Happy Birthday G!

Two years ago today, I was looking into the eyes of my newborn baby boy. I was so unsure about having a little boy, I know nothing about little boys. But he has truly been a joy and a blessing. Without G coming in 2006 I would not have made it through that year. God defiantly knew what he was doing when he blessed us that year with G. In June we my grandma died, and we moved to TN, in Aug. hubby's mom died, and G was born. Had it not been for him this truly would have been hard to make it through. I love him more than I ever thought possible.

Little boys are very different, but he is such a joy. He got a big boy bed for his birthday from my mom, I put it together and he is currently asleep in it. He was so excited to have a bug boy bed, it is Lightening McQueen, and he loves it. Thanks Grandma!

Thank you G for these past two years, you are such a sweet little boy. Mommy loves you!

Back to school

Well we didn't get the school that we wanted, she keep telling me to check back. But i decided to go ahead and put her in the other school for this year, for a couple of reasons. First, she got the best second grade teacher there, she has been there for 22 years. Second, after all the trouble trying to get her in, this school is brand new this year and it may be a cluster you know what all year so I will wait until they have been opened for the first year and try for next year.
Tonight we had our Light The Night kick off party, it was really nice, especially to find out I have another month than what I thought to fundraise. If you would like to donate, please click the light the night logo on the side bar and it will take you to my donation page. I appreciate all your donations. If you would like to find a walk in your area please visit www.lightthenight.org and type in your zip code. This is a great walk if you have never done it. Not only is it for a great cause, but it is a very family friendly walk, everyone gets an illuminated balloon, and it is usually only a little over 2 miles very do able. I encourage each of you to join, if you have already and would like to affiliate please let me know and I will point you in that direction. Affiliates help us reach our goal so we can qualify for a pediatric research grant.
Not much else going on right now. I am sure I have lots to update, but I just cant think of it at the moment. Thanks for checking on us. Till next time remember to hug and kiss your family and tell them you love them, today is gone and tomorrow may never come.........................

Back to school Chaos

And so the Chaos of back to school is starting to get the better of me. As I have blogged before I am trying to get H into a magnet school, well last week it had been over the allotted week they told us to wait so I started to call them. The lady that handles Student assignment is virtually impossible to get ahold of, so after days of calling her, I finally told them on Friday that I was going to come up on Monday morning. Well low and behold the Lady calls me back, and tells me that the school is full, but I can go ahead and enroll her in the school that we live in the district of, and then after the first week of school I can call her back and see if there is an opening. Hmm let me think NO! I tell her that is a stupid idea. Who would do that to their child enroll them in a school let them make friends then pull them out a week later. Not no but hell no, that is not acceptable. So she asks me why I am so against this school, I explain to her that they are not excelling at testing, and because of the no child left behind law I don't want H kept behind because other children are not doing well. She says well this is just part of the picture, well yes, I state, but the neighborhood is not that great either. So she suggest a few other schools, I tell her I will check these over the weekend and come and talk to her on Monday. So this morning, I go in to talk to her, all my statistics in hand. (I had looked up every school in the district). She again explains to me that the school is full, and suggest other schools to me, now these schools were a definite NO! So again she asks me what it is I have against the school (very rudely) I explain to her again that as I said on Friday, The school is falling behind on testing. She again states to me that this is only a small part of the picture, I say yes but a large part for me. I also explain to her again that I am not impressed with the neighborhood. I tell her I don't mean to be rude she says I know how you feel I have kids of my own, but I guess I just know the history of the school. WELL GOOD FOR YOU! I DO NOT CARE! I WANT MY KID IN THE DAMN MAGNET SCHOOL! At this point I am really getting pissed and I think she can see that so in a nice change of subject she says do you need any other help, for other grades or pre-school. Well Did I ask for that help?!? Hell no I did not! I politely tell her know that L is already on a waiting list. Then go back to the school subject, I ask how great is the possibility that there will be a place for her after the first week, well being the helpful lady she is she says I don't know. She ends with call me on Friday and we will see where we are at then. GREAT I say. Then she proceeds to ask me if I am going to enroll her in the other school. NO DAMN IT! DO you not understand I don't want my child at that school?!? I tell her no that I will be waiting until I talk to her on Friday and I will go from there. Seriously I would rather keep her out of school the first week, and enroll her in the school I want. Of course I cant tell her that. But damn it can you not see that I am a mom that cares, and is involved. I am sure that alot of parents would have taken the first no and just enrolled their child in the school, but there are those of us that cant except that and are not willing to comprise. SO I will call this Lady until she puts H in the school just so I wont bother her again. So here we are a week before school and we still have no school! Isn't that great!?!?!?
That has been what I have been dealing with. Want to trade?

Blogging for cacner Day 7 (sorry I skipped a day) Survival rates on the rise

Taken from Cancer.org

Annual Report to the Nation Finds Cancer Incidence and Death Rates on the Decline: Survival Rates Show Significant Improvement
The nation's leading cancer organizations report that Americans' risk of getting and dying from cancer continues to decline and survival rates for many cancers continue to improve. The "Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2001*" finds overall observed cancer incidence rates dropped 0.5 percent per year from 1991 to 2001, while death rates from all cancers combined dropped 1.1 percent per year from 1993 to 2001. According to the report's authors, the new data reflect progress in prevention, early detection, and treatment; however, not all segments of the U.S. population have benefited equally from the advances.
First issued in 1998, the "Annual Report to the Nation" is a collaboration among the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). It provides updated information on cancer rates and trends in the United States.
"This new report clearly shows we've made considerable gains in reducing the burden of cancer in the United States," said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. "The first ever drop in lung cancer incidence rates in women is remarkable proof that we are making a difference in the number one cancer killer, and is powerful evidence that our successful efforts must continue."
The percentage of patients who have survived more than five years after being diagnosed with cancer has increased over the past two decades. According to NCI Director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., "these survival statistics are a reason for optimism, as they show us that we are on the right track to reaching the NCI Challenge Goal to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. We are committed to even greater advances in survivorship research at NCI. We are directing and conducting research on long-term follow-up of childhood cancer survivors, healthy behaviors for all survivors, and unique issues faced by cancer survivors from underserved populations."
Death rates from all cancers combined have been decreasing since the early 1990s. Death rates decreased for 11 of the top 15 cancers in men, and eight of the top 15 cancers in women. Lung cancer deaths rates among women leveled off for the first time between 1995 and 2001, after continuously increasing for many decades.
Among men, cancer incidence rates have recently declined for seven of the top 15 cancer sites: lung, colon, oral cavity, leukemia, stomach, pancreas, and larynx. Incidence rates increased only for melanoma and cancers of the prostate, kidney, and esophagus. When a process known as delay adjustment is taken into account, some of these trends change (please refer to the Report to the Nation Q&A**, question #14, for an explanation of delay adjustment).
For the first time, lung cancer incidence rates among women are on the decline. Incidence rates decreased for five additional cancers out of the top 15 in women (colon, cervix, pancreas, ovary, and oral cavity). Only breast, thyroid, bladder, and kidney cancer and melanoma rates are rising among women.
This year's report highlights trends in cancer survival by comparing five-year survival rates of cancer patients diagnosed in two time periods: 1975-1979 and 1995-2000. Between those time periods, survival substantially improved for most of the top 15 cancers in both men and women, and the top ten sites in children.
For men, large gains in cancer survival rates (more than 10 percent) were seen in cancers of the prostate, colon and kidney, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma, and leukemia. Modest gains (5 percent to 10 percent) were found for cancers of the bladder, stomach, liver, brain, and esophagus.
For women, large gains in cancer survival rates were seen for colon, kidney, and breast cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Modest gains were found for bladder, oral cavity, stomach, brain, esophageal, and ovarian cancers and melanoma and leukemia.
Limited survival improvement was noted for the most fatal forms of cancer in adults including cancers of the lung, pancreas, and liver, which are characterized by late stage at diagnosis and relatively poor survival rates even when these cancers are diagnosed at a localized stage. There was also little or no gain in several cancers that already have high survival rates, including larynx, thyroid, and uterine cancers.
Childhood cancers showed some of the largest improvements in cancer survival during the past 20 years, with an absolute survival rate increase of 20 percent in boys and 13 percent in girls. The current five-year survival rate of over 75 percent confirms substantial progress made since the early 1960s, when childhood cancers were nearly always fatal.
"Cancer is a devastating disease that impacts so many people. But the good news is there is hope and these data show we are winning the battle as people with cancer are living longer and more healthier lives than ever before," said CDC Director Julie Gerberding, M.D. "But we can't become complacent. We must renew our efforts to make sure people make healthy choices to prevent cancer, that they are properly screened for cancer, and that they receive the appropriate treatment when they have cancer."
The report identifies wide variations in survival associated with race and ethnicity. In every racial and ethnic population, with the exception of Asian/Pacific Islander (API) women, the risk of cancer death from all cancer sites combined was higher than the risk of death for non-Hispanic white patients. Black men were at higher risk of dying of 12 cancers compared to white men, with the increased risk ranging from 9 percent (lung cancer) to a high of 67 percent (oral cavity). Black women experienced higher risks of death from 12 cancers, with the increase ranging from 7 percent (lung cancer) to 82 percent (corpus uterus and melanoma). Additionally, non-Hispanic white and API patients tended to have higher survival rates than other racial and ethnic groups except for patients with brain cancer and leukemia.
"Increased efforts by NAACCR and its partners will continue to expand information for a broader spectrum of underserved populations, including not only racial groups other than white and black, but also U.S. Latinos, rural populations, and areas defined by socioeconomic indicators," said NAACCR Director Holly L. Howe, Ph.D. "With this information, we will be able to more accurately address the cancer burden and disparities in these populations."
The authors of the report emphasize that reaching all segments of the population with high-quality prevention, early detection, and treatment services could reduce cancer incidence and mortality even further. In addition, they point out that "leaders in the scientific community forecast an era of unprecedented progress in cancer research." For these research advances to impact cancer incidence and death rates, it will be critical that all partners with a stake in impacting cancer control help to expedite the translation of these research discoveries to widespread and equitable delivery of preventive and clinical services.
For more information, visit the following Web sites:
Cancer online: http://interscience.wiley.com/cancer/report2004
ACS: http://www.cancer.org
CDC (Division of Cancer Prevention and Control): http://www.cdc.gov/cancer
CDC (National Center for Health Statistics' mortality report): http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/mortdata.htm
NAACCR: http://www.naaccr.org/
NCI: http://www.cancer.gov and the SEER Homepage: http://www.seer.cancer.gov. Click on the icon "1975-2001 Report to the Nation."
President's Cancer Panel report on survivorship (issued June 4, 2004): http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/ADVISORY/pcp/pcp03-04rpt/Survivorship.pdf

Blogging For Blood Cancer Day 5 Five Years Later

Over on the FOH blog we posted a blog about why we are still here 5 years later, so I thought I would post a short post here as well. I learned about Allie through Baby Center, I found her about 2 weeks before she passed away. The night i found her I went back and read the entire story from beginning on Jenny's blog, I sat with tears in my eyes, and when she passed I felt like I too had lost someone even though I had never met Allie. In the years that have passed, I have followed many children, most of which who have also lost their battle. Each time I am crushed, I feel mad that their lives were cut short by this horrible disease. I am sad for what they could have been, and each time I think what would I do if that were my child. I couldn't imagine loosing one of my children. No parent should have to, and so I will continue with the fight to help find a cure. No more children or anyone should have to die from this horrible disease. I hope in another 5 years there will be no need for FOH because there will be no cancer.
Here are some Leukemia fact form LLS

Leukemia* is a malignant disease (cancer) of the bone marrow and blood. It is characterized by the uncontrolled accumulation of blood cells. Leukemia is divided into four categories: myelogenous or lymphocytic, each of which can be acute or chronic. The terms myelogenous or lymphocytic denote the cell type involved. Thus, the four major types of leukemia are:
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that results in the accumulation of immature, functionless cells in the marrow and blood. The marrow often can no longer produce enough normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Anemia, a deficiency of red cells, develops in virtually all leukemia patients.
Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly and allows greater numbers of more mature, functional cells to be made.

New Cases An estimated 231,461 people in the United States are living with leukemia. An estimated 44,270 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2008. Chronic leukemias account for 7 percent more cases than acute leukemias. Most cases occur in older adults; the median patient age at diagnosis is 67 years. Leukemia is expected to strike 10 times as many adults as children in 2008. (About 44,270 adults compared with 4,220 children, ages 0-19). About 33 percent of cancers in children ages 0-14 years are leukemia. The most common form of leukemia among children under 19 years of age is Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).
The most common types of leukemia in adults are acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), with an estimated 13,290 new cases this year, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), with some 15,110 new cases this year. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is estimated to affect about 4,830 persons this year. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) will account for about 5,430 cases this year. Other unclassified forms of leukemia account for the 5,610 remaining cases.

Incidence by Gender Incidence rates for all types of leukemia are higher among males than among females. In 2008, males are expected to account for more than 56 percent of the cases of leukemia. (Note: Incidence rates are the number of new cases in a given year not counting the pre-existing cases. The incidence rates are usually presented as a specific number per 100,000 population.)

Incidence by Race and Ethnicity Leukemia rates are higher in Americans of European descent than among those of any other ace/ethnicity. However, incidence rates for all types of cancer combined are more than 5 percent higher among Americans of African descent than among those of European descent. The incidence rate for all cancers among African Americans, from 2001-2005, was 500.6 per 100,000 population, averaging about 190,895 cases each year.
From 1995 to 2004, incidence rates for leukemia have shown the greatest decline in American Indian/Alaska natives.
Leukemia is one of the top 15 most frequently occuring cancers in minority groups. Leukemia incidence is highest among whites and lowest among American Indians/Alaskan natives.
Leukemia rates are substantially higher for Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan natives white and Asian/Pacific islander children than for black children. Hispanic children of all races under the age of 20 have the highest rates of leukemia.


Incidence by Age Group Incidence rates by age differ for each of the leukemias. The leukemias represented 27 percent of all cancers occurring among children younger than 20 years of age from 2001-2005. In the 17 SEER areas of the United States, there were 4,895 children under the age of 20 diagnosed with leukemia from 2001-2005, including 3,671 with ALL. It is estimated that in 2008, 4,532 children will be diagnosed with leukemia throughout the United States. About 3,293 new cases of childhood ALL are expected to occur in 2008.
The most common form of leukemia among children under 20 is ALL. ALL is the most common cancer in children 1 to 5 and 7 years old. The incidence of ALL among 1- to 4-year-old children is more than nine times greater than the rate for young adults ages 20-24.
There is optimism within centers that specialize in the treatment of children because survival statistics have dramatically improved over the past 30 years. Most children under 19 with ALL are cured.
From 1975 to 2005, the incidence of AML slowly rose among adolescents and young adults. Among 15- to 19-year olds, ALL incidence was approximately twice that of AML. In 25- to 29-year olds, AML incidence was approximately one-third higher than that of ALL.
CLL incidence increases dramatically among people who are age 50 and older, and AML and CML incidence increase dramatically among people who are age 55 and older. These cancers are most prevalent in the seventh, eighth and ninth decades of life.

Signs and Symptoms Signs of acute leukemia may include easy bruising or bleeding (as a result of platelet deficiency), paleness or easy fatigue (as a result of anemia), recurrent minor infections or poor healing of minor cuts (because of inadequate white cell count).
These symptoms and signs are not specific to leukemia and may be caused by other disorders. They do, however, warrant medical evaluation. A proportion of people with chronic leukemia may not have major symptoms and are diagnosed during a periodic medical examination. The diagnosis of leukemia requires examination of the cells in blood or marrow.

Possible Causes Anyone can get leukemia. Leukemia affects all ages and sexes. The cause of leukemia is not known. Chronic exposure to benzene in the workplace and exposure to extraordinary doses of irradiation can be causes of the disease, although neither explains most cases.

Treatment The aim of treatment is to bring about a complete remission. Complete remission means that there is no evidence of the disease and the patient returns to good health with normal blood and marrow cells. Relapse indicates a return of the cancer cells and return of other signs and symptoms of the disease. For acute leukemia, a complete remission (no evidence of disease in the blood or marrow) that lasts five years after treatment often indicates cure. Treatment centers report increasing numbers of patients with leukemia who are in complete remission at least five years after diagnosis of their disease.

Survival The five-year relative survival rate has nearly quadrupled in the past 48 years for patients with leukemia. In 1960-63, when compared to a person without leukemia, a patient had a 14 percent chance of living five years. By 1975-1977, the five year relative survival rate had jumped to 35 percent, and in 1996-2004 the overall relative survival rate was slightly above 50 percent (51.2 percent). The relative survival rates differ by the age of the patient at diagnosis, gender, race and type of leukemia.
During 1996- 2004 relative survival rates overall were:
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL): 66.1 percent overall; 91.2 percent for children under 5
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): 76.2 percent
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML): 21.3 percent overall; 55.2 percent for children under 15
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML): 46.7 percentAt the present time there are approximately 231,461 people living with leukemia in the United States.

Deaths It is anticipated that approximately 21,710 deaths in the United States will be attributed to leukemia in 2008 (12,460 males and 9,250 females).
There will be an estimated 4,390 deaths from CLL and 1,460 deaths from ALL. There will be an estimated 8,820 deaths from AML and 450 deaths from CML. Unclassified forms of leukemia will account for 6,590 additional deaths.
The estimated numbers of deaths attributed to leukemia in the United States are about 35 percent higher for males than females.
In 2008, leukemia will be the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths in men and the seventh most common in women.
Between 2001-2005, African-Americans who were diagnosed with leukemia between the ages of 25 and 64 had a higher death rate than whites from the disease. Non-Hispanic whites have the highest death rates from leukemia, while Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians/Alaska Natives have the lowest death rates. From 1995 to 2004, death rates from leukemia declined in all race/ethnic groups, with the greatest average decline in American Indians/Alaskan Natives.
The leukemia death rate for children 0-14 years of age in the United States has declined 67 percent over the past three decades. Despite this decline, leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under age 20. About 497 children under the age of 15 are expected to die from leukemia in 2008.

Get More Information Further details of treatment and supportive care and the beneficial and adverse effects of treatment may be obtained from the Society's booklets on acute myelogenous, acute lymphocytic, chronic myelogenous and chronic lymphocytic and fact sheets on hairy cell leukemia and the chronic myelomonocytic leukemias.
Read or order the free LLS publications on the specific types of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

Blogging for Blood Cancer Day 4 An apple a day and Stem Cells

What if an apple a day could keep you from getting cancer? Well studies that are currently being explored show it just may. I saw this article on TV the other day and so I knew I had to post it.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" Or, what appears to be more accurate: An apple peel a day might help keep cancer at bay, according to a new Cornell study. Cornell researchers have identified a dozen compounds -- triterpenoids -- in apple peel that either inhibit or kill cancer cells in laboratory cultures. Three of the compounds have not previously been described in the literature. "We found that several compounds have potent anti-proliferative activities against human liver, colon and breast cancer cells and may be partially responsible for the anti-cancer activities of whole apples," says Rui Hai Liu, Cornell associate professor of food science. Liu is affiliated with Cornell's Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology and is senior author of the study, which is online and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. In previous Cornell studies, apples had been found not only to fight cancer cells in the laboratory but also to reduce the number and size of mammary tumors in rats. The Cornell researchers now think that the triterpenoids may be doing much of the anti-cancer work. "Some compounds were more potent and acted differently against the various cancer cell lines, but they all show very potent anti-cancer activities and should be studied further," said Liu. With co-author Xiangjiu He, a Cornell postdoctoral researcher, Liu analyzed the peel from 230 pounds of red delicious apples from the Cornell Orchard and isolated their individual compounds. After identifying the structures of the promising compounds in the peel, the researchers tested the pure compounds against cancer cell growth in the laboratory. In the past, Liu has also identified compounds called phytochemicals -- mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids -- in apples and other foods that appear to be have anti-cancer properties as well, including inhibiting tumor growth in human breast cancer cells. "We believe that a recommendation that consumers to eat five to 12 servings of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables daily is appropriate to reduce the risks of chronic diseases, including cancer, and to meet nutrient requirements for optimum health," said Liu.

A Little about Stem Cells for treating Childhood Cancer

The risk of any child developing leukemia is roughly about only 1 in 2000 with more or less 400 to 450 new cases a year in the United Kingdom only.
Cure rates impending seventy five percents can be achieved with combination chemotherapy, but this figure hide success rates that vary from ten to ninety percent with the different biological subtypes of the malady.
Nowadays, new insights into the underlying molecular biology of leukemia have changed our understanding of the disease. Not only are there a prospect of better treatment and the introduction of the new biologically based therapies, but, as the causes of disease are being unraveled, the possibility of prevention may not just be wishful thinking.
It has been recognized for a very long time that childhood leukemia is not one homogeneous disease. The main morphological division into acute lymphatic leukemia is supplemented by the identification of a range of subsets based on gene expression, antigens that delineate cell type or differentiation status, and chromosomal and molecular abnormalities.
There is now huge confirmation that chromosome trans location is very often the first event in infant twins with acute lymphocyte leukemia, the same breakpoints in the ML gene.
Further evidence that youth leukemia can originate before birth comes from scrutiny of neonatal blood spots or Guthrie cards. PR tests for specific fusion genes, designed for each patient, can detect as few as 1 in 20 leukemic cells in a blood spot. The presence of the same fusion gene sequence in a neonatal blood spot as is in the patient's leukemic cells at diagnosis provides unequivocal evidence that leukemia, has been initiated prenatally, probably by creation of the fusion gene itself.
If this form of leukemia progress is actually correct, it means that for every child with acute lymphocyte leukemia diagnosed, there should be at least twenty healthy children who have a chromosome trans location, a functional leukemia fusion gene, and a covert per-leukemic clone generated in-uteri.
Cord blood bank can help cure this disease thanks to the stem cells in the cord blood. The cord blood is simply the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after a baby is born and can be used because it is so rich in stem cells.
The stem cells found in cord blood restore the function of the patient's immune and blood producing systems, and is a powerful alternative to using bone marrow.

Day 3 Blogging For Blood Cancer Alittle about Friends of Heroes

I have actively been involved with Friends of Heroes since I first learned of Allie in 2004, and the passion I had then is still just as much today. Each year I get a little more involved. This year I proudly serve on Friends Of Heroes as a team leader. Here is a little about Friends Of Heroes and our mission.
About
Friends of Heroes, formerly Friends of Allie and Allie’s Angels, is the largest national Friends and Family Light The Night team in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s history. The team was originally created to honor Allie Scott, an 8 month old baby from Allen, TX who passed away from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in September 2004. You can read more about the inspiration for Friends of Heroes (here).
Since then, Friends of Heroes has grown dramatically in both size and focus. The team not only retains a core group of over 1500 registered walkers, but also welcomes several affiliate teams across the country. In the 2007 Light The Night season, Friends of Heroes had a team presence at 90 walksites and raised a 260,000 dollars in the fight against blood cancers.
Friends of Heroes and affiliates actively fundraise for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, with a passion and focus towards eradicating pediatric blood cancers. We strive to incorporate honored children at each walksite - local children who are either currently undergoing treatment or in remission from any blood cancer.
The Friends of Heroes Light The Night team is overseen by national team leaders, volunteers who oversee fundraising and team organization, as well as a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Friends and Family national manager. We always welcome new volunteers, and encourage you to contact any of the team leaders for more information on how to get involved in our mission.
Our Mission Statement
As Friends of Heroes, we are a volunteer organization whose purpose is:
To raise money toward pediatric blood cancer research and patient services through Light The Night walks.
To make a positive difference in the lives of families affected by pediatric cancer.
To invoke awareness in our local communities of the need for cancer research.
To build an international network of individuals and teams who share our passion and goal to raise money for an awareness of pediatric blood cancer.

Day 2 Bloggong for Blood Cancer A little about Light the Night

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Light The Night Walk is an annual event to raise funds for cures. It’s the nation’s night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of patients and their families.
Funds raised through Light The Night Walk support the work of hundreds of the world’s best and brightest researchers in their search for better therapies and cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Anyone can take part—children, adults and seniors are all welcome. This is a casual Walk with no fitness requirements. Not only will you be helping find cures, but there are incentives that can be earned for different fundraising levels. Learn more about Walk incentives.
Now in it's 10th year, Light The Night is celebrating a Decade of Difference. During this time:
Nearly half a million patients and their caretakers have called the LLS Information Resource Center and received critical information about blood cancers, therapy options and issues surrounding treatment and survival.
Nearly $40 million was disbursed to patients through the LLS Patient Assistance program to help them get the treatment they needed to fight their cancer.
Over 100,000 patients and family members found comfort and hope through LLS First Connection and Family Support Groups.
LLS granted $425 million to more than 400 scientists searching for cures and improved treatments for patients.
LLS funding contributed to the development of a host of new drugs that are affecting patient survival and quality of life.
LLS-funded researchers began working in novel areas that hold great promise for finding cures and better treatments including new, less toxic stem cell transplants, immunotherapies and other targeted therapies.
Our Advocacy Network has successfully supported pro-patient legislation that will:
Help advance blood cancer research
Extend Medicare coverage to include oral anti-cancer drugs
Help fund efforts to reach underserved blood cancer patients
Please bring help and hope to thousands of people battling cancer

Please visit http://www.lightthenight.org/ to register for your local walk.

First Day Of Blogging for Blood Cancer

This week I will post some blood cancer facts each day for Blogging for Blood Cancer. Please join us in blogging for a great cause. Sponsored by http://www.goodiesformom.com/ , and http://www.friendsofheroes.org/blog/ . Visit both of these sites to win great prizes for Blogging For Blood Cancer.

What Is Cancer?
All kinds of cancer, including childhood cancer, have a common disease process — cells grow out of control, develop abnormal sizes and shapes, ignore their typical boundaries inside the body, destroy their neighbor cells, and can ultimately spread (or metastasize) to other organs and tissues. As cancer cells grow, they demand more and more of the body's nutrition. Cancer takes a child's strength, destroys organs and bones, and weakens the body's defenses against other illnesses.
Cancer affects only about 14 of every 100,000 children in the United States each year. Among all age groups, the most common childhood cancers are leukemia, lymphoma, and brain cancer. As children enter their teen years, there is also an increase in the incidence of osteosarcoma (bone cancer). The sites of cancer are different for each type, as are treatment and cure rates.
Typically, the factors that trigger cancer in children are usually not the same factors that may cause cancer in adults, such as smoking or exposure to environmental toxins. Rarely, there may be an increased risk of childhood cancer in kids who have a genetic condition, such as Down syndrome. Those who have had chemotherapy or radiation treatment for a prior cancer episode may also have an increased risk of cancer. In almost all cases, however, childhood cancers arise from noninherited mutations (or changes) in the genes of growing cells. Because these errors occur randomly and unpredictably, currently there is no effective way to prevent them.
Sometimes, a doctor may be able to spot early symptoms of cancer at regular checkups. However, some of these symptoms (such as fever, swollen glands, frequent infections, anemia, or bruises) are also associated with other infections or conditions that are not cancer. Because of this, it is not uncommon for both doctors and parents to suspect other childhood illnesses when cancer symptoms first appear.
Once cancer has been diagnosed, it is important for parents to seek help for their child at a medical center that specializes in pediatric oncology (treatment for childhood cancer).

Cancer Treatment
The treatment of cancer in children can include chemotherapy (the use of medical drugs to kill cancer cells), radiation (the use of radiant energy to kill cancer cells), and surgery (to remove cancerous cells or tumors). The type of treatment needed depends on the type and severity of cancer and the child's age.
Surgery

Article courtsey of kidshealth.org

Cell phones and house cleaning

Today we spent the day cleaning the house. IT was filthy. Last night Hubby told H she could have a cell phone, so I saw this as my opportunity to get a little cleaning out of her. Silly me! I told her this morning that unless her room and the playroom were cleaned up she would not get to go with Daddy to get a phone. I told her she could clean up those 2 areas while I cleaned the rest of the house. Well in the time I cleaned the living room including picking up, vacuuming, wiping down the furniture and dusting. I painted the entryway, and I cleaned and mopped the kitchen, she hadn't even finished one room. Her excuse was L was playing and was in here way. Funny I clean around them all the time. So I started on the playroom, which wasn't bad since I just reorganized it on Sat. The I told her I would help her with her room. So at about 4:30pm we finally got everything cleaned up. And I got everyone ready and we were off to see daddy. My mom had told hubby that she would get him a new cell phone for his b-day and he wanted the new instinct from Sprint(our carrier), we were going to add H to our plan, but we couldn't so we told her we would go look for a go phone for her. So after spending about an hour in the sprint store with three kids, we got hubby the instinct, and then we headed to target where I knew they had the pay as you go phones. We got her just a cheap $14.99 phone so we can see how responsible she is with it before we dive into a really nice phone for her. So yes we got our 7 year old a cell phone. But her little friends all have them, and I think it will be nice when we have school and activities that I can get a hold of her if need be. So she got just the most basic phone, I promised her we would decorate it for her so it looks pretty. So I am sure that is on our agenda for tomorrow. I am not sure how long it will take before it is activated, I went online to do it and it said it could take 1-2 days for activation. How crazy is that?!?


Tomorrow we will have the ECI people come out to fill out our paperwork for G, and then we are going to the school building to see about getting H into the magnet school. I got a new report today that the school tested exemplary last year so that is very encouraging. I will let you know what we find out tomorrow. Wish us luck.


As we were at Sprint tonight, G proceeded to make himself throw up everywhere, it was great. He hasn't done that in a while. I hope we don't start that again. I feel so bad when he does this, he does it as a control issue, in a world where he has little control over things, he can control this so he does it. I know it is gross, but he is not bothered by it at all unless he gets it on his hands. Please pray for him that we get his issues under control. Well I guess that is all tonight, thanks for checking on us. Till next time remember to hug and kiss your family, today is gone and tomorrow may never come................


As promised here are pictures of the finished swing set!

The weekend is over

Well the weekend has come to a close. Not much going on in our household. most of the day I was laying down, I woke up with another migraine. I never had these before having G, but now I get them about once a month. I think I may need Iron that may be causing them. But I am feeling better now, and after sleeping most of the day it is now 1:36am and I cant go to sleep. So I thought I would sit down and blog a little in hopes I would start to get tired.
I don't think i mentioned that the other day when we went to the Dr. G weighed 31lbs, that is a huge thing, he has been so little up till this point. He was in the 90% for weight, WOW how did that happen? He was under the 3% for so long and now he is in the 90%. I am so amazed! I weighed L while we were there and she was 34lbs. so he is almost is big as her.
Tomorrow I plan to go downtown and talk to the people about getting H into a new magnet school. I am so hopeful that she will get to go to this school, it is a fine arts school, so it will be great for her. School here starts the 25th so I really need to get on this. And Tuesday the early intervention people will come out to fill out the paper work for G. Then he will get evaluated. This seems like a lengthy process, we didn't go through all of this in TN, but we also didn't go through early intervention. So maybe it will be good we will see.
G has been acting out more lately, he is bitting, throwing fits, hitting people, and he will hit his head on the floor when he gets mad. I don't thing the OT can come soon enough. I have still been in denial about the whole SPD thing, but I just don't know. I just want to help him, he is such a great little boy, and I want him to be happy and well adjusted. Does he really have SPD or is it just a phase? I just don't know. Please keep him in your thought and prayers.
Hubby came home the other day and told me that a guy he knows in Ft. Worth, his kid was just diagnosed with Leukemia, tonight he asked if I could help them. I know many resources, and would love to help him. I am not sure any specifics but please say a prayer for them. I know this is a hard time for them.
Well I guess that is my update for tonight, I will post again later. Till next time remember ti hug and kiss your family and tell them you love them, today is gone and tomorrow may never come......