Team Alex

Alex’s counts haven’t been great so her oncologist decided to send over samples to pathology last week just to make sure... we got the call that all is good! No sign of cancer still! It’s been stressful and now we can breath a sigh of relief! Just in time for this article... and yes I was crying during the interview ...
https://www.wtsp.com/mobile/article/life/bolts-player-puts-on-watch-party-for-kids-with-cancer-survivors/67-ad2bc590-7317-4b02-a224-a8345e9f5ebd

Bolts player puts on watch party for kids with cancer, survivors The Ryan Callahan Foundation, founded by the Bolts' right wing and his wife, connects pediatric cancer patients to the team.

As Alex’s 5 year cancer-versary ( yes that’s actually a thing ) approach’s, I find my self looking at this poster more and more and wondering if it’s time to take it down and store it away. Why do I still have it up?! Why can’t I take it down?!
I have linked together in my head that as long as it’s up it’s true. What if I take it down and something happens and some how that blame will be on me.
After 5 years it’s still hard. It’s difficult coming to terms that even though Alex is in remission, our life before will never come back. I guess I just thought that our old life would some how return. There are many things in this new life we have I am so grateful for. Places we have gone and memories we have made that would have never been possible. This journey has taught our children compassion and understanding in a way I never could.
Each day may still be a struggle, but as I look at this poster it gives me a little more hope that it will get easier and things will slowly get normal again. Maybe next year will be the year, for now it stays up!

Wow 2 years in remission! Nothing is sweeter!

Wow it's been a year since Alex had her port removed and the end of treatment was official and no more meds!

It still feels so fresh in my mind the day she was diagnosed. I remember dreaming about the end to come. And now it's a year past the "end" but yet it's not over. I realized once we reached this so called magical day that nothing really changed. And now a whole year later, still nothing has changed.

We still struggle with this cancer life that we seem to not fit in any more, but also can't go back to our normal life because we don't fit there either. It's a very odd middle road that we can't seem to navigate well. It's harder than we thought it would be. I think in our minds that once this was all over things would just be better.

We are so very thankful and blessed for the family and friends that have stood by us and allowed us to lean on them. Beyond thankful for the strangers that helped us and prayed for our family. For our new friends that didn't get scared away from our crazy family and life. And mostly, thank you all for helping us continue to spread awareness on childhood cancer! We are so happy to have Alex here with us today, however there are many families that have lost their little ones. Our kids are worth more than 4%!

Join Team Alex in supporting the Children's Cancer Center and bringing awareness to childhood cancer!

https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Tampa/ChickfilAFallStampede

Chick-fil-A Fall Stampede The 6th Annual Fall Stampede presented by Chick-fil-A is held every September to benefit the Children's Cancer Center. The Children's Cancer Center supports the immediate needs of children and families battling childhood cancer through 24 support programs. The event will take place on September 9th...

hopes everyone had an amazing Christmas and New Year.

Alex entered this year ! It's still a surreal feeling that we have actually made it.

This time of year is still hard even with our cancer free status. I think diagnoses day will always be a little rough, but our hope is it will get easier. A lot of people don't understand that worries and anxiety doesn't go away once the cancer is gone, it almost gets worse!

In life you don't plan for bad things, you only hope for the best. You can't prepare or plan for losing someone who is so much a part of you that when they are gone, it feels like half of yourself went with them. You don't plan on struggling financially so much that you are scared you will lose your home. You don't plan on losing friends and family support when you need them the most. You don't plan to ever hear your child is sick.

And although we didn't plan or prepare for Alex to have cancer. I hope our kids felt like we were in control. I hope they felt involved and important when all our focus was on Alex. I hope they feel like we made the right choices and decisions. I hope they know that we love them all equally. I hope their life wasn't all cancer but yet just enough so they can see the importance of spreading awareness. I hope that even with no preparation or planning we all look back and know we did our best.

And as we enter a new chapter in this life, no matter what gets thrown our way... we will continue giving our best and fighting with the most amazing, brave and strongest kids and families we know.

It is our pleasure to say ALEX'S COUNTS ARE COMING UP! We couldn't be happier and so relieved.
We will continue to monitor her head aches and belly pain, if it continues or gets worse we will go see a neurologist. However we think it's just her body struggling with what ever virus is bringing her down.
Thank you all for your prayers! 🎗🙏🏻

Alex has count checks every month, this is how we know if her cancer is back or not. Last week at count checks her numbers did not come back good. Of course our minds go directly to relapse. However this is not known for sure! She has been running fevers for a week and could be fighting a bug. Obviously we are hoping that's the case. But some of her low numbers were unexplainable and that is what concerns her doctors and us. We are watching her closely and rechecking her counts next Monday.

In the mean time we are going to enjoy this thanksgiving break and family time and hope for the best news next week. Happy Thanksgiving from Team Alex! 💛🎗

If you live in FL, please sign!

Florida Childhood Cancer License Plate PETITION! Live in Florida? We need 4000+ Floridian signatures to make this plate happen!

Please keep Alex in your prayers! As soon as we have more news and time to process we will update... 🎗🙏🏻

Counts are good! And no crying when it was finger poke time!

Alex hasn't been able to get into the ocean in almost three years! The moment she realized she was allowed to get in.... away she went! 🌊☀️🌴

It's crazy how emotional it was picking this up from the hospital. I'm still not sure why I wanted it. Apart of me still hates it, hates to look at it and another part of me is so grateful to it. As crazy as that might sound.

Alex asked to bring it to school for show in tell! 😂 She doesn't understand other kids don't have a relationship to cancer like she does. She doesn't understand what a normal childhood means. She thinks ports are normal. It breaks my heart that's the kind of childhood she has had to live so far. Where the word cancer is so simple to say and common language. But she can look cancer in it's face and she has no fear or scare away. We hold that fear for her, I hope it always stays that way. Her strength will always be my inspiration 🎗

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September is

In honor of September being childhood cancer awareness month, I am going to post something each day to bring awareness. Bringing awareness to those fighting this vicious disease, and honoring those precious lives we have lost along the way. 💛💛💛

We are home. Surgery went smoothly and they had no complications! Alex was given an American doll girl that she is excited about! Having a little pain and headaches now, little rest should help. Thank you all for your prayers! 🎗

It's crazy how normal it has been recently. Less doctor visits, less medication to give and more family time. This is just another step to ending this road with cancer! Port removal! 🎗🎗🎗

Alex is having her pre-op appointment to have her port removed! Two and a half years ago, I didn't think this day would ever come. I can remember exactly how I felt sitting in the waiting room while they placed this port in her chest. How I hated this port, but began to appreciate and quite love it over time. A part of me is terrified to remove it and the other part grateful for it and ready to leave it behind and start this new chapter in our lives. Thank you to Jessika for being there to support us and bring me some comfort (PJ's) during a really dark time. Thank you to my family who sat and waited with us even though they didn't know what to say or how to comfort our breaking hearts. Thank you to all who prayed for our Alex and walked with us through this journey. This journey may not be over but the future is looking brighter every day.

It's cow appreciation day! 🐄🐄🐄 Dress like a cow and get free food from chick fil a! Thank you north side chick fil a in Lakeland mall for donating cow spots and hats! Thank you all who helped assemble our goodie bags for kids kicking cancers butt! We delivered over 100 bags!

It's that time of year again... Cow appreciation day!!! We will be assembling good bags for the kids in clinic. We are in need of plain white tee shirts (all sizes) paper plates, Popsicle sticks and construction paper. If you would like to donate any items or money to purchase please let me know!

Jello plunging for the cancer center!

It's official! Last pill.... No more chemo! 😊

Alex's results are... There is a spot on her right mid lobe, it's an isolated spot with no tree like branches and presumably scar tissue. Tiny linear opacity and tiny homogeneous soft tissue within the anterior aspect of the mediastinum.... I don't know what it all means we meet with the Pulmonologist on the 21st. Still feels like unknowns and no definite answers which I know are hard to get but it would be nice for peace of mind.

Scans are over and now we wait.... And wait....

One day soon driving to St. Pete will be for beach trips not for hospital visits !