#Loganstrong

A little break from the hospital.  Logan & mom headed up both Monday & Tuesday this week for some blood work as well as test his veins for next weeks T-cell harvesting.  Wednesday-Sunday NO PLANS to visit hospital!  Logan is feeling great.  He has been eating well and spending a lot of time with friends and family.

Next week will consist of the harvesting/freezing of his T-cells.  It is a 3 day event (Monday-Wednesday).  They will put a large metal needle (not flexible) into his arm.  They will pull his blood out, run it through a machine, and back into his body.  The machine extracts T-cells which they will freeze and use at a later time when/if he goes through the immunotherapy treatment.

Most 13 year old boys should be stressed about girls, homework, pimples.  Logan has to worry about a large needle that could damage his vein.  Not fair…enough said.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers…….

#loganstrong

Mixed results. Positive bone marrow showing huge improvement. Organs and bones remain exactly the same. However, no new spots. So he is immediately off chemo until October 20th. As well as we will stop the experimental chemo as of tonight. Monday he will have an echo and blood draw. Free Until 12th when we will harvest T cells for much later use. One week of chemo with the only purpose to break down the body to harvest stem cells to use for MIBG experiment. Looks like he starts MIBG after Thanksgiving. So overall report is mixed. As we had already known and discussed with his doctor, neuroblastoma relapse doesn’t like to respond to chemo. So we are on to our next plan of attack.  FIGHT ON!

Logan continues to remain positive & strong.  Today I was able to bring him to his junior high and he was able to participate in planning a potential Halloween event that will help create awareness for childhood cancer.  The above picture is of him and his friend Carson.  It was awesome to see how much support he has from the kids/faculty at his school.  Logan sat through 3 planning sessions with approximately 60 kids and ALL of them were so excited to see him.

#loganstrong

This week will be a busy week of tests & scans.  Yesterday Logan had a bone marrow biopsy.  Today break at home.  Tomorrow CT Scan.  Thursday MIBG scan and meeting with Dr. Julie Park to go over results and what to do next…..

What to do next….

1.  If they see that the current treatment is actually causing the cancer to “go away” we will actually continue treatment another two cycles.  They do not anticipate this as the purpose was to slow down advancement.
2. If 1 does not happen Logan will go off of experiment pills.  He will then have an appointment in the next couple weeks to harvest some T cells & stem cells to prepare for another experimental through the Ben Towne Foundation.  Basically they will re-program his cells and make them super cells to fight the cancer.  Watch amazing video explaining this here.
3. While his T cells are being reprogrammed he will be doing another experimental treatment.  This is the MIBG treatment I mentioned in an earlier post where he will be put in a lead room for 5-7 days and be treated with radioactive medicine.  This is now schedule to start late November.

Logan continues to be our hero…he takes it all in stride.  Today in fact his school tutor (amazing teacher at Kalles Junior high, Billy Lane) comes over for the first time to go over school projects…..so technically today is first day of 8th grade for Logan!

#loganstrong

Logan & mom headed up to Seattle Children’s early this morning to check his counts as well as get a blood transfusion.  They received great news…Logan’s ANC counts (infection fighters) were at 284 and going up!  He also had no fever!  The blood gave him energy and he is feeling great.

Next week is full of tests & scans to see if his cancer has continued to remain contained.  We then meet with doctors to sign paperwork to take him off this experiment and move to another.

The next experimental treatment is an MIBG treatment.  Click here to read about it.  We are scheduled to start this at the end of October.

The above picture is of me and Joel McHale last night at the Ben Towne Benefit which when we left had raised more than 1.3 million dollars!  100% of all funds will go towards finding cures for childhood cancers!

#loganstrong

Last night Logan’s temp dropped to 99.8 and this morning he recorded a 99.4!  So Mom and Logan still home enjoying family time.

Tonight Kelly and I will be attending something we look forward to all year.  The annual fundraiser for the Ben Towne Foundation.  Please if you are unfamiliar with this amazing foundation click on the link provided.  You will be amazed at the progress/results and this is happening in Seattle!

We are all at home (Grandma too) and Logan has a fever of 100.  If it increases to 101 Mom and Logan head into ER.  His spirits are still great fever and all.  It’s amazing the smile he continues to keep even though he is still not feeling great.

Last night we had an amazing time at the Sounders game.  Thank you to the Austen Everett Foundation and the Seattle Sounders!  It was a great get-a-way for Logan as well as a great birthday for Grandma.

#loganstrong

Mid week update….Yesterday Logan’s ANC counts were at just 240 and going down.  Basically he cannot fight infection.  So any fever we go straight to ER and get admitted.  Today counts probably zero but he is doing great!  Mom and Logan went north to get blood at noon today.  Gave Logan energy as well as gave him color (no wonder Lance Armstrong got fresh blood between races;)).

Tomorrow Logan & family get a special treat.  We will be attending a private suite (germ free) with family at the Sounders game.  We were provided special parking and a private suite for 14.  Not sure who is more excited Logan or Dad:).  We are also celebrating Grandma turning 21 again.  She has been a great help here while visiting from Tucson.

I have had many of you ask for our address but of course I feel a little uncomfortable putting it on website.  Feel free to e-mail me anytime at jasonyewis@yahoo.com and I will provide.  Logan loves getting mail & surprises.

So I will wrap up this blog with love, family, friends….amazing.  Thank you!

#loganstrong,

Usually when I do an update it is at night (tired) or I try and squeeze one in at work.  I don’t get very detailed but do more of a high level update to keep all of our friends & family informed.

Sooooo……cancer really sucks and is taking it’s toll.  Thank God we have an amazing support group.  Since Kelly is on FMLA she makes the daily trips to Seattle Children’s and is Logan’s primary caretaker.  She does all medications, home hydration, feeding tube/bag etc.  She has been through the training at the hospital and soon will receive her nursing certificate;).  Where do I come in….support, help when I can.  A lot of times I feel helpless.

Logan has been throwing up this week.  When he throws up the NG tube that has been placed through his nose and into his stomach sometime comes up as well.  Kelly then has to gag Logan and re-insert it.  She then has to listen through a stethoscope to make sure she did not shove it into a lung.  If she does not hear air in his stomach she pulls it back out and does it again.  There are other side affects that come with the chemo but Logan would not appreciate me going into any details publicly….

What seems to distract Logan most is video games.  On Wednesday night a friend from work, Jeff, and uncle Mike “nerded out” with Logan for many hours.  Logan loved it!  Uncle Mike, Aunt Kim, and Cousin Jake have been here this week helping out….Thank you!  They leave tomorrow morning back to New York and my mom flies in from Tucson on Sunday to be here for a week.

So to everyone that takes the time to read my posts, share my posts, pray for my son, tell people about my son’s fight…Thank you.  I will continue to update you when I can, sometimes brief, sometimes in detail.

#loganstrong

Logan is almost done with this round of chemo and it has been a rougher week than usual.  He’s had a little more nausea than usual.  Through it all though he remains positive & strong.

I was gone the last couple days at a conference and came home to his amazing smile tonight.  We just got done getting our fantasy football lineups ready for week two.  Logan is 1-0 in both leagues whereas dad is 0-1 in both.

His last round of chemo is this Friday then his counts will drop.  Once again we hope for no fevers and no trips to the hospital the following week.

I met some amazing people at my conference and shared Logan’s story with many.  The thoughts & prayers are working everyone.  We hope during next rounds of scans to see minimal cancer.

#loganstrong

Logan & Family had a great weekend!  Logan for the most part felt great.  He was able to attend/cheer on little brother Peyton’s first soccer game of the season (big win), able to go to the fair for 5+ hours and best of all enjoy fair food and a great rodeo.  Had a great time with friends watching football Sunday morning (too bad Seahawk’s lost).  Experienced his first weekend as a fantasy football owner of 2 teams!  As I type this it looks like he will be a winner in both leagues!  Aunt Kim & Cousin Jake flew in Saturday night from New York so Logan also spent a lot of time being a great cousin as Jake wanted his attention a lot:).

This morning Logan started round 3 of experimental chemo.  Long day for Mom and Logan.  I am out of town for work but I just checked in and Logan and Uncle Mike (flew in from NY tonight) were playing some serious video games and Logan was feeling great!

Thank you all for continued thoughts and prayers!

#loganstrong