sup

 

 

 

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anndalyn cheney

 

First day of school!!

Ellie started Kindergarten and Camden is in a full day of first grade! Big changed around here! So far so good!

This is so Ellie!

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/living/2013/04/29/orig-jtb-distraction-worry-about-yourself.youtube.html


Anndalyn Hobbs

Last home shot!

Tonight was the final shot of six in the past 2 weeks! The first week we gave Camden a free app a day for each shot. This week is media free week so he hasn't had an iPad to play with. Subsequently, the rewards for the past 3 nights came from his Kenzie Case (bag of goodies given to him at the clinic from a family who started a charity in memory of their daughter who lost her fight with cancer). In this picture he's putting the last needle (covered of course) in the pokey box. He's holding the cool new car he got from the bag. He has 3 more days of chemo in the pill form at home and then he gets a 2 week break (not from appts, just actual daily drugs). This will give his bone marrow time to recover before a spinal tap on the 17th. Then we go to every 10 days of treatment for 8 weeks! A breather! Today Camden was casted for specialty orthotics to help with some neuropathy issues. I look forward to seeing progression from that! He needs to regain confidence in his balance and trust in his feet now that physical therapy and time has helped him regain his strength.

I heard from a friend today who's child had been getting sick often and getting fevers often. Enough to get her worked up and emotional about it. I told her to go get her blood work done to at least rule out leukemia. Test results came back very worrisome. More tests and blood work to be done before any diagnosis is final.
I think I need to help educate parents of the typical signs (and not so typical signs like Camden and his foot pain). Both of our pediatricians didn't consider blood work. I'm lucky a specialist recommended it for Cam. She actually stopped us on the way out the door to ask that we do it right then and there. She acted on a hunch. If drs are missing the signs or not listening for or acting on promptings, parents need to know the signs themselves. We sure as heck know there is more going on then growing pains in the feet for 3 months or catching every cold/flu in a season or 3. I'll start by writing a post about what I know about signs of leukemia. But not tonight. I've got one more pill to give Camden and then we are going to sleep!
PS, one of my dearest friends is a physician and I am by no means condoning pediatricians/physicians. This friend in particular encouraged me to see the specialist and explained Hem/Onc to me. I just see the need for better educating the general public. Parents. I think instead of "raising awareness" by putting an orange ribbon on my bumper I'd rather raise awareness of the signs of the cancer to those I know and love, if not further. To catch it as soon as possible and stop the pain but start the healing.
PSS- I think Camden's bald head is so cute. We are enjoying bald jokes these days, so pass them along if you know any. We laugh about needing to get ready to go extra early to get Cam and Daddy's hair done ;)

Media Free Week

This is day 2 of media free week. Hike this morning, pick up house, friends for BBQ and swim, at least 10 books, snuggles and now, puppet show for baby.
I wonder what would have been missed if one or all of our children had a chance to put their faces in from of a screen? I bet, most of it. As a family, we have designated one week per month to be a media free week. No tv, no movies, no wii, no iPads no DS, no leapster, no Internet browsing for mom and dad, no Facebook browsing, no pinterest. Just phone, good music for us all to listen to together and email if needed (mainly for Daddy).
We made an even LOnGER list of all the things we can do (posting this is one of them). The kids are doing great. I wonder how Pat is doing sometimes but I probably shouldn't :) I know this decision will be soooo good for all of us! On to a healthier and happier life! Join us!!

The fighter

Hip hip hurray!!!

Kindergarten Graduation

Sitting here in the bleachers waiting for Pat to come and for Camden's graduation ceremony to start in 5min. I could really get emotional if I let myself think about this entire school year of His. It has been a journey. Who would have known all that would have come to pass in the last 9 month for this sweet boy. I'm do proud of him. He is pretty special. Just finished a 7 hour day of chemo before heading home for tacos and nursing the baby and getting back in the car to get here.
In the program, Camden said he wants to be an animal scientist when he grows up. Thee also made Principal's Pride list All Year. Thank you Mrs. Underwood. I couldn't be a prouder mommy.

Anndalyn Hobbs

Bald week

This week is going down in Hobbs history.
It all started mid afternoon on Tuesday. The kids were fighting and Camden was sent to his room to cool down. When I went down to chat with him he said there was dog hair in his mouth. We don't have a dog but I just figured he was being silly and dramatic which is not uncommon when he's got steroids in his system and is worked up. He said he wanted to take a nap while I took the others swimming. He came out to tell me he wanted to take a shower so we got that going and I stepped back out with the kids and Camden started screaming for me. Again, with steroids in him, I wasn't alarmed by the screaming. When I opened the shower door, Cam was holding out his hands and they were covered in blonde hair and he was whimpering. I stroked my hand over his head and sure enough, it was falling out rapidly. What a shock. At first I wanted to just step into the water with him, hold him and cry. Then our game plan for this moment came to mind and I asked him if he wanted to have a shaving party and invite our two bald friends. He immediately changed his attitude and we began the party planning. He asked for cheese pizza and peanut butter cookies. I was still emotional about it and broke down to the first friend I invited, Kellie Greer. Camden is obsessed with her bald husband and close friends with their daughter, Marley. Once the tears were out of my system and Ellie and Autrey called me out ("Mom, why are you crying??"), I focused on the party planning and didn't have time to be sad anymore. Camden wanted to call it a Bald Party. The three kids decorated a banner that we hung in the living room that read "welcome to my bald party!". Pat picked up pizzas and friends brought fruit to share. The last minute party got big, fast. I love a big party but it was overwhelming for Camden. I read the book "Chemo to the Rescue" to all of the kids and Camden showed off his port. We talked about why his hair was falling out. After dinner we began the hair buzzing ceremony. To our surprise 5 of his friends shaved their heads too! (that includes Autrey's Mohawk). It took some bribing for Cam to come out to the party and let me shave his head. Camden screamed throughout his entire hair cut. No smiles that night. The next morning he woke up feeling much better. We had a bald party part 2 that late afternoon. His friend Aaron came with his head buzzed, we buzzed off Autrey's Mohawk and bic'd Camden's head. The hansen's came too and Isaac let me buzz his head too. With this smaller crowd he was fine. Not so many people talking to him and cheering him. Just casual and relaxing. I hope to get a picture soon of all these boys together! The 3rd party was this morning. We bic'd Pat's head and buzzed Braddock. Uncle Jared buzzed his head in Utah too for Camden :)
It has been an emotional and eventful week. I forgot to mention Camden has missed 2 weeks of school because he's been so out of energy and his counts were very low. His energy is up now but he's not allowed to go until his blood work on Monday tells us his counts are up. But I don't suspect he'll be high energy next week with the intense chemo treatments Monday and Tuesday.
So that's our update! Lots of baldness around here! If anyone else desires to shave their head in honor of Camden, please send me a picture because I want to make a bald book for him!