our volunteers, employees and generous partners, we dedicate each and every day to these special families.

With the trip to GKTW, also comes three days at Disney, two at Universal Studio, and a trip to Sea World. The biggest excitement for Hannah will more than likely be on that first day when she receives a Princess Makeover at the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo boutique in Cinderella's Castle.
Sam on the other hand had other questions, "What the heck are we suppose to do?" Not to worry about the boys during 'girl time', I think we'll be able to find something in the Magical Kingdom to occupy our time.

Hannah is doing great with her arm. They want to cast her pinkie finger in order to keep it stretched out, along with starting her back on therapy two days a week. The idea is to keep things stretched as much as possible, while she continues to grow, and before surgery.

One last note before I go: As a teacher I get to hear and see wonderful things from students all year long. Just this week, for example, my students were pealing off the layers of snow clothing in the hall - the noise level climbing to a fevered pitch as they discussed issues of not being able to feel their toes, fingers, or face muscles. Trying to get through the mine field of snow pants and boots was the Autistic class. As they began the trudge through the mess, one little autistic boy lifts his head and yells, "Shut The Hell Up!"

The hallway dropped to a hum. Well said,... and effective too. There was nothing more to say,... unless you consider,.. And Merry Christmas to All!

The Payoff

Finally!

We made the drop off without a hitch to the Bronson Pediatric Hemoc Clinic .

"We heard you were coming and about the gifts you were brining. My daughters are so excited," we had just entered the clinic waiting room to visit with a mom who had been chatting with the receptionist. Daughters? Did she say she had two daughters in the clinic?

Nurse Jean was our contact person and the nurse that we had when we first visited the clinic at the very beginning of our trek through treatments.

"Where did you get these?" Nurse Jean was trying to pry information from Hannah.
"We went to Best Buy," Hannah stated.

"Well,... how did you get them?" Nurse Jean asked very patiently hoping to hear Hannah explain about the Cookies for Cancer Kids.
"We paid for them," another brief answer.
"Hannah,... tell her what we did ALL last summer," Kim jumped in with her impatient voice. I personally did the 'stare' at Hannah which said, stop being a knucklebrain and tell her before I fly through air dropping a little hammerlock on her head.

Hannah started off a bit shy and reserved, but slowly came around to being herself.


"What part did you have in helping with the cookies," Sam who sat with the other Wii, was questioned.

"I helped eat them."


Nurse Jean and Doctor Mattano with the kids and all the Wii gear.

Clear Ahead

We received clear scans yesterday - yet the day seemed extremely long. We'll take l o n g any day over cancer.

The doctors spent a great deal of time trying to figure out where to go from here with Hannah's arm. They feel that there's tendons literally pulling Hannah's hand downward, preventing her from straightening the wrist and using it the way it was originally designed.

The order for more tests came late in the day. In order to make a decision, Drs. Shin and Bishop want more information to determine the best path to follow. Although Dr. Bishop commented, "As she grows the bone becomes longer, but the tendons won't stretch further, so her hand will continue to worsen." Dr. Laack described the tendons as rubber bands that stretch with the movement; however, after radiation , they become more like shoelaces. They will have some give, but not the way in which they use to.

When we come back in February, Hannah will have some tests added to her schedule and a plan will be made. Dr. Bishop doesn't seem to think there's any other way then going back into the radiated field and cutting some things loose. Dr. Shin began the conversation with, "Going into a radiated field is tough! It's like making your way through a mine field - you may make it all the way through, but somewhere along the way, something is going to be injured." After listening to Dr. Bishop, who has worked in many radiated fields before, Dr. Shin said, "As Dr. Bishop talks, I become more brave and willing to try." He further went on to tell us that Dr. Bishop has tons of experience with this area - which comforts us a great deal.

However, the best conversation we had was when Hannah told Dr. Bishop that she had switched to the French horn (with his expertise in music as well, he recommended the change for Hannah's sake). Dr. Shin, a professed non-musical person, jokingly told Dr. Bishop, "I think the French horn sucks." To which Dr. Bishop replied, "Well, that's where you are wrong. It doesn't suck, it blows." Classic! Two top notch surgeons in the country sharing wit over music.

We're heading home.

Peace and Prayers

On the Way

Heading back to Mayo this week for scans. Hannah will have the usual series of CT and MRI scans, along with checking out her heart. Strange to use the word "usual", but at least we know what is in store.

We ask for prayers for clear scans and that the doctors have a good plan for reconstruction of her wrist.

Minister of Education

It's Official - Kim has completed her training and education as a Lutheran Minister of Education!

We have been blessed in many ways over this past year, and this is just another example of God working in us and through us. As Kim worked night after night, beginning in January, she has stayed the course (a little political quote for ya, with elections in two days), and finalized her training with two oral exams over the past week.

We are so proud of her efforts!

Hannah is scheduled for scans and plans (for her wrist) on November 17-18. In order to see all involved it will make for some very long days! We'll keep you posted.

Peace and Prayers

Book in the Making

Thanks for checking in,....

"What's going on with the blog? There's no entries, no Foto Friday,...."

Okay, okay. I realize I've been a bit absent - but with good reason.

About a month ago I sent off an excerpt (a short manuscript) of Hannah's story to a publishing company that I had come across on the internet. I wanted to find a publisher with a Christian foundation and I think I did just that. Tate Publishing has read the manuscript and is willing to publish a book with me.

To be honest, it was a little overwhelming to receive an actual contract, but since that point, I've been busily writing. There hasn't been a great deal of time for blogging between the book and writing papers for my class, I feel tapped out with writing.

As things progress with the process of making a book I should know more about the release date. The publishing company did mention book signings in our area. I was hoping to have at least one book signing somewhere in Hawaii. Of course, everyone will have to travel with us for the book purchase.

next stop - Oprah perhaps.

We head back to Mayo in November for scans.

Tennis Final Foto

Someone just advanced to the Quarter Finals

Service With a Twist

Return to Sender

Gwum-Key

It's about football and food.

"When is the game coming on?"
"What should we have to eat?"

I was curious,... after all, I had just gotten out of bed and these are the things I needed to know for my first Saturday off since the beginning of the football season and the beginning of Sam's tennis - who wouldn't be excited?

Sam and his teammates wrapped up their tennis season at the state tournament in a strong fashion. They ended 4th in the state. It was Sam's first experience playing at this level of win or go home. He and his partner, Alex, made a run to the quarter finals before dropping to the number 1 ranked squad. Yet, it was the conversation before the match and after that I will remember most.

"Holy cow, are these guys good," Sam had been watching the competition prior to the quarter final match. "We are so dead." It was a simple statement but said so much.

Trying to be the positive dad I was able to give Sam some pointers, "Hey look,... that guy hits the ball into the net just as hard as you."
"Shuttttt it," was Sam's retort.

My effectiveness as a motivational speaker was lacking some. I decided to try another approach. "Look at it this way, they are expecting to kick your butt. You're freshman. Maybe they will be over confident," I shot a smile, but it was returned by a look of get as far away from me as possible.

The match went better than expected with some hard shots back and forth, yet points slowly fell to the opponents as they edged out Sam and Alex. When Sam finished and sat down in the chair next to me I could see the steam rolling out of his ears.

"Mad, huh?" I attempted to poke the bear.
"What do you think?" Sam gave me the teenage response with tone-a-tude.

"I think if you didn't think you could beat these guys, you wouldn't be so mad. I think you realized when you were out there that, while they may be good, you realized that you're pretty good yourself. I think,..."

"Okay, I got it!" still mad, but he got the point.

Next year - Beyond the Quarter Finals.

Peace and Prayers

Time to go eat Gwum-key and watch more football.

When Won

It's been a whirlwind past two weeks as Sam wrapped up a conference tennis tournament with a second place,... then on to the Regionals where he and his partner Alex swept the 4 doubles and took the championship! The rest of Sam's teammates,... well, they all swept their flights to win Regionals. Next stop,... STATE!

Hannah had a milestone of her own over this weekend. "Dad! You'll never believe it!" came the phone call.

"Oh no,.. please tell me that you didn't break a perfect streak. Streaks are so hard to keep going," Hannah's team (5-6th grade girls basketball) had struggled a great deal over the season and had yet to win a game.

"We did. We won our first game," you could hear the relief in her voice. "The game took two and half hours to play and we had five overtimes and I never came out I was so exhausted!"

I was exhausted after hearing it. For a youth basketball game, which plays 6 minute quarters, 150 minutes seemed a little unbelievable - but it was true.

6 Letter Word - Budget

The fixed income. Hate it, like it, live it, blow it.

Kim and I have been involved in the Dave Ramsey mode of finance where you actually do a budget. Piece of cake. I can make numbers jump columns, the poor become less poor, and an eraser sing as it goes across the spreadsheet for the Nth time. It's a work of art by the time I'm finished: "Honey, get the frame, polish the glass,...... this baby is ready to be displayed, admired, and,....." well that's about it. The follow through seems to lack a little pizzazz.

Case in point: The little light in the vehicle comes on telling me that something is in need of attention. Not a problem - my way of assuring myself that I'm not about to get the 'Mechanic Special' by Mr. Wrench (the 2nd cousin twice removed from the more famous Mr. French - who, without a doubt made some nice coin for what he did). Well, a half of an Ellen Show and some local news in the hospitality lounge of the mechanics garage,... and I'm walking away with ONE IMPOSSIBLE FINANCIAL BUDGET. Oh sure, I could fudge the numbers once again, but that would require the removal of glass, the taking apart a thing of beauty. Who wants that? No one - right?!

So as I'm driving away from my cash-ectomy, I find myself really quite angry that this fine establishment has my money,...my budget,... but the worst part was, as I glanced down at the dashboard I find the ultimate "In Your Face" - the check engine light is still on! They did all the extra work to the vehicle, charged me a ton of money, but apparently it wasn't enough for the light to shut off. At this point what is there to do? I'll tell you,... you live it. Sometimes you live it to the best situations, and sometimes you just live 'It'. Today, I'm going to live it. Hopefully, tomorrow,.. I don't blow it.

The Silver in All

Okay,... silver lining in the market strife. I'm no longer the only loser when it comes to not having much put away in their Roth IRA. Suddenly, my time in the nursing home just became more interesting. I can hear it already, "Oatmeal again?! Why if the market could have held, I would have been eating lobster in some pub off the coast of Maine! Okay, maybe not lobster,.... but I would definitely be in some pub off the coast of Maine!,... or Michigan! Yeah,.. most assuredly Michigan." Then I remember that money and stuff is just on loan. Apparently, unlike Wall Street today.

Got to spend some time on the court tonight working with Hannah's basketball team. It brings back how much I really enjoy coaching and working with kids. After Hannah's diagnosis, it was one thing that I thought I would never have again,.. time with her on the court - but then I found myself (watching players run the wrong direction, passes being thrown to the middle of nowhere) enjoying it more than ever. It wasn't so much the basketball, as much as it was basketball with Hannah.

The Non-Decaf Venting

Foto Friday bets are off! I just finished writing a paper for my college course, and if I never have to look up APA format again, I will be okay. If there were a top ten list for things that absolutely suck when your in your forties it would be this:

10: People in the 30's!

9: Having a college loan.

8: Still using furniture from your college days.

7: The fact that I know what life is like without a computer.

6: Paying for water.

5: A paycheck that doesn't read "infinity" in the net column.

4: Belts in your closet no longer fit, but you can't get rid of them (just in case).

3: When someone says, "Wow,.. really,... you're in your 40's?"

2: Everything hurts longer.

1: Still having to write a college paper!


The bonus to being in my forties,... I made it this long, I might as well keep going!

Peace and Prayers

Get Your Gaming Face On

Hours of baking, hours of selling,...now came time for the payoff!

From the moment Hannah began her cookie and lemonade stand, the goal was clear:  Sell, sell, and sell some more. 

Then purchase something special for the kids in the hospital who are fighting cancer.  Something that would make things seem a little less bad.  Is that grammar used good or well? 

 I think my English teacher is going to seek me out and break me down like a sentence diagram.

Today was finally the first step towards the end of  all her hard work - it began with a cash recount.  "Dad I have a total,"  she announced to me as I watched the Bears game.  

"Ya, that's great,... talk to me in 15 minutes,"  I didn't mean to seem so flippant, but it was Da Bears! 

a moment of silence please due to a bad call by the ref on a 3rd and long situation that would have clearly put the Bears in great field position to win the game in overtime  (once again just another clear sign that societal gambling pressures affected yet another referee and the calls made in a game to determine the outcome).

Once we had the money counted and recounted, and my grief passed as I chanted the mantra of "it's just a game, it's just a game," we headed off to Best Buy to make our purchase of the Wii. 

 

Why the Wii? Why not movies or board games or PSP games or tiny ponies?  After going through many hospital stays, we wanted something for everyone - from the smallest child to oldest adult.  Something that everyone could play without knowing much about it.  If you've ever tried the Wii, you know exactly what I'm taliking about.  It's interactive without the emphasis on active. You have to move, but the movement can be grand or slight - perfect for someone who needs to be hooked to a poll lined with various chemotherapy drugs.   The other great catch is,... you don't have to guess where the R3, L2, square, X, circle buttons are on any given controller.

When we arrived at Best Buy we went directly to the first manager we could find and explained what we had hoped to purchase with our money, but needed direction as far as hardware.  With the help of one of the sales guys, we quickly rounded up 2 consoles, extra numchucks (sounded a little violent, but it's a Wii World afterall), a charging station, and two extra controllers with mini games!  We opted to not purchase extra games from the store because some wonderful people had offered to locate games for a reduced price for us - thus Hannah simply brought her pad of paper to research games.  With her left over money she feels fairly confident that the kids will have some pretty cool games to play.

The shopping experience behind us, we rode home discussing the next step of spending the remaining money on games and planning the trip up to Bronson.  The kids however had other things in mind:

"Can we get a Wii for Christmas?"

"Can we just open one game up and play a little tonight?  You know, to make sure they work."

  What a wonderful gift everyone has given to the children who battle cancer.  You made it possible by supporting, helping, and sharing in the vision of Cookies for Cancer Kids.  

When Hannah does make the trip to Kalamazoo to present the gifts, it will be because she had the support of her friends, family, and community - Thank You so very much.

Next year - Cookies for Cancer Kids will begin anew.  The mission will be the same, the goal will be set higher, and the cookies and friendships,... fantastic!

In the meantime,... it's going to be pop tab collection for the Ronald McDonald house.  With your help and the collection of tabs, the Ronald McDonald House (located across the U.S.) provide families like ours with 

- home-cooked meals, 

- private bedrooms for families, 

- arts and crafts activities, 

- non-clinical support, 

- an extended network of support and connection to families going through similar experiences, 

- a warm, comfortable alternative to costly hotels, 

- and most importantly,... a chance for your child to experience the healing process with other children.

Foto Friday

Hannah's playing basketball for Trinity Lutheran.

Breaking Barriers

"Ummmm,... what's that?"  a mild-mannered student was attempting to make the teacher-student connection with me as I ate a pretzel during our 'snack time'.  That's right - I said snack time.  It's equivalent to the water cooler time you hear about in the business world,.. only I have to monitor healthy food intake along with appropriate behavior when it comes to the mingle.

"It's a small, fat pretzel," I gave her a straight answer, even though in my mind, I had ideas of making something up just for the fun of it.  

Then came the awkward stare, followed by silence.  

"Yep,... that's what is alright.  A pretzel,"  I wasn't sure where the conversation was heading, but I felt that a destination should be reached quickly.

Finally, her stare broke as she muttered an, "Ahhhhh, I thought it might be."

"Yep,"  I felt a need to repeat myself, all the while thinking How long can this continue? 

With a bob of the head, it was over,.. she walked back to her desk to complete her snack time.  I went back to grading papers and munching on the remaining pretzels.  I'm sure it's moments like this that would make our President's words (echoed by my superintendent) of Every Child, Every Day ring true.

Happy Snack Time Everybody!

Making the Call

It's official,... there's no one willing to give the cancer survivor a break on a Wii (even after telling all of them that she would be purchasing systems for other cancer children in the hospital).  Maybe it's the economy,.. maybe Hurricane Ike's to blame,.. maybe it's the desperate need to show a profit in the retail industry,... because I refuse to believe that people can't lessen the profit margin in order to help out someone doing good.  The closest I got to help was a manager at WalMart offering to let us know when a shipment of Wii's came in, along with giving us the low down on what accessories would be needed to go with what games.  

The plan is to hit the stores on Sunday and pray that Jesus wants to come with us - directly from church to the mall.  It's time to put a smile on some faces at the hospital.  After all, that's what it's all about.

Time Phlew

Still Alive!,... it's just been the beginning of school.

I went from a nice,... s l o o o w,... relaxing ,... summer,..... directly into chaos. Two kids in sports, two adult classes, back to school nights, orientation, reorientation, parent conferences,.... the new motto in our house seems to be "HAVE YOU SEEN MY _________?"

Hannah's hand (not pictured at the right - it's just a sample hand) doctors - Shin and Bishop are considering the removal of the three smaller bones that run across the base of her hand. The theory behind this is to free up more movement of the wrist, allowing her to get to neutral (which she hasn't been able to do yet) and gain some more strength and movement.

Both doctors discussed this and we are also seeing a Dr. Shaughnessy, who will give his opinion on the whole thing. We will know more after our November visit.

In the meantime, Hannah's playing basketball for Trinity and enjoying her time back on the court.

Foto Friday

Why walk to and from the showers when you have a V-Rod.

Bells Pull Through

Day 480:

The Jenna Mimmina concert went over smashingly! Hannah worked two shows and brought in just around the $350 mark for Cookies for Cancer. We couldn't have been more excited for the opportunity and the money raised for kids with cancer. Now that the drive is officially over for this year (with the exception of a few local business offices that may partake in some delicious cookies), Hannah's going to focus her efforts on the purchasing for the children's oncology floor. Thanks to the Baking Bells , Lakeland Continuing Care, Hannah had plenty of cookies for sale. We hope to have some photos for Friday of the event - we just have some "logistical digital configuring" to cover (no,.. I did not just make up that phrase).

As promised, and because I was unable to be at the concert and cookie sale, here's just a few of my favorite bike shots from the Harley 105th.

School Already?

Day 462:

I awoke early this morning to,.... noise and bright light bulbs. What happened to the birds singing outside? What happened to the sunshine gently waking me with the warmth of the rays? What happened to the rollover, then back to sleep for an hour or two? It was still dark out!

First day of school can be determined in our house by one thing: I entered the kitchen to pour a pot of coffee down my throat only to be greeted by Hannah, already showered, dressed, and fixing breakfast, "Good morning Dad!" I wanted to take that early morning grin of hers and bury it in an early morning nap.

"Must be the first day of school?" I said as I gripped the coffee pot tightly hoping to end this morning nightmare.
"YEP! And I can't wait to see EVERYONE!" more smiling.


Kim and I have been spending waking moments over the past couple weeks at school preparing for the start. Just like summer,... it all went by really fast. Too fast, because I'm now getting up when indoor lighting is required.

I've also had the opportunity to dabble in senior pictures over the past few weeks - which has been a lot of fun. I've always enjoyed taking photos of the family, after all, it's like fixing something around the house - if I do a poor job, I only have myself to blame. I tell ya,.. taking photos with someone as photogenic as Hannah (the senior Hannah) makes it seem easy.

Later this week Hannah wraps up her cookie run, I head to the Harleyfest in Milwaukee, and Kim preps for her colloquy final.

I'll post the biker photos when I return.


Peace and Prayers

Breaking the 1k Mark

Day 456:

"Dad! I'm about $50 away from going over one thousand dollars!" Hannah was like you would picture a kid banker to look like - sitting in the middle of the living room with a bundle of cash around her.

"Nope. Wait,.. I need to count this again," came another update moments later.

"I'm over one thousand!" she proclaimed.
"That's fantastic - now leave me alone,.. I'm trying to read a cookbook out here!" I have a short attention span when it comes to reading a recipe, and bad eyesight when it comes to reading the fine print of teaspoon or tablespoon.

So it's official - we've hit the halfway point of her summer goal with just under two weeks remaining. Hannah will have three more Sales on South State before wrapping the Cookies for Cancer up with Jenna Mammina at the Acorn Theater on August 30th.

Speaking Tennis

Day 454:

"I don't know if I can do this," as we sat and watched Sam finish his last match of the day in a see-saw three set match,...Kim's nerves had been tested through the course of this week as Sam tried out for the tennis team and had his first tournament, already.




Alex and Sam ran the gamut as freshmen, going through tie-breakers, playing a top ranked team in the state, a three setter to wrap up the entire tournament as the last on the courts,... and placing third in their flight. The team placed 2nd (without even having their number 1 singles player there). So to respond to Kim's nerves, I simply reminded her, "What if my mother were here?" That pretty much puts things into perspective.

The best part of the day,...everything!







WWSD

It's always wonderful to have role models. Those who have been there before you, that you look up to, that you respect,... that you use as your life compass. We saw it with Sam this weekend, but we had seen it about a year ago with Shanna and Hannah.

In Hannah's case for her past speaking engagements with the United Way, it's been great to refer to the old stand-by of 'What Would Shanna Do?' As we stood before another group, I reminded Hannah that people would more than likely want to SEE her arm, which was covered by her splint that she wears. "No Dad!" apparently the discussion was over when it came to my prodding her to remove the splint.

What she failed to realize was my ace in the hole, my trick up my sleeve, my,... trump card: "Well, what would Shanna do in this situation?" with a raise of my eyebrow I knew I had asked the question that already had an answer to it.

Not even a response,... just a gaze, followed by the handing over of the splint. Hannah went on to give her brief speech,... and kept her left hand over her right forearm to cover it. Little steps, little steps. This week we're off to St. Joe High School to talk to teachers.

Foto Friday

Day 452: We would like to apply all this training towards a medical internship.

Living United

Day 452:
The United Way has asked Hannah to be one of their speakers this year. Through the Berrien County Cancer Service (which receives support/$$ from the United Way), Hannah was able to receive blood draws through her port, rather than her arm (which just resulted in a lot of crying and several attempts to find a vein). Our nurse, Connie, would come right to the house to draw blood from the port, which in turn gave us the count information we needed. Before we were told about Connie, we had to travel to Kalamazoo, because no one in this area had the training to access a child's port. I know,.. strange huh?,... but that's what we were told.


"Aren't you coming with me?" Hannah was about to give her first United Way speech to a group of UPS drivers, as she walked towards the drivers standing in the middle of the warehouse floor.

The drivers had been trickling in for the past 30 minutes as we stood by with our United Way representative, Retta. All dressed in their customary brown, one by one, two by two, they strolled through the door to take their place among the other drivers at the end of the open bay.

"Okay, we're ready to get started. I'll gather the drivers for stretching first," Brooke the foreman motioned us to follow him . Who knew that the drivers warmed up before they hit the streets? I would have been even more impressed had they performed a little two mile run. "Let's go everyone circle around for stretching!"

Following the stretching and a brief announcement, Retta stepped forward (in the middle of the sea of brown with Hannah) and gave her talk on how the Untied Way assists in our area, then she introduced Hannah.

Hannah doesn't have the projective voice just yet, which caused the brown circle to close in tighter around her as they tried to listen to her over the other noises associated with a package delivery warehouse. I saw the same scene in the Lion King with the hyenas - only the drivers were WAY nicer,... and rather than pounce, they gave Hannah an applause when she finished.

"Well,... what did you think?" I was anxious to hear how she felt about the experience.
"They made me nervous when they all moved in! But,.. it was fun," she had that smile on her face that clearly said, Yes, I did it!

One down, more to go. "Are you busy tomorrow?" Retta had another company in mind for Hannah to talk to.

School Time, Already?

Day 451:

"Pajama Day,... again?" I was beginning to notice a trend to the end of summer as I walked downstairs to find Hannah and Max camped on the couch.

"Yep," that was all the reply they could manage without disturbing their 'show'.

Something about the end of summer and the start of school makes you want to sleep in longer, lay around more than usual, and wear your pajamas all day long. It's the calm before the storm as homework looms in the near future, sporting events become 'dinner out', and rise and shine is another way to politely say, GET UP before I drag you out of that bed!

Another visual sign in the house of summer coming to an end is that darned calendar clinging to the fridge. The more writing on it, the more defined each day becomes with the 'have to' items. Like for instance,.. this morning next to Kim's name it read: SCHOOL. "Oh,.. that's where she went! Now who's making breakfast?"

Also as the summer winds down, Kim and Hannah make plans for the last big push for Cookies for Cancer. Hannah has landed somewhere around the $900 mark with a few more weeks left and the big Jenna Mammina concert at the Acorn Theater. With her goal set at $2k I would say she did very well for her first year out!



I must leave you with this: The face of a teenager when trying to be kissed by his mother.

Foto Friday

Day 446:

LaSninner ala Jack

The arm prep before testing.

The Crew

Day 445: One of the main reasons we chose Mayo,... the team aspect. These are the doctors that discuss Hannah's well-being. From oncology to surgeons to specialists to radiology-oncology, they oversee and discuss her protocol.

IF we added in all the physician assistants, residents, fellows, and nursing staff, we could easily have a roster equal to a professional football team.


Dr. Rodreguiz, Pediatric Oncology
Our lead doctor in our oncology treatment.

Area of Interest: Bleeding Disorders — Hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, Platelet disorders; Thrombophilic Disorders — Lupus anticoagulant, Deep vein thrombosis; Stem Cell Transplant; Leukemias; Lymphomas






Dr. Arndt, Head of Pediatric Oncology
Has watched Hannah's progression since the age of two.

Area of Interest: Rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, Wilms'tumor, new drug development, stem cell transplant, neuroblastoma, unusual sarcomas, lukemias, anemias.






Dr. Khan, Pediatric Oncologist.
Best advice: "I don't look at statistics, I look at patients."

Area of Interest: Hematological disorders. Pediatric Oncology Stem cell transplants for malignant and nonmalignant diseases







Dr. Laack, Radiology Oncology
We actually switched over to Dr. Laack after our initial visit and have never been happier with her care of and for Hannah. They even have the same birthday!

Area of Interest: Pediatrics, female/gynecologic malignancies, central nervous system tumors






Dr. Shives, The Tumor Surgeon Specialist
The man to have when you need a tumor removed NOW.

Area of Interest: Musculoskeletal tumors.









Dr. Shin, Hand Specialist
Rock & Roller - loves the color PINK!
Main Man when it comes to Hannah's Hand-Arm Reconstruction.

Area of Interest: Vascularized bone grafting, reconstructive microsurgery, wrist reconstruction, brachial plexus injuries





Dr. Bishop, Orthopedic Hand Specialist, Pediatrics
Our soft-spoken doctor, who always likes to think through every angle first.

Area of Interest: Reconstructive Microsurgery, Brachial Prexus Injury, Vascularized Bone Grafting







Dr. Shaughnessy, Pediatric Hand Specialist
New to the Line Up for further reconstruction options.

Area of Interest: Pediatric Orthopedics, Scoliosis, Pediatric Trauma, Gait Lab Analysis, Vascular Malformations of Extremities, Pediatric Sports Injuries

All Clear Ahead

Day 444:

So there we were, sitting in the doctors office, following Hannah's MRI, when Dr. Laack says, "We can schedule an appointment for tomorrow morning to review the results, or I can just call you in the morning once I get them from the radiologist and look at them myself."

I could tell Kim was hoping for door #3. You know the one that says, Here are the results NOW!

When you're looking at a 8-9 hour drive the call seemed simple, we opted for the phone call. This way we could get up early and hit the road. By the time Dr. Laack called, I could have the family half way to the eastern coast.

Fast forward to night time in the hotel: "You're not wanting to get up early and go, are you?" I was using my husband-of-the-year ESP through a wife's silence and body language.

"No, not really. What if we get half way home and the call is to come back?" she had the look of concern and anxiety all over her.

"We turn around," you know how they say husbands problem solve instead of listen,... well, I had just said the words that proved I wasn't really listening, and I knew it as soon as I said them.

We hung out in Rochester for a great deal longer than the planned departure time, waiting for the call on the MRI. We waited,... cleaned the hotel room,... waited some more,... packed and repacked the car,... then waited a touch longer, before finally hitting the road.

By the time we had landed at the Minnesota boarder I just knew that we couldn't wait any longer. Partly because I was about to drop into a cell phone dead-zone and the other part because Kim was just looking sick to her stomach playing the waiting game. You just want the news that you've past another scan.

After speaking with Dr. Laack, the news was,...excellent scans! We are officially one year out which is significant because the first two years are the most critical for the tumor to come back locally.

Peace and Prayers

Shocking

Day 443:

Greetings from de Sota.

"Hey,...how did de pokes go dere?" I was being my typical inqusitar self.
"De went well, eh. Like I yelped a bit, but survived," dat's the daughter's reply to me.

"Okay, so now wut?" I was check'n wit de Mrs. for a little clar-ifa-cation on de plan.
"Ya well, we wait and see dere," she's so precise in her de-lin-ee-ation of de facts.


Okay,... so dat was yesterday, eh. Now were sittin' at de hand specialist and dere seems to be a mod-ifa-cation in de plans, you betcha. It ape-ears dat we will be stayin' annuter night in order to get in dat MRI.

As for today,... oh sure ya, keep de prayers coming for good results and clear scans, you betcha. We'll hopefully have news by l8ter today (saw dat one on a license plate of a John Deer).

CampTastic

Shanna, Lauren, Danielle, and Hannah - Survivors at Camp Jornada

Day 442:

"How about when people say It's got to be good to be back to normal," a parent near me spoke up.

We were attending a parent meeting at Camp Jornada yesterday, when our guest speaker, Dr. Creagans (a top oncologist in the nation) asked what we as parents had to reveal to him in terms of what we go through. Dr. Creagans works in the adult oncology department at Mayo and wanted to learn something from the parents of children with cancer.

Camp Jornada is a week long camp for kids and their siblings dealing with cancer. We went to check it out this time and possibly for the kids to go to next year.

"Yeah,... that's a tough one. There really is no normal once you've had this experience," the doctor said with a sense of bewilderment himself. He's had thousands of patients over the years and can understand the feelings that accompany cancer, but he himself has never had to deal with it within his immediate family.

One of the things I will take away from his speech is that we can take this cancer experience and put it in a box and place it on a shelf (metaphorically). To not let cancer define who you are now.

It's these type of meetings that just help bring you back to center as you share and listen to other parents who go through the same things. Dr. Craegans equates the gathering of people sharing a common thread to that of AA (started back in 1935) - alcoholics drawing strength from others who have dealt with a lot of the same issues of the disease.


Hannah had a visit with her radiology-oncologist this morning and while things went very well, Dr. Laack would like to have scans done. She mentioned the fact that Hannah's tumor has a high recurrence rate within the first two years. So moving scans back to every 6 months seemed a bit unsettling for now.

"Will the EMG hurt?" Hannah probed as many people in Dr. Laack's office as she could. Most had no idea. Dr. Laack was a different story.

"Well,..... yes," Dr. Laack didn't want to hide a thing. "It will feel like bee stings when they are putting the needles in. Then when they begin the electrical pulses, with your arm already being sensitive, it will hurt more than say a typical person." Hannah had a smile on her face that looked like a cross between wanting to be happy that Dr. Laack had been honest with her and that of I'm panicked and don't know what else to do, but smile.

Currently Hannah's in having her EMG done. "Hannah Kelly!" the voice over the loud speaker resonated through the waiting room. We all got up to go back with her, but as we approached the nurse, she gave a rather stern eye in my direction. "Only one parent may come back for this one," she said glancing at both of us as if there was a debate to be had between Kim and myself. Nope - not a word,... I just turned myself around and got comfy.

Electfornopain

Day 439:

The Word of the Day is,.... "Electromyography".

Phonetically speaking I believe you pronounce it: elect-tro-what? Or,.. EMG if you're looking for the short terminology, or happen to find yourself on the stage of the National Spelling Bee. It's the testing of the electrical activity of muscles. One of the concerns with Hannah's arm and hand is the progress at which the 'helper hand' is able to,... help. On our last visit the doctors didn't seem overly impressed with the progress and even hinted at the fact that paralysis in the fingers had begun to set in. Paralysis is not bad if you find yourself digging in a tackle box full of sharp, barbed hooks,... but in the general scheme of things, it's not good.

With the EMG, small needles are placed into the muscle, from her elbow down to her wrist, to measure electrical activity. The needles are smaller than the normal needle because they don't need the opening for medicine to go through; however, the experience of needles and electrical impulses is not very pleasant from what we've been told by those who have experienced it first hand.

This trip to Mayo will be rather quick with a two day turn around. A number of people have asked about scans. We are now on a 6 month scan (which will take place in November). This trip is all about the reconstruction and progress made with splints and therapy - and maybe a stop at a Harley dealer.

When we return, Hannah has a planned visit with a wonderful group of ladies who are planning on helping her with cookies for the Jenna Mammina concert. She will be talking to a group from the United Way and sharing how through them, we were able to receive a nurse for in-home blood draws.



On another topic, I did hear from Pam (aka Madi's Mom) as well as an update from her caringbridge page - Madi is now considered to be in remission. What a blessing and answer to prayer!

Relay the Fish to Cookie Central

Day 436: It's been a busy four days to say the least.

Saturday kicked off the second Relay for Life for Berrien County - South County Style. Last year we attended our very first relay,...this year, we've made two. Next year,... bringing a team to the festivities! Get your walking shoes and give Kim a call - she'll sign you up for something. Hannah and her Grandpa's all participated in the south county walk.


From walking a track to the open waters of Michigan. I gave my hand at fishing for a second time this summer. Anyone who knows me, could tell you that Dave doesn't fish. I eat fish. I have the same common principles when it comes to eating beef: I get it from the store and let the middle men do their thang!
Stay posted for the fish fry - I now have a license to be a fish predator,... and as long as John's there to untangle the line that I've managed to knot up and remove all hooks for the depths of the fish that I've somehow caught, it's game on! -or would that be Fish On!

We had a visit on Monday from our local artist-teacher, Melissa Rescoe (MR to you bloggers). She brought by an awesome sign for Hannah's Cookies for Cancer campaign. We now rank right up there with a top fundraising campaign with our very own thermometer of progress.

It must be working, because tonight (with the help of Sharon and Harry (our Make a Wish sponsors) buying out our remaining stash of cookies), Hannah, Max, and Emily closed shop 20 minutes ahead of schedule.


If you haven't had a chance to check out Madi McLean's sight on CaringBridge: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/madisonmclean
Reading her log today, she is home. Another wonderful example of how great God is,... when we visited her last Friday, they didn't think they would be home this soon.

Peace and Prayers

Foto Friday Plus

Day 432: You know you've entered the cancer world when you talk about being excited your counts are up enough to receive chemo -

We visited Madi today at Bronson Hospital as she began her first round of chemo. Her cousin Blair, who also is under going chemotherapy for ALL had just received word that she was good to start another round of chemo.

(Madi pictured on the right)







Hannah had a wonderful opportunity to talk with children attending the VBS at United Methodist Church in Stevensville, where she was able to share her story along with her goals for helping others.





At the end of the morning, the children gave their offerings to her for the Cookies for Cancer cause, along with a special blanket, made with prayers, love, and care. They also gave us one to deliver to Madi in the hospital.




Peace and Prayers

Wii Would Like to Buy for Kids

Day 431:

"Have I already told you my story?" I was on the phone with Best Buy Corporate trying to find that one elusive person who could help me out. I had been through what could only be visualized on a flow chart of phone inter-office hot potato. It always begins with a person asking, "How can I help you," followed by my quick rendition of Hannah's goals, then right into, "Hold please."

With Hannah topping the six hundred mark in sales, it's time to begin the search for the Wii packages that will give a child anything and everything to do while confined to a hospital visit for chemo treatments and beyond. We had discussed many things to purchase for kids, but the Wii seems to be the one thing that goes across the age gaps and generations. It's also the one thing that can get kids moving without really getting up and running around. Once I started down the Wii path, I couldn't believe the interaction and activities they've developed.

"Hello?" when you hear silence after asking a question you assume that the person on the other end has either ran out for a 'quick shot of java' at the lunch wagon or they have muted you in order to talk to others in the office to see who gets you next.

"No sir, I know your story already. Please hold," as her voice resonated like a bag of cement dropped from a 10 story building, I was sent back to phone limbo.

My corporate experience ended in the newsroom of Best Buy on a person's voice mail - no more options, no more 'Hold please', no more hope when someone offers to help me at the beginning of the conversation,...it was my last ditch effort to leave a single message. Then,... a dial tone.

It was done. My experience was over.




How do you tell a corporation that you're not looking for a hand out, but you would like to see a little girl's fundraising money go a bit further than the average consumer? I'm guessing the answer comes in the form of P's (patience and persistence).

Speaking of fundraising,.. a reminder to those who haven't heard, Hannah is out on the corner from 4:30-6:30 on Tuesday and Thursday. Did I mention, selling cookies and lemonade,... not just standing on the corner.

Special prayer request for the McLean family (of Stevensville) as their young daughter Madi was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) just this past week. Madi is at Bronson and starting treatments.

Peace and Prayers

Learn or Burn

Day 427:

Whether another Venetian.

For all of those who are from out of town - the best way to describe the Venetian Festival of old would be food, food, food,....several music stages with various degrees of musical talent (which made it all the more interesting),....beach activities / fireworks that culminated with a rather impressive volleyball semi-pro tournament,.... and family fun.

You paid one price to get a wristband for the day and you went on to the festivities to enjoy. When you wanted something to eat from a specific vendor, you walked up,... ordered your food,... and paid for it.

Over the years the Venetian has morphed into a pricey affair in which musical talent comes for a price. I didn't venture to musical stage where 'Oliver' from the highly viewed Hannah Montana show was performing. Yet I heard tickets where available for between $25-35. "I didn't even know that he could sing," was my comment to Hannah.
"He's just starting," was her reply.
"For $25 a head, he's starting pretty good," I was thinking that someone was riding the Hannah Montana coattails.

The food affair is another morphed wonderment which leaves me wondering who they made it easier for: the vendors, the Venetian organizers, or the customers. I'm going out on a limb when I say that it's not for the betterment of the customer.

When you have multitudes of food choices to choose from and a family and friends in-tow, you have to find the exact food choice you want, find out how many tickets it will cost, then go and find a ticket booth, then head back to the food booth where you wanted your food from, and finally order and hand over your tickets. Now doesn't that seem simple? I forgot one thing - now do it when everyone wants something different. Oh geez,... I forgot the last little tidbit. If you have extra tickets (which are equivalent to $1), you need to either buy something or try and find someone to buy them off of you because the ticket booth does not refund.

Now I realize many people love the Venetian. I do too. I love what it stands for, but not for what it's become. The organizers of this event try their best to bring to Saint Joe and its visitors the best possible experience. Yet somewhere along the way I can't help but think that they've lost the connection that once made it a family affair and customer friendly. They've become like so many politicians who have gotten to the big show and can't see past the bright lights - you tend to lose focus on what's most important: Family Fun.

Here's a wild idea. Let's forgo what's it's become and go back to the 'good ole days'. You get to say stuff like that when you get past 40.

LaSninner Goals

Day 422:

'Hey JACK! What's for breakfast?" our family has coined the new phrase since having Chef Jack take over the cooking duties, while the Decker family was visiting. They were visiting, yet Jack took over ALL cooking duties (yes,...even the clean up). It was as if, we were on vacation as well.

Of course, Jack left for home a little over two weeks ago. I would like to say that we're living the diet plan,.. but that would just be further denial that we are simply living summer. Therefore, we tend to stall just long enough to have brunch (which we all recognize as the combination of breakfast and lunch). However, eating late in the morning leads to a fullness that extends through a few small snack times throughout the day right up to LaSninner (which might seem a bit new to most, yet lived by many). LaSninner is so new that it's not even recognizable by the most updated dictionary softwares. It's the late-snack-dinner you end up consuming after the 8 o'clock hour, yet before midnight. You know the one - it's usually verbally christened as LaSninner with a "Wow, look at the time and we're just now sitting down to eat!"

"Hey JACK! What's for LaSninner!?"



Hannah received word from Bronson Pediatric Oncology today with a request for items. It looked similar to my Christmas list, only they had theirs typed out in business letter format, whereas mine tends to be written on the back of envelopes I find laying around the house.

As of today, Hannah has broken the $400 mark. Someone asked the other day and again on the blog comments sections: "What's the goal?"

So I decided to ask Hannah myself, since it was never really discussed before.
"I don't know," was her first reply. I gave her the dad stare which usually means 'CLEAN SOMETHING', but for this one moment, I gave her the mental ESP eye of 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON"T KNOW?'

"Well, okay,...if I had to say a goal it would be $1000," she finally spit out.
"$1,000 a summer?" I was trying to narrow it down a bit.

"Oh, in a summer, I would hope to raise $2,000!"


There you have it. I'm now an official, self-proclaimed field reporter: 2k a summer,... I would expect that she could meet some needs of children in the hospital who are battling cancer.

Rain Delay

Day 415:

"It's RAINING!" shrieks came from outside.

I had just wrapped up another year of Wimbledon (viewing), so I knew what to do if you have a grass tennis court and it begins to rain: have 30 men and women run out with a giant tarp, drop the net to ground level, remove the posts, and pitch the tarp in a manner that facilitates water run-off. I could picture it as if I were still watching it happen, over and over again.

"DAD!" another scream - I can also relate to how my students may drift off from time to time when I'm teaching (they're probably thinking about Wimbledon too).

Hannah and Emily had been outside for a grand 30 minutes on the Cookies for Cancer corner when the weather broke with a round of rain. Springing into action like any good, retired superhero might do, I quickly made my way to the door - just in time to hold it open for the girls to haul all their supplies inside,...which brings me a long overdue top ten.


Top Ten Things a Teacher Does or Says While On Summer Break

10. Taste tester for budding cookie cause.
9. Checking email daily waiting for the principal to make you come back to school because you forgot to sign off on some paperwork.
8. Discover a way to dismantle the snooze bar.
7. Get a job for fun because you don't care if you quit or get fired.
6. Find yourself mummbling, "So this must be what retirement is like."
5. Hold back from correcting other kids in public places.
4. Have a breakthrough by deciphering whether you're more like 'George' or 'Kramer' from Seinfeld.
3. Walk around asking people, "What day is this? I've lost track - I'm a teacher."
2. Waking up mid morning and thinking: If I were teaching, it would almost be lunch time about now.
1. Start counting down the number of days until the beginning of next summer.

Cookie Update

Day 413:

Cookies for Cancer
Days: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 4:30-6:30
Place: South State Street across from Wells Baseball Fields


Thank you for all the input on the poll. With baseball season across the street winding down, we're hoping that means more parking for 'cookie lovers' and 'cancer supporters'. As we discuss the exact details of helping children with cancer and sharing support, it's amazing the opportunities that Hannah will have to do just that.

In July, she will have a terrific opportunity to share her experience, faith, and goals for childhood cancer support with the vacation bible students at Stevensville United Methodist.

Then in August she will travel to Three Oaks (Acorn Theatre) where Jenna Mammina has invited her to bring her Cookies for Cancer. Jenna's also releasing her new album. Should be a great night!

"I think we may need a bigger oven," I told Kim, as she begins to mull through the number of cookies she will make over the course of years to come!