Tag: Amanda

Logan, Chemo

Kevin and me dropping off coffee this morning to AJ at Children’s

Logan’s chemo treatments started Thursday evening and will last through Oct 3. At that point his immune system will be nonexistent. Then a couple more weeks will be spent in isolation at the hospital to allow his white blood cells to regenerate. After maybe two or three days at home, the cycle will repeat itself several times more. A long road, this is.

Yet when you see Logan on FaceTime, he looks great. One doctor who visited remarked, “You would never know that Logan is sick.” So I pray that Logan continues to tolerate the treatments.

Necessary care means that throughout the night, nurses visit to monitor Logan’s vitals and to make sure his diaper is changed. Apparently the chemo drugs are excreted through urine and bowel movements. And so it is important to keep the diapers as clean as possible. The hard-fought ‘sleeping through the night’ is a thing of the past. Logan’s care wakes up all three of them throughout the night, and AJ remarked this morning that the night cadence is similar to when Logan was newborn. So Amanda and AJ are tired. I pray for Amanda’s and AJ’s well-being as they accompany Logan in this fight, as it is just beginning.

A visit to the hospital looks like the pic above. Hugs are ‘no bueno’ with the start of chemo. We social distance, and we wear masks. There is a 5- or 10-minute conversation along with the drop off of coffee. Maybe we pick up dirty laundry or return clean clothing. Whatever it takes, we are there. Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and good wishes.

Logan, Family ripples

Our outside pandemic Thanksgiving 2020. AJ & pregnant Amanda are socially distanced

Thursday, September 23, 2021

We are all lost. Trying to figure out what to do. Trying to work and honor our commitments to our employers, while at the same time they tell us ‘Do what you need to do to support your family.’ In the quiet of the day, perhaps in my truck, I think about Logan and Amanda and AJ, and start crying. The crying is less now, and so maybe I am a horrible person in that I am getting used to my beautiful grandson Logan being attacked by cancer.

But still, via social media and on the phone, we hear from family and well-wishers with their oh-so-kind written and spoken words. and their prayers. These kindnesses without fail cause me to well up.

I can tell you that Bridget’s, Jeff’s, and Kevin’s hearts ache for their brother and sister-in-law and nephew. Each of them is doing their part to support Amanda and AJ and Logan. Seeing my family care so much about each other makes my heart sing. And at the same time, I hate – absolutely hate – that we all are in the position of needing to rally together. So, we talk on the phone, cry together, and talk about ways in which we can help each other and Logan and Amanda and AJ.

I am afraid we are filling up their hospital room at Children’s with too much food. From the Beatty’s, the Harris’, other family and friends. But other than prayer, food is what we can do. When I asked if I could bring them coffee and breakfast this morning, AJ said “Yes, can you bring something healthy for breakfast?” In times like these, we all love comfort food. But at some point after days of it, ya just want a piece of fruit.