Sat, 19 Feb 2000 23:04

One Day At A Time

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you all for keeping us uplifted in prayer. I wish I could thank everyone personally for all of your help. I can remember being 8 months pregnant with Logan and carrying heavy furniture around just because I didn't want to have to rely on anyone but myself. God has changed my thinking a lot since then as we have had to rely on Him (and lots of people) for everything. I am thankful that He makes our burdens light.

While we don't know if Logan's new treatment [the phase II clinical trial with antineoplastons in Houston, Texas] is curing him of his brain/spinal cord tumors, I am certain that it is helping him feel more comfortable. The steroids that he is taking are reducing the swelling in his brain and allowing his spinal fluid to flow instead of backing up and causing pressure/headaches. These steroids have also eliminated his vomiting, caused a 10 lb weight gain, and led to an intense hunger with increased eating, plus irritability. They also give him the classic moon-faced puffy look associated with many cancer patients. Also, the antineoplastons that infuse every 4 hours for an hour at a time into his Hickman catheter (artificial vein) seem to relieve the pressure in his brain. For the few odd times where we have had to miss a dose such as during flight day and during his 3X/week blood draws, he consistently complains of pain in the back of his head (tumor blocking 4th ventricle in brain) and left eye pain (left optic nerve tumor) until his next dose infuses and then he stops complaining of pain.

Logan is unable to walk right now without assistance, although he has spurts of energy every once in a while. Yesterday when we were retrieving Adam from Miss Leslie's house, Logan stood up by himself and tried to walk across the floor of his own initiative so he could sit in a little rocking chair. He then proceeded to rock back and forth in the chair and smiled at their cat. It was good to see him so alert and responsive. When we left for Texas, he slept constantly and hardly responded to anything. He sleeps less now but still wants to lie down most of the time.

I am continuing his regimen of vitamins that my mother started while in Texas. While vitamins can't "cure him" they surely couldn't make him any worse. Thus far, all of his blood levels are excellent. With the antineoplastons, they are looking for increased sodium levels and decreased calcium and potassium as a warning to decrease or discontinue the antineoplastons. Logan has kept below normal sodium which means he is getting enough hydration. Actually, the Doctor said we were probably hydrating him too well. Also, he seems to crave bananas and yogurt which give him normal calcium and potassium levels thus far. In Texas, our associate Doctor Alapati told us he was amazed to see this child that appeared so close to death do so well. He even went as far as to say that Logan has tolerated the antineoplastons better than 90% of other children they have treated. But, that doesn't surprise me. I believe God has been protecting Logan and giving him an extraordinary ability to tolerate everything (pain, toxic treatments, antineoplastons). Compared with everything he has experienced, antineoplastons are really mild stuff.

I refuse to think of Logan as "terminal" or to treat him as such. Only God knows exactly when each one of us will die. He knows the number of hairs we have on our head, too. (By the way, Logan is growing his eyelashes, eyebrows, and HAIR back. Knocker will have to follow suit soon and start re-growing his beautiful head of curly hair back right along with Logan).

Logan's next MRI will be March 11th at 7am and (Lord willing) our next trip to Texas will be on March 13th. We will be returning back home the same night.

Just wanted to keep you informed of Logan's progress. Thanks for praying for a miracle.

Laura