Happy Summer!

Reporting in to say Joe is doing very well.  We were able to take our mini-vacation to Spokane as planned for a family wedding Friday 8/1.  We were also able to visit Silverwood Amusement Park in Idaho!  Roller Coasters, water rides, magic shows, fake tattoos the whole works!  We also welcomed a new cousin Rhett Jeffery Huber the morning on 8/1, an overall great weekend!

Joe's numbers were still at an acceptable level, Hematocrit 35.0, Platelets 351, WBC 3.7 and ANC 1200.  They want his ANC to be 800-1200 while on maintenance.  We will not be in for blood tests until next week Wednesday 8/13.  Hoping we stay above an ANC of 800 we will then be able to take our next dose of Vincristine (30 more doses by my count; 1x monthly until 2/2010).  

If we are not at the levels desired (750 ANC) they then adjust the medication to get him where he needs to be.  Steroids start that day again (8/13) for 5 days; the good part about that is they make his numbers shoot up, which gives him better ability to fight infection obviously and wiggle room as they come back down when he's on just Mecaptopurine and Methotrexate oral chemos which drives the numbers down.

Tutoring for Kindergarten is going very well, he's got upwards of 16-18 letters down, word sounds no problem!  He's been working very hard at his catch up studies, we are super proud of him.  A thank you to Stef Johnson for "Zoo-Phonics" package and his tutor Leighanne Metter for working so hard with Joe this summer.

As we speak he is at Suncadia Lodge in Eastern Washington with Papa, Yiayia and cousin William because it's their turn to vacation with Yiayia and Papa until Wednesday 8/6.

We hope to venture back to Idaho to Priest Lake Sat. 8/16 in lake cabins with Matt, Kristi and the kids, along with some new friends.  We hear there are 4 families with boys 5 & 7 attending that week in our group!

You would all be over joyed with Joe's energy and enthusiasm.  We sure are.

Thanks for checking in!

Angie