1st Baseball Practice

 

1st baseball practice! Nate was ALL smiles and said, "That was my best practice! Can I go to that one every time?!". Take THAT cancer!

Before, During and After

Nate before, during, and after cancer treatment. Last year it was so hard to see beyond his poor, sick, tired body. I could barely remember the chunky baby, or foresee the tall, healthy big boy...but deep inside I BELIEVED. Thank you God.

1st Re-birthday

 

Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet boy!  One year ago today, Nate received an autologous bone marrow transplant, and a 2nd chance at life!  In honor of Nate's re-birthday I *finally* signed up for the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry and will be donating blood and platelets this week.  I encourage you to do one or all of these things too!

We're Home

 

Whew!  That was a whirlwind trip!  We are home, safe and sound, and I am feeling good about the months of work I put into arranging this for Nate.  Success!

Road Trip

Tomorrow we head out on another adventure to our 5th hospital in this neuroblastoma journey.  We are off to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego for Nate to participate in a Phase II clinical trial for children with high risk neuroblastoma that are in remission and less than 120 days off treatment.  We feel that we were led to this opportunity for Nate.  He is exited to go to San Diego.  So, even though we will only be there long enough for the appointment, we will definitely take him to the beach to get a little sand between his toes.

NED!!!!

We got the call!  Nate is still NED (no evidence of disease)!!!!  I literally jumped for joy...at work!  We are so thankful for every day.

Little League

Last year at this time, Nate was checking into the hospital for high dose chemo and stem cell transplant.  He was in isolation for 26 days.  Today, he met his baseball coach and is getting ready to play his first season of Little League (which he has been asking to play since he was 2).  We are so incredibly thankful!

Happiness is...

Happiness is truly about perspective.  Of course it is not my favorite thing to spend 3 days at the hospital, watching Nate endure countless pokes and prods, putting him under anesthesia, exposing him to radiation, and having giant needles inserted into his back to get samples of his bone and bone marrow.  But watching him dance while he waits for doctors when so many times he couldn't even lift his head, not even caring what his vitals are when so many times I sat and stared at monitors, and getting to take my sweet boy home with me when so many times I left this hospital without him...I can't help but smile, dance and count my blessings.  Now, we wait for results and I BELIEVE the will be great ones.  Thank you for the thoughts and prayers.

So Much Energy!

 

Getting ready to go in for his bone marrow biopsy.  So much energy!

Scan Week

 

Scan week begins with Echo/EKG.  Nate's actual heart is immeasurable.

 

I think it may be a problem that Nate insists on watching the video for Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" while getting stuck for his IV...but you gotta pick your battles, I guess.

 

Nate has scans tomorrow and a bone marrow biopsy on Friday.  If you think of him, please say a prayer for NED forever!  We are also praying that everything continues to move forward with the new trial his is supposed to start next week.  There are a few bumps in the road but we are hopeful that everything will turn our alright.  Thank you!

Epcot

 

I'm still sifting through pictures from Nate's Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World. We have over 1200 pictures, and at least that many memories!

Phoenix Children's Museum

 

We had a super fun time at the Phoenix Children's Museum Today!  Thank you Hope Kids!