The boys are both doing well.  This morning I left them with Lou so I could spend the day at the firehouse with my great friend Christina and her family.  Her brother, Andrew, was a firefighter for Ladder 5 and one of the first to respond to the attack on the World Trade Center.  In 2001 I lived in downtown Manhattan and on that day Christina and I walked the streets in search of any news on her brother and his fellow firefighters.  We ultimately found ourselves waiting for hours on end at his firehouse and the surrounding area.  Today we spent time talking about that day and remembering Andrew.  I truly believe he is watching out for Ty and so many others from up above.  God bless all of those precious lives that were stolen from this earth on that horrific day.  Never forget.  The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more un...

When Ty was diagnosed, Gavin was 21 months old.  Since then I have had to keep him away from other children, literally.  Daycare, playdates, preschool, even the playground, to avoid the spread of any germs.  To my utter amazement, I can proudly report that Gavin was not sick once!  Until now, of course, because that's just the way it goes, right? Ty gets a clean scan two days ago, and Gavin comes down with something just two days later.  We both have allergies and mine have been hitting me pretty hard lately so I didn't think anything of it when Gavin was sneezing, but he just woke up in the middle of the night feeling a little stuffy and uncomfortable.  I gave him some Benadryl and rocked him back to sleep just a little while ago.   Maybe it's just his allergies acting up, too.  I hope so.  I have to admit, though, that I enjoyed it being Gavin for a change.  That I was able to give him 100% when he was feeling a little...

It never ceases to amaze me; the kind and generous things that people will do for others.  How can I forget the hot meals, the care packages, the hospital visits, the balloons, the YANKEES!  That's right, the Yankees.  Just wait until you hear about our day today because it was simply incredible!  Anyone who has been following the stories over the past year knows that I have a whole lot of paying it forward to do... and today is one of the bigger ticket items on that list :) We took Ty to his very first baseball game - the Yankees (of course).  It was at the suggestion of a friend who has gone out of her way time and time again to spread awareness for Ty.  We don't go way back, we didn't grow up together or go to school together, we haven't worked together in years and we rarely see one another... but still, she has been there for me every step of the way since Ty got sick and in so different many ways.  I never have to ...

How can I even explain the relief we feel today?  Or, the fear we had earlier today?  I can't find the words.  All I want to do is shout out: "Ty's scan is clean!  Unchanged!  Stable!"  This means that we can move forward with the new chemotherapy regimen in just over a week: metronomic chemotherapy.  Ty will be receiving very low doses of various chemotherapy drugs on a daily basis by mouth (we will be adding cyclophosphamide, etoposide and thalidomide to his regimen).  If this continues to work, this medication approach will become our new way of life for a while.  He may or may not lose his hair.  He may or may not feel very sick.  The combination of these anti-cancer drugs aren't being given in doses strong enough to kill tumor, but now that we have validated the fact that Ty's disease is microscopic it should be effective in preventing new tumor growth, even if the cancer has otherwise become resistant to any of these medicat...

I had a mental debate over whether or not I should wear waterproof mascara at 5:30 this morning.   I decided against it in an effort to stay positive about Ty’s scan that is just hours away.   His MRI is scheduled for 8:30AM and I am writing this post on our way into the hospital.   I feel like this MRI is one of the scariest.   It may come back as his first scan that shows “no change,” halleluiah.   That would mean that the areas in Ty’s brain that received radiation to the tumor sites (including the brain stem and the Cerebellum) show no signs of growth.   That those tumors are inactive and potentially destroyed.   If that is the case, then we are dealing with microscopic disease, Ty should continue to do well and we will begin a stronger course of chemotherapy this week.   If that is not the case… well, I don’t have the capacity to take this in that direction right now.   I need to stay focused and stay positive.   Late last night,...

Our cable/phone/internet was restored yesterday and I'm so happy to be back online.  I would share the wonderful news that Ty is sleeping so much better lately, but of course tonight he is still awake and fighting sleep like only a determined boy can do, and we all know how determined he can be.  I tried to convince him to sleep by laying with him and reading books, whispering songs, telling stories and nuzzling into his neck.  I just love to give Ty soft kisses on his neck. Gavin, too, of course. There's just something so delicious about babies and how warm and soft their skin is over there. My boys have been nestled into my neck since the day they were born so I like to nestle into theirs whenever I get a chance, too. I understand why it is such a comfortable place for them. It is like a small, silky hiding place where you can share a feeling of closeness that can't otherwise be described. Ahhhhhhh..... kisses and snuggles.... so precious. ...

Before I start my update on Ty, I need to wish Lou a happy anniversary! We were married six years ago today on the most beautiful day and I love him now more than ever. I wish I could relive that day. Lou and I left Ty and Gavin with his parents (this is huge that Ty is okay with this now) and we are having a nice morning in Cold Spring before the rain starts. Coffee down by the river and window shopping. Yay! Again, Ty's blood work came back perfect last week. It is actually making me nervous now. I worry that we need to get him on some stronger chemotherapy as soon as possible. Especially considering how the disease spread while he was on Cisplatin, which is some heavy duty stuff. We completed our first week with the Temodar and it has been making him sick here and there. I hate to see him throwing up again, it just breaks my heart. No hair loss yet, and that may not even happen. I hope it doesn't because he is looking so healthy and so strong lately. The only in...

September is pediatric cancer awareness month.  I would be shocked if many of you were even aware of that.  I know I wasn't until I walked into Sloan Kettering for the first time in the month of September and saw posters covered in gold ribbons that were promoting the cause.  If I could, I would plaster the city - every city - with pictures of Ty and all of the other beautiful babies who are suffering with this disease.  Just seeing his face and imagining one of your own in his situation is powerful.  I want this month to be more impactful.  Please help me by sharing Ty's story. One of my facebook friends who I have never even met (Anna, you are an angel) changed her profile picture to the following.  It's so sad to see my baby like this, I know, but the message is true and meaningful. Please do something to promote pediatric cancer awareness.  Just tell someone that you know a little boy named Ty Campbell who is fighting for his life. ...

Aside from a handful of flickering lights, the Campbell's were very lucky. We have power and we enjoyed being stuck in the house together watching DVDs. Unfortunately, we do not have phone cable or internet so I really don't have the capacity to update the blog. I miss my laptop!! Overall, Ty has been tolerating his chemotherapy very well. The first night Lou and I were nervous wrecks. We had placed plastic bins throughout the house and barely slept at night because we were waiting for him to get sick. Luckily, the pre-meds seem to be keeping his nausea under control and we are so grateful for that. The first day he had a terrible appetite, but that seems to be improving, too! Thanks so much for checking in. Hopefully we will be back online soon so we can share more.

Tonight we are officially back on meds.  Before bed we administered Temodar, one of the oral chemotherapy medications that Ty will be on for the next 21 days (at least).  We gave Ty a large variety of anti-nausea medications and sleeping meds an hour or so beforehand so hopefully he will sleep through any discomfort it causes.   We will be giving this to him twice a day.  The last time Ty was on Temodar was in June.  At that time he was also on Cisplatin (a different, stronger chemo)  and the dosage of the Temodar was different, so I don't know what to expect this time around.  In June his taste was very altered and he did suffer some nausea, but he didn't lose his hair and the medication was otherwise tolerated pretty well.  I hope the same happens this time around, but my fingers are crossed that it was the Cisplatin rather than the Temodar that altered the taste of food because getting him to eat is alrea...

I think I may have posted under this title before, but after two solid months of steady improvement, I really believe that we are on the road to recovery.  I know that Ty has cancer and I know there is no end in <near> sight for his treatment, but I also believe that he will be cancer free one day and that we are heading in that direction.  After Ty's first surgery, I referred to a statement that his surgeon made several times... that we have only taken the first few strides in the marathon that is ahead of us.  After all we've been through this past year, I imagine that marathon as having a tremendous uphill slope for the first 10 miles or so, and we have just reached the height of it.  For the rest of this race, there will still be twists, turns, hills and bumps in the road, but God willing the hardest part is behind us.  I pray for that to be true with every ounce of my being.  Ty is doing so good, I just can't imagine any different. ...

Today we went for our weekly visit to the hospital and Ty is still doing well.   His blood work was perfect, but I’m sad to say he lost some weight.   Almost 2 pounds down, but his nurses suggested this may be because he is so much more active these days (which is true).   I just need to get a bit tougher with him about eating.   If he won’t eat better, I am going to start putting him on a belly tube feed at night so he gets the extra calories he needs to bulk up.   In the meantime, the team prescribed a medication to stimulate his appetite.  We'll see how that goes. We also had a nice, long discussion with Ty’s doctor about next steps.   I am so happy to report that we have a new plan of action as opposed to the “wait until something happens” protocol that has been in place since Ty’s last surgery.   I don’t mean to sound as though Ty’s docs were doing him an injustice by not being more aggressive with the drugs we have been using since his can...

My parents had to leave late this afternoon, so I wanted to do something fun with Ty, Gavin, Grandma and Pop-Pop this morning.  We decided to head into Poughkeepsie to visit the Children's Museum, followed by lunch at The Daily Planet which was recommended by our friend and a huge hit with the kids (and me!).  The restaurant has a super hero theme and it was totally kid friendly, and delicious!  It was a great day without any real stress.  Ty learns about gardening The two of them in the fire truck, Gavin all dressed up Here Gavin is saying "Arrrr!" like a pirate We must have been in the car during the earthquake because none of us felt a thing.  In fact, this is the third earthquake I have been in and I never felt it, not once.  So, I can't really count any of them.  I have yet to really experience an earthquake and although I kinda feel left out, that's totally fine with me.  So thankful that there wasn't any damage done and...

Thank you so much for all of the comments you made on Ty's year in review video.  I can't believe all this little man has been through over the past year.  Cancer is pure hell, but when it's an innocent child suffering it makes it even that much worse.  My heart breaks every day, even when Ty is doing so well, because I have to see my perfect boy covered with scars and medical hardware.  My friend who has had her fair-share of chronic health issues since she was a child always reminds me that surgical scars like his and hers are purple hearts, and I couldn't agree more.  I will be so proud of those scars when all of this is behind us and I will look at them as constant reminders to always strive for better.  To always be the best I can be, to do everything I can to make a difference and to help others like me and like Ty.  I know that he will, too.  He's always been such a special little boy, and he will only become more and ...

I finally completed Ty's photo compilation from the past year. It was so hard to tell his story through chronological photos in under five minutes. When I first pulled all of the photos I wanted to share, the video ran for 13 minutes :) Over the past week I worked to cut it down to five minutes, and I love it. Please share this with your friends, family and cyber networks. September is pediatric cancer awareness month (represented by a gold ribbon) and I am trying to get a head start on spreading the word. Ty's year in review is a perfect example of what hundreds of thousands of kids are going through every day in the US alone. Pediatric cancer is the number one cause of death by disease among children. There needs to be more research toward finding a cure for these most innocent victims of all. Together, we can raise awareness. Thank you. BTW - Lou and I really enjoyed the concert Wednesday night, and Ty was such a good boy while we were out. He was sleeping soundly when ...