A Very Special Gift

    On the first day of his most recent chemo in the clinic at the Calgary Childrens Hospital, Mason was informed that he would be having a visit from some Calgary Stampeder players. He got ready for this visit by quickly making a poster that said "Go Riders Go". He taped this poster to his bedside table!

    Three Calgary Stampeder players came and visited Mason. They got quite a chuckle from Mason's obvious "RIDER PRIDE" and they told him that he was absolutely right to cheer for his home team and to never let anyone change his own choices. There was another man who came with the players but he didn't get in the photos......he chose to stay out of the pictures and away from the attention, but he has become a very special person to Mason and to our whole family. This man was stricken with cancer, non-hodgkin's lymphoma, when he was fifteen years old. He was a very skilled athlete when he was fifteen and full of energy. His battle with cancer was very long and grueling with many similarities to what Mason has undergone. His name is Vince Danielsen. On top of the strong and loving support of family and friends, Vince remembers that during his own chemotherapy treatments he had a very special visit from Lui Passaglia - the famous placekicker of the B.C. Lions. Vince loved football dearly. When he recovered from his battle with cancer he went on to his own successful 8 year career with the Calgary Stampeders during which he earned 2 Grey Cup Championship rings in 1998 and 2001.

    Remembering how Lui Passaglia had gone the extra yard and made such a difference to his own life inspired Vince to start his own "Every Yard Counts Program". As Vince says, "Survival was the product of all the support I received and all the experiences that fueled my positive attitude. I started the "Every Yard Counts Program" to provide children with cancer a one day "getaway" from their treatment schedules. A day where they could have their minds taken away from cancer. A day which, like me, they would never forget." The program was started in June 1997 in unison with the Stampeders and the Alberta Children's Hospital.

    Mason received four tickets to the July 1st, Calgary vs Toronto game donated by Vince Danielsen, along with special seating with Vince. The whole family got to go and they were treated royaly. Mason was welcomed to the game by the broadcast announcer, given an autographed hat, an encouragement package and a letter of encouragement from Vince. After the game, Mason, Kale and Dad got a guided tour of the locker room to meet the players and receive autographs (Mum had to wait outside the locker room - LOL)

What a special day it was indeed!                              

 Another never to be forgotten day!

In the locker room with Vince Danielsen.                            

Update on Mason's treatment:

    Mason made it through round 5 of chemo for this year on June 27th. Mason once again did a spectacular job - staying positive and impressing the nurses!! As reported earlier, the family managed a quick trip home on July 11th only to be called back to Calgary for more tests on July 16th so they only had 3 days at home, starting and ending with a day of driving. The tests went smoothly and the good news was another day of driving right after the tests were completed! So, the whole family is at home once again and we've had some decent weather, visits with family and friends and even some good times at the lake.

    The doctors have been deliberating recently on the next step. We have for some time been aware that one of the most likely scenarios will be a trip to the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children for some rather tricky surgery. It is now appearing that this will be happening in the near future. We will do our best to keep you all posted and thank you for your continuing prayers and support.

A week off at HOME !!! - Or NOT !!!!!

Mason and the whole family got to come home for a week!! They arrived home on Sunday, July 11th and will hopefully have an entire week at home. Mason was released from hospital, after round 5 of chemo, on June 27th. Justin and Kale arrived in Calgary on June 29th so the whole family have been spending time in Calgary since then going out to see some of the sights and parks in Calgary and checking into the hospital to monitor blood levels. The whole family received Calgary Stampeder Football game tickets from a special friend - more on that later - and had a great time at the game and visiting with some of the players after the game. The Brentnell family from Moose Jaw stopped in for a visit and they all had a good day at the Stampede and another day in Banff. Mason is waiting to have another CT scan together with a bone scan.

    The pictures are: 1. Mason working on his "Fencing" model which he made with plaster cast bandages.

                              2. Mason and his art teacher displaying the "Fencing" model and his Pink Pig with Purple Polka Dots!!

                              3. Making some great music with Marc, the resident music teacher.

                              4. Outside the Calgary Childrens Hospital on the teeter totter with his constant "friend" the I.V. cart!

                              5. Exercise - the "in hospital" way!!!!

Jade just got a phone call from Calgary which informed them that they have to return on Thursday for the CT and bone scan which has been scheduled for Friday. It is quite disappointing that they don't get to stay for the weekend. Two days of driving and only three days at home! Oh well, we're happy to have them home for whatever time allows and will send them back to Calgary with our love and good memories of the times that we have had.

Another round of chemo

Jade and Mason and Papa Greg drove back to Calgary last Tuesday. The #1 highway was still closed beyond Maple Creek but they made a quick detour through Golden Prairie which saved a couple of hours. Mason went back into the Calgary Childrens Hospital on Wednesday for round 5 of chemo for this year. He is on day 4 and is doing really well. If all continues to go well he will be finished the chemo tomorrow, Sunday, and will be discharged on Monday. Justin and Kale will hopefully be driving up to Calgary by then also. Still no word on upcoming treatments.
   Picture of Mason at Bowness Park in Calgary on June 13th.

Mason is in Moose Jaw!!!!!

Mason had been scheduled to return to the Calgary Childrens Hospital on Friday for more chemotherapy. This decision was made on Thursday following a lengthy meeting with Dr. Brindel, Mason's surgeon, and Dr. Struthers, the head oncologist. More testing will be required prior to a decision regarding further surgery. The P.E.T. scan did not turn out to be as effective as was hoped, probably due to residual chemotherapy drugs still in Mason's system which dampened the normal biological processes that were to be studied. In the meantime, more chemotherapy will hopefully continue to shrink the tumors. The doctors are very happy with the amount that the tumors have reduced in size.
    Blood tests that were done on Friday morning revealed that Mason's blood levels were not high enough yet for further chemotherapy and Jade was given the green light to make a quick trip home for the weekend.
    It didn't turn out to be such a quick trip!! Flooding, due to record rainfall at the Alberta/Sask. border, closed the Trans-Canada Highway and Jade and Mason were forced to make a 5 hour detour - north at Dunmore (just east of Medicine Hat) to Oyen, then east to Rosetown and south again to Swift Current - on secondary highways that have never seen such traffic (5,000 vehicles per day)! The flooding that went through Maple Creek is the worst ever recorded!
    Jade and Mason arrived home at 1:30a.m. They will likely have to return to Calgary again on Monday.
    The pictures are of Mason at a playground near to Uncle Rick and Aunt Bev's. Feeding ducks, paddle boating and enjoying Bowness Park in Calgary. Mason entering the P.E.T. scanner. Two pictures of flooding across the Trans-Canada Highway.

Back to Calgary once again!

    Mason and his Mum drove back to Calgary on Tuesday. Mason had a CT Scan on Wednesday and was scheduled for a P.E.T. Scan today but this Scan was postponed until tomorrow. From "Wikepedia" : Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body.  PET scans are increasingly read alongside CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, the combination ("co-registration") giving both anatomic and metabolic information (i.e., what the structure is, and what it is doing biochemically).
    Jade is requesting as many prayers and positive thoughts as possible right now since these tests are to determine how effective the chemotherapy has been. As usual, Mason is his same happy, positive self.

     Your loving thoughts and prayers are most welcome at this time.

Take Me Home Country Roads To The Place I Belong

Mason had some really great blood test results today and he is on his way home!!!! Uncle Jordan had travelled to Calgary last week to suprise Jade on her birthday so he is leading the way in his car and Jade and Mason are travelling behind in Jades car. Jade hopes that they will be able to stay until possibly the 9th of June so will be happy to have her car at home. They won't get into Moose Jaw until about 12:30am so will need some rest time tomorrow. Mason will have some follow-up blood tests done in Moose Jaw on Thursday. Hopefully, he will be able to have a visit with his favorite lab technician and friend, Sandra Wendt.

    Photos are memories of Disneyworld and Universal Studios in February.

Chemo - Round 4

    Mason went back into the Calgary Childrens Hospital on Tuesday, had blood tests and began hydrating for another round of chemo before the results of the blood tests came back. The blood test results were high enough that he started "round 4" at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

     Sometimes it begins to feel that these "rounds of chemo" are becoming routine and just another day in the ongoing struggle. I forget sometimes that this isn't a natural state of affairs. I think that I become complacent and because I don't have to be there moment by moment and day by day I sometimes just go on with my own life and don't realize the uncertainty that my beautiful daughter and my wonderful grandson have to live with every day. At other times I connect somehow and am most nearly brought to my knees. God, please, let it be me!                              Justin and Kale travelled to Calgary last nite and are spending their time today with Mason and Jade at the hospital. Mason has done really well once again and all things being well, as we expect, Mason will be discharged once again tomorrow. This will allow the whole family to spend some quality time together, over this long weekend, before Justin and Kale have to return to Moose Jaw.

    The first picture is of Mason and Kale on their DisneyWorld holiday in February this year. The other pictures were taken at Kales inline (rollerblade) tourney in Edmonton, May 14th to 16th. Good fun with the Beattie children.
SUNDAY, MAY 23rd, 5:00p.m. - I didn't get the update notification sent out last night so can now inform that Mason did get out of the hospital today. I spoke with Jade moments ago at uncle Rick and aunt Bevs. Mason is doing well and the family is considering what they will do tonite. Justin and Kale need to leave Calgary fairly early tomorrow. Justin needs to get ready for the annual camping trip with his grade 7 students and the forcast is calling for rain. Mason will have blood tests once again on Tuesday or Wednesday. He is also scheduled for a CT scan on June 7th and a PET scan on June 10th. Jade thinks that they will likely have to stay in Calgary throughout this period while Masons blood levels are rebuilding.