January 2022 -

Logan – Update, Waiting Again

Big John with Logan, and Logan wondering what the hell Big John is doing

Update – A Tough Week

When coworkers and neighbors ask “How’s Logan doing?,” my recent reply has been “Great! He is waiting for his blood counts to recover.” And that is true. However, there is a reason that Logan remains in the hospital with Amanda and AJ by his side. He is being treated for leukemia and that is no joke. And while the concern and interest of everyone is so appreciated, I am uncertain whether people really want to know details.

At this point in Round 4 Chemo Logan has no immune system. His red blood and platelet counts are super low and he is supplemented with blood and platelet transfusions as needed. And we can tell when he needs blood when you just look at him and see his eyes. Are they big and bright? And is he lively and playful? If no, blood is needed.

As for platelets, it was super-obvious this week that Logan needed them when he was walking and bumped his mouth against the cooler. Just a little bump resulted in non-stop bleeding from his gums. (Without platelets, coagulation is difficult…) We FaceTimed while he was still bleeding, and Amanda and AJ and nurse were working to help him out. Logan’s red blood count noticeably dropped from that day to the next, and the blood was ordered.

After he receives those transfusions, he is a different little guy. Alert and energetic.

“As Needed”

Previous posts have discussed the need for blood and platelet donations. Nothing has changed – still needed. And while I wrote above that blood and platelets transfusions are ordered “as needed” and as blood counts demand, the staff is ordering them “judiciously” (in the words of a nurse) because of blood product supply concerns. Logan likely should have received a platelet transfusion before the bloodletting episode. So once again, if you can donate, please do so. There is a cancer patient (and their family) praying that you do.

The Picture

I have pictures of a weary-looking Logan with blood-caked lips but I thought maybe that was too much to share. (You are welcome.) But a week or so ago I took a pic of me and Logan with the cover of a book that Aunt Bridget made for Logan while in the hospital. The book has pictures of his parents and grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins to supplement FaceTime calls. He loves it.

Of course, Logan’s cover picture on the book is pre-diagnosis. The story that the picture above in the blog tells is pretty clear. Cancer treatment sucks and has side effects which are evident.

Logan and family are looking forward to his blood counts recovering the next week or two so they can get a much-needed break from the hospital.

Logan – Big John’s Platelets?

Mimi Donna and Logan on FaceTime with Big John

Update

The long and boring process continues of Logan’s blood counts dropping to zero, and then rebuilding themselves. When his red blood counts drop to zero, Logan has no immune system, and his blood cannot deliver the oxygen around the body as it needs. And without platelets, he is prone to bruising and is unable to clot should he bleed. So, Logan stays in the hospital room in as safe an environment as there can be, and those who visit are very careful when out in the world. Logan is happy and playing and sleeping a bit better for Amanda and AJ. In the picture Logan is just waking up from a nap, so he looks a bit drowsy.

Whole Blood & Platelets

Now is the time when Logan and other cancer patients need whole blood transfusions and platelet transfusions. COVID has seriously reduced the ability of donors to provide these life-giving gifts. Also, the blood donation centers are struggling to fully staff the centers. My phlebotomist mentioned that she was supposed to get off earlier in the afternoon but was unable to leave because she was trained on the platelet machine and others were not. So much has supply diminished that Logan needed platelets on Friday, and there were none to give. Thankfully Logan received platelets on Saturday evening.

It is frustrating to me that patients such as Logan cannot receive what they need when they need it. It is up to us, all of us healthy and able to donate, to do so. I know that when I wrote about this in a previous blog post, some readers acted and scheduled a donation. Thank you for that. Writing the obvious, there is only one place that blood and platelet donations originate, and that is from fellow humans.

My Platelets?

I donated platelets on Friday. It is possible that my O+ platelets ended up in Logan’s O+ body. Even more possible when you consider that platelets are only viable for 5 days after donation – they had to go somewhere, soon and nearby. That possibility is just heartwarming to me and makes me grateful to have been a donor for decades. But truth be told, most of my donations have been whole blood. So much easier and quicker to donate. A whole blood donation takes less than 10 minutes while a platelet donation was just under two hours. Yep, two hours.

Now personally motivated, I am scheduled to donate platelets again on January 28 as you may donate every 14 days. This is much more often that the every-56-days for a whole blood donation. So, with a 2-hour donation time every 14 days I know that I am not selling the idea of platelet donation very well. Need motivation? Look at the picture of Logan and Mimi.

Thank you all for your prayers and your support. Both desperately needed and lovingly appreciated.

Logan Update, Chris & Casey

Chris, Casey and Logan at the hospital. (Selfie snagged off Casey’s Facebook page)

Update – Round 4 infusions complete

Logan completed his round 4 chemo infusions yesterday. Thankfully the infusions are over, as this was a particularly difficult round for him. Two chemo drugs were administered and they overlapped for a couple of tough days. One of the drugs was super-nasty for Logan to endure. He is expected to stay in the hospital for about 40 days total for round 4 which means about 33 more days. Donna and I were with Logan yesterday morning when the oncologist visited. He noted that the “long and boring” wait is beginning for Logan’s immune system to bottom out and recover. “And we like long and boring,” the doctor said.

Logan is already seeming his old self, with a smile every now and then. The real Logan has been buried under toxic drugs, and we are grateful to see him reemerging. He is beginning to eat solid food again after several days of not. Logan even rejected a cinnamon roll several days ago. You know a child is ill when they turn their nose up at a cinnamon roll.

Big John’s Visit

My cold symptoms finally disappeared, and so both Donna and I were able to visit with Logan yesterday. Different that Donna’s first visit earlier this week, Logan accepted me from the start upon my return. Again, an indicator that he was just not doing well earlier in the week with the strong chemo drugs.

Donna and I arrived on Saturday morning so Amanda and AJ could leave the hospital. We were able to play and nap with Logan. On Saturday he slept peacefully during his morning nap. Much different than what Donna experienced early in the week when Logan was sleeping fitfully and moaning – literally moaning – during his sleep. So resilient Logan is, as I imagine all the kids with cancer fighting through treatment.

Chris and Casey

Amanda and AJ have been successful in their desire to have a family member with Logan all the time while he is hospitalized. Round 1 was all Amanda and A.J., a difficult and stressful task. Since round 2 began, Logan has seen a team of family members visit, those who are able to quarantine. I have written about my and Donna’s visits, as well as the visits of Amanda’s parents Kim and Mike. We try and be available when the other set of grandparents are not. Other family members in town have work obligations that make quarantining and visiting the hospital impossible. However, Amanda’s brother Chris’ and his wife Casey’s work and home circumstances have allowed them to remain quarantined. Their support has been awe-inspiring.

While the grandparents are happy to visit the hospital during the day, Chris and Casey have taken shifts over Saturday night! Like yesterday arriving early Saturday afternoon to take over from me and Donna and then leaving today on Sunday afternoon. These sleepovers are on top of coming for a few hours an evening or two during the week. What I believe Amanda and AJ most need now is sleep and the downtime that accompanies it. And Chris and Casey providing a 24-hour respite from the hospital is the absolute best gift that can be given. Donna and I are incredibly grateful for these huge gestures of love and time. Thank you, Chris and Casey!

Logan – Chemo Round 4

Update

Logan started Chemo Round 4 this Monday, January 3 and the chemicals quickly impacted him. His typically happy mood is rare these days, and his smiles are infrequent. Logan just doesn’t feel well. He’s tired. And with the treatment, nausea from the chemicals have him vomiting once or twice a day. As I have written in the past, anything that leaves Logan’s body during chemo is chemo-laced. So, chemo poo, chemo pee, and chemo vomit. When Logan vomits, that means cleaning – everything. Logan needs his skin washed. All clothing and bedding need to be washed. AJ and/or Amanda need to shower. And when it happens at night, well, then, that’s a lot of activity as the rest of us sleep.

Mimi & Big John at the hospital

Donna and I have quarantined and tested negative for COVID, so we are clear to help out at the hospital . Kinda. I have been sick with a cold for the past week. The Teladoc virtual doctor yesterday was emphatic that I was to not go near the hospital until my symptoms are gone. A couple of days more, methinks, before I can actually go to work (and mask up) and be able to visit the hospital to hang with Logan.

But Donna returned to the hospital and spent part of yesterday and today there with Logan. With Amanda working (remote while in the hospital room) and AJ up at night, Donna’s visits allow AJ to come to our home, wash chemo-soaked clothing and bedding, and sleep. He needs it. He started a load of laundry today then was down for 3+ hours. When he woke AJ noted that he had been awake since 2am.

I write the above to describe what is happening, to give a sense of what is experienced with chemotherapy treatments. It is substantial, as it is for every person and family with cancer. Yes, Logan is in remission and that is awesome. But going through each chemo round is a struggle. A struggle for Logan, and a struggle for his parents Amanda and A.J. Please pray for them.

Logan Update & Griffin – Choosing

Logan on New Years Day FaceTime with Big John and Mimi

Update

Logan and Amanda and AJ are enjoying a wonderful & long New Year’s week break from the hospital. Discharged last Tuesday, the week is being spent at Amanda’s brother Chris’ and his wife Casey’s home. Round 3 of chemotherapy is complete, and round 4 begins Monday morning. Past the halfway mark on this cancer fighting journey, and the end is in sight! Casey and Chris are wonderful hosts and it is joyful for us to see the love that continues to surround Logan. Amanda’s parents Kim and Mike have been able to visit daily, making it a complete family fun time.

If you have seen any social media pics Logan is now, fully, walking. He was walking a bit – 10 steps or so – during his break between rounds 2 & 3, but now that he has been unleashed again from the 6 foot by 6 foot toddler-containing inflatable pool, Logan is clearly on a mission. Great to see!

Medical issues, of course, are a constant. Early during this week’s hospital break they received word that a blood test showed a too-high level of Logan’s antifungal. Back to the hospital they went, for an unscheduled blood test to validate the concern or deny it. Luckily the drug’s level dropped from the 5-times-higher-then-it-was-supposed-to-be to an acceptable level. The concern? This drug that is supposed to keep Logan from a fungal infection could harm his liver and/or kidneys if at too high a level. Remember this is serious business, and all drugs are poison at too high a level.

Amanda and AJ’s Home Build

Amanda and AJ’s home that is being built in Arlington is a parallel story to this cancer fight. They sold their previous home in Dallas quickly, and their new home is taking about a year to build. Before Logan’s diagnosis Kim and Mike were hosting the temporarily-homeless family in their Bedford home. Now every week AJ and Amanda receive house-build updates as walls go up, electrical is installed and windows enclose the structure. The completion of Logan’s cancer treatment may occur at just about the same time the home is ready. A really, really fresh start would be wonderful, post-chemotherapy in a new home.

Choosing

Griffin taking a glow-stick bath at Mimi & Big John’s home

Donna and I have not seen Logan in person for some time, as we made the decision to unquarantine for the Christmas holidays so we could celebrate with family and friends. I must tell you that this is harder than I thought it would be because we want to see both Logan and Griffin. We do not like choosing.

I know, know, there are many grandparents who because of distance or other reasons cannot see their grandchildren on a regular basis. But both these boys are here, in this town, minutes away. And whether we like it or not each time we choose to quarantine for Logan, Griffin is left out along other family and friends. And when we choose to unquarantine, Logan is left out. I find it agonizing, and yet I believe we are doing a pretty good job of it.

Balance

The Christmas season has been both joyful and unconventional. The Arboretum holiday lights were visited twice. Once with Amanda and AJ and Logan during their earlier break between rounds 2 & 3. And then later with Jeff, Alexis, Bridget, Connor and Griffin. The Dallas Zoo lights were also visited twice. 2021 was just not the year for large family holiday outings. And for us it was about more than the pandemic. Now, we all could not fit in a car together to see the zoo lights in one trip. But Donna and I could sure take grandsons together next year. (All the parents can go have a drink while Mimi and Big go to the zoo lights with the boys. Griffin and Logan have not been able to “be cousins” since treatment began.)

Amanda’s parents Kim and Mike are also balancing things as best they can. Kim helps her elderly parents a great deal, taking them to doctor’s appointments amongst other things. Over the Christmas holidays, Kim and Mike have been visiting with Logan and family. That meant they chose to not be with Kim’s parents. But now Kim and Mike need to unquarantine so that Kim can return to helping her parents.

Kim and Mike’s need to unquarantine prompted Donna and me to begin our quarantine last Tuesday. We both have COVID tests scheduled on Tuesday this week which will allow us to return to seeing Logan and Amanda and AJ. Choreography is needed so that we can all help – and most importantly keep Logan free from infection. I am grateful for Kim and Mike, and to Chris and Casey, for their wonderful support.

Please continue to keep Logan and his parents Amanda and AJ in your prayers as this journey continues. Happy New Year – we intend ours to be!