John Makes His Directorial Debut

Sorry it's been so long since our last post. We spent the last couple weeks waiting for John's counts to go back up. During that time, here are some of the highlights.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Casey's house. It was so nice to be together. Even in a year that's brought us great loss and considerable challenges, Mike and I realize how much we have to be thankful for. Caroline flew all by herself to spend Thanksgiving in Palm Desert with my mom and dad and the Clemens family. We missed her so much but know that she had a great time swimming, playing with her cousins, and driving the golf cart. My dad says she's a lot like me - a bit of a lead foot.

After Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a really fun visit with John's cousins - the Griffin clan. Their youngest, Tommy, got to be the ball boy for the Cal vs. Princeton basketball game. John loved sitting in the stands as his Aunt Jill watched her team go down in flames. We can still hear her yelling "back door"!

On Wednesday, December 2nd, John's counts were finally up high enough for his treatment to continue. We checked into the hospital that day and were were released Thursday night in time to spend the evening with Jimmy to celebrate his 11th birthday.

During our hospital stay, as I was talking on the phone with my mom, John was busy making his own home movie. I had no idea he was doing it and have posted it here for your enjoyment. John continues to be constant entertainment for us. Even in our darkest days, he never stops giving us reasons to smile.

Blood Transfusion

As we mentioned in our last update, John's doctors are very pleased with how his cancer is responding to treatment. Unfortunately, the chemotherapy has also affected his immune system and caused his white blood cell counts to be very low.

John was at Childrens Hospital all day Wednesday for a blood transfusion. This did not come as a surprise to us -- the doctors told us that this was to be expected as John continues his treatment. Because of his suppressed immune system, John cannot be out and about due to risk of infection. He's stuck at home with me!

Despite needing the transfusion, John's energy level has been great and he seems to be feeling fine. And true to his nature, John can make anything fun. Our big game on Wednesday at the hospital was trying to figure out whose blood John was getting. John was pretty convinced it was coming from a professional baseball player, or possibly Elvis. He was doing such a great job on his school work the next day, I'm thinking maybe it came from someone very smart. A Harvard PHD, perhaps?

John was scheduled to go back to the hospital for treatment on Monday, but the doctors have decided to delay that until his counts are back up. I'm secretly happy, as I wasn't quite ready to go back in. Now, we'll most likely have until the end of next week....plenty of time for us to do some of our favorite activities together at home.

Back to the Hospital

I thought I would be updating the blog more often, but I've found myself immersed in family life. I'm surprised by how much I've enjoyed the simple things about our daily routine. John and I have found a comfortable groove and our days have been busy. I worked with Caroline on her book report and was very proud of our end result. Jimmy finished up his Fall baseball season and is enjoying CYO basketball with Mike as coach. Even though things seems to be settling into a nice routine, they are never predictable. John and I spent most of Friday at Childrens with a clot in his Broviac line.

John was back at Childrens last Monday and Tuesday for treatment and an overnight visit. It was the first time we had been admitted as inpatients since our original hospitalization. We checked into the same exact room that we had stayed in last time. It almost felt like home as I cozied up in my window seat with views of the Berkeley Hills. We had an endless stream of visits from the doctors and nurses that had cared for John during our previous stay. It's no surprise to us that John had made quite an impact on these people. We also got great results from the prior week's scans and x-rays. The doctors couldn't be more pleased with John's progress -- the medicine is doing it's job!

When John was released from the hospital, he got to attend a basketball clinic at the Warriors practice facility hosted by the Nicholas Colby Fund. Since John had just undergone his treatment, he was not able to participate as much as he had hoped. But, Mike quickly turned John's disappointment into hope as he pointed out that all the other kids on the court were further along or done with their treatments. John realized that he too would be back on the basketball court one day.

Lamont Gilbert, the father of Nicholas, came over to spend time with Mike and John. He gave John box tickets to the next Warrior's game. John came home on top of the word....and I crossed my fingers that he would feel up for going. As luck would have it, he did! We spent an amazing night at the game with five of John's closest friends and their dads. It gave me such joy to be together as a family and watch John get to be a normal 7 year old boy.

John Completes Phase 1

Sorry for the delay since our last post -- things have been busy around here! This past weekend, we had a wonderful visit with Grandpa Jim, Uncle Geoff and John's cousins - Jake and Elliott, who were up for the Cal football game. It was a game time decision, but John did go. He got to enjoy the game from the press box with Aunt Jane. I wouldn't know what it's like to watch a game from that vantage point, but I hear it's great. We finished the day with a family BBQ and sleep over with the cousins. It was nice to have the house full of chaos and laughter.

On the medical front, John has now completed his first phase of treatment (Induction). This week we will be busy at Children's Hospital with three days of scans and xrays. This is the final step of the Induction phase and these tests will give us a better idea of the size of the mass and how John is responding so far.

On Monday, John starts the next phase of treatment (Consolidation). He will have to check back into the hospital for one night to undergo a new type of chemotherapy. John and I are already planning our hospital slumber party - jammies, dinner, movie & glow sticks.

We continue to be so inspired by the generosity of family, friends, neighbors and even complete strangers. I have begun the process of sending thank you notes; however, things at the hospital were pretty disorganized, so don't be surprised if you get a note thanking you for the wrong thing, get two notes, or don't get any note at all! I hope you all know how appreciative we are for EVERYTHING. You have made life so much easier for us and really brightened John's days.

I'll close with one final thank you to the Griffins and everyone who has joined them in Dribble for a Cure. They have already raised $11,701 (and counting) for Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, which makes them the top fundraiser for the event. Griffins, John is so lucky to have you for cousins and is amazed at how much you have accomplished. Good Luck on Sunday.....we'll all be rooting for Team John Ricksen!

Dribble for a Cure

I wanted to take a moment to let you know about a wonderful event my sister Jillian's family, the Griffin clan, are participating in. They will be playing in the UCLA- PCRF "DRIBBLE-FOR- A-CURE" in support of John on Sunday, November 1st at UCLA (John said he was OK with UCLA in this case).

This event raises money for PCRF (Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation). Since its establishment in 1982, PCRF has strived to improve the care, quality of life and survival rate of children with cancer.

Thanks to organizations like PCRF, we are winning the battle against pediatric cancer. Take a look:

• Since 1982, the dedicated volunteers of PCRF have raised over $22 million for pediatric cancer research
• 80% of all funds raised by PCRF goes directly to research
• Thanks in large part to research, the cancer death rate has dropped more dramatically for children than for any other age group
• The survival rate in certain pediatric cancers has increased from 50% to greater than 80% since 1985

If you would like to sponsor "Team Griffin" in honor of John, please visit the website below:

http://pcrf.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=320095&supId=273973008

(note: we have raised $3,000 more in checks not reflected on the website -- thank you to everyone who has contributed!)

Life Goes On....

It's amazing how in between doctors visits, lab draws, medications ...life goes on. The best part is that John is right there with us. He's been handling his treatments remarkably well. He hasn't missed a beat. Last weekend, he went to cheer on his soccer team, the Jack o Lanterns. I could tell it was hard for him to be on the sideline as they lost 0-1.

I've been busy trying to keep up with John's huge appetite (thanks, Prednisone). John gets extremely hungry and when it hits....it hits! I am trying hard to accommodate his every want - I love that he has such an appetite. Some of his favorites are CPK macaroni and cheese, cracked crab and a baked potato, Subway roast beef foot longs (sometimes two in a day), bread,bread,bead.... One morning I got up extra early to start his bacon, eggs and pancakes, and when John woke up, he asked for Special K. I'm still trying to figure him out.

The highlight of our week (not John's) was our visit to Stanford Children's Hospital for a second opinion. John couldn't understand why we'd have to go to Stanford to see a doctor. He went in full protest - dressed from head to toe in Cal gear. We had a great meeting with the doctors there and received confirmation that John's treatment was right on track. They assured us that they wouldn't be treating him any differently. They also spoke very highly of the team we're working with at Children's Hospital Oakland and were equally optimistic about his prognosis.

Mike was particularly relieved we wouldn't have to do treatment there as he noticed my face smashed against the window driving by Neiman Marcus in the Stanford Shopping Center.

A Tribute to Papa

It is with heavy hearts that we make this latest update. On Monday night, we lost one of John's biggest fans. Rupe Ricksen passed away peacefully with his family by his side. We will cherish this last visit John had with "Papa" and know that his amazing spirit remains with us.

We are constantly reminded of how much Rupe has influenced our lives and thank him for the gifts he has given our children. He taught them the importance of family, to lead by example, work hard and love what you do. They have his passion for sports and love for Cal. Through them his legacy will live on.

John Comes Home

We are so excited to report that Johnny has come home!

During our last couple days at the hospital, we spent a lot of time with the nurses and doctors fine tuning our training for John's home care. Meanwhile, Aunt Jillian and Caroline teamed up to put up all our Halloween decorations. Jill also helped us get organized with last minute grocery runs and some items from the Container store to help us organize all John's new things.

John was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. We arrived to a big "Welcome Home!" banner designed by Jimmy's class. We spent that evening together with our family appreciating the fact that we were all under one roof.

We were back at Children's Hospital on Thursday morning for an x-ray and and all day Friday for John's third round of chemotherapy. John continues to amaze us with how well he's adjusted to his new life dealing with medications, hospital visits, etc. His biggest challenge was not being able to eat all morning while he waited for his spinal treatment.

The rest of us are trying to follow Johnny's lead and stay strong and positive. Being back together has been wonderful, but it does bring about some new challenges as we adjust to our daily routine at home. We continue to be so thankful to all of you for dropping off coffees and sandwiches, bringing dinners, helping with sports pickups and drop offs and supporting us in all the other immeasurable ways.

John Finds His Artistic Side

I have always known John as a boy who loves to be outside. Whether he's playing soccer, baseball, football or basketball, it doesn't matter.....as long as a ball is involved. His only feedback for the hospital was that they should have PE.

These past few weeks, I have learned that John also has a passion for art and music. One of his highlights was the hour he spent doing oragami with an amazing and talented volunteer. John made an adorable fish and panda bear. Thank you to Grandma Coleen who went off to the art store for oragami supplies.

I am amazed at the patience and focus of John as he explores this new passion. I am excited abut the opportunity to do more of this with John as we enter the world of home schooling. I have always wished there would be more time for my kids to take up an instrument - now we will have it. John wants to play the drums - I am hoping for piano.

The John Ricksen Fan Club

We are still at the hospital with John, and he continues to make great progress!

Since he's been here, John has been constantly surrounded by family. He gets daily visits from his cousins to play games - The "Stuart" Game, Crazy Eights and Go Fish being some of his favorites. You can hear the laughter down the hall when they are here. He's also had his Grandma and Grandpa up from Southern California. Grandma Judy brings him daily Jamba Juices while Grandpa Jim has been the perfect bed side companion. Sometimes, when John is resting, we'll return to the room to find Grandpa Jim asleep, too!

The highlight of John's weekend was when members of the Cal basketball team, Jerome Randle, Omondi Amoke, Bak Bak, and Mark Curi came by for a surprise visit on Friday afternoon. They are John's idols, and the smile on his face when he saw them was priceless. They brought a signed basketball from the entire team. The most special moment was when Jerome gave John his lucky game shorts. I was just relieved they were clean. In all seriousness, Jerome and the basketball team have been such a huge part of my boys' lives and Mike and I will forever be grateful for their kindness.

Saturday was game day - Cal vs USC. A signed football was delivered in the morning from the Cal team. Javid Best sent a Cal hat with a personalized note for John. Even Oski was thinking about John, as you can see from the picture above. John didn't let Cal's loss get him down - he remains a loyal fan. I'm not sure I can say the same about Grandpa Jim.

Sunday was Mike's and my twelve year anniversary. It took a team to make it happen, but Mike and I were actually able to go down the street for a nice dinner (thank you Jane, mom & dad and the John Ricksen family!). I could only laugh as Mike picked me up from the hospital dressed in flip flops, pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt with no make up. Seeing me, I'm not sure Mike fell in love all over again. But I knew the day I married him that he was going to be the most devoted husband and father, and he shows me daily that I was right. I'm so lucky to have him by my side.

John had another round of chemo on Friday and seems to be handling it like a champ. He still has an amazing appetite and has kept his wicked sense of humor. He is napping a bit more than usual, but that is to be expected. There has been a lot of talk about him going home this week. This is sooner than anticipated, but we are anxious to get him reunited with Jimmy and Caroline. We know there is still a lot to learn and many changes ahead of us. We are up to the challenge, thanks in a large part to your support!

Here Comes the Sun

Today has been a "good day" at the hospital. John was upbeat and kept those around him smiling. He had an x-ray of his chest, the results of which we'll receive tomorrow. He walked to the x-ray lab on his own doing his best imitation of a penguin.

The highlight of John's day was getting iTunes on his computer. He used his $25 iTunes gift card to download some new music. His current favorite is the Beatles, especially the songs "Help", "Come Together" and "Here Comes the Sun". He and his mom spent lots of time rocking out with their extra large head phones, courtesy of Uncle Geoff.

John also managed to whip his Grandma and Aunt Kelly in Sponge Bob memory game. No surprise there!

Our primary job over the last couple days has been to undergo training on how to administer John's medication and care for him when he comes home. I did my first blood draw today using his Broviac line. When I was done, John told me he was impressed.

Tomorrow John will undergo his next round of chemotherapy. We will continue to keep you updated on his progress...

* * * * *

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun

and I say it's all right

- The Beatles

The One Week Mark

It has been a week since John's initial diagnosis. We are doing our best to keep him as comfortable as possible, to run "defense" when needed so John can get much needed naps, to comfort him when he has to get "pokies". It can be easy to feel discouraged, but we are trying to stay positive. We are as focused as ever on getting John back to his healthy, active self, ready for more surf lessons with Uncle Brian.

John is doing very well from a medical stand point. But, the reality of his condition is also starting to hit him. He had many tears last night when he realized he was going to lose his hair.

We start our intensive training today for John's home care. We don't want to get our hopes up too much, but the hospital really does try to get patients home as soon as possible. They have to wait until we are comfortable administering the chemotherapy through his broviac line, and John needs to continue doing well. We have lots of faith that he will....

John's New Room

John is now comfortably situated in his new room. He continues to amaze us with his spirit and sense of humor. Although his medicines have not yet made him sick, this past weekend's Cal game may be another story. In truth, John is still a loyal Cal fan and has total faith that his Bears will pull through this weekend.

Having our own room has allowed us to spend a lot of wonderful family time together, which has been a blessing. During this time, John has been showing off his new ability to swallow pills to big brother Jimmy, who has not yet mastered this skill. He has big sister Caroline busy giving him foot rubs.

Jimmy and Caroline have made us so proud. They have stepped up to this new challenge with courage and conviction and have taught us so much in the process. Jimmy has a way of making John laugh that absolutely brightens his day. Caroline has stepped right in as "jr. nurse" and is practically running the show over at Children's. We're worried for some of the nurses' jobs.

We are getting every one of your phone messages, emails, and notes and are truly feeling all of your support and prayers. We talk to John a lot about the team of people helping to get him better. He knows this team consists of our family, extended family, church, school, sports, friends, doctors, nurses, etc. When we told him today that he had 35,000 of daddy's colleagues cheering for him, he was a little concerned that his team was getting too big. We told him it can never get too big.

Treatment Begins

We thought you would enjoy some pictures of John in the hospital. Here he is doing two of his favorite activities, listening to music on his ipod and exchanging emails with all of you.

We have had some great news since we last posted.

John was administered his first round of chemotherapy last night. We were worried about how he would take it, but he seems to have handled it very well. Initial reports from the hematology group show that even with just this initial dose of medication, there are signs the tumor is already breaking up, which is very encouraging.

Our other piece of good news is that John will finally be moving out of ICU to his own room on the oncology floor. This is very exciting for John as it means he will have his own space to move around, including a play room to visit. We will get to fill his space with some special things from home, and decorate his walls with all the notes, posters, pictures and cards that you all have so thoughtfully sent. This is also great news for our family because we can finally bring Jimmy and Caroline to the hospital to see their little brother. This will be a very special reunion for all of us and we are so grateful for it.

In closing, we wanted to share one funny story to show that John's sense of humor has remained intact throughout his hospital stay. One of the medications he's been given has a side effect that turns his urine red. The nurses were concerned this might seem scary to him, but his only complaint was that it was a Stanford color. He wanted to know if it would be possible to switch to something which turns his urine blue. A true Cal fan.

We continue to be overwhelmed by your love and support and will be in touch soon with more news.

John's Diagnosis

We are creating this blog to keep everyone informed on John's journey to get well.

On Monday, September 21, we took John to see his pediatrician because he was having trouble breathing. When his breathing didn't improve the next day, his doctor ordered an x-ray where they found a mass in his chest. He was immediately admitted to Children's Hospital in Oakland for further testing. On Wednesday morning, he went into surgery where a team of 5 doctors removed fluid from around his heart, took biopsies of the mass in his chest, removed bone marrow, spinal fluid, and inserted a broviac tube which will be used for administering all of his medications. It was a miracle that they were able to assemble this team of doctors so quickly to do all of the tests at once. He stayed in ICU for observation and monitoring.

On Wednesday evening, doctors gave him the preliminary diagnosis of lymphoblastic t cell lymphoma. They assured us that this type of cancer is very treatable and very beatable, and they expect John to make a full recovery. However, he still has a long road ahead. He will remain in the hospital for about 3 weeks. Doctors have already administered chemotherapy into his spinal column and will continue to give him chemotherapy during this time.

We are hopeful that he will be moved to the 5th floor which is the Oncology Floor where he will remain for the duration of his hospital stay.

Once John goes home, he will continue with his treatment. He has a broviac line which will allow us to administer his medicine from home. Doctors predict John's course of treatment will last 2 years. He will not be returning to school this year.

John has been incredibly brave throughout this process. He is excited to get out of ICU into his own room, where he'll be able to move around more and we can have a home base at the hospital.

Communication is often difficult in the hospital so we welcome any messages on this website. We will continue to post information on his treatment and progress. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family and we appreciate the overwhelming outpour of love, prayers, and sentiments from all. This weekend we are going to spend lots of family time with Jimmy and Caroline at the hospital to get them more comfortable with seeing John and the days to come. Hopefully, we will get into a better routine in the next week, but for now we are taking it moment by moment.

With Gratitude,

The Ricksen Family