Team Max

I follow a young boy on facebook who has cancer. I wanted to blog about him to get his story out there and to show you what an amazing little boy he is! The rest of this blog is taken from his website and tells you about him.

-----THE WARRIORS ARE READY,THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN, WE ARE TAKING NO CANCER CELLS PRISONER.
Max has been diagnosed with a Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET) of the Central Nervous System (CNS). In other words a malignant brain tumor which has metastasized to his spinal column. This type of cancer is a grade four which means that it is very aggressive and quick growing.

Max's father took Max to ER at MCMC on March 16, 2009 after he had complained of a headache and backache for most of the weekend. MCMC ran some preliminary tests and ruled to send him to DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids. Max at this point was suffering from brain swelling which impaired motor skills on the right side of his body along with losing his ability to speak. After four days of testing, the doctors told us that Max had cancer (March 19, 2009). They did not know at this time which kind but would continue to do further testing until they pinpointed the cancer so they could start the appropriate treatment.

After numerous tests and a brain biopsy the doctors have ruled that the cancer is the above mentioned.

The support from the school, the community, family and friends has been very welcomed during this time. I am amazed and truly grateful that we live in such a caring community. Every well wish and positive thought keeps us strong as Max fights this battle.

As for Max, he only can grasp as much as a six year old can understand. He knows he is sick and is very frustrated that he is unable to do what any typical six year old can do. He has his moments of sadness but for the most part we can arouse a smile or two out of him each day.

The most difficult part of this experience has been not having our family at home all together. We also have a nine year old daughter and are trying to keep things as "normal" as possible for her. She as an nine year old does not quite grasp the whole concept of Max's illness either.

Max started the first of his treatment on Tuesday (March 31) with treatment consisting of chemo, high dose chemo and stem cell rescue. If all goes as planned Max will be able to return to school full time by September of 2010. He is currently inpatient undergoing a bone marrow Transplant at Devos Childrens Hospital in Grand Rapids Michigan as of Mid December 2009.

Jodie Nunn and family---------

Please pray for Max and his family. If you would like to follow him, here is the link to his team page on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=175899346667&ref=ts

Happy New Year

Welcome 2010! I have been waiting for this year to come since I figured out that it would be the year I graduated college. I now have less than 4 months till I graduate from college and besides being very excited for the event, I am also very nervous. I am not sure what I am doing post college but hopefully I will soon know.
I have been working on grad school applications for MSOT programs and I am extremely nervous. It has made me look back on my past regarding my education and whether or not I made the right decisions. Oh well, It is too late now and I can not let it bother me.

My break from school has been well needed and typically I like to get a lot accomplished with this break however, I have not done that. I like to read and clean (I did do some cleaning, but not everything) and I have not picked up a single book. All I have basically done is run, run, and run some more. I did go to the Library today though and got a James Patterson book that I will soon be reviewing on here so come back and check it out.

Our Christmas Tree is on its way out of the house and we celebrated New Year's fantastically! We had friends and family over to our house and played wii and card games all night! We toasted with champagne to the new year and stayed up way past all of our bed times!