October 15, 2012
6.6 Pounds!!!  Need I say more???  Way to go, Cody!! Keep up the good work!

September 17, 2012

Good morning.  It is so nice to have a 4 day weekend.  The schools close here for the Jewish holidays.
Thinking of all my friends that celebrate.
We started off the school year on a good note.  It has been very busy but Cody seems to like his classes.  Well, most of them anyway.
We were looking forward to the 4 day weekend.  I persuaded Cody to come to a fair with me and "That 70's Band" was playing. Those who know me, know I love this band!  It was a beautiful day and I was looking forward to just sitting out by the beach and relaxing.  We got the fair and Cody ate sausage and peppers and a funnel cake.  About an hour later, we were heading to where the band was and he said he felt nauseous.  He was sitting on the beach and felt sick every time he stood up.  He asked for my help to stand so I knew he felt weak and was most likely showing signs of being dehydrated.  So I got him a water and a Sprite.  He drank some water but said he could not make it to the car and that he needed to go to the hospital.  He knows his body so well and he knew he was dehydrated or else the food made him sick.  So I told the guy in the Beach Hut that we needed an ambulance.  He called and in a few minutes one was there.  They loaded Cody up and pushed him through the crowd to the ambulance.  Once there, he vomited and it was a lot!  He was really embarrassed and felt he let himself down.  I went to get the car and made my way to the hospital.  He was there when I got there and they were waiting to do bloodwork and to hook him to some fluids.  We were at Good Sam in Islip.  They were all nice there.  We actually saw Joe from Spuntino there.  His son had gotten a bump on his head.  We were there till around 12, 4 hours later.  Cody felt much better so we made our trip home.   He asked to sleep in my bed so I know he was scared.  It is always scary to me when we do bloodwork.  His white count was elevated but not enough to alarm Sloan.  So it is Monday and he is doing better.  I know he needs to stay hydrated and drink more!  He knows that too!
Thank goodness that was all it was.

September 7, 2012
Stand Up 2 Cancer is on and I am sitting here crying, some happy tears for Cody and those surviving but so many sad tears for all those lost to this horrific disease.  Too many, too young.  
School started this week for me and Cody.  It was fun and tough being back in Kindergarten.  I do love the little ones but it is hard.  Cody did well and really likes his Science class.  I am proud of him and happy for him.  I just wish his social life would kick off!  
He is into setting up his saltwater tank.  He is very excited and is bugging me to help him.  He is trying to make some money but it is hard with his busy schedule.  Hopefully we will get something started tomorrow.  
Casey is busy with his new house.  He and Nicole bought one and are busy decorating it.  Hopefully I will get to take a weekend and go see the house.  I miss him!!  
Have a good weekend everyone and I will be back soon...thanks for reading!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Wow, the end of August.  Crazy!
Today marks 7 years that my sweet Tyler passed away.  He was a former kindergarten student that died of a terrible inoperative brain tumor.  He is missed each and every day.

Last Wednesday we spent the day in the city at Cornell Eye Institute to try to get to the bottom of Cody's drooping eye issue.  After a 4 hour visit with a very good neuro-opthamologist, we still have no clear answers.  It could be this and it could be that.  After more blood tests and another visit in the next 4 months, maybe we will get some answers.  No worries, just yet.

We had dinner Thursday night with a friend of mine, Moira.  She is the one that takes our dogs and we have become even better friends now.  Unfortunately her sweet niece, Meghan was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.  She had it removed but will be starting chemo soon. She and her mom came to dinner too and we talked a little about the medical issues and tried to ease some of her fear of chemo. It is not easy.  There is no way around it and it is scary.  I wish she and Cody would become better friends and hang but we can't force that at this age.  I pray for her and wish her luck in the upcoming months.  She is lucky to have her Aunt (and godmother) Moira.

Here's to the last week of summer 2012.  I hope it is a good one for all of us.  Enjoy the long weekend. Stay safe...xoxoxo

August 12, 2012

Well, Cody has been doing awesome!  He traveled most of the past few weeks.  He went to Canada to see his dad then went to TX for his cousin's wedding.  Then he came home and we flew to FL for a 10 day visit with my family. It was perfect!  Casey and Nicole met us there for a few days and we were so glad to see Casey after his stay overseas.  He looks good. He and Nicole bought a house so they had to go back to close on it.  I am so proud of him.  We stayed with Uncle Roy and Aunt Veronica and cousins, Christian and Alex.  Roy did a pig roast for us one night and we had a lot of fun.  We did the beach, snorkeling in the inlet, jet skiing on Hutchison Island and of course Grandpa and Grandma's 30th anniversary party.  It was a nice time and good to see my stepbrother and his little girl.  I also saw my nephew, PJ and met his wife and kids.   We had many dinners out and went to a little water park too.  It was a great vacation.  We spent the last day having lunch with my aunt and uncle and cousin and met their new baby.  It was a lot of family time but we also got to enjoy ourselves too.  We paid a special visit to the Botolino family.  I have been corresponding with Donna after my dad read me an article about them.  Their little Denali passed away in June from a long battle of pancreatic cancer.  It was nice to finally meet them and to pay our respects to the family.
On a lighter note, I also got to spend some time with good friends, Tracy and Gregg and also one of my cousins.  We had a great night at a Tiki Bar on the Inlet and laughed about old memories.  Good times.

I almost have Cody convinced to move back with me one day.  He has 3 conditions, he wants a surf board, a wave runner and college if he is not finished when we move.  We have a good deal here with college so will consider it once he is finished.  I really miss it and think I would like to move back one day.  I am actually kinda torn but think it is just an easier way of life.  Hey, my LI family would always have a place to stay!!

July 12, 2012

We had our visit to Sloan today.  Cody was anxious about it last night but today was prefect.  He did all of his tests, pulmonary, echo and EKG and then it was off to see the neuro team.  This is when I get nervous and our concern is his droopy eyelids.  He has always had the left one drooping but now the right one is and especially when he is tired.  The neurologist wants him to go to a neuro opthamologist to rule out a few things.  Then we can proceed from there.  Nothing seems serious, just concerning.  SO good news, more immunizations, his weight is up and it was good to see some of the doctors and nurses that we have not seen in a long while.  The head of the team was so happy to see Cody.  Everyone hugs him too which brings me to tears, happy tears though.  It brings it all back when you hear the head of the team say 'you really scared us kid'.  I will never forget what we went through but it is scary when you hear from the professionals how sick he really was.  It was a long day but a good one.
We stopped off on the patient side of M9 to see Meghan and her mom.  Meghan is the niece of my friend, Moira who takes care of our dogs when we could not, when Cody was inpatient.  Unfortunately her sweet 21 year old niece has a very rare bone cancer and just had her knee and thigh bone replaced last week.  Prayers go out to them as they await pathology results tomorrow and hope that the cancer was contained to what they removed. She has some of our old nurses and we got to see Nurse Liz today!  Meghan has her!!
It is an uneasy feeling to be back and causes me to reflect on all this. It is so sad and unfortunate and unfair when you see a child with cancer.  While we were talking in the hall, the stretcher comes out of a patient's room with the mom lying on it, with her child glued to her body and they wheel them down for some procedure.  VERY sad and hard to see.  No one should have to go through this.
I pray for  Cody tonight and that his great news continues.  I pray for Meghan tonight so that she may go home tomorrow and for all good reports.  For all others with this terrible disease, I pray.

June 26, 2012

So here it is summer, 2012.  Things are good, nice and quiet.  Let's hope it stays that way.
I was sitting here tonight looking back on the blog from 3 years ago.  Cody's friend, Lauren needed some info for a paper she is writing so I was looking back at my notes.  It brings me to tears to see what all we went through.  It brings it all back to reality.  Cody has still not read this but when he is ready, he will.  Some day...It makes me look at how far he has come too.  It is truly amazing.  He is amazing.  I wish I had half of his strength.  I continue to pray for his good health and for safety for Casey.  He is still overseas but due home soon.  Life goes on and on.  I just hope and pray we stay on this path...prayers to all.  God Bless.