Updates

• Sunday-07/01/07-Sorry it has been five months since the last update, we have been trying to stay busy. We completely remodeled our home. It took from December until April. Grandma Sue was kind enough to let us live with her for about six weeks(I think she enjoyed having Maddie around). The house turned out beautiful and it was finished just in the nick of time for Maddie's birthday party. We had a pretty big party for Maddie. She was absolutely beautiful and the party was perfect. During the party is was pretty obvious that Maddie is a big fan of having the spotlight! We will try to get updated pictures of Maddie put on the site real soon. Tim and I just got home from a Neuroblastoma Conference(CNCF) in Chicago. We met alot of wonderful people that unfortunately have lost their children to neuroblastoma as well. The conference was difficult at first, but we are both so glad we deceided to go(and stay). We learned a great deal about each other and also about ourselves. Maddie stayed home with Grandma Sue on Thursday, and then with Grandma Kathy and Papaw Steve on Friday. She did really good, but Mommy missed her like crazy...Daddy did too he just won't admit it! .
• Saturday-02/03/07-It is hard to believe that Timbo has been gone over a year now. We knew Timbo wouldn't appreciate it if we sat around feeling sad thinking about him, so we decieded to celebrate his life instead. Tim and I spent the entire day with family and we shared our favorite "Timbo Moments", which if you knew Timbo, there were plenty of those and they were hiliarious as well! We all laughed alot and it reminded us how lucky we were to have Timbo for six wonderful years...he did great things when he was here, and he did a great thing once he reached heaven(Sending us Maddie). I guess he will always be taking care of his mom and dad!
• Saturday-12/16/06-Well it has been close to a year since our last update...we didn't know everyone was still checking the site, we are so sorry. Over the past 11 months alot has happened. For those of you who don't know, we were fortunate enough to adopt a beautiful little girl. She was born April 6th, and we had custody of her right away. She has been the miracle we needed to get through this year. Everyone knows how strong Timbo's faith was, but the way we got Madeline Grace will hopefully strengthen yours. Tim and I were 3 months pregnant when Timbo passed away, unfortunately we lost the baby the day we buried Timbo. We were sad, but we knew that baby was for Timbo and it completely changed him the last couple months of his life. On April 6th around 4pm, we received a call from our OB/GYN and at first he was just asking how things were going, but then he asked how we felt about adoption because he delivered a baby girl that day and her mother wanted his help finding the baby a home. An hour later, we spoke to a lawyer that deals with adoptions, and by 1pm the next day, we had custody! There is no doubt that Timbo sent us this precious gift from heaven! We will put some pictures of Maddie(Timbo wanted a baby sister named Maddie) on the site, including our trip to Florida in October for Steve and Kim's wedding. Maddie was the flower girl...kinda. We have done a few things for Neuroblastoma fundraising this past year. There was a raffle called Timbo's House and we weren't able to give the house away as the grand prize, but we were able to give the winner $100,000, and we also wrote the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation a $100,000 check! It was alot of hard work at a very difficult time(Timbo's Birthday), but we are very proud of what we accomplished. We also attended ANNA's Ball this year. I haven't heard how much it raised for Neuroblastoma research yet, but I'll let everyone know. We are getting ready to start working on setting up a Golf Outing every year to raise money for Neuroblastoma research, but we also want to start a scholarship at St. John's in Timbo's name, so some of the money we raise with the golf outing will support the scholarship. When we have more details we will let you know. We want to thank everyone for all the support over the past year. There have been some very difficult days, especially Timbo's birthday and Halloween, and there are more difficult days to come, but we will take each day one at a time, and our faith will keep us strong.
• Friday-1/13/06-It is with a very heavy heart I share this news with you. Our sweet little Timbo has gone on to be with his good friend Jesus. Timbo died on Wednesday, January 11th, but as you know Timbo has a very strong faith and there is no doubt he is in heaven watching over us now. His funeral will be held at St. John's Lutheran Church(6630 Southeastern Ave.) on Monday, January 16th at 1:00PM. The visitations will be held at Flanner & Buchanan Washington Park East on Sunday, January 15th from 2:00PM-8:00PM. There will also be additional visitation on Monday after 12:00PM at the church. We want to thank everyone for all the prayers and support over the past 4 years. Timbo is a very special little boy, and we are so thankful we were blessed with him for six wonderful years!
• Sunday-11/27/05-Mom says Timbo has been feeling better. He's walking some and playing video games. His appetitie has improved. He was able to enjoy some turkey on Thanksgiving. Mom and Dad are feeling better too. Thank you for all your prayers!
• Sunday-11/20/05-Timothy had his surgery(Tapping his lung) and it went well. The doctor drained off 750cc(3/4 Liter) off his little chest...I couldn't believe that much would fit. He is doing okay, he is still a little sore from that and having a little pain in his hips, but they are much improved...not walking yet, but he did stand once or twice that last couple days. We are keeping a close eye on his labs, Dr. Vik wants his platelet count higher than we normally would to prevent any further bleeding until his counts recover from the chemo(which should be soon). He will finish radiation on Tuesday, and hopefully before to long he will be up and walking around. Please continue to keep Timothy in your prayers, it has been a really painful and difficult month, and I think it really upsets him that he hasn't been able to walk. He wants nothing more than to be a regular kid!
• Thursday-11/17/05- Brief update from Tammy D.- "Timbo was doing better last night. :) His blood counts were better (after transfusion) and he was breathing much better too. :) :) Since his radiation treatment he is beginning to move his legs (a little). :) He is supposed to have his lung tapped today @ 10:00. Hopefully, he will go home later in the day if all goes well." Keep those prayers coming in!
• Tuesday-11/15/05-This came in an e-mail from a good friend of Jenn's, Danna. " Please take a moment to read this and pray for Timbo, Jennifer, and Tim! They need your prayers now more than ever. I spoke to Jennifer this evening, and unfortunately, Timbo has had more complications. Just to catch everyone up, he started a new chemo last week, because his pain was continuing to get worse, and he has not been able to stand since Halloween. (due to the pain in his hips) The plan was to start radiation to his hips and head to help with his pain. They were at Riley Thursday and Friday preparing for the radiation (determining his markings- it can be a long process.) He did get a radiation treatment to his hips on Monday. He also got platelets, which did not surprise Jennifer. She said Sunday he had nose bleeds and his little body was covered with petechiae. (This looks kind of like a rash caused by small hemorrhages in the skin.) They were expecting to get blood today due to a low hemoglobin. When Timbo got up this morning he said it was hard to breath. They went to the hospital and found out his hemoglobin was down to 3.6 (VERY LOW!!) and his oxygen saturation was 88%. They did a chest x-ray and found that part of his lung was collapsed due to fluid. Dr. Vick thinks that possibly the tumor on his liver is pushing up on his diaphragm, irritating it, in combination with the low platelets, causing it to bleed. They are hoping his hemoglobin will be high enough tomor row (Wednesday) that they can tap his lung to get the fluid off, and improve his breathing. He is home tonight with oxygen. Please, please, please take the time to pray for this family now! Also, remember to praise God for all of the blessings that we have. No matter how bad things have been in my own life, I can not imagine the pain that this family is experiencing. Thank God for your own children and their health."
• Sunday-11/13/05-I wish I could say Timbo has completely turned around, but I can't! A week ago Friday 11/11, we gave the chemo he was on one more chance, but it just wasn't working for him. His pain in his hips has gotten much worse. He hasn't been able to walk at all since Halloween, he can't even stand-up to use the restroom, etc. We started a new chemo on Tuesday 11/8, and he got that everyday last week. We are going to start radiation on Monday. He will have it in both hips and his skull for pain control. He is really weak and wiped out right now, but we are praying that during this next week, he will get some relief and start feeling better soon. Sorry the updates are so few, it is just hard for me to get away long enough to get on the computer.
• Friday-10/28/05-It has been a very long three weeks!!! Timbo has finally gotten over the bacterial infection he had in his bloodstream, but it has definately taken its toll on him. He did get a dose of chemo yesterday, but it is only half of what he was getting since he is still so weak. He went for about two weeks where he wouldn't/couldn't walk at all, but he is starting to move around more now. He hasn't complained about to much pain in his shoulders, but his hip is still hurting and his head is bothering him quite a bit. He does have a tumor on his skull now(it was found on the NY scan), and if it continues to be as painful or if it gets worse we are going to stop the chemo he is on now, do radiation to help with the pain, and then start something else, most likely a different chemo. It would be nice if he could do the radiation now, but the study guidelines won't allow it. We will continue to watch Timbo and hope we can hold off. Keep praying for Timbo....he is so weak and just not himself, Tim and I are really missing our little buddy!
• Wednesday-10/19/05-We just got home from the hospital Monday evening from an unexpected stay. We went to the clinic on Friday to get Timbo's treatment and while we were waiting for his labs to get back(they have to be checked before starting his chemo), he started shivering and within an hour, his temperature went from normal to 105.1. We were admitted and they started Timbo on IV antibiotics. He has a bloodstream infection from his central line. He was able to get his treatment, but he has been feeling pretty lousy since! Since we have been home, he has only been awake a few hours. We have an appointment tomorrow for more chemo, so I'm not sure if he will be able to get it or not. His pain has gotten worse, he is having alot of pain in his shoulders, and in his hip, and he is starting to have some trouble walking now, please pray that this will soon pass. He will be on IV antibiotics for awhile, please also pray that they will help fight this infection quickly so he will start feeling better soon.
• Tuesday-10/11/05-Timbo started his new treatment on Friday, and he is doing very well with it! He will get it every Friday for five more weeks and then he will have scans to see the effect it has on the cancer. Our biggest issue right now is pain...he is having alot of shoulder pain! The past two nights he has actually slept all night, which hasn't happened for about two weeks. Please pray that this is a sign of good things to come.
• Thursday-09/22/05-Before we left New York last Saturday, Timbo had bone marrow biopsies and scans done...and I wish I had better news to share with you. The tests show that the cancer is starting to spread again so we are finished in New York for now. Most likely we are going to be starting a new chemotherapy drug that has just become available maybe as soon as next week. He will get it once a week in the out-patient clinic at Riley for six weeks, and then he will have scans again to see where we are. Please pray that this will get things back under control and that Timbo tolerates the medication well. Tim and I want to thank everyone again for all the help we recieved getting the treatment in New York covered by the insurance company, we would have never gotten it approved without your help!
• Monday-09/12/05- Timbo is doing awesome. We have been to broadway..The Lion King which he loved. We went to a Yankee game, we even went to Mars...a restaurant that you take a spaceship to the restaurant part. Best news of all, Timbo's insurance decieded to approve his treatment...finally! When we didn't hear anything Friday, after I left a message, I thought for sure it was another NO, but I found out today that they approved it.
• Sunday-09/03/05-Timbo had a great birthday, 6 yrs old and BOY is he PROUD! He lets everyone know, it really doesn't matter where we are, that he is 6 yrs old now...and then he will tell the person, "I just like letting you know". His special guest showed up for the party, it was a STORM TROOPER!!! We'll get pictures on the site soon, he was really good, and played the role perfectly(I assume). We are leaving for NYC again in the morning. Timbo is so excited, he said he misses being there. I'm not sure why he is so excited, I'm thinking it probably isn't the excrutiating pain he endures every day, but maybe it is the Toys R Us at Times Square. Anyway, please pray that Timbo is able to cope with the pain, and that the medicine is doing its job! Thank you!
• Tuesday-08/23/05-Home! Sweet! Home!!! Timbo finished his treatment on Friday, 8-19-05, and we got to come home Saturday night. Timbo started school yesterday...all day Kindergarten...I'm so sad! I can't believe how big he is getting. Timbo is feeling great, and getting ready for his big birthday party on Sunday. I think we may have a very special suprise guest....you will just have to wait and see who it is!?! We are home until Labor day, then we fly back to NYC. During our time home, I'm going to be fighting with our insurance company to get his his treatment covered, so if anyone is expeirenced in this, please let me know!
• Tuesday-08/16/05-We are in New York....Timbo finally started his treatment on Monday 8-8-05. They weren't kidding when they told us it would be painful for him. Although, Timbo is doing an awesome job of handling the pain and the other side effects. I'll update you more when I have time....Just wanted to let you all know he is a real trooper!
• Thursday-07/28/05-Timbo did great with his surgery today...he was such a big boy! He walked right back to the OR with the nurses without be anxious or upset(my baby is growing up)! Right now, he's pretty sore, but he hasn't complained or needed any pain medicine yet. We get to stay away from clinic until next Wednesday...yahoo! Still haven't heard about the results of the bone marrows, but we'll let you know when we find out!
• Wednesday-07/27/05-We made it home from NY on Saturday, and Timbo did a great job. He had bone marrow biopsies done on Friday, he was pretty sore, but he never complained once, and he even made it to King's Island on Sunday...he rode the beastie 6 times,and he managed to eat 4 blueberry icecream cones(which may be why he is starting to pick up some weight again..YEAH!) Timbo is so excited...he gets to have surgery tomorrow..FUN! FUN! We had free tickets to go back to King's Island tomorrow, and he doesn't mind that he is going to miss out! What is wrong with this kid you ask? He is getting his port taken out, and he couldn't be happier! It is still infected and looks pretty bad, so our wonderful surgeon, Dr. Rouse, is going to take it out and put in a central line(like he had the first time). Our next trip to NY will be to actually start treatment, and it is going to be backed up one week. Timbo will start on Aug. 8th, his counts are okay, but not quite what they had hoped, so he is going to get one more week off and then start. It is nice because then he'll be home for his birthday, but for the third year in a row he will miss the first day of school....so much for a perfect attendence award..again! The treatment schedule is different than what we first found out. Best case scenerio, he will go two weeks on, two weeks off, for four rounds, and then he will go less frequently(I think it goes to every 6 or 8weeks) for up to 2 years. This all depends on how Timbo does, it will only go less frequently if he goes into complete remission. We will keep you updated because it gets very confusing! Thank you again for all the prayers!
• Tuesday-07/20/05-Sorry it took so long for this update...we have been busy celebrating!!! Timbo scan's were awesome. They were all clear except for a tiny spot on his left thigh bone. We just found out we are heading to NYC tomorrow. We are just going Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for bone marrow biopsies. We get to come home, and then return back on Aug. 31 to actually start the treatment. Timbo will start on some medicine here Wednesday(at home) before the antibody treatment starts, this medicine helps boost his immune system which makes the antibodies work even better. Thank you for all the support and prayers...Timbo is inching his way back into remission.
• Monday-07/11/05-My little buddy is back...Timbo has seemed to have turned the corner....FINALLY! His appetite is picking up and he gets tired quickly, but he is trying really hard to feel good. We have scans tomorrow and Wednesday to see how well this last round did. Hopefully, it did the same job on the cancer as it did the rest of Timbo!
• Tuesday-07/05/05-We made it home on Sunday evening..a little sooner than we had thought. I wish I could tell you it was because Timbo felt so much better, he was eating great, etc, but that isn't the case. He still feels pretty lousy. He is on alot of medicine at home including IV nutrition which he needed in a big way! He did ask if we could go get a pretzel from the mall today, and to my amazement he actually ate some of it once we got back home. Unfortunately after that he was worn out and very grumpy...but at least he did eat! We have a clinic appointment tomorrow and we are just praying he starts feeling better soon... He is breaking my heart!
• Friday-07/01/05- Still at Riley, Timmy was due to be discharged today but has to stay longer. His IV port was found to be infected and he will need to recieve more IV antibiotics. He had to have a new PICC line place for his meds. Mom is hoping they will get to go home on Tuesday. The New York trip will be sometime around the end of July, but before that Timbo will need to have repeat scans done at Riley on the 12th. This last round of chemo has really taken it's toll on Timmy. He was on Morphine drip for a while but now is recieving Morphine PCA (as needed) which is better. Mom says this is the sickest Timbo has been since his transplant. Please pray for them all.
• Saturday-6/25/05- After being home 3 days Timbo has been readmitted to Riley due to fever and painful esophageal reflux. He was actually vomiting some blood. Mom says he feels better tonight but is very groggy from the pain medicine. Timmy was hurting so much prior to admission that he told mom amd dad, "I need to go to the hospital now." Please continue to keep Timbo, Tim and Jennifer in your prayers.
• Wedsday-6/22/05-We finally made it home last night...yeah. He is on IV antibiotics, IV fluids, and IV GCSF, but he is home none the less! Timbo tolerated his chemo fairly well. He is really tired and not able to eat anything. He is getting some mucusitis again, no mouth sores this time, but he is vomiting in the mornings and complaining about his throat hurting alot. His counts were low going in to this round of chemo so the mucusitis is no suprise. Timbo did get his stem cells back on Monday and he did awesome with that. No complications! We are hoping to see some improvement in his blood counts in about two weeks. The chemo has already knocked his white count to zero, but hopefully the stem cells will help him recover from the chemo,as well as the radiation he had in Michigan. He has an appointment in clinic tomorrow for a check up and some lab work. The doctors are keeping a close eye on his kidneys....one of the chemo drugs he had is hard on the kidneys and a blood test that checks kidney function is going up. If it is any higher tomorrow, then he will be admitted again. Please pray those little kidneys of his are okay and that he recovers quickly from this last round of chemo. I forgot how sad it is to see him feeling so crummy!!!!!
• Thursday-6/9/05-Good News Finally! We had all of BoBo's testing in New York last week, and we have been waiting to hear how the scans turned out. They are improved enough that he qualifies for the antibody study in New York. There has to be very little disease to do this study, so he has improved quite a bit! Thank to the MIBG Radiation...it is great to know he wasn't in that room alone for nothing! Next week he has to be admitted for another round of chemo,a 5-day dose(a requirement for the antibody study..I guess they don't know he just got his hair all back), and then the following week he will need to get his stem cells back. His bone marrow isn't recovering well from the MIBG radiation, so his stem cells will help his bone marrow a boost so his blood counts will improve. Once his counts do recover, then he will be ready for NY. It will most likely be about a month when we start treatment there. The treatment schedule will be difficult on all of us. He will receive treatment for two weeks in NY, then be home for two weeks, and then repeat that for approx. 8-12months. We will make the best of it. We are looking forward to doing a little sight seeing when we go back,and I'm sure we will make it to Toys-R-Us again. BoBo loved riding the ferris wheel that is INSIDE the store. We are getting ready for Relay tomorrow, so come on out if you have time(once you go the first time, I know you'll be hooked and will come out every year). Hopefully the rain will miss us...we have done Relay for two years and both years it has rained, we are hoping the third time is a charm! Thank you for all your prayers, please continue though, next week will be pretty rough I'm sure on BoBo.
• Sunday-5/30/05-We made it to see Star Wars and BoBo absolutely loved it!!!! We have actually seen it twice so far. He started feeling bad last Friday5/20(his white cell count was 0), and he had been fighting a fever of 101 until Wednesday 5/25. This was his last day of school and he spiked a fever of 103, so instead of going to his class picnic, we had to go to the clinic. They didn't admit us even though his count was still 0, but he is now on IV antibiotics at home....and we did make it to his picnic for about the last 10 minutes. He wasn't feeling all that great, but he was glad to be there. He had his school program that night also, and he did a great job. He had a speaking part, and said it loud and clear. You would have never known how lousy he had been feeling after you saw him then. He has gotten plenty of tranfusions over the past 1 1/2weeks, and I'm sure he'll get another one tomorrow, but he should be able to come off his IV antibiotics tomorrow...we hope. We leave on Wednesday for New York, and we will be back late Friday night. We are hoping to have more info on BoBo's treatment when we get home...it all depends on BoBo's scans while we are in NY. Let's hope they are clear as a bell, I have to say that would be a nice suprise!!! Keep those prayers coming we need them this week especially....Mom and Dad are pretty nervous, BoBo, on the other hand, can't wait until we get there because the world's biggest Toys R Us is there.
• Thursday-5/19/05-The most important thing BoBo wants me to share is that we are going to see STAR WARS tonight!!! Finally, the day has come! BoBo had labs on Friday and again on Tuesday, and they were so-so. His white count is pretty low, if it drops much lower he may not be able to go to school, but he still feels great! He did get more platelets on Friday, and while he was getting those, he let the Indy 500 princesses know how happy he was to see them by greeting them with a big whistle! It was pretty funny I have to say. We found out today that we will be heading up to New York on June 1st. His scans, bone marrow bx, and consult with Dr. Kramer will be on June 2nd and 3rd. We will most likely come home on the 4th(Just in time for Relay!). Once we meet with Dr. Kramer, we will have a better understanding of BoBo's treatment. Keep those prayers coming for good looking scans, and for BoBo to bounce back from the radiation he had in Michigan.
• Wednesday-5/11/05- BoBo is feeling great! He has been getting his labs checked every Tuesday and Friday. Last week, he did get a platelet transfusion on Tuesday, and on Friday, he got blood(RBC)and platelets. His white count is low, but it is staying fairly stable. He is still able to go to school which is very exciting for him! He misses all his little friends when he is gone, and boy do they miss him, you should hear the reception he gets after he has been gone awhile...It is AWESOME! Tuesday his labs were pretty good. His white count is still low, but it is staying pretty stable, and the other counts were good. He has been playing T-ball and it is going great, he has this big ol' grin glued to his face the entire time he is playing, and he soaks in every word the coach has to say.
• Monday-4/26/05-WE ARE HOME!!!! We got to come home a little earlier than we had anticipated and we are all so happy to be back. I'm not sure who missed the puppies more...BoBo or Mom. If anyone had any doubts that BoBo is one of the most amazing kids ever, he definately proved it over the past week. BoBo was admitted to the hospital in Michigan on Tuesday, and he received the radiaton on Wednesday morning. He was in isolation from that time until Saturday around 3pm. Tim and I were so proud of him! He never complained about being in isolation, and he managed to keep himself entertained and in good spirits! He watched cartoons, he ate, he played Playstation, he ate, he chit-chatted with anyone who would listen, oh yea, I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but he also ate! He loved all of his nurses and of course Dr. Yanik! He talked their ears off once they were in the room with him. I wish I could tell you everything that happened, including all the funny things BoBo said and did, but the most important thing to know is BoBo did an AMAZING job, and everyone that had anything to do with BoBo's care, were just as amazing. Everyone was so kind and helpful, and I really think they care about our sweet boy! Now that we are home, he will have labs twice a week, and we should see his counts drop in the next 2-6weeks. Hopefully, he will be able to bounce back on his own, and he won't need to have a stem cell rescue. He will have scans again in 6weeks, including bone marrow biopsies(yes it was still in his marrow on 4/14), and we will see how this treatment worked. In the meantime, we are going to enjoy ourselves for awhile. Wednesday, BoBo is going to the Holiday Inn North to enjoy the indoor waterpark with mom, dad, and Eric, then he will have his first baseball practive on Thursday. He is very excited! Thanks to all of you again for the support and prayers...we couldn't do this without it!
• Monday-4/18/05-A quick note from Jennifer, "Bobo had scans again Wed. and Thurs. They are all improving, we haven't heard about the bone marrow bx yet, we will probably find out tomorrow when he is admitted. We are leaving at around 3pm today so I need to get packed!" The Gemindens will spend the next 9 days in Michigan for BoBo's special radiation treatment so please keep them in your prayers. Jennifer adds, " Sorry I missed all of you this weekend at work. I just ran out of time to get everything done before we leave. BoBo wasn't real excited about me going to work either, I think he is getting a little nervous because he knows he will be in isolation....although he says he isn't going to be scared, he wants to be by himself....I'm not so sure he'll be singing that same tune when we get there! He'll do a great job, I have no doubt."
• Saturday-4/09/05-BoBo is doing great! We went to Michigan on Wednesday and came home late Thursday night, by the way, BoBo talked the entire 600+ miles. He really enjoyed the trip...I'm sure the hotel had a little something to do with that...since it had an indoor pool! We were all very impressed with the doctor and the visit went extremely well. The doctor seemed to take to BoBo very quickly, and vice versa. He had BoBo drawing all kinds of army tanks, airplanes, and ships, and he even wore BoBo's army helmet for awhile. After meeting with BoBo's doctor and seeing the room he will be in, Tim and I were a little more reassured. I'm sure there are going to be a few rough moments while he is in isolation, but if anyone can do it, it's BoBo. He will be admitted on Tuesday 4/19, and they will give him the radiation on 4/20. He should be in the hospital 3-5 days, and we have to stay in AnnArbor for a few more days after that(approx. 7-10 days total).
• Tuesday-3/29/05-Of course there was a change in plans...BoBo had a "mini-round" of chemo Monday and today. It was the same pair of chemo drugs he has gotten the last two rounds, but it was outpatient and not as strong of a dose. He did great! The nurses were all laughing because he was "Chatty Cathy" and was running around playing soldier! Not bad for a kid on chemo I have to say. Since we couldn't do a regular round of chemo last week, Dr. Vik thought it would be a good idea to do some chemo outpatient, since it was taking a little longer to get scheduled for the treatment in Michigan. His counts shouldn't drop much so we don't have to worry about him not recovering in time for MI. We are going to Michigan on April 7th, for a check-up and to show us the facilities. BoBo is scheduled for treatment to start April 20th, and we will be there around 7-10 days. The radiation he is getting is a little different than we had planned. He is only getting one dose of the radiation instead of two doses like we had originally planned. It was going to take another 6weeks+ to get scheduled for that in AnnArbor or in Philly, so we changed to the single dose. Dr. Vik was reassuring, and so far the research isn't showing any benefit of the double dose compared to the single dose. Later, if we need to do more, we can, BoBo still has plenty of stem cells saved. This is the short version, there was alot of decision making that went into deceiding route to take. Please pray for BoBo, Tim and I are really worried how he will tolerate being in isolation. Both of us have always been right there with him through it all, and this time we won't be able to give him a hug when he needs it!
• Wednesday-3/16/05-We spoke to our Dr. on Monday, and the plan was to come into clinic on Tuesday, if labs were okay, do one more round of chemo, so we went, but his platelet count wasn't high enough to do his chemo. The plan is to let BoBo rest this month, and wait for treatment in Michigan. He is tentatively scheduled for treatment in four weeks. I'm sure this will be to subject to change, so we will let you know.
• Saturday-3/12/05-I think BoBo has finally turned the corner...he seems to be himself again! He had labs checked again last Tuesday 3/8/05 and they were fine. Dr. Vik told us Michigan was going to call us this past week, but they didn't...so I'm not sure what our plan is now. He is scheduled to start another round of chemo on Tuesday, but we were really hoping not to put him through it. We will give Dr. Vik a call on Monday to find out the scoop, and we will let you know what is going on.
• Saturday-3/5/05-BoBo had his labs checked on Wednesday and Friday...WOW, what a difference between the two days. Wednesday he had to get some platelets, and his white count wasn't very good yet, but on Friday, his white count was so good that Dr. Vik questioned the results, then went to the lab and checked it himself. It had improved so much that he is off ALL HIS MEDICINE for now!!!! BoBo is still fatigued and having mood swings, but everyday he seems to get a little better. We are going to have labs checked again on Tuesday, and other than that we are done for awhile. For those of you who don't know, we are going to be getting treatment in Michigan instead of Philly. Michigan changed the way they do their treatment, and now it is the same as Philly and LA. We should hear from Michigan in the next week or two, they want us to come up and visit the facility, as well as give us all the info about what to expect when we are there. Hopefully they will give us a date for treatment as well.
• Tuesday-3/1/05-Home Sweet Home...We went to the clinic last Tuesday for a check up and labs and we are just now getting home! BoBo was feeling really bad every since he finished his last round of chemo. He had his normal nausea and fatigue, but this time he had what we thought was a really bad cold. Dr Vik saw him on Tuesday, and did a "swab" to see what was going on, and we found out BoBo had RSV. Tim and I haven't seen BoBo that sick for a long time, probably since he was in Transplant. He coughed his little head off, and ran a constant fever of high 102s to 103.8 from Tuesday until Friday night, then all of the sudden, he felt better. After that, his fevers came and went until Suday, and he has stayed fever free since! We begged and pleaded to come home, and we finally were discharged last night. BoBo did have to come home on alot of medicine though, he's on IV antibiotics, IV antifungal(this was added because of the length of time he had fevers, just wanted to be sure nothing was being missed), IV fluids at night, and IV GCSF, but I don't think any of us are complaining! BoBo is still very tired, trying to recover from the chemo and the RSV, but he is glad to be home. We have labs tomorrow and Friday in the clinic so we will keep you updated!
• Sunday-2/20/05-GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! Finally, we have something we are excited to tell you about, and it takes us forever to get it on the website! Tuesday, BoBo went into the hospital for more chemo, but he had a CT of his abdomen first. The new spot on his liver has shrank 80%. Tim and I were shocked, and wondering if they were looking at BoBo's scan and not someone else's, but they weren't and Dr. Vik also said that if this spot is responding, the others are too. Thanks to God and to all of you,this is the first good news we have had in about 7 months now...and I think we are still in shock! We left the hospital Friday night, and BoBo is doing so-so right now. He was pretty sick for two days in the hospital and now he is very drained. He also has a pretty good cold now too. We go back to the clinic on Tuesday for labs and a check up, so we will let you know how he is doing then. Please don't start slacking on those prayers...we have a long way to go!
• Thursday-2/10/05-BoBo had labs on Monday and they were great! He is off all his medicine right now, and his port isn't accessed anymore, which means he can go for a swim in the bathtub again(first time in a month!). On Wednesday, he went to school for a little while, and he is planning on going Friday and Monday too. He will have scans next Tuesday and start chemotherapy right after that. We will be in the hospital from Tuesday until Friday at least. So we are going to enjoy the rest of the week since he is feeling so good, and be ready for next week!
• Tuesday-2/1/05-BoBo finished with radiation today...yeah! His leg seems to be doing better. He is able to play without limping or complaining about pain. He did have a check up yesterday at the clinic, and he had to get some blood and platelets(these help your blood to clot). It was a very long day, but he felt so much better when we left. He is still on IV antibiotics and his GCSF, but hopefully his white cell count will start to improve soon. He will have more labs on Thursday, so we will see. BoBo will definately enjoy his day off tomorrow!
• Friday-1/28/05-Good News...we are already home! Dr. Vik let us sneak out a little earlier than we thought. BoBo is feeling like a new man, he has been in great spirits, playing all day, and he even had time to catch up on some "homework". He is getting more IV antibiotics at home, as well as his GCSF, but we don't mind. He finished his first week of radiation, and tolerated it extremely well. He has two more days next week, and I have a feeling, since he is feeling so good, we will soon find out how well it helps his pain. The only negative for the day was BoBo had to get that dreaded "special haircut" today. He noticed his hair "popping" out on the way home, so we had to make a stop at the barbershop. Our bald beauty is back, and cute as ever!
• Wednesday-1/26/05-Just wanted to let you know we are heading off to Riley. The bad news is BoBo has a fever, but the good news is he isn't feeling to bad. He still has some nausea, and he is very fatigued, but he has been eating a little, playing playstation a little, and watching cartoons alot, which is alot better than he normally feels when he doesn't have any counts. We may be awhile!
• Tuesday-1/25/05-BoBo started Radiation yesterday, and has done a great job. Tim and I were very worried because he has to stay in the room alone(it is a pretty scary room may I add), but he was a big boy, and didn't complain. He will have about six treatments(2down, 4 to go). He was so funny when I told him about the radiation, and that he was having it done to help his leg not hurt anymore so he can run and play like normal...when we got home last night, he ran down the hallway and told me that he thinks he can run faster, and he is hoping when he's all done he will run faster than Eric(his 9year old cousin). BoBo also had a check up in the clinic yesterday, and his blood counts have really dropped. He did get some blood yesterday(that must be the only reason he had enough energy to run down the hall), and his white cell count is 0! He is feeling pretty crummy right now, and has a low grade fever too, and I'm very certain we will end up at the hospital sometime today/tonight. We also have an update about BoBo's CT scan. Tim and I thought they told us the new spot isn't on his liver, but it is. Our hearing must have thought it was opposite day, but it is on the back of his liver, near his old tumor bed. It doesn't make much difference, BoBo's liver is working just fine, and before to long, that tumor, as well as the others, is going to be gone!
• Thursday-1/20/05-We got home from the hospital late this evening from BoBo's round of chemo. He is very tired and irritable, but who can blame him. I think his worst day was Wednesday, of course, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!! Anyway, we will be doing some IV medicine at home for nausea/vomiting if he needs it, and another IV medication that will help his blood counts recover more quickly(GCSF). He also developed some esophageal reflux while he was receiving his chemo, so he is on some medicine for that too(those of you who remember when he had it the first time, don't worry, this is a very mild case!!!!). BoBo did have his CT scan on Monday, it did confirm that there is a new spot. It is behind his liver, in the original site where the cancer first started. Tim and I are thankful it isn't on his liver, but sad that there is definately another new spot. BoBo's leg has gotten worse, so he will start Radiation on Monday. The goal is to shrink it enough that it isn't as painful for him. He will have between 5-10 treatments. He tolerated radiation very well the first time around, so I'm sure this time will not be any different(I hope!). The biggest news BoBo wants us to share is.....he lost his first tooth on Saturday!!!!!!! He couldn't be any more proud of his little gap. Please continue to pray for BoBo.
• Thursday-1/13/05-I wish we had better news to share with you, but BoBo's results weren't what we had hoped. He still has cancer in his bone marrow, and the scan he had Wednesday showed the same three spots that had been there, have gotten bigger, and there is a new spot as well. It is hard to tell exactly where the new spot is, it may be on his liver or it could be a cluster of cancer cells in his bone marrow in that area. BoBo will have a CT, on Monday, to tell us exactly where it is. He will also be admitted, on Monday, to start new chemo. There are two different kinds of chemo this time and they are both high dose...it sounds like they are going to hit him pretty hard. Please pray that this medicine helps, and that he tolerates it without to much discomfort. BoBo's leg is really starting to bother him, he complains about it hurting at least once a day, hopefully this will work, and work quickly, so he isn't so uncomfortable.
• Wednesday-1/5/05-We had a better New Years than we did Christmas. Timbo had an easier time making it to midnight than mom and dad. He is feeling much better, and the energy level is off the charts(as usual). His blood counts are recovering very well. He actually has a white blood count now...and it is a pretty good one. His platelets are still very low, but they should start coming up soon too. He is off his IV fluids, and IV antibiotics. He is only getting one medication right now. It helps his immune system recover quicker from the chemo, and tonight is the last night for that!!!!! He does have more scans next Monday and Tuesday, so please pray we hear good news this time!!! Hopefully we will find out when we go to Philadelphia then also. We'll keep you posted.
• Wednesday-12/29/04-Well...so much for Timbo's counts not dropping to much! Timbo ended up getting pretty sick this past week, meaning a Not-So-Merry Christmas. We ended up in the hospital on Sunday, and had to stay a few days because of Timbo's fever. He received IV fluids, IV antibiotics, and some blood products and now he feels much better. He is still getting IV fluids, and IV antibiotics at home, but Timbo is mommy's favorite patient and she doesn't mind "working at home"!!! We are hoping his counts will start coming up soon...so we can get him off all this medicine, and get him back to normal! By the way, Timbo has complained about is leg hurting here and there, so it is most likely the tumor, but hopefully this round of chemo will soon put a stop to that!
• Friday-12/18/04-Timbo did get his chemo on Tuesday. He tolerated it pretty well. Dr. Vik warned us he may become "emotional" during the infusion...well it didn't take long to understand what he meant. He did get irritable(to say the least)while the chemo was infusing, and for a couple of days after, he seemed a little tired and moody. Today he looks like he is getting back to his old self, and hopefully his blood counts won't drop to much, and he will continue to feel good. Timbo did start complaining about his leg hurting on Thursday, needless to say, Tim and I were just a little worried, but we went to the clinic on Friday, and they think it is a side effect from his chemo, and not the tumor. The one blessing we have had this time, unlike the first time he had to undergo treatment, is the fact he is tolerating treatment very well, and he isn't having any pain from the tumors. Please pray the doctors are right, and this pain is just a side effect, as well as praying the medicine works this time!
• Friday-12/10/04-Well, we found out yesterday there is a slight change in plans...he will have his chemo on Tuesday instead of today. He was on a certain type of medicine, for his stem cell harvest, and according to the study he is in, he needs to be off of that for seven days. He did great during his stem cell harvesting. It took all day Tuesday and Wednesday, but they did get plenty of cells(twice the amound they were hoping for). Since we aren't going to be in the hospital tomorrow, we are going to have breakfast with Santa!
• Monday-12/06/04-Timbo has been very busy...Friday he had to have a full day of testing which makes for a very long day, but as usual, he took it like a champ. Since the new chemo is a study, there are certain things that have to be done to get into the study. Friday he had a scan to check his kidneys, an echocardiogram to check his heart, a CT of his head, and plenty of blood work. Today he went into surgery for placement of a special IV, an apheresis catheter, which is what they will use to collect his stem cells, and he also had bone marrow biopsies done while he was under. He is doing great, complaining here and there about being sore...nothing he can't handle! As usual, when he woke up from surgery, he ate all the popsickles...he did stop today at number six( this is his record, hopefully he won't have an opportunity to brake it). Tomorrow they will start collecting his stem cells, we are hoping they can get all they need in one day, if not we will finish up on Wednesday. Friday he will go in for the chemo. We do have to spend the night, but as long as everything goes as planned, we should get to leave Saturday. Dr. Vik did give us a little good news today. The five other kids(around the country)that have gotten this chemotherapy have tolerated it pretty well. Their blood counts didn't drop nearly as much as was predicted....hopefully TImbo will tolerate just as well! We will keep you updated!
• Saturday-11/27/04-Timbo had a great Thanksgiving! He had a very good appetite, especially when it came to chocolate cake....he was wired for sound Thursday night after eating two huge pieces of cake. Tim and I laughed and laughed while Timbo bounced off the walls....He was hilarious. Well, we have a plan for treatment now. We will be going to Philidelphia at the end of January, so we are going to do some treatment in the mean time. He is going to try a different type of chemo. It is a one time dose and it is IV(which makes Timbo very happy...no more yucky medicine). He will need to get more stem cells harvested before he starts the chemo. We don't have dates yet, but we are hoping to get the cells next week, and the chemo the following week. We will let you know as soon as we do. Thank you all again for all the prayers, we believe the only reason he feels so good is because of prayer! So please continue to pray.
• Thursday-11/18/04-The last few weeks have been great. Timbo has felt so good, and he had kept us extremely busy with all that energy. He has had swimming lessons, been to the movies, he even attended a ball on Saturday! We had the opportunity to attend ANNA's Ball on Saturday. Timbo had a great time, he won a popcorn maker in the silent action(a very expensive popcorn maker may I add), and he couldn't have been more excited. He was kind enough to dance with his mom, giving some pointers here and there, and to his suprise, he even was able to visit with Santa there. Timbo looked very handsome all dressed up, and as soon as I get the pictures I will put them on the website!!! ANNA's ball is a benefit to raise money for ANNA's Foundation, which gives money to Riley for neuroblastoma research. It was started by the Healey family in honor of their daughter, Anna, who is absolutely georgous! She reminds Tim and I so much of Timbo. They have the same spirit and energy that makes them so special and so strong. Anna had surgery on Monday, and we wish that all of you would include her in your prayers. Unfortunately Timbo had scans on Wednesday. They weren't what we had hoped! The two spots he had are still there, but now there is another new spot. We stopped the chemo he was on, and now we are waiting to see what the next step will be. Dr. Vik is waiting for an email back from Philidelphia to see if Timbo can get in there soon for the MIBG radiation. If he can't get in within the next 6 weeks, then we will start some different type of medicine until he can get in. We are extremely relieved that Timbo is still feeling great, and isn't having any pain where the tumors are. We are a tough team, and we are going to keeping fighting until we find what works....so please continue to pray!
• Saturday-10/30/04-We finished his first week of round 2. Timbo did awesome....he is feeling great. He did much better taking his medicine this time too. He even learned how to swallow capsules....six per day to be exact. We are getting ready for Halloween tomorrow, Timbo is going to be a "White Warrior" aka a Storm Trooper from Star Wars. I'm sure we can manage to take a picture or two. We will let you know how much fun he has.
• Sunday-10/24/04-What a great week. Timbo felt SO GOOD all week, he never complained about his stomach the entire time, he even made it to school everyday!!!! Pretty Impressive if I may say so myself. He still has his hair, its not "loose" yet. The other day at school, all the kids got to decorate a hat so when Timbo loses his hair, if he wants to wear a hat, then all the kids get to wear their own special hats. Timbo thinks that is pretty cool. He gets to go on a field trip tomorrow...Pumpkin Patch time. He does start treatment again on Tuesday, so please pray he does better with this round, and isn't sick like he was with the last one.
• Saturday-10/16/04-Timbo is doing much better now. He has still had some stomach problems, but it is much improved. Oh ya, he did wake up this morning with a darn cold. Big suprise, I think NOT. We have had some trouble getting him to take his chemo, but he gets all of next week off!!! Thank you for the prayers, they helped all of us.
• Saturday-10/09/04-Timbo started his chemotherapy on Tuesday and was doing great....but all good things must come to an end. Friday morning, Timothy woke up with a high fever so we went to the hospital. We did get to come home on IV antibiotics, but he still feels lousy. He couldn't even keep his dose of chemo down today, he is having horrible diarrhea, and needless to say a little tired and weak. We will keep a close eye on him this weekend, and go back to the hospital on Monday. Please pray for Timothy, he definately needs the prayers right now.
• Saturday-10/01/04-Finally...something went as planned! Timbo had his biopsies and line placed without a hitch on Tuesday. He is still very sore, but it isn't getting him down, as a matter of fact, he made it to school on Wednesday...he said he needed to learn the letter C, what a trooper! Timothy will start chemo on Tuesday so I'll let you know how he does! Please continue to pray for a quick recovery, and that he tolerates his chemo okay.
• Saturday-09/25/04-Yeah...the chicken pox are almost gone!!!! Timbo didn't get too sick with them, he was very itchy for a day or two, but that was it. We were afraid he would be covered from head to toe, although he did get his share, they weren't as bad as we had expected. We will be going to the hospital on Tuesday for Timbo's line placement and the biopsies. Please pray for a quick recovery from all the procedures. Friday is grandparents day at school, and Timbo would be very disappointed to miss that!
• Tuesday-09/21/04-Yesterday, Timbo thought it would be more fun to break out with chicken pox than to go to the hospital for all his procedures....needless to say, they were cancelled! Our doctor did start Timbo on some medicine that is supposed to speed up the timeframe he will have the pox, instead of 2 weeks, hopefully just 1 week. We are going to call the doctor Friday, and update him on how Timbo is doing, then we will go from there.
• Friday-09/17/04-I wish we had better news for everyone, but the cancer is definately back. Timbo's scan show there is a place above his left knee, and a new place in his right hip. On Monday, he will have his central line placed, and the doctors are going to do more bone marrow biopsies, and try to biopsy the area above his left knee. He will start chemo soon, he has to be on an antiobiotic for a week before he can start this particular type. He is going to be part of another study so we have to wait until he is "officially' accepted before we can start anything, including the antibiotic. The goal is to start his antibiotic mid to end next week, and start chemo around the 27th. Please keep those prayers coming. We appreciate each and every one...we wouldn't have made it this far without them!
• Friday-09/10/04-On Thursday, we were fortunate to have our Pastor and the elders from our church, come to our home and do a "laying of the hands" on Timothy. It was very moving and I think it gave Tim and I the strength we needed to get through the rest of the week. The scans are in a few short days! Please continue to pray, only God can get us through this!!
• Saturday-09/04/04-We have an unfortunate update for everyone. Timbo had scans at the end of July, and we heard very bad news. His cancer is back in his left thigh bone. We discussed different options of treatment, and had deceided to start chemotherapy here at Riley. Then we are planning to do two other types of treatment. One would be in New York, and the other would be in Michigan. He had to have a MRI of his leg before he could start these treatments. This is where our little ray of hope comes in!!! The MRI should there was "something" in his leg, but it doesn't look like what they were expecting to see. The current plan is to put his treatment on hold until Sept. 15 & 16. He will have repeat scans then, and we will go from there. Obviously Tim and I are praying for a miracle, and the spot will be gone on the scans, so please put your prayers in high gear.
• Sunday-05/02/04-Timmy played his first Soccer practice/game and guess who scored the first goal! Mom and Dad are so proud! The Geminden's are busy getting ready for Relay For Life. It will be June 11th and 12th at Franklin Central High School. Mom has been very active in planning this event and welcome you all to come and enjoy the festivities.
• Monday-04/05/04-Hi everyone! Timmy just recently had an echocardiogram due to a questionable heart sound but it was normal. He's a very active little boy and has kept mom and dad busy enjoying him!
• Saturday-01/24/04-The good news is in....BoBo has reached the one year mark!!!! Scans were perfect, and he doesn't have anymore until July. We aren't gonna know what to do with ourselves. By the way, BoBo had a wonderful Christmas...he was hillarious. He woke up and could hardly contain his excitement. He didn't even want to wait for dad to finish his shower. Some how, every present, was exactly what he wanted!!! Good Job Santa. Thank you again to everyone....we couldn't have got this far without your prayers and support.
• Saturday-01/17/04-Happy New Year everyone! It's time again for those tests and scans that determine Timmy's continued cancer free status. Please keep the family in your prayers as this is always a stressful time. We'll keep you all updated.
• Sunday-12/14/03- Yesterday was the two year anniversary of Timbo's diagnosis. Tim and Jennifer made a special visit to Riley Hospital to say "Hi" to the staff and to visit a little friend who is in transplant right now. (You're in our prayers Austin!) They also had the opportunity to meet a couple families who are fighting neuroblastoma. Little Brandon reminded them so much of Timbo. It was such a good feeling to be able to help them with their questions and concerns. Timbo made some Christmas cookies today with Grandma Kathy. He's very excited for Santa to come. Mom and Dad are having a little trouble finding the ice cream truck that Timbo requested from Santa. E-mail us if you have any suggestions? Thank you again to everyone. We couldn't have gotten this far without all of your support and prayers. Have a great Christmas!
• Saturday-11/15/03- Good news since our last update. Timbo's latest scans were all clear. He really did well this time and didn't have to have any sedation. He was still for an entire hour! Mom never thought that was possible. School is going well and Timbo officially checked out his first library book last week. We continue to thank everyone for all their support and prayers.
• Sunday-10/19/03-Timbo is gradually beginning to enjoy school. As he says, "I'm getting there." His teacher thinks he's "The cat's meow"! This Tuesday is his first field trip to the "Pumpkin Patch" which includes a hay ride, pony rides and he'll be able to pick out his own pumpkin. Also this week Timbo has his rountine scans at Riley so keep him in your prayers.
• Tuesday-09/16/03-More great news to share with everyone...BoBo's testing went very well. All of the ulcers have healed, which means no surgery anytime soon! He was so brave with the tests, even though part of the testing lasted 24hrs and was very uncomfortable, he was a trooper. Tim and I couldn't believe how well he handled everything. He never ceases to amaze us...we are so fortunate to have such an amazing little boy in our lives. By the way, I think he is getting a little more comfortable with preschool(so am I), he says he still doesn't like it, but his teacher tells me otherwise! When he thinks I'm not listening, I'll hear him singing songs he has learned....very sweet!
• Sunday-09/07/03- BoBo has started preschool!!! Mom's missing the little guy and it's slowly growing on BoBo. He'll get the hang of it soon. Thursday BoBo has more testing for his recurrant esophagitis. Hopefully the tests will show improvement. BoBo is now 4 YEARS OLD!!! He had a swell birthday party with a army theme....his current obsession. His favorite present is a battery powered ride-on Tank. Mom had a rough time pulling that one off. Happy Birthday BoBo!
• Monday-08/11/03-Just wanted to give a quick little update! Right now our lives are just about perfect. BoBo will be starting preschool next week, which he is very excited about. We have gone to Kings Island twice-he had a blast both times, we went to the Marion County fair,where he rode a helicopter-he still talks about that! He has been having such a wonderful summer, but we aren't done having fun yet. We are planning to go to the State Fair this week, and we can't forget his Birthday coming up. We will have to have a Big Birthday Bash! BoBo does have some tests next month, but we aren't going to even mention that until after his birthday. We will worry after our little guy turns 4!!!
• Friday-07/18/03-The news is in....BoBo's scans are great! He is still cancer free, and we are lovin' it. We will have routine scans again in three months, so we are going to make sure we have plenty of fun until we have to start worrying again. So I guess we will start off with King's Island Monday!!!! Thank you for all the prayers...Life is Great!
• Thursday-07/10/03-Sorry it has been so long since the last update! We have been so busy with NORMAL FUN THINGS. We have been to Holiday World, Indiana Beach, Chuck "E" Cheese, and The Children's Museum-just to name a few! BoBo is having such a great summer. He is making all kinds of little friends. It is so wonderful to see him playing like an average 3 year old. We do have a favor to ask of everyone...IT'S SCAN TIME AGAIN...We just found out his scans start Tomorrow. He has a CT scan and a Bone Scan on Friday, and then the other scan, MIBG, will most likely be Wednesday & Thursday. So please keep those prayers coming, we have to keep our little guy healthy so he is ready for Preschool in August, as well as his 4 year Birthday Bash!!!! I promise to update as soon as we hear the good news about his scans. Thank you again for all the support...we wouldn't be this far without your help.
• Monday-05/26/03-BoBo has been doing wonderful. He was very busy last week! On Sunday, 5-18-03, we were fortunate enough to go to the track from an invitation from Riley. We hung out in the Rolls Royce suite...not to shabby! BoBo had a blast. He loved the race cars, and had a great time playing with one of his Riley Buddies...Aidan. We were able to see some Riley faces we haven't seen for awhile, especially BoBo's hero..Big Tony! It was great to see everyone, and even better to di it away from the hospital setting. We also had a TV appearence on Tuesday. BoBo(and Mommy) were on the Channel 8 news helping to promote a fund-raiser we are involved in called, "Relay For Life". It is a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society. BoBo will be the first child survivor to participate, but we did recruit a few Riley kids (and nurses) to participate with us. On Wednesday, we had a check-up in the Oncology clinic, and for the first time, BoBo's labs were perfect. Everything was completely normal!!! To our suprise, we found out, BoBo only has to have check-ups and lab work every three months(with all the scans) now, instead of once a month. We are very happy about that. BoBo doesn't have to go back until the end of July. YaHoo!!! BoBo the celebrity has another TV appearence coming up on Wednesday, which by the way is the First Anniversary of his Transplant, so wish us luck!!!
• Monday-04/21/03-The results are in....BoBo is still clear!!! He has officially been in remission for 4 months now. Timbo was very brave when they had to start IVs. Mom and Dad were a little nervous about how he would handle it, but of course, he did great. The Easter Bunny must have known how good he was because BoBo made out like a bandit. He had a great time on Easter, between eating, an easter egg hunt, and more eating...he had a ball. Thank you again for all the prayers....they are keeping our little boy healthy.
• Thursday-04/10/03-Timbo has conquered his first fever since treatment ended!!!! He didn't even need an antibiotic, he did all by his tough, little self. Well, we have the dates of our next set of scans. They are a little sooner than we had expected-they are next week, April 14,15, & 16. We believe the scans will continue to be clear, but please continue to pray for our little guy...God hears all prayers.
• Tuesday-04/01/03-We had a few doctor visits last week. First, Timbo went to the dentist for a cleaning and a check-up. He was a very big boy, and did a great job(his teeth were just as impressive-no problems). On Friday, we had a clinic visit with the oncologist. Everything checked out perfect! I have to mention how brave he was with his blood draw. He didn't mind one bit....as he talked the lab lady's ear off the entire time!!! The other lab assistant couldn't believe he was already done, since Timbo laughed and talked through it all. That's are boy......Now, for us-not-so-brave parents, Timbo has scans again at the end of April, so keep those prayers coming, because the worrying has already begun. Last,but not least, we did get some terrific news from our good friend Maddie. She had surgery two weeks ago in Chicago, and all the biopsies showed "no active cancer", in other words...SHE IS IN REMISSION AS WELL!!!!!Prayers are truley miracle makers.
• Friday-03/21/03-Unfortunately, our wonderful "wish trip" had to come to an end. We all had the most amazing time, especially Timbo. He was treated like royalty by everyone...Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, and Give Kids The World. We can't thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation enough for making our trip so perfect. We also want to thank all of you for the prayers that made this trip possible. Timbo has a check up this week with the oncology clinic, and with the dentist....so we will be sure to let you know all the wonderful news we get.
• Wednesday-02/26/03-Well...Timbo, which he likes to be called now(he'll always be BoBo to Mommy), never ceases to amaze us! He had a check up on Tuesday, and he had to have labs drawn. He didn't even flinch when they stuck him...he was watching very intently on what they were doing though! Timbo's labs were perfect, and everything checked out great, except for a runny nose. He is on a antibiotic for that now so it won't turn into anything more and ruin our trip to see Mickey(whch by the way is in 6 days, but whose counting). On a more serious note, we did get some news from our very close friends, some of you might now Maddie, she has relapsed and is going to need further treatment. Please say a prayer for her. She is a little angel, and if you ever met her, you couldn't help but fall in love with her...Timbo definately has, as well as the rest of our family. Timbo is living proof...prayer makes all the difference!
• Sunday-02/23/03-We are loving life without those cords. BoBo is making up for lost time...he stays in the tub at least 5 hours a day. He even has a special SpongeBob umbrella he uses in the shower(one way to keep the water out of his eyes)! He is doing terrific. We have gone to the Children's museum a few times, and even the mall(didn't do any shopping, just had some fun in the playground area). We have a check up at the clinic on Tuesday. This is the first time we have had to go since he has had his IV taken out, so we are a little worried about how he will handle the blood draw. I'm sure he will handle it like a champ...just like everything else! The countdown for our trip is on, only 10 more days.
• Sunday-02/09/03-YEAH...No more cords...On Thursday, BoBo got rid of his central line("his cords"). The procedure went very well, and he was just a little bit tender, but not in any pain. We got to go swimming today(in the bathtub)...he had so much fun. We can't wait to get him into a real pool...he won't know how to act! We will get to find out pretty soon...our wish trip to Disney is sneaking up fast. Oh ya, one more little thing...be sure to check your Indianapolis Star tomorrow, there will be an article about our little star. It will be in the Indiana Living section, front page at the bottom. Sorry, no autographs!
• Saturday-02/01/03-IT'S OFFICIAL.....BOBO IS IN REMISSION!!!!!! We found out this terrific news on Friday, and haven't stopped smiling yet. On Thursday, 02-06-03, BoBo gets to have his "cords"(IV)taken out. He is so excited, and he keeps talking about lying down in the bathtub and going swimming. Thanks to all of you, who have given us so much support, and so many prayers, we couldn't have done this without all of you!
• Monday-01/27/03-PRAYERS NEEDED!!!!We found out BoBo's scans are scheduled for this week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday...Mom and Dad are getting very nervous, even though we know we are going to get great news. As soon as we get any or all the results we will post them. BoBo is doing wonderful. Last week, we received news that his immune system is back to normal now...so no more mask, but even more exciting, he is down to one medication a day(for esophagitis). Even more good news, this medication he has been taking by mouth(it is just as strong as the IV medicine), so he isn't getting anything in his "cords" as BoBo says. Not if, but WHEN the scans come back clear, he will be able to have his IV taken out, which he has talked about for a couple weeks now. He wants to lay down in the bathtub, and go swimming(this will have to wait awhile). As soon as we get this week under our belts, we can concentrate on our "Wish Trip" to Disney March 5-11. CAN'T WAIT!!! Please pray for strength for mom and dad, and continued healing for BoBo....thank you again for all the support.
• Monday-01/13/03-Happy New Year to everyone! We had a nice little New Year's Party of our own. Mamaw Sue, Mamaw Kathy, and Papaw Steve celebrated with us, although they left well before midnight. BoBo didn't miss the excitement...he even got to see an amazing fireworks display put on by our neighbors. He loves to watch those "Boom-Booms". BoBo had a check up last Thursday with his GI doctor, and she seemed very happy with his progress. At the end of the month, he is getting all his scans done again, so she is going to scope him again then and see how well his esophagitis is healing. As soon as that is done, and if everything looks good, she will take him off his IV medicine, and switch to something by mouth(finding something he will take will be the hard part). As soon as we find out when the scans are scheduled, we will let everyone know....
• Sunday-12/29/02-What an amazing Christmas!!!! I can't believe how far we have all come in one year...BoBo is absolutely amazing. He is feeling wonderful and looking terrific...even putting some meat back on those little bones. BoBo was so cute and excited about Christmas and especially Santa. We went to see Santa at the mall, of course, and after about an hour, we had to drag BoBo away, luckily there wasn't a line. All BoBo kept talking about was how Santa was gonna come over, he even saw him one night..flying in an airplane(Santa must be getting more modern)over our house. There wasn't anything sweeter though, than seeing his little face on Christmas morning. Innocence is a beautiful thing. Now that Santa is gone for awhile, we are getting ready for the New Year. We are ready to start if off HAPPY & HEALTHY!!!! We do have a clinic appointment on Thursday for a check up. BoBo will start his LAST ROUND OF MEDICINE for cancer, and in 2 weeks, he will be completely done with his treatment. BoBo will still have to take a couple of medications for infection prevention and for esophagitis, but you won't hear us complain!
• Sunday-12/08/02-BoBo can eat some turkey!!!!! We had a great Thanksgiving, and BoBo had more than his share of turkey and pumkin pie. He was a little shy around everyone, since he hasn't been around that many people for so long, but it didn't affect his appetite. We had a check up on Thursday, and his diet restriction is gone now. Fresh fruits and veggies are okay, WOW, is he making up for lost time with apples, grapes, and strawberries. We even got to see Santa on Friday!!!!! BoBo wasn't shy with him at all. He talked poor Santa's ear off! Mommy and Grandma Kathy will add some pictures to the new site for Timbo, and we'll have to include some with Santa.
• Monday-11/18/02-YEAH...BoBo is finally getting over his cold that has hung for well over a month. He is feeling terrific, playing hard, and eating everything in sight. What more could a mom ask for!!! We had alot of fun today. BoBo got his first official haircut today(since it grew back). He was so excited, and was eating up all the attention. He looks very handsome, if I say so myself. We plan to have a wonderful week and a great holiday next week. I hope there is enough food for everyone else after BoBo makes his way through!!!!!!!!!
• Sunday-11/10/02-GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! BoBo had scans last week, and for a change we got some good news. The CT and Bone scan were completely clear(first time ever), the MIBG scan showed something still there in his leg, but the doctors said it is just old residual tissue that is just alive enough to cause the scan to be positive, but not really able to cause our sweet little boy any harm!!! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PRAYERS AND WELL-WISHES... WE HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME TO GET THIS GOOD NEWS. He is still fighting the same cold he has had for a month now, but a cold we can handle.
• Monday-10/14/02-This new update from Tammy D......"Timbo was admitted Friday. His temperature was above 101. They checked blood cultures (which came back negative). Today they were supposed to check viral cultures (from his nose and throat-poor fella). Hopefully they will go home tomorrow." ......thanks again Tammy......Timbo we will keep praying for your recovery!
• Friday-09/20/02-Timbo and Dad had to go it alone for the first time last weekend as Mom spent her first weekend back to work. They did great!!! During the week Timbo went shopping with Mom at Marsh and they played the "hide the hearing aide" game (not Mommy's favorite) but the nice lady at the checkout made Mommy's day by finding it. Next Tuesday Timbo gets his other hearing aide. Coming up is an endoscopy test because Timbo has had a little trouble swallowing. We'll keep you posted.
• Saturday-09-14-02-Mommy's practicing being a webmaster!!!!
• Wednesday-09/11/02-This new update from Mom........"BoBo is feeling so good, it is hard to believe he was as sick as he was, such a short time ago! As of Tuesday, 09-10-02, he is off all of his medicine IV!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so weird not having to hook him up, for a few hours here and there, to an IV pump....weird, but wonderful. He is taking two medicines by mouth now, and doing very well with it, which hasn't been his strong area before now. Mom and Dad are very proud of him. Last Saturday, we went to a Stem Cell Reunion picnic for all the kids that have been through transplant, and he had a great time. He ate two ham sandwiches, and then built and painted a bird house(with grandpa's help), which is hanging on his new garage. We are looking forward to going next year, hopefully it won't be quite so warm. Last Tuesday, 09-03-02, we had an unexpected trip to the ER, in the middle of the night. BoBo's IV had a tear in the tubing, so we went and had it repaired, but it is fine now, especially since he barely needs it!!!"..........Thanks Jennifer, great to hear the good news!
• Friday-08/30/02- This has been a great week for BoBo. His IV nutrition was stopped last Monday because he's been eating much better. He was fitted for one of his hearing aides and has been doing well with it so far. Thursday was Timmy's BIRTHDAY and he was given a big party . His favorite gift was his new Thomas the Tank train. He also loves the new mini-barn out back and has informed everyone that it's his garage.
• Friday-08/16/02- Timbo's feeling better this week. He's gained 8 pounds since his stem cell transplant and is growing lots of hair back. He's eating a little better but still requires the IV nutrition. He's being fitted for hearing aids (a side effect of the chemo) and still needs to wear his mask when he leaves home. All tests have come back ok except for a small spot on his leg. Yeah TimBo!!!!
• Friday-08/09/02- Timbo finished his last radiation treatment on Wednesday and now is recieving another round of extensive labs, x-rays and other tests to determine his response to the treatments. It's been a rough couple of weeks for mom, dad and BoBo. Remember to say extra special prayers for them.
• Sunday-08/04/02-More news from mom..........."We had a great weekend. BoBo is eating more than just doritos now, he's taking some bites of more nutrious things such as: cashews, fritos, and mac&cheese! BoBo has also not been as sick as he was. He hasn't had any vomiting for a few days. Mom and Dad are very thankful for that. We did have to go to the clinic on Friday to get some blood, but hopefully, that will be the last unit of blood he will need for the next 60+years!!! We only have 3 more radation treatments left. We will be done on Wednesday!!!!!!!!".........Way to go BoBo!!!!!!
• Monday-07/29/02-Mom has this update......."BoBo has been feeling great!!! Saturday, we had a terrific visit from his new friends, Wendy and Julie, from the Make A Wish Foundation. They brought him a few gifts, which won him over very quickly, and they are going to arrange for BoBo to go see Mickey Mouse next year. Sunday was a good day also, but today was the best. BoBo finally ate today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DORITOS did it-he ate 4 or 5 chips....WOW. Not only did my wonderful boy eat today, but he made it the whole day without getting sick(may not sound like much, but this is only the 3rd time this has happened in over two months). I think he is finally turning the corner and getting back to his old self. By the way, 5 treatments down, only 7 to go!!!".........Great news Jennifer!!!
• Friday-07/26/02- Four treatments down, eight to go. Mom says Timbo loves to visit the underground tunnels at Riley after each treatment. He looks forward to seeing the mechanical truck that inhabits the halls down there.
• Thursday-07/25/02- From Tammy D........."Timbo did start his radiation therapy on Tuesday. He was quite scared (new machinery/environment). Jennifer said he got teary eyed and his bottom lip puckered out, but he didn't cry. What a trooper! Mom and dad were scared too (mostly because of a big concern regarding his lungs-I think because of the bronchitis). He is still vomiting, however, now it is most likely related to the radiation. Day #2 of radiation went much smoother, Jennifer got to hold Timbo until he fell asleep. That's all for now!" Thanks again Tammy.
• Monday-07/22/02- New update from Tammy D......"Timbo went to the clinic today. They did a chest x-ray today to investigate coughing spells (even though the main concern was vomiting). The results of the x-ray showed bronchitis/early pneumonia. He doesn't have a fever, just coughing and vomiting. However, his blood counts are still rising-yeah! Hopefully this infection won't delay his radiation treatment (starting Tuesday). I'll know more tomorrow.".......Thank you Tammy.....keep those prayers a-comin'.
• Friday-07/19/02- Timbo had a repeat CT Scan done on Wednesday to provide mapping info for the radiation treatments that start next week. He's been feeling better and taking some sips of water. For the past few weeks Timmy has been relying on intravenous nutrition for his substanence. The upset to his GI tract has caused prolonged bouts of vomiting with any intake. Recently while talking to Jennifer on the phone I heard BoBo superstar playing rambunciously in the background (that was music to my ears).
• Sunday-07/14/02-This update from Mom......Timbo had the BEST time yeasterday playing with his friend from Riley, Mady. She was diagnosed around the same time as Timmy and has recieved the same therapuetic regimen as Timmy. Mady is 18 months old and was able to visit Timmy at home with her two older brothers Christian and Jacob. Timbo was sooo happy to have them visit and they all had lots of fun.
• Friday-07/12/02-Timmy has been home since Tuesday but is still having temps. Mom says the last 2 days have been his best days in awhile. Everything is set for Timbo's Radiation treatments to start Monday July 21rst. BoBo Superstar, full steam ahead!
• Monday-07/08/02-The lastest news from mom is that Timbo is still at Riley. Fevers and diarrhea are the culprets that are keeping him from going home. Still having trouble with keeping food down too. Everyone pray extra hard for Timmy's improvement!
• Friday-07/05/02-New update from Mom........"We went home Tuesday afternoon around 5:00pm. BoBo felt soooo good, he was running all through the house, and we even played outside for a little while (he gets hot very fast!). Wednesday he played really well also, but a little more tired. He was very excited to see the trash man come, even though it was a new guy, who didn't know he was suppose to honk and wave at us. Then by 7:00 pm, we were on our way back to Riley with a fever. He had been fighting the fever since we got home Tuesday. It was inevitable, we were just hoping we could make it long enough to watch the fireworks. The good part is he feels pretty darn good, almost back to his own self (just tires a little more easily). This morning he did vomit, but there wasn't any blood present..this is the first time for awhile. No more red sickies, as BoBo says. And to top off a pretty good day, we went to one of the parking garages and got to watch the boom-booms(fireworks). It was actually the best view we have ever had.....to bad it took a fever to find it. BoBo is still running a fever off and on, so keep praying we can get this under control and get our sweet boy home(longer than 26hrs)."...........Thanks Mom, it was nice to hear that BoBo got to enjoy the fireworks.....we'll keep praying for your return home.
• Thursday-06/27/02-This just in from Mom and Dad (they're SuperStars too!)............."We were admitted Monday evening, from the Ronald McDonald house by the way, for fever. BoBo has still had a heck of a time with vomiting blood and diarrhea. They did scope him today and they found severe esophugitis. She couldn't do anything for the bleeding because it is oozing everywhere, so they did some biopsies. Not real sure what is causing it, this time it isn't the mucusitis. They think it might either be a viral infection or from acid reflux, so they are treating him for both. The biopsies will tell us more. No answers yet for the diarrhea, still working on it. BoBo has been feeling pretty good despite all this, until awhile after we arrived up to the unit, he spiked another fever. Poor baby, can he catch a brake!!!!! So we will be here throughout the weekend, but when we leave, we go home! WE HAVE WATER, as of Tuesday or Wednesday.....days tend to run together in here.".......... Hang in there guys, we're all with you.
• Monday-06/24/02-More news from Tammy D. (what would I do without her?)........ " The most recent news is that Tim & Jennifer's well (at home) is broken! It was broke shortly after they arrived home. They had to temporarily move into the Ronald McDonald House until the well problem is identified and fixed (hopefully Monday). Timbo is still having diarrhea out the wazeenie (no pun intended)! There is a c-diff test pending, and Jennifer is pretty sure he has it again (pretty much same symptoms he had the last time). Sunday he had to go in and get platelets, he was vomiting bright red blood, and his hgb had dropped almost 2gms, but platelets needed transfused. I find it unbelievable how this family continues to have such bad luck-hopefully there is a pot of gold at the end of their rainbow and they are on their way down to it!!!! P.S. I think the mood swings have subsided." ..........We'll keep praying...Thank you Tammy!
• Tuesday-06/18/02-Yes.....It's TRUE.!!!!! Timmy.....oh excuse me.......BOBO SUPERSTAR is home from the hospital. Tammy D. fills us in........... "Timbo has been home since Monday - YEAH!!! However, he isn't up to par yet. He hasn't been sleeping well, he is having lots of mood swings, and still having lots of diarrhea. Good news for today is that he is drinking gatorade!! Still not eating anything yet, but he is getting liquid nutrition at night. He is going to the clinic @ Riley today (Wednesday) for a routine check-up. Keep up the prayers for Timbo, mom and dad could use some extra prayers too!!"...........Thanks Again Tammy.
• Wednesday-06/12/02- Tammy D. brings us more good news.........."Timbo is not just a "star", according to Dr. Robertson, he is a SUPER STAR! He is doing good (cell counts included). His mouth sores are gone, but he still has a blood blister on his lip. He had a terrible spell of coughing on Tuesday, he was coughing so much that they did a chest xray. The xray was normal, and his mom said he has the cutest little lungs! Anyway, the cough has subsided, and he is still a SUPER STAR! Timbo left his room for the first time on Wednesday for a walk around the unit, which wore the little super star out! It looks like he may get to go home early next week - YEAH!!!!!!!"...............Just what we wanted to hear!
• Sunday-06/09/02-This e-mail from Tammy D......."Timbo's cell count was just under 10,000 today (Sunday)!! His mouth sores are getting better, but he still has some vomiting. He played some today but mom said he got tired easily. No fever on Sunday either!!!"..... Great news!
• Friday-06/07/02-Good news from mom tonight........Timmy's feeling better! His mouth is healing and his counts are looking good. He still has some occassional temps but things are looking up. Yeah!
• Thursday-06/06/02-Another welcome update from Tammy D........."It's been rough for Bobo lately, but he was a little better today. His mouth is still very, very sore, and he isn't eating or drinking yet. He did feel well enough to play a little today! His cell count is coming up and it sounds like the stem cells are working! That's all for now."...............Thanks Tammy, this is encouraging news!
• Tuesday-06/04/02-Special prayers for Timmy. He's having a lot of side effects from the last chemo and hasn't been feeling like himself. Pray for Mom and Dad too.......they need your support more than ever.
• Friday-05/31/02-Timmy hasn't felt much like eating the past few days. He's had some mouth soreness and nausea, but he's been receiving IV nutrition to give him a boost until he feels better. Mom's been staying with him (of course). If you'd like to send cards go HERE
• Tuesday-05/28/02-More news from Tammy D......."Timbo was feeling good enough to eat breakfast this morning - he had biscuits & gravy!!!! It's official - Timbo's transplant is complete!!!!!! Jennifer said it only took about 10 minutes. Timbo got a little nauseated, but they think it was from the smell of the preservatives. That's all for now. Keep the prayers going!!!!!!"........Thank you Tammy, keep those e-mails coming!
• Friday-05/24/02- Timbo was admitted Tuesday for his last round of Chemo. It will last four days then he'll have three days to rest before he undergoes the stem cell transplant next Tuesday. Mom says he's had a slight fever and some mouth soreness but other than that he's doing well. Let's all keep him in our prayers.
• Monday-05/20/02- After a long week of multiple tests and procedures, this update from Tammy D......"Timbo's results from the scan that was specific for the neuroblastoma tumors showed that he only has one left (and it is in his leg)!!!!!!! Jennifer and Tim are very happy today after hearing this good news. The doctor also told them that his other tests (including lab work) show that he is a healthy patient for stem cell transplant and he should be out of there in 27 days!!!!!!!!".......That's great news, thank you Tammy.
• Friday-05/10/02- Timmy has had a pretty good week. His labs dropped to a worrisome low and he had to go to the clinic for a refill but he's been feeling and eating well. Mom's been busy with the yard sale this weekend. Also the Hog Roast for Timmy is tomorrow. Click here for further details.
• Thursday-05/02/02- Mom sent me this update I'd like to share with you..... "YEAH!!! We got to come home Wednesday. We were suprised because we thought it would be at least Thursday, but since he has been feeling so good, and eating everything in sight...they let us come home today on antibiotics.......BoBo got a new swingset from his uncle Steve the Tuesday before we were readmitted, so as soon as the rain stops we will be back outside playing in "BoBo's House"(it has a fort in it and he calls it BoBo's house)."........Thanks Jen.
• Wednesday-05/01/02- Timbo is still at Riley. He is feeling much better! The doctors are waiting for his lab work to improve before he can be released. He may get to come home Wednesday evening.
• Friday-04/26/02- Another welcome update from Tammy D....... "Timbo had to be admitted Friday. His runny nose got the best of him. His temperature was hanging out around 99, but went up to 102 after he got to the hospital. He will probably be there until his lab work improves.".......Thanks Tammy.....hang in there little guy.
• Monday-04/22/02- Timmy got to come home today and is feeling and eating better! Yeah BoBo!!!!!
• Friday-04/19/02- After a restless night at Riley, Timmy is feeling a little better. The side effects of the chemo have been hitting him hard this time. Keep BoBo, and mom and dad too, in your prayers. The Stem Cell transplant will be in about 3 weeks and this will be the biggest challenge of all.
• Wednesday-04/17/02- On Thursday Timmy will return to Riley Children's Hospital for his 6th round of Chemo. He's been eating well and is having less pain. :) Way to go BoBo!
• Monday-04/15/02- Timbo got to come home Sunday morning. Thanks for all the prayers!
• Thursday-04/11/02-continued-This just in from Tammy D......"Bobo did it! His surgery was a success - the surgeon told Tim and Jennifer that he thinks he got all of the cancer. YEAH YEAH YEAH!!! Unfortunately they had to remove the adrenal gland, but his kidneys were fine. He was resting quietly when I left (with mommy and daddy at his bedside). Thank God for all of the wonderful nurses, doctors and assistants who have helped Timbo through his journey!!!"........Thanks Tammy for the update.
• Thursday-04/11/02-Today's the day for Timmy's surgery. Extra prayers to you Timmy, Mom and Dad too!
• Monday-04/08/02- New update from Tammy D......."He is a new little man! Timbo is feeling much better now. Jennifer said he has had quite the appetite today-yeah! Bon appetit Timbo!!!!! They are meeting with the oncologist Tuesday afternoon for a routine pre-operative conference."........Prayers do work!
• Friday-04/05/02- Just can't shake that nausea, so Timmy's had to start on IV nutrition that will hopefully build him up in preparation for his surgery on 4/11. All prayers go out to you Timbo.
• Wednesday-04/03/02- Update from Tammy D........."Timbo came home Tuesday afternoon. He was feeling okay at the hospital, but started throwing up again later that night. He does have an infection in his GI track but mom said that she was told it is common for kids undergoing chemo to get this, but they are not sure why he is still throwing up." Hang in there BoBo.
• Monday-04/01/02-Timbo was admitted to Riley on Sunday night Mom said he woke up during the night throwing up. Timbo didn't get to come home today, but will probably go home Tuesday. Also, he is in isolation because they think he might have an infection. He seems to be feeling a little better this evening. Timbo's daddy has been causing lots of excitement at Riley- he pushed the CODE BLUE button (accidently) and everyone came running! Sounds like he should have said--April Fools!
• Friday-03/29/02-Timmy's been feeling poorly all week.......mom thinks maybe he has a touch of the flu. All the ICU girls are sending good vibes your way Timbo......remember we have that healing spirit. xxxooo!
• Monday-03/25/02-This update from Tammy D...."Timbo had to go to the clinic today, he needed a refill of rbc's and platelets. He is still not feeling well, he was sick all through the night on Sunday :( They have a date for his surgery - April 11th." ... Timmy you're always on our minds and in our prayers.
• Friday-03/22/02-Timbo did get to come home on Monday but wasn't feeling so great for a few days. A highlight of this week was the trip to the Mall and pictures with THE EASTER BUNNY!!! Mom says currently his labs look good.
• Friday-03/15/02-Timmy started his 5th round of chemo yesterday at Riley and is doing well! A new CT scan showed the tumor is only 2.2 cm now!!! Another hearing test is normal and if all goes well, Bobo will be back at home on Monday!
• Monday-03/11/02-Message from the WEBMASTER. Sorry for the inconvience of having the site down for a while. The Bravenet people were having problems with the server. In addition my (Tammy L./webmaster) own personal computer crashed and we have been without one since last week. We are getting a new computer (yippee) soon and hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the updates. I have a lot of new things planned for the website. I don't have a new update to post about Timmy right now but I pray he's feeling better. It's wonderful how all of you post updates on the Message board too.....it's very helpful since I live so far away and aren't right there in the mix of things. If anyone wants me to post something on the update board for them, just E-Mail ME exactly what you want to say and I'll cut and paste it to this page.
• Monday-03/04/02- Timbo had to "get his tank filled" today. His hemoglobin was down to 5.9, his platelets and wbc's were very low too. Unfortunately the update doesn't end there, they came back home today, and his temp is now > 101 and they have went back to Riley to be admitted :( That's all for now.
• Monday-02/25/02- Home from the hospital today and still feeling great! Here's a quote from Mom, "We just got home from the hospital today and we are doing great. BoBo wasn't sick at all this time, and I thought he had been busy before, HA HA, we hadn't seen anything yet. He was Mr. Sociable on this visit, and he started throwing words out like: probably, hope so, hope not, and just kidding. He was quite the entertainer!!!!!! His hallway action was is rare form. I thought we had to hurry(quickly walking) after him before, Tim and I were actually running after him this time. He was even riding on his IV pole. I didn't thing we would ever get out of there, after he was unhooked from his IVs, he just ran laps around the unit as fast as he could go(it was pretty funny), it took us forever to get him to leave....We went to the clinic on Thursday for his check up before he could be admitted up to the unit, and they had to send us home to wait for a bed. We finally got a bed around 4:00pm on Friday. That is so sad that there are that many sick children. Well I'm, gonna go so I can rest up for tomorrow, the energizer bunny just keeps going and going!!! PS For Great attitude and behavior, BoBo gets the GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
• Sunday-02/24/02- Still feeling pretty good, Timmy got a full 12 hours of sleep last night. Mom and Dad feel pretty good too!
• Friday-02/22/02- Due to a bed shortage at Riley, Timmy didn't get admitted for his chemo until today. He was so excited to see everyone there that he had to run all around the unit just to let all the staff know he was back.
• Thursday-02/21/02- Round 4 of chemo starts today and Timmy is ready for the challenge. (I think he's feeling that Olympic Spirit!)
• Tuesday-02/19/02- GREAT NEWS! Timmy's harvested stem cells are CLEAR of cancer cells! At a later date these will be returned to him to aid in the production of new bone marrow. This is what we've all been hoping to hear. On Monday his labs were good....so onward and upward.
• Monday-02/09/02- More platelets and blood at Riley today for the Timster. Gotta keep that tank full. Keep up with the prayers they've been amazing.
• Saturday-02/09/02- Timmy is feeling GREAT today. He played outside for awhile and then visited the firehouse and saw all the firetrucks and ambulances. He was so excited!!! Mom says his expression was priceless! (just like the mastercard commercial)
• Tuesday-02/05/02- Timmy's home but the new chemo has caused some lingering nausea that lessens the appetite, but he still loves pancakes!
• Friday-02/01/02- Today Timmy had a bone scan and another CT Scan. So far all tests are looking good! Believe in the power of prayer!
• Thursday-01/31/02- Early this AM, Timmy had another bone marrow biopsy and an Audiogram (hearing test). Later today he'll start his 3rd round of chemo. This time it will be with different meds and he will be at Riley for about 6 days.
• Tuesday-01/29/02- More stem cell harvesting today, but it's all going well.
• Monday-01/28/02- Today's the big day for Timmy to return to Riley for the first part of his stem cell transplant. We'll be praying BoBo.
• Saturday-01/26/02- Timmy's benefit was a wonderful success (playing in the car with Grandma was the best!) Mom and Dad got to enjoy themselves with all their friends and family. Thanks to everyone for a great day!
• Wednesday-01/23/02- Yippee!!!! Timmy is home and doing better. If all continues well, he'll have his stem cells saved on Monday. They will be preserved and returned to him at a future date. This is a very critical time for Timmy and he needs all of our prayers.
• Tuesday-01/22/02- Still at Riley, Timmy's not been feeling or eating as well. He's been receiving more platelets and blood so hopefully he'll be back to his perky little self soon. Hang in there BoBo!
• Sunday-01/20/02- Although Timmy has had a lot of energy and feeling better he was admitted today for more antibiotics and fluids. At least he gets to see Cecil....his new friend... the housekeeping guy at Riley. You are always in our prayers Timbo.
• Friday-01/18/02- Today Timmy had to go to Riley for an infusion of platelets due to a low count but he was able to return home and is feeling better.
• Monday-01/14/02- Timmy was discharged this morning and is doing quite well. He has lots of energy and is keeping mom and dad busy. It's great to have him home.
• Friday-01/11/02- Timmy is feeling pretty good today. He's still at Riley but hopefully home soon. Mom actually had to chase him down the hall with the IV pole.
• Thursday-01/10/02- Today Timmy returns to Riley Children's Hospital to begin his 2nd round of chemotherapy. All our prayers go out to him.
• Tuesday-01/08/02- Little Timbo is quite a happy kid today. He has been eating, walking, and playing more than usual.
• Saturday-01/05/02- Today Timmy felt so good he helped mom and dad take down the Christmas decorations.
• Wednesday-01/02/02- Timmy's feeling better today and actually feels like walking around some. He's starting to lose some hair and got a new short haircut to help with the transition.
• Monday-12/31/01 Counts are looking better and Timmy was able to return home today.
• Thursday-12/27/01- Due to an increased temperature Timmy had to return to Riley where he will recieve antibiotics. He may need to stay a few days until his WBC's rise. Keep him in your prayers!
• Tuesday-12/25/01- Timmy spends Christmas at home!
• Saturday-12/22/01- Timmy is released and able to go home with mom and dad.
• Tuesday-12/18/01- Timmy begins his first of 5 rounds of chemotherapy. If all goes well he'll be home for Christmas.
• Monday-12/17/01- Timmy's diagnosis of adrenal neuroblastoma is confirmed after results of abdominal biopsy, bone marrow biopsy and bone scan.
• Friday-12/14/01- With mom and dad at his bedside, Timmy has a trying day of tests and exploratory surgery to determine the cause of his illness.
• Thursday-12/13/01- Timmy is admitted to Riley Children's Hospital after an abdominal ultrasound shows a spot on his adrenal gland.