Month: November 2006

We headed into the clinic about 8:30 this morning. I wasn’t confident that Peter’s counts would be high enough today, but I guess I was hopeful. After a bit of waiting I got the call that his ANC had not increased at all since Monday. In all honesty I was upset about the news. At first I thought it was just me being selfish – we just “wasted” 3 days, I didn’t want to go home, unpack, do laundry, bring the girls back home and get settled, only to turn back around in a few days and leave them again. But after a few minutes I realized that those weren’t the biggest reasons I was upset… I was really just sad for our son, who is the one who has to go through this for 1 more week than he already is. Don’t get me wrong, Peter didn’t complain one bit. It was just another “blood draw” and a couple more trips in the car for him. I guess it’s just one of those days where the reality of the situation isn’t sitting well with me.
Peter had a Hearing Test this afternoon before we left the cities. They had done a baseline test prior to him starting chemo in August. Since hearing loss can be a side effect they were re-testing to see where he was at. The good news is the inner ear is functioning fine and he doesn’t have any loss at this point in the “Normal/Speech Hearing Range”. But they did find his High Frequency Hearing to be about 20 decibals worse than normal for his age. This is not noticeable to him or us now, but High Frequency loss is typically an immediate side effect, and it can move into Normal Frequency hearing loss.
One perhaps more significant (and positive!) test result was the Kidney Function results looked normal. We are definitely thankful for that.
We are back home and it does feel good to be here. We are hoping Peter can start Round 5 on Monday and we are quite certain that the re-testing and surgery will now be postponed until after the holidays.
You may be wondering if I’m trying to become as good a writer as my brother Matt, and I wouldn’t even try! He’s been down with the flu so I thought I’d let him get some much-needed rest.

Let me start by reiterating exactly what Matt said in his post last night. THANK YOU, THANK YOU and THANK YOU some more! We wish we could have attended both events (Peter would love to have skated around in Irish territory.) We were so happy, however, that Peter and our girls were able to get out and have lots of fun with so many friends from the community. They had a wonderful time playing, running around with friends, shooting hockey pucks and eating great food (umm, I don’t think any of them tried the crickets!)
After Sunday’s event, Grandma and Grandpa Hanson took the girls to their home in Crosslake, and Grandma Mary, Ty, Peter and I (and Peter’s cousin Macy!) headed for the cities, anticipating an early start Monday morning. We had to be at the Masonic Cancer Center (clinic right next to the hospital) at 7:30am for labs to assure Peter was ready to start Round 5 of his chemo. We actually went up to 5B thinking they were OK, only to find out his ANC (absolute neutrophil count) was too low… bummer! We were there most of the day anyway because they were testing Peter’s kidney function. The chemo drugs can cause damage to the kidneys so they are monitoring to see if they need to revise the doses at all (no results back on this yet). Ty headed back to Brainerd for hockey and Peter and I decided it was easier to stay here until we go back early Wednesday morning to try again. I believe this is just the reality of getting further into his treatment. Peter had almost 3 full weeks to recover this time and the counts were still not quite there, so the cumulative effect is starting to show a little. Either way, it’s probably for the best because he does have a cold, and I’d rather he be at his best when he starts each round. In addition to starting his 5th round on Wednesday (knock on wood!) he will have another hearing test. This, too, can be a side effect and they did a baseline test before he started his treatments, so we’ll find out if he’s experiencing any hearing loss thus far. I’m pretty sure he’s suffering from some hearing loss – the kind where he can’t hear most things his mother says. Anyway…

If you’ve been browsing the comments, you’ve certainly read about the great events that took place over the past week.

I understand that the Skate With The Irish event last Wednesday was terrific. I heard that people in and around the Rosemount community packed the house and showed their support for Peter and his family. And then on Sunday, 155 miles away from Rosemount, the Brainerd community arrived at Timbermist en masse to help out the Eigners. It was also a hugely successful event by all accounts.

On behalf of Ty and Erika, thanks to those who planned both events. And thanks to all who attended the events. And thanks to those that bought wristbands or bid on an auction item or cut their hair or watched Peter’s video.

I know that this expression of thanks falls short of the Eigner’s actual gratitude. I wish this could give everyone the individual credit and thanks that they deserve. But please accept it anyway. You all have done good.

There was a nice article in the Brainerd Dispatch on the 22nd. To read it, go to the site and search for “Pete Eigner”. Thanks to the author, Mike Bialka.

I hope everyone has a good time on Sunday.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, Peter has gained strength and energy. I think it’s safe to say that he has recovered and is ready for round 5 of chemo to start on Monday.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

On Thursday, sometime in the later afternoon, Peter turned the corner. He quickly went from lethargic to energetic and ate a big meal. On Friday he still wasn’t 100%, so he received some more platelets and was deemed well enough to check out of the hospital. This has definitely been the toughest between-round recovery for Peter. Maybe it’s a cumulative effect from all the previous rounds. In any case, he’s back home and recharging for round 5 which is scheduled to start in a week.

Wow. It’s almost round 5 already. It won’t be long before Peter (and the doctors) will be delivering the knockout blow.

Erika came to the hospital this morning feeling 100% better and resumed her bedside post. However, Peter is going to need a couple more days under the care of the doctors.

I mentioned that he didn’t eat much yesterday. One of the typical causes is sores in his mouth that make eating unpleasant. He had a sore or two before coming down, but yesterday he said that he didn’t have any sores in his mouth. He didn’t complain about anything the entire time I was there, but food wasn’t appealing. He slept well last night and woke with breakfast at the foot of his bed, but was reluctant to eat or drink any of it. Yet he still assured us that he didn’t have any sores.

Doctor Weigel believes the sores have moved to his throat or down his esophagus. Apparently they can go all the way to the stomach. Until he’s eating and drinking more, it’s best he’s hooked to the IV and hydrated. They’re still keeping any eye on his counts (the reason he was admitted in the first place) to make sure they’re on the rebound.

I suppose this is one of the schedule variations within the master plan for remission and variations can be accommodated.

Erika and Peter headed down to Minneapolis on Monday for the transfusion. Kate and Ellie also came along, because the flu bug got to Grandpa Brian (Poopster) and was still bothering Grandma Barb; They are usually the sitters when Peter is in the hospital, so Grandma Mary took them this time. Ty stayed in Brainerd to run the tryouts for his hockey team.

A transfusion is fairly routine during his recovery and this one has been relatively normal, except for one little wrinkle. The flu bug bit Erika on Monday night. Auntie G was at the hospital when it set in, so Erika was able to vacate and Auntie G stayed overnight. I was able to cover at the hospital today and Auntie G is back tonight. (Clarification: Peter has three aunts named Michelle. So we use their code names, Macer, Meeses, and G. How these names came to be requires three more clarifications.)

We currently have two sick people to report on. Erika is getting better this evening after a hellish 24 hours. She was able to eat a few crackers and that’s always the first sign of recovery with the stomach flu. She should be back at the hospital in the morning wearing a mask.

And Peter, who’s fight will take a little longer, is hanging tough. He came in on Monday with his blood counts bottoming out, with his color resembling the bed sheets more than flesh, and with a slight fever. The staff took a culture to determine if infection had set in and, as of now, it looks as though he’s in the clear. He received the transfusion and has been getting other medications through his IV. His color is coming back and he seemed to gain strength during the day. His fever is gone and vitals are strong. He hasn’t able to eat very much and gags on solid food, but the yogurt, pudding, and ice cream should keep him going. I think they’ll be able to head back to Brainerd tomorrow, but I’m not certain.

It was an eye-opening day for me as a stand-in for Ty and Erika. I’ve spent many hours at the hospital as a visitor, but not as the parental figure. I got to test out my parenting legs a little bit, which are like the legs of a newborn horse, but they kept me upright. That’s the easy part (especially with Peter).

The amount of medical care required is astonishing. It seems like there is something going on almost constantly. The doctors and nurses keep the schedule and perform most of the tasks, but at the very least it requires your attention. It allowed me a taste — albeit a small taste — of what Ty and Erika live daily. When they leave the hospital, keeping the schedule and administering the medications (sometimes against Peter’s will) falls completely on them.

I’m worn down from my day as parent and caregiver and I hardly did anything. It’s obvious to me how brilliant Peter’s real parents are and how much your support means to them and to Peter’s defeat over this “path thing”.

A benefit is being held on Sunday, November 26th, from 4:00 – 8:00 PM at Timbermist on CR #3. The evening will feature a buffet meal, cash bar, door prizes, silent auction, kids games and drawings to be held throughout the evening. Ticket donations are $20.00 for adults, $10.00 for students, and kids under 5 are free. Go ahead and have yourself some fun!

Ticket Outlets:

• MJ’s Sportshop
• Northern National Bank
• Brainerd High School
• Triangle Store – Baxter Hwy 371 North
• Brainerd Hockey Arena Concession

Peter is doing pretty well coming out of round four. He hasn’t been too sick, but he’s had some of the expected symptoms: a sore in his mouth, limited energy, less appetite, and some digestive problems. However, he’s drinking enough fluids and staying hydrated.

Both sisters, Ellie and Kate, got sick after the flu shots. They’ve had the stomach flu bug that doesn’t last more than a day or two, but creates a very long 24-48 hours and leaves you without energy. They’re both coming out of their sickness, but, thankfully, Peter hasn’t caught it yet (it’s OK to rap on your wooden desk). Although I suppose it’s possible that the flu shots caused the sickness, both my wife (Auntie G) and my mom (G’ma Barb) had the same sickness this week, but didn’t have contact with the girls. It’s strange how those bugs travel.

Peter’s counts are predictably low and should continue to go down over the next couple days. I think he can count on getting a transfusion for platelets and hemoglobin early next week. I could have said that he’s getting a “blood transfusion”, but I like to use bigger words when I get the chance.

Have a good weekend, all.

The Rosemount High School boys hockey team is having an event on November 22nd and all proceeds will benefit Peter. Rosemount hockey fans of all ages are invited to come out and join the Irish on the ice from 8:45 to 10:15 PM at the Rosemount Ice Arena.

Admission is free, but please bring a canned good for the local food shelf. There will be player pictures, a trivia contest, face painting, a bake sale, music, raffles, pizza and more. Sounds like a blast! Thanks to Terri Maroney for passing this information along and thanks to all who are helping to organize the event. Mark your calendars, sharpen your skates, and go skate with the Irish.

This morning Peter slept later than usual. When he did wake, he threw up. Then he fell asleep again on the ride back to Brainerd. So he’s definitely feeling the affects of the medicine as it does its job. Yesterday he was very active and doing great, so hopefully he just needs some rest and the side effects will be temporary.

It was a busy weekend. Let me back up to Saturday. Peter finished the fourth round of chemo on Saturday night. While he was wrapping things up, my wife and I had the pleasure of joining Erika and Ty at the annual Dawn of a Dream Gala to benefit children’s cancer. Thanks to Tradition Companies for buying the table. We had a great time and, more importantly, the event raised a whole lot of money for children’s cancer and the University of Minnesota hospital.

Peter’s benefit party took place last night. The event was a great success; Nearly 450 people showed up to socialize, be entertained and support Peter. The music was wonderful, Peter’s video was touching, and it was great to see so many familiar faces. The Eigner’s had a fantastic time and that’s as important as the money raised. Thanks again to all who made the event a success.

Here’s a photo of Peter on Halloween that speaks for itself.