Kinnamonsters

winter time

2011-01-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
Things have been good, aside from the occasional bouts with the winter illnesses.
Christmas was awesome, we spent the night at Suanne and John's Christmas eve and woke up to a yummy breakfast and present opening. Later in the day we headed to Carma's to have a nice Christmas dinner with her, Kayla, Erin and Peter.
Thank you all for the great gifts!
We spent New Years Eve at home due to being sick but had some nice time together.

Jasper is still big on reading and will turn of video games to read, he actually reads more then plays video games, without me even asking.
He got "The Phantom Tollbooth" for Christmas and has been reading that a lot, it's his first book that's without pictures he's gotten into, he calls them chapter books.
Jasper might have ADD, we will find out soon. That's about the only big excitement at home recently.
Today school was closed due to snow so Jasper is having fun playing with a friend.

It seems there are a few family members have been battling their own health issues, so we wish them the best and a speedy recovery.
You are all in our thoughts and we send love your way.
-Cameron

Jasper Halloween Fire Station visit, he got to work the lights too!

Dr. Jasper

First snow of winter 2010

Opening a present on Christmas night after getting home.

tooth fairy

2010-10-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Jasper lost another tooth today, this time at school. The growing never ends.

first grade

2010-09-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a fun summer but now we are gearing up to have Jasper back in School.
This coming Wednesday will be his first day of First Grade! We are really both excited. This will be his first year of all day school, which will leave me plenty of time to do my errands and have some me time.
Jasper's Seventh Birthday was a lot of fun and I appreciated all who came and sent their happy birthdays.
I go through this every year but time just seems to pass too quickly, my baby is Seven and going to School all day, OMG!

happy daddy day

2010-06-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Happy father's day dad's. We are gonna go see the new Shrek and chill out today.

the battle of the sidewalk chalk

2010-06-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

So one day Jasper is drawing on the sidewalk with his sidewalk chalk, no big deal, he does it every so often as children do,and I get approached on my back porch by our new apartment manager. She proceeds to tell me that the chalk is tacky and takes away from "curb appeal". She says it's not allowed and not to do it anymore. I was mad, we lived here for 2 years, a third of Jasper's life, and in that time it has always been ok to draw with sidewalk chalk.
So I argued with her about it. She said it was in my lease that it was not allowed, which I said give me proof. Later that day she arrived(with a manager from another complex) with a copy of of a page from my lease with this sentence highlighted, "Tenants shall not interfere with the rights, comforts or convenience of other tenants.".
I told her that I fail to understand how temporary sidewalk chalk drawings would be impeding any of those. The other manager then started saying it was defacement of private property. They kept changing their reasons as I logically argued why their reasons were invalid.
It all was ridiculous, and just angered me. When she first approached me it made Jasper cry because he thought he did something wrong, this made me want to fight this. Also Jasper wasn't the only child drawing but she chose to single me out.
I was speaking with the other parents about this and one of them contacted the District Manager of the properties. To her credit this woman came out the next day to check out the issue.
I got a text that the District Manager was outside so I went out to talk to her. I had a great discussion with her while the manager was present. I presented my argument well and let her know my frustrations with the current management. She was extremely nice and helpful.
Cut to two weeks later....
I receive the apartment newsletter, on the front it says that the area, that Jasper got in trouble for drawing on, is now the designated chalk drawing area, and all children are welcome to draw there.
It felt good to win the battle of the sidewalk chalk and now Jasper and friends draw with a smile knowing it's ok and no one will tell them differently.
-cameron

sunny

2010-05-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been so nice out that we've practically live outside these days. As soon as we get home we are out back. Jasper playing with the neighborhood kids and me sitting on the porch enjoying the beautiful days.
Jasper lost his third tooth this year, so that makes his two front teeth and one bottom one. He looks so cute and toothless.
Also after having some difficulties in school with behavior 2 weeks ago he hasn't had one issue since. I made him a deal, no fusses at school for the whole week equals big treat on the weekend. Must be working cause he's doing fantastic now.
Academically he's still top of the class. He's a remarkable reader and will sit reading for an hour easy. His favorite books are science ones. Carma got him some science books and he'll just sit and read them so happily, jumping up every few minutes to tell me some extremely random fact he learned.
So things are going good, feel like to a degree we are finding our comfort space with life.
Oh and we bought a rose bush and planted it for Elise's birthday, Jasper chose out the plant, red rose bush, can't wait for it to bloom.

april

2010-04-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hey there,
So Jasper lost both his front teeth within a week of each other. I'll have to get a pic up, he's too cute.
Jasper got to go camping with Grandma and Grandpa over Easter break, which he loved. Jasper loves his counseling, which is great, I can see the progress he's making in dealing with our loss.
-cameron

it's march

2010-03-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

So Saturday we went to the zoo, it was a lot of fun. Jaspers favorite was the penguins, they were so cute!
We also while down in Seattle got to visit with Carma, which was great too, been too long since we seen her. Oh and we grabbed burritos at Gorditos cause they are the best, <3 Gorditos.
Unfortunately the Tae Kwon Do school didn't work out, not the right school for us and we need to do a couple things first.
Tomorrow we have an appointment for bereavement counseling, I guess better late then never. I hope we can benefit from this, sometimes I feel at a loss when it comes to finding ways to help Jasper deal with losing Elise. I hope we can find some help there.
-cameron

Jasper update

2010-02-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

Tonight I signed Jasper up for Tae Kwon Do, he couldn't be more excited.
I think this will be a great thing for him.

checkin in

2010-01-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, we have just been chugging along, things are good.
Jasper loves school, I love that he loves school.
Happy birthday to my dad.
-cameron

mlk jr.

2010-01-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

2010

2010-01-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Well the new year is here, back to the grind.
My friend didn't end up hanging out with us, and for that he sucks, but we met some neighbors and got to hang out with them, it was a lot of fun.
here is pics....

happy new year

2009-12-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas was wonderful, thank you everyone for the thoughtful gifts.
Tonight we'll be mellowing out at home with a friend and bringing in the new year with firecrackers and sparklers.
I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year!
-cameron

:)

2009-12-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

merry christmas all!!!

merry xmas

2009-12-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

Jasper, of course, is excited about xmas. This morning were sending off his wish list to santa.

:)

2009-12-02T14:56:00.001-08:00

So today some things were figured out and I got the good news that means a bit of financial security for us. It really couldn't have come at a better time.
I have been a complete stress case for a few months worried about this so it is definitely a huge weight lifted.
The book we were working on with our friends had to be put on the back-burner due to illness in our house and theirs. Hopefully it'll be done next week.
It seems like the sickest fall/winter yet, I swear every other week were dealing with a cough or sniffle of some sort. Right now I have a nasty head-cold that is also messing with my lungs, but I feel I'm on the mend. Jasper has a slight cough but seems otherwise to be fine.
I look back on recent posts and see a lot of "we're sick", hopefully our health will improve in the coming months.

Jasper really blows me away. He is so much like Elise it's almost like having her here. His blond hair, her eyes, her smile, her passion for reading and funny little behaviors and tendencies she had. Today I asked him a question, which he answered by talking about what I asked about but never answered the question. Elise used to do that all the time and it would always make me giggle when she did.

We had a good Thanksgiving with a turkey roast(I'm not even trying to cook a full bird). I think it might have been my first time cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. It came out great and we even had a friend over for the dinner.
So happy holidays all,
cameron

effort

2009-11-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

this book project is more work than I thought it'd be, but worth it. So it's not done yet.

my little author

2009-11-17T00:36:00.000-08:00

Ya so I haven't been keeping the blog up too well, I'll do better I swear......maybe.

Anyway, we just dealt with Jasper having some nasty chest cold, but he's back in the saddle rockin the school work. He reads like crazy now, all you have to do is leave out a book and he'll read it. We were at our friends house and his friend showed him a book he got and Jasper sat down and read it right away lol.
So to further encourage our boys to read my buddy Patrick and I sat down with our boys and started writing a short book, with them creating the story.
When I had the idea to do this I thought it'd be easy. Not really, getting two six year olds to agree on an idea is like nailing jello to the wall, but we finally got that jello nailed.
So we got the characters, their attributes, story and initial layout done today. Tomorrow we attack the illustration side and hopefully finish. Patrick and I will draw the story and the boys will color our artwork.
Been interesting so far and hopefully I'll be able to scan the book after were done so I can share it with everyone.

-cameron

school pictures!!!!!!

2009-11-05T12:25:00.001-08:00

pumpkin carving and scholastics

2009-10-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight we carved our Halloween pumpkin, it was a lot of fun. Jasper had a blast gutting it.
First he was making funny faces feeling how slimy it was then just dug in.

In other news I attended my first Parent-Teacher Conference which for the most part was a good experience. Jasper is excelling, as I thought he would, academically, and learning a lot about the social end of school.

(jack-o-lantern: the making of)

one year

2009-10-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since Elise passed, hard to believe. She is still in my thoughts as I'm sure she is in all of yours. We miss ya Elise!

ugh

2009-10-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

Man, Jasper and I spent the last week really sick. I had to have him out of school for a whole week, hated doing it but couldn't send him in like that.
We have been recovering though and are almost back to 100%. So back to the grind I guess.

the joy of school

2009-09-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Jasper has gotten a cold that went away then came back. He is home with me today out sick from school.
It's a nasty cold that ht me pretty hard, the initial horribleness was over in a couple days but I've had this brutal cough that hasn't. Oh well.
Otherwise we are doing good.
-cameron

first day of school

2009-09-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well Jasper had his first day of school. I underestimated how hard it'd be for me.
He did great, not a tear as he went off to class in a single file line with the other children. He had fun and said he liked it. Even brought home a picture he drew of the school and a windy slide at the playground.
I on the other hand cried a little once I got back in the car. My baby, is in school. Elise would have loved to have been there, and so proud of his love of reading. She was a big reader and it was important for her to share her love of books with Jasper, and she did.
He has so much of his mom in him, it's great to see.
-cameron
from the vault circa 2007

orientation

2009-09-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, today we are going to Kindergarten Orientation. We'll meet his teacher and other staff.
I'm nervous, Jasper is excited.
Tomorrow is the first day of school, wow, where does the time go.

:)

2009-08-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jasper's 6th birthday this month. He's still getting used to saying he's six. The last picture I posted is from his birthday, we had some fun that day and had a party for friends and a party for family separately due to schedules. Lots of fun was had by all.

8-14-o9

2009-08-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

Heat Wave

2009-07-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been pretty hot, actually we're having record heat with heat warnings/advisories.
It's been so hot all I seem to be able to do is lay inside and be miserable or swim. So ya, we've been swimming a lot, sometimes twice a day. Even the cat has been feeling the heat, laying upside-down spread-eagle, I saw him outside in the shade like that and poked him just to make sure he was still alive.
Hope you all are managing to stay cool.
-cameron

camping

2009-07-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Seems I have neglected the blog a bit, sorry about that.
Everyday seems to present it's own challenges, isn't that the truth for us all though. We have been doing good though.
We are preparing for school for both of us. Jasper will be attending Kindergarten and I will be finishing my degree in computer stuffs.
Although the impending scholastic endeavor, we manage to have a bit of fun as well.
Recently was a camping trip with my friend and his son who is Jasper's friend. It was a lot of fun.

my artsy camping pic

lolme

jasper enjoying the sunny day

Jasper and Aiden.....RAWR

Jasper lounging at home

summerish

2009-06-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
The weather for the most part has been amazing. Jasper and I have taken advantage of it by getting in as much swimming as we can. Suanne got Jasper swim lessons and he my little fish now, always wants to swim and he's doing great at it too.
John, Elise's stepfather , got an amazing tribute tattoo for Elise. I was blown away. I know Elise would have really been impressed and loved it.

all for now
cameron

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T01:55:00.000-07:00

Here we are, Mother's Day, and I figured I should write a little something. It's been a bit since I said hi anyway.
First, thanks for the great comments, it lets me know people are still reading and gives me a reason to continue.

Next on to this holiday.
I'm up late tonight thinking a lot, it happens, and thinking about mothers.
My mother is a beautiful, strong and gentle woman. She was always there for me in my youth and gave me an abundance of love. I learned a lot from my mom, mostly the look from a parent that says "you messed up, fix it", I use it now on Jasper, and other things of value too.
I also think of Suanne, who has been amazing through everything. The apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree because I see so much of where Elise got a great deal of the amazing qualities she had.
And of course I think of Elise, cause she's always there in my thoughts smiling back at me.
Elise was one of the most amazing moms I ever had the pleasure of knowing. She is a inspiration to me as a parent because she was patient, understanding and nurturing to a level I have never seen. She treated all people with that kind of respect and care and that is one of the many reasons she touched so many peoples lives.
Although she is gone, a mother's love never truly dies for it is one of the most strong and beautiful loves one can experience, and to know it at all is to know it always.
Happy Mother's Day
-cameron

spring

2009-04-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

We buried Elise's remains on the first day of spring in the Fall City Cemetery. It was harder than I thought it would be. It was a good thing, some degree of closure.
Jasper and I have been busy. We had our friend Robert visit from Massachusetts and then helped our friends move.
Jasper got swimming lessons as a gift from gramma Suanne so he's been doing that for the last few weeks and loving it. Me, I've been stressing on where to move and we both are trying to adjust to all the changes life is still throwing at us.

Elise had tattoos of humming birds...

She told Jasper that before she died she would come back to check on us as a hummingbird. We have managed to be visited by them a bunch, even in the heart of winter, and I love spotting them with Jasper. We were visited by one yesterday that landed outside our patio and watched us for a while, we came out to say hi and to tell the hummingbird we are doing ok.
-cameron

pressing on

2009-04-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Elise's remains were buried on the first day of spring, she is buried in the Fall City Cemetery, a small and beautiful one with a great view. It was hard on Jasper, but we took it in stride and now have a place to visit to think of her.
April 11th would have been her 31st birthday, so we will do something special to think of her.

After feeling kinda crappy for the last month I am finally feeling much better, so Jasper and I went out for a fun day. We saw Monsters Vs. Aliens in 3D and it was awesome. It was our first 3D movie, and we already want to go watch it again.
Just a side note, I'm awfully bad about returning emails in a timely fashion, but I'm working on it. So please understand if I'm slow on it.
I have received some great emails, I love getting emails from her friends telling me stories from her past, a lot of fun. Keep sending them if you think of one.
-cameron
p.s. today was fun, Jasper's best friend came over and we had a picnic since it's so nice and then they had fun with water guns.
Here is a couple pics of Elise from the archives.

Elise with Zach Condon, the mind behind her favorite band Beirut.

Elise from a camping trip with us and Suanne.

cute pic

wii fun

2009-03-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

So Jasper and I lately have been playing Mario Kart over the internet with people. I know we have some friends and family with Wii systems too, so if you'd like to join us in some racing email me your Wii friend numbers at:

cameron.the.pirate@gmail.com

We probably have some other games we can play too. Also we have Xbox 360 too, so if you wanna game with us shoot us an email, well game it up.

-cameron

lil update

2009-03-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

Jasper and I have been getting over being sick, Jasper is all better and I still have a cough.
Today is sunny and warm so he is outside playing and having fun.
I am thinking about our impending move, our lease is up at the end of the month and I can't wait to move. We are looking to move closer to family, so we aren't such an island to ourselves. I think it'll be a good thing to have a fresh start too.
Jasper as been adjusting pretty well to losing Elise, he's to the point now where he can talk about it more, still hard for us both though. I'm proud of him, he's an amazing kid.
-cameron
Jasper playing Guitar Hero

been a while

2009-02-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I know it's been a while, Jasper and I have been laying low and taking some time to ourselves.
We had a great new years out at Suanne and John's house...

and today Jasper lost his first baby tooth. I was so excited, what a milestone.
Jasper looked at me with confusion and said sadly, "Why are you so excited daddy, I'm not excited, my tooth fell out.". He was a little upset about parting with his tooth, that passed as I took him to a mirror and showed him his "grown up tooth" that is poking out where his missing tooth was and explained the process.
This all brings back a funny memory of Elise and Jasper. When Jasper was younger maybe about two years old, Elise was telling Jasper that when he's grows older he will lose his baby teeth and get his adult teeth. Something was lost in translation
because Jasper took it as all his teeth all going to fall out. It took a few minutes to explain, but the look of horror on his face was priceless, poor kid. He was all laughs after he understood and we had family giggles about it for a week.

merry christmas

2008-12-24T17:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Unfortunately Jasper and I managed to get a nasty cold, so we had to cancel/delay our Christmas plans.
However we are making the best of it and I am not totally unprepared to do a nice Christmas here.

What a day, this afternoon the snow started coming down like crazy.
(as always click on the pics to see full size)
coming down today!

Pics from the other day

Jasper having snow fun

Jasper and Aiden tubing

Jasper and Aiden riding the snowboard sled together

More Snow

2008-12-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

We last night we got 6-12" of snow. It's snowing now and the forecast calls for more. I've never seen this much snow here.
It really makes me miss Minnesota, I lived in the St. Paul Minneapolis area for almost two years and loved it there.

me bundled up.

Rosemary and Snow. (last night)

From today!

snow

2008-12-18T16:58:00.001-08:00

We have been getting a lot of snow.
The headline of the local paper read something to the effect of "Fun and Troublesome" which I think stated it rather well.
I have been avoiding driving as much as possible, and Jasper has made an effort to stay in and warm. He did have an outing into the snow the other day though, which concluded with cuddling and hot cocoa. These pictures are from the first snowy day.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T00:08:00.000-08:00

Some days it's harder to find things to be thankful for.
Still, there are undeniable things in my life I can't help but be thankful for.
The support given by friends and family(Pagliacci included) through all that my family went through this year. We couldn't have made it through without all of you.
What I'm most thankful for though is that in the short time Elise had on this earth, I got to spend a nice chunk knowing and loving her, my life is better for knowing her. Also, for Jasper, who is my little smiling beacon through the hardest times. In him is so much of his mother she will always be there smiling back at me through him.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all.
-cameron

happy haloween

2008-10-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!
This holiday is a favorite round these parts, we always do Halloween at Suanne's house, so Jasper and I will be heading out there.
Jasper this year decided on an Optimus prime costume and I will be a a Luchador (mexican wrestler), should be fun.

(Jasper at an early Halloween party)

Everything has seemed to be a challenge lately, even food shopping, so I hope tonight goes well.
We both have had a hard time in all this, so distractions are nice.
Distractions are so nice we got a bunch of new video games, I'm getting back into fire juggling, anything to keep me and Jasper busy.
I actually ordered fire devil sticks and got fire poi on accident, so another week until my sticks get here. I managed to work a deal for the poi, since they are here now, so I got them cheap.
I'm gonna try to brush up on my poi skills, I see bruising in my future.
I think doing the fire juggling will be good, you tend to hit a kind of zen spot when you have fire flying around your head.
-cameron

Thank you

2008-10-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you to you all for your kind words stories and help. The wake I believe was exactly want she would have wanted. If you weren't able to make it that's ok, life has a funny way of diverting things. Just take a moment to raise a glass to her.
I've been asked a few times if this blog will continue, it will, because life persists.
This is a quote I found on brainhospice.com:

"I can never lose one
whom I have loved unto the end;
one to whom my soul cleaves so firmly
that it can never be separated
does not go away
but only goes before."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Such true words, I miss her more than words can do justice, and when I am ready I will write about her, our times together and the future Jasper and I face together.
For now I am focusing on healing, myself and Jasper, we both have a tough road ahead adjusting to a life without Elise, she was the heart of our family.
But we have amazing support, which makes things easier, so we will be ok, in time.
-cameron

Gathering to Celebrate Elise's Life

2008-10-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

When I spoke to Elise and asked what she wanted for her services she said, "I want people to drink and celebrate my life, not focus on my death.". Elise was always the type to see the good no matter what. So to honor her attitude on life and to honor her wishes, that's what we are going to do.
-Cameron

Place: Sole Repair, 1001 E. Pike, Seattle, WA 98122: http://www.solerepairshop.com/facility.html

Time: Monday, October 13th, 6:00 PM

Attire: Casual

Cameron will be sharing a slide show of pictures of Elise and pictures she took ... and some of her favorite music. Suanne will bring pictures from her childhood. You are encouraged to bring your own memories and stories of Elise to share with everyone.

A post about Elise from the blog of a dear friend...

2008-10-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

The morning sun passes by as I sit in an Internet Cafe in the Okanogan. A light behing the clouds leaves me with lingering thoughts of a friend who has passed away this weekend. Reading now two days since, my heart can only go out to her Husband, Son and Mother who have been by her side this long six months since she first went to the Hospital. But strangly I feel serene knowing that Elise's spirit is following it's next journey, and her body now rest from the pains it has gone through this summer.

Elise was a special soul, one that you only meet once or twice in a lifetime. Her smile seemed always to be fresh and warm, and like the Aries she was, youth seems to surround her like an aura, even in the hardest of times. She loved life at it's core, and seemed to be on a mission to help other people feel the same way. Even on a hike we took last year in the Snoqualmie Rainforest, following her 3 year old son, that had already found her love of nature with his excitement over pointing out the different types of ferns, and flowers. Her Husband is a man that shared her strenght in his love for her and her child. Watching them together at their wedding, the birth of Jasper and day to day life. His strenght over the last few months has been and inspiring display of true love. And even in her illness, her choice to travel out to the National Parks so as to spend the last time with her family with good memories is something that brings a smile to my heart.

I remember siting with Elise and talking about life and death along time ago. As I watch the first light on the Mountain side, I remember that she felt like a young soul, that had many more lives yet to live and to touch others. I can feel now, that her spirit is passing between worlds, and will come again. For such a strong spirit cannot be left to linger to long away, it has to much love to share. Her greatest memorial is left in the memories and thoughts that she left all of us with. For those who were blessed to meet her, she will always remain. Such a passing can only leave one with thoughts of thier own life, and a lesson to be learned. A calm realization that there is only the day that we live, the joy that we find in the world we pass through and the company we keep, and the promise to appricate each day before us, as we have those that pass...

Goodbye my friend,
I will miss you...

Ridgewalker

A word from Suanne

2008-10-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty surreal, these past few days. I keep busy attending the details of all of the arrangements that must be made. It's a comfort to be with both Cameron and Jasper, sharing our good memories and grief. Hubby John is available whenever needed, even through his own grief. Carma has been a comforting presence at the apartment for the last two days with her kindnesses and helpfulness. Jasper is dealing with it all as a 5-year-old ... he makes us all keep smiling through it all.

If you would like to do something remember Elise or her family during this time, here are some ideas:

*Post a comment on this blog with your memories of Elise.

*Send a card to Elise's family/caretakers:

-Cameron & Jasper Kinnamon: 805 112th St. SE #J103, Everett, WA 98208

-Suanne & John Carlson: 4329 334th Pl SE, POB 1300, Fall City, WA 98024

*Donate to Jasper's college fund: Follow this link http://raisingjasper.blogspot.com/2008/04/college-fund-for-jasper.html

*Make a donation to Cameron & Jasper: Use PayPal button at the top right of this page.

*Make a donation in Elise's memory for brain tumor research: Follow this link http://www.abta.org/index.cfm?contentid=54

*Attend a gathering held in Elise's memory, a social time for friends and family, to remembering Elise over some drinks: Details to follow.

Elise passed away last night

2008-10-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

She has passed on, and is finally at peace.
-cameron

Elise

2008-10-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

Just to let everyone know, for the most part Elise is sleeping peacefully and we have a good supply of pain meds to keep her comfortable thanks to hospice.
Jasper seems to be doing well with everything. We had some serious talks about whats going on and he responded well.
-cameron

hard

2008-10-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of signs pointing to this being the last days Elise is with us. I hate admitting it, but that seems to be true. I can't live day to day in a comfortable denial anymore.
Today marks six months since Elise's release from the hospital. It has been a crazy six months, but in that time Elise, Jasper, and I have done a lot together and have really enjoyed being together.
I'm thankful for that time we had together.
-cameron

trying to stay positive

2008-10-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

I've suspected but didn't want to admit to myself that the situation is worse that it seems.
Elise has been manifesting physically signs that her tumor has grown again spreading further into the right side of her brain. Her symptoms, until recently, have manifested in the right side of her body, due to the tumor being more on the left side of her brain. Now we are seeing symptoms on her left side we never saw there before. I'm scared to say that the situation looks bad, although I hold onto hoping it's just the flu, the reality of the situation is making that not seem likely. Elise has missed her chemo due to all this as well, which I don't believe was working as well as we all thought it was.

On this blog I really try to stay optimistic, so this has been a hard post to write.

Suanne is still coming daily to take care of us all, and is staying on top of the meds situation as well as trying to coordinate Hospice getting involved so Elise can stay home where she wants to be.
Also, check out the comments, Suanne has been doing updates in the comment area.

-cameron

suanne update

2008-10-02T17:15:00.001-07:00

Cameron, Jasper and Elise are all starting to get over the flu. Jasper's doing one of the more active Wii games and hasn't coughed hardly at all ... what an improvement. Cameron is feeling well enough to go out and do some grocery shopping. And Elise's breathing is much less labored, she's talking a little bit, and coughing less since I've got to their place this morning. I'm the only one that isn't getting better yet ... but, I'm a few days behind them. I'm still waiting to hear from home health care and hospice ... hopefully I'll hear something today. Suanne (Elise's Mom)

sick part II

2008-09-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

We are all still sick, see the 2 comments on the last post for more info from Suanne.
Jasper is getting better, Elise is still barely responsive, I'm worse than yesterday and Suanne has been here daily to be supermom.
This is definitely a hard time.
-cameron

sick

2008-09-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

Jasper. Elise and I have gotten some nasty sickness. I had to call in the big guns to help out, Suanne.
She came as soon as she could and took care of Elise and Jasper since I was having a hard time keeping up while sick. So a huge thank you to her.
My job as caretaker and Father can be overwhelming as it is, but when we are all sick it's near impossible, I couldn't have gotten through today without Suanne. She even did dishes.
-cameron

home again

2008-09-18T23:12:00.001-07:00

She is home and resting.

random pics

2008-09-17T17:57:00.002-07:00

Here are a couple random pics.
The start of my new sleeve dedicated to Elise.

Elise at home

Jasper and his best friend playing video games

small update

2008-09-17T17:57:00.001-07:00

Elise just passed her swallow test and is enjoying a cup of soup and a latte until we can get lunch ordered for her. Now, we just need to find out about the Avastin infusion and I believe she'll be ready for discharge. What a long couple of days. Suanne (Elise's Mom)

hospital update thursday

2008-09-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Elise is still in the hospital, hopefully she will be coming home very soon.
The MRI showed some new edema (swelling) causing the seizures I believe, currently she has finally stop having seizures because they finally got here anti-seizure med level to a therapeutic level. She was suffering from in simple terms continuous seizures, the Latin for it sounds much more scientific. Although the seizures have stopped she still is suffering in other ways. Her speech has improved and she can now hold a conversation pretty well but her thoughts are still a bit jumbled. Because of her seizures she couldn't eat or drink without choking so it's day three without food or drink for her. She is having a really hard time with that, hard to not give her stuff too.
She is hoping to come home today, but they won't let her go until she can pass the swallow tests.
Also she has her scheduled chemo today which they are continuing with.
We fell into our old hospital groove without missing a beat, Suanne stayed last night and I did the night before, it's surreal how familiar everything has been, same faces and some of the same patients around.
I don't know when she will be home but I hope it's really soon, in the meantime she is in room 4240 at the UW Medical Center.
More later
-cameron

overnight

2008-09-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

So Elise was admitted overnight so they can do a MRI in the morning to figure out exactly why she is having such severe seizure issues.
She is back to talking again but is still struggling to get out words.
Post again tomorrow when we find out more.
-cameron

back in the hospital again

2008-09-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

After spending half a day home Elise got worse again and was rushed off to UW in an ambulance. Since last night she has been suffering from an almost constant seizure, her speech is affected, so she is having trouble talking.
They are trying to get a hold of her doctor to come down, until then hopefully she will get a MRI so they can better see the situation.
All this does come as a shock since she was supposed to be getting better. Even with the tumor shrinkage she didn't get better. We were supposed to see an improvement of her symptoms but there was none, which had me worried for the last little while.
Hopefully they will figure this out soon so we can get her home again.
-cameron

hospital update

2008-09-16T03:18:00.000-07:00

Elise is more responsive now and has calmed down a bit.
She went into something similar to a gran mal seizure and didn't come out of it for a couple hours. She could barely speak at all.
After they gave her some anti-seizure she has mellowed out and is speaking again. Something has happened and we don't know what.
Waiting is one of the hardest parts of this hospital game.
I just heard that we will transfer down to the UW, still a mystery, she is supposed to be better.
-cameron

back in the hospital

2008-09-16T01:20:00.000-07:00

don't know whats going on yet she barely responsive, more later.

good news

2008-09-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Elise went in for her bi-weekly chemo treatment, an MRI and usual stuffs. Her mom Suanne takes her to all her appointments, giving me a break to focus on other things, like housework and the like. I got to say quickly that she drives an hour to get here then drives to Seattle and back for Elise's appointments then drive an hour back home. She has been truly amazing and dedicated to making sure Elise is where she needs to be when she needs to be as well as making sure all the right questions are asked of the doctors. I can't thank her enough for all she does.
So yesterday I got a call from them. Elise said, "Good news!". She went on to explain that her new chemo treatments are working and there has been some shrinkage of her tumor. If the treatments continue to work it could add six months to her life expectancy. As long as the the chemo works they will continue to give treatments.
I was so excited I ran and told Jasper and he was excited too, he let out a yell of triumph, followed by Yay, Mama's tumor shrank!!!
Later I told Elise of his zest and Jasper said, yeah I was so excited.
Good news is savored and celebrated in these parts.
In other news I am working on a tattoo with an artist at Sunken ship Tattoo in Everett. The Tattoo's centerpiece is a drawing I did for Elise as a symbol of what our love means to me, I am very excited about it.
-cameron

Random Pics

Jasper was a preemie, through a month and a half in the hospital Elise never left his side.

A great picture of Carma and Jasper at a M's game.

On a trip to the Seattle Science Center Aiden and Jasper give me their tough guy faces for a quick pic.

Pre-Jasper days, Elise and I at my cousin Justin's wedding in Salem, OR.

Holding Steady

2008-08-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Elise has her second Avastin infusion on Wednesday. Since her last one, she's been holding steady ... not getting any worse ... good news! We'll know more when she has another MRI in September. In the meantime, she's been enjoying time with her family and neighbors.

Jasper is getting so big. He turned 5 last week and we had a fun Spongebob Squarepants party for him. It was a hot day, but the kids stayed cool in the pool ... and the adults lounged under the shade trees. I hope Cameron can post some pics and video of the activities.

Last night Jasper spent the night at Gramma's ... we "camped out" and slept in the little teardrop trailer ... watching the thunder and lightening as we fell asleep.

Suanne (Elise's Mom)

random pics

First Treatment

2008-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

Elise had her first Avastin treatment. The way this medicine works is by preventing the formation of new blood vessels. Since tumors "feed" on blood, Avastin "starves" the tumor. Elise spent over four hours at the UW Medical Center yesterday afternoon/evening, first getting lab work-ups to make sure she was healthy enough to get the Avastin, then getting the 90-minute infusion. It was a lengthy, but uneventful process. Elise will go for Avastin infusions every two weeks.

Although Avastin has yet to be FDA approved for GBMs, major brain tumor centers have had some promising results from its use. (Avastin is typically used to treat colon cancer.) We are hopeful that Elise will be among those who benefit from its use and that she experiences no harmful side effects.

Suanne (Elise's Mom)

news

2008-08-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

So here we are in August, time seems to be going to quickly.
A lot of craziness seems to be creeping into our lives, car getting stolen etc., but as always there is so much good in the form of those people in our lives it's hard to let the bad get to ya for too long.
Elise's most recent MRI showed that her tumor has doubled in size. It's growth has manifested itself in her symptoms worsening. Memory, speech, and movement in her right side have degraded. The tumor has grown up and foreword, unfortunately growing into the frontal lobe.

Tonight we had one of the hardest talks we ever had. We told Jasper that mama is going to die. It was right up there with breaking the news to Elise back in the hospital.

Elise did a second round of chemo recently which made her really tired, but she got through it very well. With the growth she had a few treatment options that she now can't do. So her next treatment will be a stronger more aggressive form of chemo.
-cameron

stolen car

2008-07-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

So our car, the civic, was stolen last night. This morning it was recovered minus my subwoofer and a bunch of cd's. Sucks, but otherwise the car is how it was.
In other news Elise will begin her second round of chemo in a couple days.
Things are good.
I want to wish my sister Carma a happy birthday.
gotta run,
cameron

No News is Good News

2008-07-15T22:40:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted ... but wanted to let you know that we are enjoying a nice stable time with Elise medically.

Cameron, Elise & Jasper have been spending some good family time together at home. They've made friends with another young family at their apartment complex and have had some barbecues together. They also came to Elise's 4th of July party in Fall City. It was entertaining watching Cameron and the other "big boys" lighting off the fireworks. We had a fun time with lots of "ohs" and "ahs"! The kids (and kids at heart) even roasted some marshmallows for somemores.

Also, on the 4th, Elise's good friend from high school, Jamey and her mom came by ... bringing a beautiful scrapbook they made of memories from a cross-country trip Elise took with them while still in high school. There was lots of reminiscing and catching up going on!

Last Friday, Elise's step-sister Echo gave birth to Luke Andrew. We visited them at Echo & Joe's home yesterday. I'm sending a picture I took with Auntie Elise holding Luke, along with Jasper, Echo, and big brother Lane. After we visited with Luke yesterday, Elise and I took Jasper and Lane to the park to play then to our house to visit and have a some dinner under the shade trees. We wanted to give Cameron, Echo and Joe some time off to rest up.

On Thursday, we go to the doctor again to get ready for Elise's next round of chemo that starts early next week. Then, in mid-August, once Elise stops feeling tired from the chemo, we start some out-patient physical therapy to capitalize on Elise's increasing strength.

Stay cool ... Suanne (Elise's Mom)

Elise, Jasper, Echo and Lane with Echo's new baby Luke.

hi

2008-07-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

So now Elise seems not to really be suffering any side effects from the chemo sand I couldn't be happier about that.
We have been doing stand and pivot transfers. So her leg strength is increasing some, which helps for the transfers.
We possibly have some outpatient rehab coming up, which would be awesome. She is progressing without it, so with rehab she could be doing a million times better.
We are really excited about the fourth, can't wait, should be fun.
Jasper is growing like crazy, and has been great help with Elise. He is such a sweet soul.
Still pretty busy these days, more when I get a chance.
-cameron

Chemo Round 1 Completed

2008-06-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Elise finished her first round of chemo. She had to skip one night because of nausea. We aren't sure if she felt sick due to the chemo, or if she had the same bug that Jasper had a few days prior. The doctors increased her anti-nausea meds. Outside of that one incident, she's had mild side effects ... yeah!

Elise went to a follow-up appointment with the rehab doctors last week. The doctors were very impressed with the increase in movement and strength on her right side. They prescribed some outpatient physical therapy to help her learn to stand again ... with walking as the ultimate goal. They also gave her some good ideas of how to work on standing up at home.

The 4th of July in Fall City (where hubby and I live) is always a fun time as the neighborhood lights up with many individual family firework displays ... We are looking forward to having Elise, her family and some friends over for a good time!

Suanne (Elise's Mom)

chemo

2008-06-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight Elise starts her chemo, I really hope it doesn't effect her as badly as I suspect it might.
Jasper got to go to the zoo with his best friend Aiden, they are too cute, they play together every day. Here they are playing Spongebob.

Update from Suanne

2008-06-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

We've been home for about a week now ... recooperating from a wonderful trip, and beginning a new round of medical appointments. The weather turned cold and blustery, so Elise opted to cut the trip short ... plus, she started feeling the effects of the lack of steroids (decadron) -- more tired and fuzzy thinking. Since then, she's gone back on a management dose of the steroid. Her energy is up, thinking is clearer ... she's just back to being more of herself. In fact, she's getting much stronger on her right side, no longer needing as much help getting from here to there ... yeah!
She had another MRI yesterday (Wednesday) and found that the tumor is stable (no growth) ... that is good news. The doctors decided to be a little less agressive given the tumor's no-growth status and Elise's functional improvements. They recommended putting the stereotactic radiation (gamma knive) option on the back burner for when/if the tumor grows, and focus now on doing chemo therapy. So, that's what Elise will be doing ... maybe starting as early as this evening.
The chemo therapy is a pill (temodar) that she'll take for 5 days each month, just before bed. One side effect that we were told to expect is tireness, starting about the 3rd day into taking the pills and lasting for about a week. The doctors tell us that they are pretty good at finding the right anti-nausea medication to handle the sick feelings.
We saw some beautifuly country on the Yellowstone trip, spent some fun times enjoying family, and listened to some good music on the way to and from ... we've got some wonderful memories to cherish. Cameron and Elise got some wonderful video and pictures that capture those moments forever.

more pics

2008-06-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Better late then never I guess, been busy since we've been back.
But a Happy belated Father's Day to all the Dad's out there, specifically Daddy Dudley, my brother my brother Ken, brother in-law Sean, John, Grandpa Ken, brother in-law Joe, Matt of Pagliacci and all those dads I missed.

we're back home

2008-06-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

Good to be home, more pics when I get to it.
-cameron

back to yellowstone

2008-06-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

So I say goodbye to wi fi and probably won't be able to post until we get home because it's camping from here on out.
It's been a lot of fun, Cody, Wyoming is a cute town and it was really nice to meet Elise's Aunt Connie and Uncle Dave. They really made us feel at home and treated us to some great food at The Irma Hotel.
I am a bit sad that we didn't take advantage of all the fun things to do here. However our first day here Jasper and I did run down to the Wholesale Fireworks store and get some great stuff.
-cameron

We are at the half-way point of Elise's Yellowstone vacation.

2008-06-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we leave the comfort of Cody's Super 8 Motel, managed by Elise's Aunt Connie and her husband Dave. They have been gracious hosts and provided a very comfortable stay. They even treated us to dinner at the historic Irma Hotel ... good food ... where we met a gentleman bearing a remarkable resemblance to Buffalo Bill Cody.

Yesterday we went fishing at a small local lake. Despite the wind, Elise was able to catch (and release) a small perch. Cameron got a couple of nibbles and Jasper enjoyed himself a lot ... especially playing with the night crawlers! I think they are ready to go fishing again.

For about a week now, Elise has not been taking any decadron (the steroid) and I'm pleased to say that she's handling it very well ... that is, she is not experiencing the extreme tiredness or fuzzy thinking that was a problem last time. Since we've been on this Yellowstone trip, she usually takes a nap during part of the day to conserve her energy to do some activity later in the day or evening. And some times she's takes a full day to recuperate and rest up for the next day's activities.

Tomorrow we'll be staying in the actual national park for this first time during this vacation ... at a campground close to the middle of the Yellowstone. It's suppose to be dry tomorrow, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a few snow flurries (that don't stick) while camping there. It's forcasted to get to freezing during the night. I'm just looking forward to setting up and tearing down the campsite only once in these next 5 days instead of every evening and every morning like we do when traveling here and back.

(post by Suanne)

more yellowstone pics + the road to Cody

2008-06-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

captions later tonight

today and yesterday

2008-06-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Jasper at breakfast

Jasper jumping from bed to bed at our hotel room

Elise at breakfast

sunset in west yellowstone

A buffalo a couple feet away from me

old faithful

Jasper playing with kids at old faithful

hot springs, very hot

Hi from West Yellowstone

2008-06-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today we begin our 2nd full day in West Yellowstone. We are really taking advantage of the hotel stay, both resting up and taking excursions into the park. This late Tuesday morning, Elise, Cameron and Jasper are napping and later today we plan to visit Old Faithful. Yesterday we visited the Fountain Paint Pots. They were fantastic. The boardwalk over and around the thermal areas was wheelchair accessible, so we were all able to get up close to these amazing volcanic sites. One thermal pool was very deep,clear, and vibrantly colored aqua blues, steamy, and surrounded by a rusty orange colored shallows. Another pool was boiling and popping gray mud, sulfur smelling. Further on, a small opening in the earth had red mud that roared as it boiled angrily. There was another pool that looked just like an innocent fishing pond except that water boiled along it's edge. And in the distance we could see a small erupting geyser that
never stops. I'm sure Cameron will post pictures that he and Elise took.

Other highlights of yesterday's drive included the wildlife. We saw lots of bison (buffalo) and lots of their new calfs jumping and playing at dusk. Cameron took a small diversion on a "road less traveled" and we came upon a cow elk laying down just chewing her cud ... only about 10 feet from the van. We also took a 2 mile drive, 800 feet down into Firehole Canyon ... seeing Firehole Falls which drops a spectacular 40 feet. The lush green, steep rock canyon walls, and rushing white water were inspiring.

Right now, I'm going to do some window shopping. West Yellowstone is very much a touristy town with lots of buildings make like log cabins in the old west style.
Suanne

on the road

2008-06-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

We have been having a lot of fun. Last night we had a dramatic thunderstorm hit with hail about half the size of a golf ball. It's been a challenge at times but always fun. Here is a couple pics. Small post due to being at a resturaunt.
-cameron

bowl and pitcher campground near spokane.

on the road

Missouri Headwaters campground

off to yellowstone in the morning

2008-05-28T23:10:00.000-07:00

So Here it is 11pm and I am still packing for the trip. It is exciting and chaotic at the moment.
So thanks to Fairy Godmother (make a wish for terminal adults) and Suanne off we go on a three week road trip adventure. I'll post pics and blogs on the road.

I did want to mention that thanks to donations from the benefit and elsewhere we were able to put Ten thousand dollars in our son's G.E.T. account to help with college in the future. Thanks to Pagliacci and all the people who have gave in many ways out there for their support. It really has been an amazing and wonderful thing, and a reminder of the kindness, generosity, and love that sometimes seems hard to find in our world.
Thanks again,
-cameron

Sasquatch

2008-05-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sasquatch was an incredible experience, Elise and I had a ton of fun. Thanks to Lisa and Scott friends of Matt from Pagliacci, we got backstage passes and got to meet Zach, the singer and musician of Beirut, the main band we were there to see. He also chatted with us, took pictures(below) and signed a limited edition Beirut poster that Lisa hooked us up with. We also got to meet the artist behind the poster who designed it, and she was great. She signed it too.
Elise had so much fun and was still excited about meeting Zach on the way home.
We also got to see a couple other bands we like, but Beirut stole the show, they were amazing live.
Oh, and we both got sunburns.
-cameron

Beirut!!!

2008-05-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sweeeeet, we just got tickets and parking to Sasquatch festival to see one of our favorite bands, Beirut.
This is afer we previously tried but it said there was no parking left, bhut this time it said there is tickets for parking.
This is one thing Elise Really wanted to do, she has been excited about this for a while. I'm excited that it did actually work out.
So off we go Saturday to see Beirut as well as Modest Mouse, M.I.A., and a bunch of other bands.

random update

2008-05-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

Words can't express how great it is to have Elise home, it's great being a family again.
Tonight we went to see Speed Racer, it was a lot of fun.
It seems like we have a million things we want to do and never enough time to do it in. But things are picking back up after being extremely slowed down by my back injury.
I still have some stiffness and soreness every now and then, but for the most part I'm functional again. Unfortunately just in time for all of us to get a cold, but were getting through it.
With all that's going on it's hard to keep up on little things, a lil each day I guess.
Jasper has become good friends with a kid here at our apartments, they play all day and are just too cute.
Maynard the cat continues to rock here is a pic we call handicat...

All in all things are pretty good.
I do want to say thanks again to all the people that made the benefit possible, and to all the people that have supported us through all this.
-cameron

Postponed Treatment & Yellowstone Trip

2008-05-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Elise has decided to postpone any additional treatments until after her trip to Yellowstone, mid-June. This vacation is important for Elise as a time to make happy memories with her family, a time to enjoy the outdoors, wildlife, and nature's wonders at our country's first national park. Elise has thought long and hard about this decision to postpone treatment, weighing the pros and cons. She knows that she risks additional tumor growth while traveling. But, she also knows that if she were to have either chemotherapy or stereotactic radiation that she'd be dealing with some likely side effects while on the road – extreme tiredness, nausea, worsening right-side weakness, and more difficulty thinking ... along with having to stop at hospitals along the way to monitor blood counts. She wants to be as strong and as clear-headed as possible for this trip that she has been wanting to take since she was very sick in the hospital. So, when she returns
mid-June, she'll have another MRI and discuss with her doctors about the best courses of action at that time.

The Yellowstone Road Trip will be about 3 weeks long, camping in the van for 4 nights along the way to Yellowstone Lodge which is just west of the national park. Thanks to the generosity of the Fairygodmother Foundation*, Elise was gifted 5 nights at a hotel, with some fuel and food money to boot! Elise will be using that time to explore the west side of Yellowstone and hike the many accessible boardwalks near the geysers and hotsprings. Next Elise will be visiting her twin aunts and families who live in Cody, about 50 miles east of the park ... staying in rooms provided by her aunt at the Super 8 Motel they manage (thanks Connie!). In Cody, Elise will visit with family, explore some cool Wild West museums, go to a rodeo, and maybe do some fishing. Then, the next 4 days will be spent back in the National Park, camping next to Yellowstone Lake on the east side of the park. There Elise plans to continue enjoying the sights, wildlife, and some family time
around the campfire. Finally, as she camps her way back home, Elise hopes to stop in Bozeman to visit face-to-face with some of her long-time online friends.

We are busy getting ready for this trip in order to leave on May 28th. The van has been thoroughly checked out mechanically. A hitch has been installed to pull a small trailer. Reservations have been made, making sure that all places accommodate Elise's wheelchair. The route has been plotted out on a GPS on a laptop, which will also be used to play DVD movies for long hours on the road. And Jasper will bring his DS to play video games. In addition, Cameron hopes to connect to the Internet along the way to provide blog updates and pictures.

*The Fairygodmother Foundation is like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, only it's for adults. Elise was referred to this organization by her doctor when he heard of Elise's desire to visit Yellowstone with her family. Go to www.fairygodmother.org to learn more about this wonderful organization.

I know this is a very long post, but I couldn't really talk about Elise's decision to postpone treatment without also sharing about her plans for Yellowstone.

Suanne (Elise's Mom)

Follow Up MRI

2008-05-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Elise and I had a long afternoon at the UW Medical Center today (Wednesday). She had her follow-up MRI and had confirmed that the tumor did shrink ... wahoo! The MRI also showed signs of edema surrounding the defined tumor area which could be leftover inflammation from radiation treatments or spreading tumor cells ... the doctors can't tell which. Last Friday Elise started taking the steroid decadron again because she was getting too tired and having a hard time thinking. She will begin tapering off again in another week. Elise also met with her radiation oncologists today to discuss treatment options. Currently, she is considering when to start those other treatments (chemo and/or stereo tactic radiation). Suanne (Elise's Mom)

The Benefit

2008-05-13T18:27:00.001-07:00

The Benefit was just amazing, Elise and I were completely overwhelmed by all the effort put into it, by all the support, by all the generosity, an by all the love.
Elise had so much fun, I think we all did, it was incredible.
I have a link to the right to photos from the benefit.
I really can't thank everyone enough.
Thank You all very much!!!
More later,
-cameron

Benefit tonite!!!

2008-05-12T17:27:00.001-07:00

see you there!

Mother's day

2008-05-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's day to all Mothers out there. To my Mom Judi, I love you. To Suanne, one of the most amazing Moms around. To Laurel and Cindy, the pics we got were great, I can't believe how big the kids are. To my sister Carma who may not be a mom, but was the next best thing to Jasper when Elise was in the hospital, she is an honorary Mom, I love you sis. Of course a special Happy Mother's day to my Elise, my favorite Mom.

Today we are trekking out to Yelm, WA for Mother's day and spending time with family.
And of course tomorrow is the benefit and we couldn't be more excited. I forgot to put on the web poster that there will also be a raffle and head shaving.
I have a lot of prep to do for our trip to Yelm, so I gotta run, post more when I can.
-cameron

Update on Elise's Medical Conditions

2008-05-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

After talking with a friend last night, I realized that we have been focusing so much on Elise's fun family activities that we haven't really posted anything about how she is doing medically. So, here's some information.

On Wednesday, Elise goes back to the UW Medical Center for an MRI. The MRI will help the doctors determine how effective her previous 60 radiation treatments were. We expect to learn that the radiation therapy was very successful based upon the right-side function that Elise has regained ... that is, we expect to hear that the tumor is smaller. The results of the MRI will also help the doctors recommend next steps to shrink the tumor ... or at least keep it from growing any more. Those treatments will likely include additional radiation in treatments called "gamma knife" or "stereotactic radiation" ... it's basically a very pinpointed and intense radiation treatment directed at the tumor. We also expect them to recommend chemotherapy with a drug (temodar) that has proven effective for GBM patients.

Since Elise has been home she is needing less pain medication and has completely tapered off a very strong steroid (decadron). She is doing well, but now becomes tired more quickly without the steroids. Elise's steroid-caused diabetes is slowly going away, as is the steroid-caused facial swelling. The doctors get regular blood draws to monitor Elise's anticoagulant levels to make sure she's at the correct dosage of blood-thinning medication to prevent future blood clots, yet not so much as to cause the brain tumor to bleed out. The only other meds that Elise is currently taking is to prevent seizures.

Elise is a pro at spending many hours in the wheelchair, moving around her apartment doing chores, exercising, caring for Jasper, spending time on the computer, taking trips in the van, and just hanging out. She's become quite skilled as a "lefty." The only challenge has been some swelling of her feet and legs from sitting for so long ... but, based upon discussions with her doctor, that's just something she's going to have to manage with compression socks and lying down to raise her feet above the level of her heart.

Elise is amazing as she is learns to deal with the short-term memory deficits caused by the tumor ... keeping and referencing a calendar of her daily activities, confirming the status of her plans when unsure, and working with us to find the words she wants to use. Her intelligence and positive attitude serve her well as she deals with this challenge.

Cameron has taken on the lion-share of the day-in-day-out caregiver activities (even with a back strain), having me over so he can run errands, take Elise to her doctors appointments, and to just get a break every now and again. Also, a home nurse checks in each week and a physical therapist is available on a very limited basis.

Thanks to all for your support and I look forward to seeing you at Monday's benefit. Suanne (Elise's Mom)

a couple more tattoo pics

2008-05-09T10:28:00.001-07:00

web poster for benefit

2008-05-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

click on it to view full size!

tattoo

2008-05-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

excited

2008-05-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Right now Elise is off with her mom on an awesome adventure. Suanne is getting her first tattoo, a symbol of her love for Elise. Pics as soon as I get them.
In the meantime here is some pics from over the years.

upcoming

2008-04-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

There are so many things coming to be excited about. We have our fifth wedding anniversary, Mother's day, the benefit, another Mariners game(or two), outings with Jasper to the zoo, aquarium, science center, etc.. This May will be a lot of fun.

It's not to late to get donations for the silent auction out to the address below, one donation I am excited about is from a friend and coworker of Elise's named Alex Rodriguez. I love his art and he is donating a piece. He has a great website with his art, so check it out if your interested here.

You may have noticed I changed the site a little, it was fun making the header picture, I hope you all enjoy.
Here is a pic of Jasper Elise and I enjoy.

donations and silent auction donations

2008-04-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Donations are being accepted now for items for the silent auction that will take place at the benefit.
Donations for the benefit can be sent to:
Elise Kinnamon
423 east pike st.
Seattle, WA 98122

This addy is through Pagliacci Pizza.
thanks,
Cameron

fun

2008-04-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hi, we all had a lot of fun at the baseball game Saturday, and on top of that the Mariners won!!!

Carma and Jasper at the Hit It Here Cafe

Elise Carma and Jasper Enjoying the game

Me and my girl

Jasper has spirit

Elise's Uncle Gary visited from California. Uncle Ray came by and visited too.

concerning the benefit

2008-04-24T13:22:00.001-07:00

Hi, sorry it's so long between posts, but I am pretty busy these days.
So onto other things, namely the benefit. We need volunteers for a couple duties, shoot me an email if interested in helping out.
Also at the benefit there will be a silent auction to raise money, if you are interested in making a donation of an item to put up for auction contact me via email.

In other news things are going well, we manage to get out and have fun, in fact this Saturday my sister Carma is treating us to dinner at the Hit It Here Cafe then a Mariners Game. We plan on going to as many M's games as possible this season so maybe we'll witness a win or two.
We also after almost five years, have our cat Maynard back, and Elise couldn't be happier. A big thanks goes to Robert and Kate for being amazing parents to him over that time, I know it was hard to let Maynard go.

Maynard a.k.a. catloaf

Elise Today

College Fund for Jasper

2008-04-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

I've had a few folks indicate a desire to make a donation to a fund specifically for Jasper ... like a college fund. And, in talking with Elise, she liked the idea of an education fund for Jasper, too. So, I opened a 529 pre-paid tuition account. In Washington State it's called the GET (Guaranteed Education Tuition) Program. Basically, it's a way to buy college tuition for 18-year-old Jasper at today's rates. Although it's sponsored by Washington State, Jasper can use these funds at "nearly any public or private college in the country." For lots more information, go to http://www.get.wa.gov. If you are someone who would like to contribute to Jasper's future college costs, you can make your check payable to "Guaranteed Education Tuition Program," note that it's for beneficiary Jasper Kinnamon, Account No. 07010422, including your name, address, and phone number. Mail to:
Guaranteed Education Tuition
PO Box 84824
Seattle, WA 98124-6124

Thanks much, Suanne (Jasper's Gramma)

Some fun

2008-04-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

So we have had some fun since Elise has been home, we went plant shopping for Elise's birthday and she got some lovely flowers and plants for the house. We have had lots of fun being back together getting a lot of good family time.
Today Elise, Jasper, Suanne, and I went to the theater and saw Horton Hears a Who, which was fun, and also Jasper's first movie theater experience.
There was the three day birthday Suanne spoke of too. Friday, her birthday Jasper and I celebrated with a small family party. Saturday was the Tulip Festival, and Sunday we had a wonderful family party and had a lot of fun with that.

The daily routine is getting easier, despite the end of radiation treatments still busy, but easier.

We have had friends from Pagliacci bringing us Dinners which have been awesome, some amazingly tasty stuff, so a big thanks to them, it helps a lot.
Off to bed,
cameron

A Week's Update from Suanne

2008-04-15T13:07:00.001-07:00

It's been a whirlwind week. It's been wonderful to have Elise home with her family. Elise and I spent last week and yesterday going to and from the UW Medical Center to finish up her 30 sessions of radiation therapy (horray!) and making sure her anti-coagulate blood levels were stable. It made for several very long days for Elise in the wheelchair ... which she handled like a champ. Then this weekend, Elise, Echo and I, along with their sons, went to the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley ... it was so beautiful with all of the blooms and a huge flock of snow geese. The kids had a good time with all of the farm animals. It was the first fun trip in our wheelchair accessible van ... and it performed like a charm! Then, on Sunday, we had a small family birthday party for Elise at their apartment. It was fun as the girls chit chatted in the dinning room, the guys played Wii bowling in the living room, and the kids were having fun playing with the 60+
party baloons in the hallway. Cameron did a great job decorating. Last night and today, Jasper is staying with me and hubby (Grampa John) so Elise and Cameron could have some alone time together.

When Elise met with her radiation oncologist yesterday, he was very pleased with her progress ... she has more energy than expected and, based on her returning abilities, the tumor appears to be shrinking. The next big medical decisions for Elise will happen in about four weeks when she'll have her next MRI and possibly begin chemo and/or the gamma knife (stereotactic radiation). Right now, it's just nice to look forward to a bit of down time from the hospital.

Suanne (Elise's Mom)