YIKES!!!! I am so overwhelmed with LIFE right now.... and I know most of it is my fault... I am not the best at letting people help.... I will elaborate on the details in a minute... I need to update on Grier....

He had a clinic visit on Thursday.... he labs showed his immune system was hanging in there.. but his platelets and red blood counts were still dropping.  His platelets were not in the range for a transfusion but THEY need to come up to 100 or above to start the next cycle  of MLN.  His hemoglobin level is back down to 8.1-- that has been the case almost every time after MLN... I hope it stays right there because any lower he will require a transfusion to restart MLN.... I have to take him to the clinic tomorrow morning to have all these labs checked again... It is a few days early but because of Thanksgiving we have to check things early to be able to get the drug shipped to us from CHOP. I am hoping that we have no delays.. we are scheduled to be in Philly on Dec. 13th to scan AGAIN... if we have a delay we will be traveling too close to Christmas... Hopefully we will find out tomorrow so I can book flights - Traveling during the Holidays are stressful enough if you are going to see family... but trying to schedule medical appointments is insane and - Lots of unknowns with our schedule right now-- nothing any different other than trying to plan a bake sale at the same time!!! Other than scheduling appointments & going to the clinic- Grier is "Grier"--- which is a good thing... he just had his last soccer game of the season, got all "3's" on his report card and is pretty happy- He is begging to go to New York... which I find so funny... and I would love to go as well... it has been a long time since we went exploring on 3rd Avenue and and seen our MSKCC friends.... November and December remind me of the LONG stays we had at the Ronald NYC--looking back on it --we had a pretty fun time even though he was going through radiation and 3F8 the whole time we were there. 

ok-- ON to the bake sale UPDATE...

December 3rd and 4th will be here before we know it--- Lesa and I have been in overdrive going on "bakery tours"-- that is what we call our bakery donation days.  It is so time consuming... but is fun... no... I don't have a good story for you this time... I heard from so many of you about Agnes... I never really realized people actually READ what I am rambling about! 

We need HELP with the bake sale... we need volunteers... people to hang signs... bakers... people to email the flyer to friends and family... people to contact their school to ask them to post a flyer or send a flyer through email... people to help with T-shirts, people to help with set-up and clean-up, people to hold signs, people to donate blood at the blood drive, people to take the baked goods HOME for a donation, 

Hopefully you get the point... we need help... 

please email me or sign up on volunteer spot.. www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/42345634521626042

That is about it for now--- I need to try to do something at my house before another week starts.... 2 more weeks... and I promise I will be taking a break from volunteering. I have a long punch list of things I need to do at home.. :) 

ARE YOU READY FOR THE 4TH ANNUAL CFKC BAKE SALE????

Hey Charlotte--- It is almost that time again.... The 4th Annual Cookies For Kids' Cancer Bake Sale will be held on Dec. 3rd and 4th at Blackhawk Hardware. We will also have a satellite location on Saturday ONLY at Birkdale Village.

Did you go last year??? Here is a cute video to get you in the bake sake mood!!!!



More information to come over the next few weeks.... but save the date and help us raise some dough for pediatric cancer research.

For Updates on Grier... go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/grierchristenbury

4 days until September....

Each Day in September a "good cookie" has volunteered to donate a percentage of their days sales to Cookies For Kids Cancer.  Please print this calendar below--- visit your favorites and thank them for having the courage to fight for the kids fighting cancer. 100% of funds raised will be given to Cookies For Kids Cancer and will be used to fund research for children.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is not about one child or one type of pediatric cancer.  It is about changing the facts about pediatric cancer for the better, forever.  Forty-six children are diagnosed with cancer everyday.  Nearly 13,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States alone.  Survivors of childhood cancer face a broad range of physical and psychological challenges imposed by the disease, and many will suffer its long-term effects for the rest of their lives.  Despite these statistics, there has not been a new drug developed specifically for pediatric cancer in 20 years.

May Bakes sales SET a record for CFKC!

We did it! Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Supporters Set Fundraising Record in May.

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 8:08 am July 18, 2011

COOKIES FOR KIDS’ CANCER SUPPORTERS UNITE TO MAKE MAY 2011

THE ORGANIZATION’S BIGGEST FUNDRAISING MONTH ON RECORD

Events raise over half a million dollars and achieve largest match from longtime supporter

The Glad Products Company

Califon, NJ – July 18, 2011 Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and The Glad Products Company announce today that May 2011 was the biggest month on record in the organization’s nearly 3-year history with the most bake sales held and the most money raised in a month. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a national non-profit organization committed to raising funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer, the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 18 in the US. Founded by Gretchen and Larry Witt who were inspired by their son Liam’s courageous battle with cancer, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer inspires individuals, communities and businesses to help fight pediatric cancer through the concept of local bake sales.

During May, more than 300 individual events combined to raise over half a million dollars in donations to the organization. The achievement was inspired by what should have been the 7^th birthday of the Witt’s son, Liam, on May 13^th.  Known to many as Prince Liam the Brave, Liam came to the end of a courageous 4-year battle with cancer in late January. What followed was a call to action from both the organization and longtime corporate partner The Glad Products Company to honor Liam’s birthday and to inspire support for the fight against pediatric cancer. Glad stepped forward with the promise to match funds raised at bake sales in May up to $225,000. This match represents the company’s largest single donation to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer in the shortest amount of time. Because of the match,   Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s total income for May, counting both the event donations and the Glad match, totaled more than $750,000. 

“As a way to honor Liam and inspire people to join the cause, Glad held our largest match since we began supporting Cookies for Kids’ Cancer in 2009 in the shortest window of time,” shared Molly Steinkrauss, Public Relations Manager for Glad Storage Products. “It was inspiring to see how friends, families, communities and even strangers came together to help Cookies for Kids’ Cancer raise more money and host more bake sales in one month than ever before.”

 “We are humbled by and grateful for the goodness of people who host Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sales. And we are especially thankful to Glad for their ongoing support in the fight against pediatric cancer,” says Gretchen Holt Witt, founder of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. “Each day, our mission is to not only honor Liam’s love and passion for life but also to keep alive his desire to take care of others. We do this by supporting new, safer treatments for pediatric cancer, because every child deserves the chance to grow up. We already know children who are benefitting from treatments funded by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Every effort counts, and every dollar counts.”

The news of May’s record-breaking success comes on the heels of the organization’s announcement of $700,000 in grants to top pediatric cancer research centers, with plans to grant more funds again in September during pediatric cancer awareness month.

About Cookies for Kids’ Cancer: 

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by parents inspired by their son’s fight against cancer. Today pediatric cancer remains the number one disease killer of children in the United States, due in large part to a lack of funding for research into new and improved therapies. Through the concept of local bake sales and online cookie sales, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer inspires individuals, organizations, and businesses to join in the fight against pediatric cancer by raising the funds and awareness necessary to change the facts of pediatric cancer and provide more families with the hope they deserve. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer grants funds raised to leading pediatric cancer research facilities including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Center. For more information, visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org. Follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cookiesforkidscancerand Twitter www.twitter.com/cookies4kids.

The Glad Products Company
The Glad Products Company is wholly owned subsidiary of The Clorox Company.  The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,300 employees and fiscal year 2009 revenues of $5.5 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers’ most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Green Works^® natural cleaning and laundry products; Armor All^® and STP^® auto-care products; Fresh Step^® and Scoop Away^® cat litter; Kingsford^® charcoal; Hidden Valley^® and K C Masterpiece^® dressings and sauces; Brita^® water-filtration systems; Glad^® bags, wraps and containers; and Burt’s Bees^® natural personal care products. The company’s products are manufactured in more than two dozen countries and sold in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $77 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal 2009 alone, the foundation awarded $3.6 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $7.8 million. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com.

Comments (0)

I am going to keep this update short and sweet... I have a feeling the more I ramble today the more chance I have of getting in trouble... I am just a little frustrated with the politics of childhood cancer.... YES, there are even politics involved in this &^%$!

Grier went to the clinic not once but twice on Tuesday... and surprisingly without fussing about having to go the second time after I had already told him we would go to the pool.  Our first trip was very early on Tuesday so the lab could process  the results in the hopes that IF he counts were good enough we could get the process going on getting the drug to our house from PHILLY by Wednesday. We got the news that he counts had recovered enough to start MLN again... so we had to go back and get his height and weight done and some other labs... well, as soon as we got there I got an email saying all they (CHOP) needed was height and weight... so we numbed up his port for nothing.  After a few more emails that day we were set for a FedEx delivery of Grier's pills.... AND Wednesday am before 10-- JUST like CHOP said.. we had a box on our porch! Hmm... amazing to me... how easy they seem to make this process even though they are so far away! So far, Grier has taken the pills for two nights... no side effects yet.. and if it is anything like the last time than we will not see anything until closer to the end of the 7 days. The biggest complaint is timing... Grier is a "grazer" so finding a three hour window of NOT eating or drinking is a little hard-- but again if that is the only issue right now I will take it!

The other news is that the cookie.. or "millionaire shortbread" that won the cookie contest is ready to be purchased at any of the STOMP, CHOMP, and ROLL restaurants, (Moe's @ Northlake, The Pizza Peel, The Flying Biscuit @ Park Road Shopping Center and Stonecrest), and Monkey Joe's @ Park Road Shopping Center) The proceeds from the sale of this cookie will benefit Cookies For Kids Cancer from now until the end of September. We will have our 30 days for a cure again this year during September so we are glad to get started raising some "dough" for CFKC a little early with the sale of this winning recipe..... Stop by one of these places and get it as dessert or "to go"-

Nothing else to report... Grier and I will go to Philly for one night during the first week of August to do an MIBG for his disease evaluation. Summer is going by... the change of pace has been nice but I am almost ready to welcome back a routine.

We woke up on Saturday morning and decided since we had NOTHING on our schedule... or actually on the kids' game schedules we would surprise them with a quick day trip.... This really never happens... so we packed up, found a hotel room and got some braves tickets and were on the road by 11am! It was a fun trip... ok, a little exhausting but fun because we were all together-- I told Jeff 24 hours was all I could handle in tight spaces like that--- and I wasn't kidding!!!

The calm ride :)

Turner Field-- HOT!

26MPH-- throwing batting practice :)

Georgia Aquarium

The fourth of July was fun as always.. I am not sure why but that is one of my favorite Holidays....  I saw the fireworks on TV from NYC and I think we need to make a trip there next time... :)

On Tuesday, we woke up early.. and went to clinic for some blood tests.. we went early so the results could be faxed to CHOP and we could find out if Grier was ready to start MLN on Wednesday... well, after much delay... the LAB was BUSY- :) we finally found out that Grier's counts were not heading up but DOWN again.... We still had to wait on his ANC because that number was not ready yet -- so we waited and waited... FINALLY I heard that is was 300-- he was nutrapenic again!!! He needed to be at least 1000 to start the drugs. After a few emails to CHOP -- they called to assure me they are not worried about these delays... and the fact that his counts are on a roller coaster ride!!!  They mainly want him acting well and told us we can wait it out - So, Grier and I go back to the clinic tomorrow for a CBC to see what the numbers tell us tomorrow!

Other than our spur of the moment trip, fireworks, and clinic visits, the other big news was that Grier lost his second top tooth... so he has a cute gummy smile to go along with his dimples!

He found the SHARKS!

We actually were scheduled to be in Philly next week for an MIBG scan... but since we have had these delays that schedule is going to have to change. Hopefully we will have a start date soon for MLN....
( as always.. go to gogriergo.com for pictures....) I need help with moving this blog to wordpress... ANYONE???? Needs a little updating :)

toothless smile!

Another week...

This past week has been low key in terms of activity.. BUT the conversations that Grier and I have had in the car dropping off Hayes at baseball or as he is winding down and about to fall asleep have surely made up for the lack of activity. If you know Grier at all you know he likes to chat... Especially if he feels comfortable with you. Even these conversations surprised me and trust me we do a lot of talking. This first conversation started off with questions..he actually announced that the had a question like he usually does.

Grier: mom, I have a question?
me: okay.. What is it?
Grier: Do I have cancer?
Me: (in my head.. Really do we have to have this conversation as I am driving?)
Me: YES
Grier: why did you say YES like that?
Me: like what?
Grier: ( he mocked my Yes)
Me: I didn't think I said it like that..
Grier: Am I a good cookie?
Me: yes.. A really good cookie!
He started singing The Lazy Song and that was the end of the conversation..

The second part.. Different day.. Almost the same questions..

Grier: mom, do I have cancer?
Me: yes, didn't we just talk about this?
Grier: what exactly is cancer?
Me: well, you have some cells in your body that are not healthy..
Grier: oh..
Me: it is called Neuroblastoma
Grier: oh.. Like the Go Grier Go magnet..
Me: yes..
Grier: mom, don't you think we should get new magnets because I really like soccer lot better than baseball now!
Me: no.. I think we are out of the magnet business!
Then he proceeded to ask me if so and so had cancer.. Going down a whole list of his friends from school.

Clearly he is processing this again.. He is seven going on 70! He knows he has cancer and that is why we go to the doctor a lot but that is so normal to him ...

The seven finalists... the winning cookie is the one sprinkled with powered sugar.. Million Dollar Short Bread by Jane Cole~

The end of our week shifted from questions to raising awareness for Cookies For Kids Cancer.. I have been very protective of Grier and don't do a lot of TV spots with him.. We had been approached by the Stomp Chomp, and Roll restaurant group to have a cookie recipe contest and the winner's cookie would be placed on the menu until Sept. 30th at their various restaurants. Our hope was to have Gretchen come be a judge for us, but she was not going to be able to. So, Grier was going to represent Cookies For Kids Cancer.. It always makes me a little nervous but lately he has been into this kind of stuff.
Today we had the 25 recipes narrowed down to a group of 7. We had 5 judges, including Grier. They all tasted each cookie and rated it on taste, creativity and appearance. Grier was sitting by Kathleen Purvis from the Charlotte Observer. She help him rate his cookies, from what he told me he was a tough judge.. He likes soft cookies because he has another loose tooth so his favorite was the Oreo pudding cookie. He informed me he does not peanut butter.. So that cookie must not have gotten a high number from him.. And he liked the cookie my mom made but it was Hard and hurt the his loose tooth.. And had almond in it! I almost could not stop laughing when he told me what he thought! I am so proud of him for doing this.. I had to ask to him a question... I asked him if he knew why we were doing these cookie events.. And he said so we call help the doctors find better medicine. Whew... I know It is a work in progress but I was excited to know that he know we are raising money for doctors helping kids fight cancer.

To read Kathleen Purvis's blog she wrote about the cookie contest... click here

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – A Charlotte cookie judging contest is planned for Friday afternoon, July 1^st.  One hundred percent of proceeds will benefit Cookies for Kids' Cancer.

The winning cookie will not only help generate funds to help find a cure for childhood cancer, but also be placed on the menu at a handful of popular Charlotte restaurants: The Flying Biscuits on Park Road and Stonecrest, Mama Fu's, The Pizza Peel and Monkey Joe's. 

 All money raised from the sale of the winning cookie until September 30^th will benefit Cookies for Kids' Cancer, a national organization with an active branch in Charlotte.

Anyone is invited to the cookie judging contest on Friday.  It kicks off at 2:00pm at The Flying Biscuit in Park Road Shopping Center.

One of the five judges is 7-year-old cancer survivor Grier Christenbury.  He helped preview the event live on WJZY's News at 10:00 with Anchor Molly Grantham.  Click the attached link to see how things played out. 

We are back from another wonderful week at Topsail.... it is just amazing how much stress you can be under and just being at the ocean and with friends and family can make it all seem to go away.... "seem to go away" is the phrase I am going to emphasize...  Our week was awesome but it did not make the worry go away... Grier was neutrapenic ALL week... meaning we probably should have been on house arrest.. not only did he not have any immune system but his platelets were low as well as hemoglobin!  I was waiting for the other shoe to drop... BUT it never happened! NO fever.. no fatigue.. no bruising... !!! Besides body surfing, swimming, playing and eating all week ~ we had to take him into Wilmington twice for a blood test.  The worst part was the drive to and from-- it was about 45 minutes EACH way..  I am a little spoiled with our 10 minute drive to the clinic... The pediatrician's office we went to was better than I expected... Their lab was awesome and Dr. Hawthorne called to check on Grier twice during the week... I think we shocked the girl that ran his CBC on Monday ~when she read his labs... his WBC was .1 and platelets were 54.. I was so happy they were not in a range for a transfusion... she wanted us to wait to talk to someone because everything was so low!! We didn't wait... Grier was ready to get back to the beach!

NOW WHAT???
Well... Grier's counts are still low... we knew this was a possibility with millennium.. He had another CBC on Saturday, Sunday, and MONDAY-- and he said "If they keep taking my blood I am going to be just a skull soon!" I think he meant skeleton but you get the point... he is a bit over it! Sunday was not in the plan.. but Saturday's blood clotted before the lab ran it... so we got the call Sunday morning about that!! They said to come up and have it done at the hospital... so Grier and I rode our bikes... Actually it was really fun.. We headed down the greenway and left our bikes with guest services while we ran up to get a finger stick... THAT is what we thought he was going to get.. but the lab had other orders that we did not know about... I did not have my purse with me so I did not have any Emla or magic cream... I asked them for some and then they said... WE CANT do ports here... oh... things were going south really fast... They needed to use a butterfly needle to get blood from his arm! Ugh.. I asked for emla but they said they did not have any to me... and told Grier they had a "special" cream... they proceed to put Vaseline on Grier's arms... and told him to wait while it works!! Seriously... he is no dummy... he knows his meds and creams! He cried for a quick second and before he knew it the blood was drawn and we were back on the greenway headed home on our bikes!!!
We had another visit yesterday... just a check up... and CBC again... luckily his immune system is recovering but his platelets and hemoglobin are still SLOW to recover... We were suppose to start the third cycle of MLN (Millennium) on Wednesday but his counts are going to make us delayed... he has to be 100 for Platelets and ANC of at least 1000!  The good news is that they are going to FedEx to pills to us... so I don't have to fly up there to get them! As of right now we don't have a start date... we will just have to wait for his tired, worn out bone marrow to recover! CHOP called today and told me since he has been over 8 days of nutrepenia we will have to do neupogen next time to help his bone marrow recover faster--- we actually may try Neulasta instead of the daily shots... Neulasta is a one time shot that is given in the clinic... not be me! The hope is he will be ready in a week to begin the next cycle... he is going to have to get checked on Thursday and Tuesday ( since Monday is a Holiday!)- I didn't even realize Monday was a Holiday until they said it today!!!
Once again we are in a bit of Limbo with a schedule... Grier and I will have to go to Philly for scans after the 3rd cycle of Millenium... limbo is a little easier during summer... !
enjoy the pictures below (or on www.gogriergo.com)... if I had not told you that he had LOW counts I bet you would not have ever guessed!

The night before we left for the beach we went to Shrek the musical... Grier had seen it in NYC and laughed just as hard two years later in Charlotte!

Trouble x3!

If only we could wake up to this EVERY morning!

Sharks!!!

He caught this one...

Fishing Friends!

NON- STOP Surfing...

6 years of TOPSAIL Fun..

That was THEN...

This just makes me laugh... 

This is NOW!

Riding the RAT FINK to LCH!

My picture I drew for Corporate Angels--

one week ago-

We have been home one week... Grier finished all 7 days of his 42 pills...we celebrated two birthdays ( Hayes-14 & Grier-7), one 5the grade graduation, 7 baseball games, one doctors visit, one dentist visit... and caught up on SOME of thee mail and listened to all thee phone messages... ( sorry.. some were really old!)

Sounds like a busy week, huh? Grier has had some side effects from thee medicine.... this time his feet did not turn bright red... instead they blistered! Grier said it looks like he has "pads" on his feet-- he is right-- the blisters are now white on his heels and toes! We went to LCH today for a check up and blood test... check up went fine... his skin is irritated everywhere there is some friction... armpits, feet, hands, thighs, you name it- hopefully this will clear up soon since his last dose for this cycle was last night. His counts are hanging in theere... I actually had theem draw an extra tube of blood for a type and cross just in case he needed a transfusion like he did last time... amazing his hemoglobin has not fallen yet and his platelets are still over 100-- I hope they stay that way... the not so good news is that his ANC is 200 ( NO IMMUNE SYSTEM)- We will have to go back Friday to check again... My hope is that his counts have already hit bottom and they will go up in the next fews days... Besides these side effects, Grier was not so enthusiastic about the pills this time... We had several moments where he was just pissed off that he had to take these pills... and he could NOT eat... He told me to call Philadelphia and tell them he did not want to do this medicine again... Maybe this is truly how he has felt all along -- he just needed this medicine to bring out these emotions... I understand how he feels a little... he has been a test mouse for a LONG time... over four years...! 

I don't think he looks as healthy as he did before we started MLN... he has a "gray" look to him... and obviously it is not anemia since his counts are ok.... His hair has totally fallen out... and he looks like Mr. Clean when you put sunscreen on his head.... his eye lashes are almost all gone... and I think that is the kicker -- eye lashes and eye brows make such a difference - that may be the difference I am seeing.

Our family beach trip is coming up this Saturday... it is pretty much a given he is going to have to get his counts checked next week... and since his counts are so low right now.. CHOP has already told me to plan on going twice next week. The good news is he is only going to have to get a finger stick... I have been told not to let anyone touch the port unless it is an emergency... Probably the most reassuring part is that we will go into Wilmington and see a pediatrician that my friend, Anne knows and has already talked to-! We wont have to go to an urgent care.  We will still have to fax the results to CHOP... but that should be easy.... 

So, we have survived thee first 3 days of summer at home... I will be honest... I have only looked at the FOR SALE ads once... 3 days and it didn't take too long to feel like we were all on top of each other! The key is going to be staying busy and not at home! So thankful we will be at the beach next week so we can spread out and relax! 

NEWS RELEASE about upcoming COOKIE EVENT in CHARLOTTE, NC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           For more information contact:

                                                           Elisabeth Podair, Account Executive

704.657.7637 or epodair@sparkstrategicideas.com

 

Stomp, Chomp & Roll Hosts Cookie Contest

to Benefit Cookies For Kids’ Cancer

Charlotte, N.C., June 8, 2011  – Charlotte-area restaurant and entertainment group, Stomp, Chomp & Roll will host a cookie recipe contest to benefit national nonprofit organization, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

Finalists in the contest will be invited to have their cookies judged on Friday, July 1 at 2 PM at The Flying Biscuit Park Road (4241 Park Rd) for a chance to win a place on the menu for their cookies at all six Stomp, Chomp & Roll locations until September 30, to recognize Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. First place also includes free food for a year at any Stomp, Chomp & Roll location.

Submit your favorite original cookie recipe to: cookies@stompchomproll.com by Monday, June 27.

Judges include:

·       Grier Christenbury, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Representative (age seven)

·       Kathleen Purvis, Food Editor (The Charlotte Observer)

·       Lisa Frame, Blogger (Daily Pinch, Powered by Women and Mommyality)

·       Kiran Dodeja Smith, Co-Publisher/Editor (Little Ones Magazine)

·       Richard "Foodzilla” Grucia, Founder Good Eats & Meets,  (largest dining group in the country per capita, based in Charlotte)

All proceeds from the sale of the winning cookie until September 30 will benefit Cookies for Kids Cancer. Second place will receive $100 gift card to any Stomp, Chomp & Roll locations and third will win a $50 gift card to any location.

Stomp, Chomp & Roll includes The Pizza Peel & Tap Room (Cotswold), The Flying Biscuit Café (Park Road Shopping Center and Stonecrest), Monkey Joe’s (Park Road Shopping Center), Mama Fu's (Cotswold Village Shops) and Moe's Southwest Grill (Northlake Mall).

“Partnering with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer combines the two things Stomp, Chomp & Roll is passionate about- great food and supporting the Charlotte community,” said Will Bigham co-partner. “We are proud to support such a worthwhile organization like Cookies for Kids’ Cancer while giving back to the many families in need they benefit.”

About Stomp, Chomp & Roll

Stomp, Chomp & Roll, filling Charlotte bellies with food and laughter, is a Charlotte-based restaurant and entertainment group. Locations include: The Pizza Peel & Tap Room (Cotswold), The Flying Biscuit Café (Park Road Shopping Center and Stonecrest), Monkey Joe’s (Park Road Shopping Center), Mama Fu's (Cotswold Village Shops) and Moe's Southwest Grill (Northlake Mall). For more information, visit www.StompChompRoll.com.

About Cookies for Kids’ Cancer

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by parents inspired by their son’s fight against cancer. Today pediatric cancer remains the number one disease killer of children in the United States, due in large part to a lack of funding for research into new and improved therapies. Through the concept of local bake sales and online cookie sales, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer inspires individuals, organizations, and businesses to join in the fight against pediatric cancer by raising the funds and awareness necessary to change the face of pediatric cancer and provide more families with the hope they deserve. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer grants funds raised to leading pediatric cancer research facilities including Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Texas Children’s Cancer Center and Dana Farber Cancer Center. For more information, visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org. Follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Cookies-For-Kids-Cancer-Charlotte-NC-area and Twitter at www.twitter.com/cookies4kids.

The organization is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

# # #

"Scans are like revolving doors, emotional roulette wheels that spin us around for a few days and spit us out the other side. Land on red, we're in for another trip to Cancerland; land on black, we have a few more months of freedom."

I had to share some exciting news... Grier lost his front tooth yesterday... I guess all that consistent wiggling paid off! He was thrilled he could put it in his tooth bracelet- even more excited that the tooth fairy actually remembered to leave him a dollar the first night he left it out for her... 

Today we celebrated his birthday a little early at school since he is not going to be there on Wednesday. He brought doughnuts to share... after going round and round with Dunkin Doughnuts about trying to get only orange sprinkles on his doughnuts- I finally told him it had to be rainbow sprinkles and he said, "That is Fine".... ugh.. I should have told him that the first time instead of calling most of the stores around us! I feel like I am rushing everything just to get it done this week... actually I am !!! The end of school activites for three kids plus 2 birthdays are enough to make someone go crazy... add in a trip to Philly and a scan -- Let's just call that the cherry on top of my normal crazy! 

We leave tomorrow -- and it will be a fast trip. I have already started to give Grier his nasty iodine drops called SSKI- he has to take them for 5 days according to CHOP.... Good thing he takes medicine so well because this could be really hard... I just need to remember the DUM-DUM chaser and he is very compliant. 

I am not sure I have scanxiety yet... or maybe I just haven't recovered from the last sets of scans... who knows. I recently read an article about scanxiety and it actually has a name.. PSP .. or prescan psychosis! I love this blurb from the article... 

The medical profession is aware that patients suffer stress as our scans approach. Dr. Jimmie Holland, a psychiatrist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, refers to the condition as PSP, or prescan psychosis. "Everybody feels it to one extent or another," she tells me, "particularly people who feel they have to know what's coming next. And if there's anything true about cancer, it's the unpredictability about what's coming next." 

As my scans approach, I become increasingly wary and deliberate in my actions. I put off major decisions until after I hear the results. My breathing gets tighter. And those regular drives to the clinic are among the most tense I have — though there's nothing I can do at this juncture to affect the outcome.

as·sent/əˈsent/

Noun: The expression of approval or agreement: "a loud murmur of assent".

Verb: Express approval or agreement, typically officially: "Roosevelt assented to the agreement".

The last time we were in Philly.. I was signing consent forms for Grier to participate in the Millenium trial.  Dr. Mosse commented that is would not be long before they are going to ask Grier to sign assent. This was a little surprise to me... because number he is ONLY going to be 7. How much does he really know to be able to make a decision about his treatment? The most interesting thing was that if he was diagnosed after he was 7 than this would not apply to him... only if his treatment began before he was 7- I am not sure I am ready for him to be able to give assent... I think a lot of his fighting spirit and good demeanor comes from just "being routine" for him... He will be 7 on Wednesday... I should not have to sign another consent form unless treatment changes.  I am hoping it does not change but the scan will be able to tell us whether we stay on this course or change. 

Sorry if this update does not make sense... I think I will blame it on "prescan pyschosis"  I will update from Philly... we have a room at the sheraton... and other than the 96 degrees it is expected to be on Wednesday- everything else should be what we are used to in Philly (I am just glad it is not suppose to rain!)