We have been enjoying an extended stabilization period. Shannon and Erin are just clickin' off the school days and it seems as though each day after school is a whirlwind of activities.
Halloween was strange as the 8th grader decided she was too cool for costume and handed out candy at home while the 6th grader dressed as a clown. All day. Wore her costume to school loud and proud.
Grandma Gwen and Grandpa Chuck are back in Rochester for a few days to help caddy kids around, hang out with us and connect with some of their Roch friends. We had a nice meal together between practices. We'll do it again tomorrow.
Overall, nothing too eventful relating to Shannon's health. Our Mayo doctors have ordered our family to get flu shots and we passed on the request to Shannon's hockey team. An ounce of prevention...
Tonight she took her 260mg capsule of Temodar before hockey. Watching her skate through drills you would have no idea. That's a tough little girl. Stubborn to a fault. Thank God.
Friday October 28, 2011
Yesterday was the pre-chemo week checkup for Shannon and for the first time in six months, the people at Mayo 16 were having a bad day. Computers were acting up, physicians were behind schedule, and they were all stressed out. It stuck with me because as I thought about it, it's amazing that it hadn't happened before. I mean, who doesn't have a bad day at work at least once every six months? Just another testament to the high quality of care we are receiving.
Shannon's counts are holding. She's doing great - for a cancer patient. I only mention this because it's easy to forget that she is in treatment. You wouldn't know it by looking at her. Shannon asked our nurse practitioner Donna, "Are my counts normal?" The answer is yes and no. For a non-cancer patient, no. For someone who is about to start her 5th round of maintenance chemo, her counts are great. But, what Shannon is really asking is, "Are my counts normal enough that I can continue to play hockey?" And we are grateful that the answer to that is yes.
We discussed what appointments are ahead this month. Shannon will have her bi-monthly complete neuro exam with Dr. Keating in two weeks and we will do the post-chemo bloodwork then as well. At the end of November, Shannon will have an MRI to check the tumor.
We continue to try not to be overwhelmed by the big picture because the little picture looks good. The girls are going to school, going to practices, hanging with friends, laughing and smiling. We had a few tears this week, but they were Algebra related, not cancer related! Even that makes me smile, because it's a normal struggle that has nothing to do with Shannon's illness. I've come to appreciate those.
We're headed into a fun weekend. Grandma Harkins returns to MN for a visit, we've got a late hockey practice tonight, and an early hockey scrimmage in Apple Valley tomorrow. Then we'll have a quick visit with the Harkins cousins before finally heading to Grandpa Ed's 88th birthday party in Edina. We will be on the go ... and trying to remember to cherish every minute of it.
Currently listening to Jack Johnson's, Never Know: "We're just human, amusing and confusing and we're trying, but where is this all leading? We'll never know ..."
Currently listening to Jack Johnson's, Never Know: "We're just human, amusing and confusing and we're trying, but where is this all leading? We'll never know ..."
Wednesday October 26, 2011
Authoring this damn blog comes with a decent amount of obligation. I am not sure if I am grateful for that or annoyed by it. Having one of those nights. But I think I am grateful for this forum because tonight I need to get some stuff off my chest.
Just heard about a Bloomington Lincoln HS alum - roughly my age - that lost a shockingly short battle with bile duct cancer. Her name was Lynne Engfer Sater. Two years from diagnosis til death. And in the process of sharing a connection to her death with a friend in the TV industry (Lynne's husband is a TV anchor in Milwaukee) I was forced to break the news of Shannon's illness to said friend who is also a TV anchor in Milwaukee.
The Sater's have three young daughters. I am not surprised to hear she was a great mom, wife, school volunteer.
Tonight, Jen attended a district team manager's meeting to set up our game schedule for Shannon's hockey team, the Rochester Rebels. (Of course, Jen is the team manager...the Rebels love and need her OCD!). I stayed home with the girls and we did our own obsessing on some good books all three of us are into. Jen returned from the meeting all pumped about our game schedule (31 games including scrimmages) and Shannon went from nearly asleep in her chair to completely jacked about her upcoming hockey season.
One of the things we were waiting on was to see that schedule and if it worked out to take a trip to Florida or somewhere warm around the holidays. Since, we no longer make decisions based on what makes sense financially (which is completely whacked) we were just going to go for it.
But the week we would have gone - between Christmas and New Years - the Rebels have a game at Northfield. When I asked Shannon if she'd rather go to Florida or Northfield on December 28 she looked at me like I was an idiot. Needless to say we will go somewhere warm at a later date. God willing.
Also, this week I spent some time in the field making sales calls in Iowa and connecting with some really good folks I hadn't called on in awhile. They are reading this blog too. They knew what was going on in my life which was a little jarring. Sometimes I think we lay stuff out here on this blog with no return on the investment. But it's not really about an investment - it's just about sharing a journey. A good reminder that what we do needs to be about what is good for us and nothing external.
So what does it all mean? I sure as hell don't know. I just know that I can't believe how much I love my family and I need to stay focused on all the good out there. Because there is a ton of it.
Just heard about a Bloomington Lincoln HS alum - roughly my age - that lost a shockingly short battle with bile duct cancer. Her name was Lynne Engfer Sater. Two years from diagnosis til death. And in the process of sharing a connection to her death with a friend in the TV industry (Lynne's husband is a TV anchor in Milwaukee) I was forced to break the news of Shannon's illness to said friend who is also a TV anchor in Milwaukee.
The Sater's have three young daughters. I am not surprised to hear she was a great mom, wife, school volunteer.
Tonight, Jen attended a district team manager's meeting to set up our game schedule for Shannon's hockey team, the Rochester Rebels. (Of course, Jen is the team manager...the Rebels love and need her OCD!). I stayed home with the girls and we did our own obsessing on some good books all three of us are into. Jen returned from the meeting all pumped about our game schedule (31 games including scrimmages) and Shannon went from nearly asleep in her chair to completely jacked about her upcoming hockey season.
One of the things we were waiting on was to see that schedule and if it worked out to take a trip to Florida or somewhere warm around the holidays. Since, we no longer make decisions based on what makes sense financially (which is completely whacked) we were just going to go for it.
But the week we would have gone - between Christmas and New Years - the Rebels have a game at Northfield. When I asked Shannon if she'd rather go to Florida or Northfield on December 28 she looked at me like I was an idiot. Needless to say we will go somewhere warm at a later date. God willing.
Also, this week I spent some time in the field making sales calls in Iowa and connecting with some really good folks I hadn't called on in awhile. They are reading this blog too. They knew what was going on in my life which was a little jarring. Sometimes I think we lay stuff out here on this blog with no return on the investment. But it's not really about an investment - it's just about sharing a journey. A good reminder that what we do needs to be about what is good for us and nothing external.
So what does it all mean? I sure as hell don't know. I just know that I can't believe how much I love my family and I need to stay focused on all the good out there. Because there is a ton of it.
Sunday October 23, 2011
I'm home tonight after my getaway weekend. A little change of scenery was nice. Teri and I spent our time walking, talking, checking out Madison one day and a local art tour in the tiny Wisconsin towns of Cambridge, Lake Mills, and Fort Atkinson the next.
Girlfriends are good for the soul. They often times help you hear yourself and make some sense of your thoughts. Plus, we laughed a lot. That's good for the soul, too.
Girlfriends are good for the soul. They often times help you hear yourself and make some sense of your thoughts. Plus, we laughed a lot. That's good for the soul, too.
I returned home to find that the house was clean, homework was done, and as I walked in the door, Shannon was folding the last load of laundry. Nothing left for me to do. My family wanted my getaway to be completely hassle free. And it was.
Ready for the week ahead.
Saturday October 22, 2011
Jen is away with her friend Teri this weekend. They are getting some R & R at a B & B near Madison.
Shannon, Erin and I have been having fun visiting friends, taking in a movie, just chillin' like villains. We took in Dolphin Tales in 3D Friday afternoon and I was a puddle with my girls on each side of me. Of course, I cry at previews so anytime there is a storyline with kids and good music I am a mess. The girls rip me for it, of course.
Our friends from Jacksonville FL, Jack and Colleen Jones and kids Mikaela and Jack III landed at RST last night at 7:45 - they are visiting family in LaCrosse this weekend. So we picked them up at the airport and went out for dinner and came back here for desert. Ending up staying up and chatting until almost midnight.
The Jones' have been our friends since forever - Jack and I did the TV program at St. Cloud State together. They were married a year before Jen and I. They keep moving around the country and we keep getting together at various stages of life.
They were amazed at how great Shannon looked. And how comfortable the girls seem to be accepting their place in this world. That part makes me most proud because rolling with it is the only thing we can do until we can't do it anymore.
Off to hockey practice. The Rebels are coming together nicely. We start playing real games somewhere around November 5. Erin starts basketball Monday.
Looks like a beautiful fall day!
Shannon, Erin and I have been having fun visiting friends, taking in a movie, just chillin' like villains. We took in Dolphin Tales in 3D Friday afternoon and I was a puddle with my girls on each side of me. Of course, I cry at previews so anytime there is a storyline with kids and good music I am a mess. The girls rip me for it, of course.
Our friends from Jacksonville FL, Jack and Colleen Jones and kids Mikaela and Jack III landed at RST last night at 7:45 - they are visiting family in LaCrosse this weekend. So we picked them up at the airport and went out for dinner and came back here for desert. Ending up staying up and chatting until almost midnight.
The Jones' have been our friends since forever - Jack and I did the TV program at St. Cloud State together. They were married a year before Jen and I. They keep moving around the country and we keep getting together at various stages of life.
They were amazed at how great Shannon looked. And how comfortable the girls seem to be accepting their place in this world. That part makes me most proud because rolling with it is the only thing we can do until we can't do it anymore.
Off to hockey practice. The Rebels are coming together nicely. We start playing real games somewhere around November 5. Erin starts basketball Monday.
Looks like a beautiful fall day!
Wednesday October 19, 2011
Yesterday was quite a day. We've remarked often here about people's kindness and generosity and Tuesday was one of those days. Such a good day that Shannon, in her teenage exuberance, posted on her Facebook page last night, "Best Day Ever!"
We played hooky and spend the day with Shjon Podein for a behind the scenes look with the Minnesota Wild. Shjon is a Rochester native who is well known as a Stanley Cup winning hockey player, but also for all the charitable work he does through his children's foundation, Team 25. (team25.com) His foundation's mission: To improve the quality of life and create an environment of caring and community support for children facing extraordinary difficulties in their lives.
We attended the morning skate where Shannon blushed as Colton Gilles winked at her, then she and Erin smiled from ear to ear when goalie Josh Harding handed them a goalie stick. We heard some choice locker room language as the players ribbed each other, which added the the whole experience!
After the practice we watched the players clear out of the locker room. Nice guy awards go to Nick Shultz, Josh Harding, and Matt Cullen who stopped to meet the girls and shake their hands. Shannon's favorite Wild player, Mikko Koivu, is now my favorite as well - he emerged from the locker room wearing a Roger Federer baseball cap.
Once the locker room was clear, the Wild's assistant athletic trainer, John Worley, gave us a tour. Worley and Shjon are good buddies from the 5 years they spent together with the Philadelphia Flyers. The girls were wide eyed checking out the stick room and sitting on the bench at the Excel Energy Center.
The afternoon highlight was watching the Pittsburgh players come and go and having a chat with Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. We were staying at the same hotel as the Penguins and using the same Starbucks as well. We said hello to the coach as he came in for a cup of coffee and he stopped to ask the girls how the Wild looked at the morning skate. We talked about Sidney Crosby and when he might return. He told the girls to have fun at the game, but not too much fun.
While the game was a bit of a dud (the Wild looked really average) it really didn't matter. For a sports loving, hockey playing 13 year old, it qualified as the best day ever ...
Monday October 17, 2011
We passed another milestone this weekend. Saturday was 6 months since Shannon's diagnosis. April 15, 2011 - the day the music changed.
Sunday at St. John the Evangelist an unbelievable set of circumstances came together that can only add to the Mystery of Faith. We were surrounded by friends and families and some of our strongest supporters in our section of the church Sunday. I told Jen last night I could feel the love - like a warm blanket. I made reference to that same feeling months ago in this blog. It was in the early days post-diagnosis when the four of us lied together in Erin's bed chatting about life.
When we walked in before 9:30 mass Sunday one of the ushers approached to ask us if we would present the gifts - deliver the bread, wine and holy water to the alter just after intentions. We've done this before and are honored to be asked - even the girls recognize it as a privilege. So we said sure.
One of the intentions was a "Lord hear our prayer" for the family of parishioner David Van Houten who this week lost a 10-year battle with brain cancer. As Me, Jen, Erin and Shannon stood holding the bread, wine and holy water in the back of the church, Fr. Mahon pointed out the Van Houten family - they were seated up near the front. The funeral is Monday.
Fr. Mahon recalled performing the Sacrament of the Sick for Mr. Van Houten at 9:30 mass 10 years ago when we were celebrating mass over in the St. John School gym while they were remodeling our church space. David stood in front of the parish - he had just undergone surgery and bore a 6 inch scar on his skull - as we all held our hands high and prayed over him on that Sunday 10 years ago.
At that same mass, Erin O'Hara was baptised.
Our eyes our wide open and our faith remains strong.
Sunday at St. John the Evangelist an unbelievable set of circumstances came together that can only add to the Mystery of Faith. We were surrounded by friends and families and some of our strongest supporters in our section of the church Sunday. I told Jen last night I could feel the love - like a warm blanket. I made reference to that same feeling months ago in this blog. It was in the early days post-diagnosis when the four of us lied together in Erin's bed chatting about life.
When we walked in before 9:30 mass Sunday one of the ushers approached to ask us if we would present the gifts - deliver the bread, wine and holy water to the alter just after intentions. We've done this before and are honored to be asked - even the girls recognize it as a privilege. So we said sure.
One of the intentions was a "Lord hear our prayer" for the family of parishioner David Van Houten who this week lost a 10-year battle with brain cancer. As Me, Jen, Erin and Shannon stood holding the bread, wine and holy water in the back of the church, Fr. Mahon pointed out the Van Houten family - they were seated up near the front. The funeral is Monday.
Fr. Mahon recalled performing the Sacrament of the Sick for Mr. Van Houten at 9:30 mass 10 years ago when we were celebrating mass over in the St. John School gym while they were remodeling our church space. David stood in front of the parish - he had just undergone surgery and bore a 6 inch scar on his skull - as we all held our hands high and prayed over him on that Sunday 10 years ago.
At that same mass, Erin O'Hara was baptised.
Our eyes our wide open and our faith remains strong.
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