Friday, January 28, 2011

Hey visitors

Just doing a shout out to the cuzzies up in Auckland (Chloe and Ethan)... Seeing as they didn't come visit us, but it was great to see Aunty Sue and Uncle Paul this arvo.  It was awesome to catchup.  See ya soon...
The first thing Aunty Sue said was... Shit, you've grown!

2/3 over

Ello all those who still follow us on this blog.
Like it says in the title, we've reached the 2/3 milestone, just 2 more sessions, or 10 days of treatment if you think of it that way. I've reached the point where I'm slowly counting down, and each day of treatment I'm be knocking another off 9.....8.....7...... so on and so forth. I cannot wait for this to be over.

Cycle 2BM is over, and i have to say, it wasn't that bad. It went down a lot easier then my last BM, which left me sicker then a dog and feeling sorry for myself. I did get smell sensitive, but not nearly as bad, it was more an inconvenience then a major issue, with me being able to handle having mum bringing in some foods, just as along as i didn't have to eat them.

We never did see the Orthopedics doctors up at the hospital, we waited and waited, but they must have had more important things to do (but what could be more important then me ;D). We finally heard from them yesterday (thursday) through our house surgeon Dr Zhe, and apparently I'm allowed to start wait bearing on my leg, but seeing as this is based on an x-ray that even the radiologists admitted was hard to compare to an earlier version because of the leg being in different positions. So we've decided to wait for a more conclusive scan before we accept that my leg will hold me safely. Thankfully, we wont have to wait long for that. Sometime next week (we don't know what day) me and dad are flying off to wellington to have a PET/CT scan to compare with the one from America, so we might finally know if i can walk again.

Keep an eye out for my next post folks, I'll make sure to post after the PET scan, or after i get some results. So keep watching, your nearly there folks.
So you know the drill, Be good, and stay healthy.

Relay for life... the competition has begun! - TEAM - LOGAN'S RUN

So much for a friendly fund-raiser and social event!  Evan is already in the lead with his fund-raising with Charlee close behind. We have ten people so far on our team, but would love more.  We need to have the baton on the track at all times, so please help by either sponsoring one of us (me would be good!) or join the team. Remember, the event is on March 5th and 6th at Ruakura. We have tent site 67 (a good year). We will have a tent and small marquee, along with the BBQ and table, so come make yourself at home... It's all for a great cause. These people have been so kind to us since Logan became ill.  They provide emotional and practical support, right down to petrol, food and phone vouchers.  Give generously friends.  It will never be wasted.

Catch ya'll soon

Thursday, January 27, 2011

We're home!

Hey everyone...
Just a quick update.  Yesterday was day 5 of Logan's treatment.  His chemo was all over by noon, and they released us at 3pm.  It was great to be home.  Logan automatically feels better.  He has mild nausea, but has been blessed to have had no vomiting this session so far.  He has saved up his pocket money and is having pizza for lunch today.  I still have to give him his GCSF injections daily for five days, but he is just happy to be home.
When Logan's up to it, he will post an entry for ya'll

Take care
Tracy 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Day 4 - part 2 - what a busy day

Wow! talk about visitor central.  Thanks to Paul and Yvonne, Nikki, Jesse and Rosemary, and of course devoted Daddy who stopped by to brighten Logan's day.  Somehow it went from lunch to dinner and we weren't exactly sure where the time had gone.  We still haven't seen the orthopaedic surgeon yet (who was suppose to come by today) so assume they will stop by another day.

HEY AUNTY NOLA - Haere mai, haere mai, haere mai.  Welcome to our blog... we are so pleased that you found your way by yourself.  No small event for you I know.  We will come see you in a couple of days when we escape...
Hope you and Uncle Peter manage to figure out how to post a comment, but if not, give Brad a ring and he will pop over and set you up.  If anyone else is stuck, and would like to post comments but doesn't know how, get hold of Brad or Charlotte.  They are the experts.

Due to all our precautions, Logan has had a great day.  He has only been able to eat the hospital breakfast, and has survived on Mi Goreng  noodles, and lollies for the rest of the day.

Logan loves Jaffa's, dinosaurs, jet planes... basically lots of lollies... if you are coming bring a couple and he will be your friend.

One more sleep to go....

Sweet dreams everyone
Tracy and Logie

p.s. don't tell Logan I told you, but he sleep talks.  Last night he was apologising because he couldn't control his power.  I want to know exactly what power he has and if it will help me do the housework.!!!

Day 4 and all is smell!

Hey everyone,
Last night Logan discovered the world of smells again.  It is quite funny the things that he is smell sensitive too.  Our dinner came in.  The crumbed schnitzel was not allowed to stay in the room, but my egg mornay was.  He is happy to eat Mi Goreng noodles (which stink by the way), but not mashed potato.  Spicy English muffins rate fabulous, but roast dinners are binned, and this morning baked beans was woofed down but scrambled eggs were shunned!
I think the boy is having me on. 
Anyhow, he is starting to feel slightly under the weather but nothing serious and is still smiling and chatting.  He has started to get a bit more tired, but an attempt to get a nap this morning proved futile as the ward was extremely noisy with rounds going on and maintenance men in the ceiling.  Even ear plugs were no help.
Thanks to the people who have already text today to ask to come and visit.  Logan is looking forward to someone else's face other than mine, and I used up all my jokes a long time ago. You can visit at the following times today or tomorrow: 7pm to noon the following day (teens be sensible), and 2pm - 5pm.  At meal times we batten down the hatches to keep him smiling.  If you are in the room with us at this time, be prepared to be TRAPPED!
Doc's came this morning. Today and tomorrow Logan has 2 extra poisons added... such fun.  He has given us the definite OK, to head off tomorrow night... provided Logan is all good Blah Blah Blah... (wasn't really listening after he said yes).
Also checked something else that we were unsure about.  Logan definitely had no cancer in his brain (so his abnormal behaviour is just him being him!!!!!), but the lumps on his head were cancer.  They were subcutaneous, which means outside the skull... YAY!
Speaking of skulls and brains, my brain is tired already, so take care everyone...

see you soon and stay healthy
Tracy and Logie

Monday, January 24, 2011

Day 3 - 3.30pm - and all is well

Gidday Guys and Gals,
Here is the latest report from the Mum with the Bum!, and her Glad Lad!
Life is good up here.  The nurses aren't bad (HEY DONNA....).  You better look this time... I'm not gonna put pics on here if you gonna keep losing the blog address!!!
Logan has been keeping well.  He is eating heaps... the meals for him are huge if he wants them to be.
A typical breakfast for the boy... I think he needs a bigger tray.  He can also order a cooked breakfast as he is on a special high calorie diet - I still like my cold toast, nothing beats it.

He has been pleasantly surprised so far and has had no side effects to speak of.
Logie and I would like to send out a big hug and kiss to Linda and Norrie.... will see ya soon....
Logan has had a slightly wierd day.  First he didnt want to pee at all, and now he cant stop peeing!!!! I wish he would make up his mind.
Alex and Kahn - my gorgeous son-in-law and his son
Thanks for popping in this morning Alex and Kahn.  Logan loved seeing you (even if he was in the middle of eating noodles at the time and seemed to be protecting them with his life).
Logan enjoyed his visit early in the afternoon with Sasha.  They chatted for ages and it gave me time to chill out and take a Nana nap.
Dont know how all of you fared out there last night, but we froze.  The last two nights have been rather cold.  I have added two extra blankets to Logan's bed today to see if that will help tonight.  As for myself, I am going to see if I can find a Lazyboy cause my back is killing me! I'm to old and fat to be sleeping on the floor.
The doctors came this morning.  It was great to see Michael and Colleen again.  They have both been away and we have only seen Zhi. Michael was his cool, confident and sarcastic self.  Logan was really pleased to have him back leading his treatment, and so was I.  Ellyn his teen cancer nurse dropped in too, so the room was full of people catching up and enjoying each others positivity.
Zhi, Colleen and Dr Michael, with Logan and Ellyn.  This is the awesome team who have looked after Logan every step of our Journey.
It's strange when you realise that in just over a month we will be at the end of this treatment and will be waiting to see how it has gone.  It has become such a way of life for our family now - the new normal someone called it.  But as someone else said... what is normal anyway.

Enough philosophising...

keep smiling and stay healthy
Tracy and Logie

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Day 2 draws to a close

Hayley and Logan chill in the evening - good thing she has a good sense of humour!
Well, nothing, nothing and more nothing pretty much sums up our day today.  The highlight of our day was our nurses (Lorrie and Hayley).  Treatment has gone well. Evan and Wendy came to visit (thanks), but technically just Wendy is counted cause Evan HAS to visit or he gets to sleep in the doghouse!

Thanks to Whakarongo and her extensive collection, we are being entertained most of the day with DVD's.  Logan is craving potato chips, noodles and english muffins (not all together) this time, and thanks to Evan we have a large supply of everything (including chocolate).

On the medical side... his bloods are looking good.  Everything is at a normal level, although we all know this wont last too long!  He has a slight cough and runny nose which the doctors are not concerned about as he is well in himself and has no temp.  Having said this, he is red-faced, but they have no idea why so are not concerned.

Three more sleeps and we are home again.  After the last BM regimen they let us go in the evening so we are hoping this will happen again. Here's hoping Wednesday evening is good.

As I type this logan is enjoying an iceblock (patient privilege) while I just drool.  He doesn't seem concerned about eating in front of me... and I thought he was empathetic. LOL.

Anyhow, I am missing my movie whilst I type this, so this is all ya gonna get.  Have a great evening everyone and stay healthy.

Keep smiling
Tracy (and the iceblock monster)

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Chemo four begin's - Day 1

Yay! Finally we are back getting poisoned!  Nothing like a bit of toxicity to brighten an otherwise overcast day.  Dr Michael will be back from holiday on Monday and it will be great to see him.  We have missed his bright smile and Logan loves the intellectual discussions they sometimes launch into.

Thanks to the guys (Jordan, Ben, Jason, Leighton, Sam and Nick) who came to our place for Logan's L.A.N. party on Thursday and Friday. 
half of our garage of gamers
The other half... if only they would focus on their chores this well!

They got a bit more than they bargained for when we had to whisk Logan into hospital with a fever at 9pm, but true to our word, we brought him back before he turned into a pumpkin and the night continued.  The nurses in emergency were awesome.  We got whisked straight through to get him out of the infectious area - no waiting. Bloods were taken immediately.  The nurses have such a great sense of humour.  The room we always go to in A & E is #16 due to the positive pressure. Anyhow, on the wall is a picture of tigger (from Pooh Bear).  Near his butt someone has stuck a sign that says "Danger - Flammable Gas".  Every time we see this it has us in giggles and the nurses dont seem to have noticed cause when we tell them, they end up in giggles too.

Anyway, we are back up here, but in Rm 23 this time.  I keep accidentally going into 22, and it's starting to get embarrassing! If all goes to plan, we should be making an exit late on Wednesday evening...

It's quite exciting to know that we have now started treatment #4 - 2/3 of the way through.  In the next couple of weeks Logan will be having a PET scan in either Auckland or Wellington hospital (our one here isn't operational yet).  This will give us an indication as to how well his treatment is progressing.  Fingers (and other body parts) crossed please.

Thanks to everyone who is continuing to ring, text, and send notes/cards of support.  Logan (and the rest of us) really appreciate these and it is often that special message that lifts us up when we might otherwise drop a little low.

Thanks to Logan's friends who have been taking him to the movies, going shopping, playing computer games, and other 15yr old stuff which keeps him busy and makes the time pass quicker.

Thanks to the people who continue to drop by with meals and baking, and take washing, and just do those little jobs that don't seem to get done anymore.  You are truly amazing.

Thanks to those people who are supporting the rest of my family - they need it too (I think Evan needs to go out more for beer though, so I don't feel so guilty about going out for coffee!)

Love to you all and stay healthy
Tracy

p.s.
If you haven't already read Charlotte's post before this, please do so NOW! MWAH!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Relay for life-LOGANS RUN!!!

Hi everyone,
Charlotte here.
I've organised a team for Relay for Life on the 5th-6th March 2011.
It is being held at Ruakura.
(See www.relayforlife.org.nz for more information)
If you are interested in joining our team then let me or Logan or Mum know. Either through comments on here or text or phone call so we can register you. It will be $20 per person and that will pay for a t-shirt, power, and Sunday breakfast etc.
If for any reason you don't wanna run/walk/crawl/roll laps with us, you can help us with our fundraising efforts by going to http://www.relayforlife.org.nz/index/donation.
We are called LOGANS RUN!!!!!
We will have a BBQ set up for dinner, and a tent, and tables so people are welcome to come by and do a few laps (you don't have to be registered) or you can hang out with us the whole time!
Hope you can come,
Charlotte

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Houston we have a problem

Hiya guys, guess who?
That's right, this is your favorite cancer patient coming to you semi-live from not hospital but home.
Unfortunately therein lies the problem. Today I was due to start my fourth treatment today, but as with my last AM treatment (my treatments are split into alternating AM and BM treatments) my bloods are too low to start the next treatment on time.

Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting... must be a busy day down stairs! p.s. this is a good time to let all of you guys out there know that the blood bank up here is always in need.  Please give blood if you can so people like me can get what we need - thanks from all of us on ward 25 - we all need blood at some time or another...
It all happened a bit like this.
Yesterday (Friday) the district nurse came to our house at around nine in the morning. I was still asleep at this time so mum brought her down to my room, it was just like being in hospital.
The nurse took some blood and changed my lure plugs and dressing. We then got a call at approximately 11:30 to tell us my bloods were all to low to start chemo, but they still wanted us to come up to the hospital so that they could give me 2 units of blood, to bring my red blood cells up.
So off me and mum went, thinking we would be back by 7pm (1 hour to cross match the blood, and 6 hours to infuse (3 hours each unit)), but noooooooooo. nearly three hours for the cross match, left us two hours behind schedule, which if we were staying the night wouldn't have fussed us.
No need to say, it was a long day for me and mum.

So for another week we're home. It's somewhat annoying that we can't continue with treatment, but it is a necessity, and really, I'm not complaining.
That's all for now folks. I'll keep you updated it we have any more delays.
For now, be good and stay healthy.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING HAMILTON

To all you reading me now, this is Logan Roose coming to you not-live from Hamilton's top none-radio station, the Roose household.

Before we start in force I must say, yes, I know that i haven't posted personally in a little while, yes, I've missed your nonsensical ramblings as well, and yes I am alive, thanks for asking :-)

Now, on to whats happened lately.
To tell the truth, things have been mostly quiet. No surgery to have lines planted in my chest, no uncomfortable vomiting (thank god) and no new drugs (except that anti-nausea drug mum mentioned in the earlier post, but i only took that one once then gave it up). Things have been reasonably nice, I say "Nice" in the vaguest possible sense. I did have that problem with smell sensitivity when I was in hospital again, and boy am I over it, it makes life so difficult. So again as mum said, I was surviving on English muffins especially the berry fruit ones, although this confuses mum, as she finds them the smelliest type of English muffin. This is entirely true, but as I've tried to explain, THEY TASTE GOOD! And it's not all smells that set me off, just a good lot of them.

What else, what else. Ah yes my new laptop. For Christmas, dad went out and organized a laptop for me, so I would have something to watch movies on, and play small games that don't like to work on macs. And i love it! FINALLY something I can actually "play" on, rather then simply being able to place posts and watch the occasional movie on mums computer. It does have a rather short battery life, owing to the fact that it's second hand, but that wasn't a problem, you just plug it in, and leave it in. Until it decided to throw a hissy, now it wont charge when you plug it in. We picked the problem up quickly and we got it repaired, and it worked fine. UNTIL...... it decided to pull the same stunt, two days later. We'll hopefully get that fixed soon, but no big rush anymore, because I'm HOME!!!

Hmmmmmm, next. Thanks to all those that visited me. lets see if i can name you all.
  • Sasha
  • Liam
  • Dan, Jesse, Rose
  • Hannah, Emily, Helen
  • Alexander, Sacha, Yurika, Alistair
  • Isobel
  • Jim
  • Paul, Yvonne
  • Dean, Nikki, Latham, Lainey
  • Jasmine
  • Jamie
  • Charlotte
I think that's you all. If i missed you, forgive me.

Now I think I will leave it at this. I will try to write more. But for now I'm at home, feeling good and so I'm happy. I also have a lack of commitments between now and next Friday, so if you feel like visiting or want to catch up, let me know.
till next time, be good, and stay healthy.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODBYE Hamilton.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

DAY 5 - MORNING - AND ALL IS WELL!!!!



The morning brings a sleepy Logan.  He slept fairly well last night and didn't emerge from his cocoon till 9am.   Nice for some.



Before I had managed to get him some breakfast, he has a surprise visit from big sister and Jamie.  In the pic above, they are chilling out in the lounge while Logan makes himself decent.  There is a lot of construction going on outside and Jamie was chattering on about the diggers.  He had us in stitches.


Poor Jamie! Every time he sees Logan, he seems to be looking at someone different.  He took a while again before he would believe it was Logan.  We had to show him Logan's hat and prove it.  He soon became a happy chappy when he saw the blueberries and said "grapes please Aunty" to Charlotte.  How can you resist the charm?! 


Charlee you are so brave coming up to the hospital... Logan knows how much you hate them, and still you come.  MWAH!

****NEWSFLASH****
DOC just came and said all is good and we can go home in the morning!!!! YAY. Bring on the comfy bed, fresh air, and good company.


Steph is one of Logan's darling nurses.  She is such a hoot!  One day we passed her walking her dog by the lake and when she said hi to Logan, he was baffled, till his chemo brain kicked in and he recognised her face! So what exactly were you looking at Logan?????  Here she is putting up his morning dose of chemo. Nothing like a bit of cytotoxic waste straight after breakfast...


Baked Bean Uncle Dean and Chocolate Bicki Aunty Nikki, with Lainey and Latham dropped in on their way to Tauranga just before lunch.  Poor Uncle Dean.  He doesn't like hospitals, and he had to come in with a hang-over!!! He really shouldn't try and keep up with Evan when he visits.  After all, us Waikato people are made of tougher stuff! 



This is definitely the face of a man who is suffering the effects of overindulgence and dehydration!  Payback little bro... as you continue on what you have lovingly named "The Sealesford Whinging Family Christmas Tour".  Love ya and catch ya when you are next in town.

As for the rest of you, hopefully the next blog with be from the logster, cause I am no good at this chat thing...

Will try and get him to flick one up before we leave in the morning, but don't hold ya breath... or maybe even this evening.

DAY 4, only one more day to go!

Father and son... one bald head to another... one looks as though it has seen more sun with less hair than the other!

Jazz comes to visit and bring chippies to eat!

Dean and Nikki with son Latham come for a stroll around the lake.  I wonder if they are use to breathing air that has no smog! Thanks for the Christmas prezzies!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

DAMN THOSE SMELLS!

Oh my goodness... if the world had no smells, it would be a better place. At least that's what Logan thinks right now.  He is surviving on English Muffins, Blueberries, chocolate, lemonade and potato chips. Consequently the meals up here aren't really doing it for him.  But all is well.  They have changed his anti-nausea meds too, to one that aims directly for the smell centre of the brain.  Clever Huh! He is a bit sleepier than usual though, but not sure if this is due to having a disturbed night sleep (noisy ward), or the new med. Time will tell.  He snoozes as I type.

Logan, Evan, Paul and Yvonne as we stroll around the hospital side of the lake, heading for the playground.

Logan resting by the lake...
On a totally positive note, Evan, Logan, Paul, Yvonne and myself made it down to the lake last night.  It was so lovely.  The air was fresh and the lovely nurses even let him off the leads so that he could free-wheel in his own wheel chair.
We are hoping to head down again tonight and have squirreled away some bread for the ducks.

Monday, January 3, 2011

What a beautiful day

Isobel brightened Logan's day with a visit
 Man, what an awesome day!
It is so sunny and the lake looks amazing.  Logan and I, along with Paul and Yvonne are hoping to go for a walk around some of it tonight.  Anyone else who wants to come along, just send me or Logan a text. We save our walks for the evenings when the sun doesn't attack his vampire skin quite so much.
This chemo is going really well.  He is chowing down big time on chocolate and blueberries (thanks Carol) and powering through his books.  We have spent some time watching some high powered gory movies (YUCK) and I am allowed to watch chick flicks on my laptop when I am good.
Last night Evan and I took him for a roll/walk all the way round the hospital.  It wasn't nearly as tiring for me as usual.  I must take Evan along to push more often.

Our lovely afternoon nurse, Jody, gives Logan his evening meds so we can take off for an hour... she is our partner in crime!
Here... catch... says Evan with a push!
Evan, Logan and I had a sleep over last night.  The nurses up here are pretty flexible, and so long as you dont make trouble, they pretty much let anything go. I got the lazy boy and Evan got the mattress on the floor.  I think I was better off!
We spend our evenings reading, watching DVD's or playing games... oh and sleeping!
Anyhow, keep up those visits, cause it helps pass the time, as Logan is totally sick of my face!

keep smiling
Tracy and Logan

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Photo Opportunities from the cool chemo kid!

The new look Logan...

Mum and Dad keeping Logan company

Three men and ?????

The view from our room

Logan and his new hat... very Jonas Brothers

Logan and Nurse Catherina... so lovely. She poisons with a smile!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Year's Day

OH MY GOD!!!!!!
If any of you are thinking of going to bed at 1am and getting up again at 5am, to drive for 10 minutes and then try to go back to sleep again... think again!
Logan and I did that this morning (except he went to bed at 11pm last night).
Anyhow, enough moaning.  What a fabulous day,  We are back in Room 22 on Ward 25 and have a wonderful view of the lake.  Saw Dr Michael today and he is please with how Logan is progressing.  He is scheduling him for a P.E.T. scan for about a month's time in Auckland, and also a plain knee x-ray.  The first is to get a multi-dimensional look at all the tumours in his body, so that we can see what exactly is happening.  This will be done just before his 5th round of chemo.  The x-ray is being done at some undisclosed time, known only to Dr Michael as, in his own words, he treats us like mushrooms - keeps us in the dark and feeds us bullshit! Although I think that that term mainly applys to me, as he and Logan have some riveting literary discussion, from which I am excluded (mainly because they talk a wierd type of Sci-fi language known only to boys).
Logan and Charlotte bought me a new camera today, so BEWARE, all visitors are fair game (cause this camera takes better (and faster) pictures than my phone).
Dr Michael explained the difference between the two chemo regimens a bit more today.
Logan's chemo is broken down into six blocks, each five days long:
AM1, BM1, AM2, BM2, AM3, BM3 (see the pattern)
He has had the first two and is beginning the 3rd.
AM chemo is much tougher on the bone marrow apparently, which is why it took him longer to recover last time, even though he tolerated it much better - hence the fever and double blood transfusion.
BM has two particularly toxic chemicals in it that do a good job, but are not so harsh on the marrow, just the stomach - hence the vomiting.
Frankly, Logan and I don't particularly give a toss, so long as it does the job!

Well, I'm too tired to keep going, and the camera hasn't finished charging, so I can't post a pic of the boy with the new no-do!

So HAPPY NEW YEAR'S...

Enjoy the beaches, put on heaps on sunblock, and love every day

hugs
Tracy and the Avatar!