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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: jammindude on December 27, 2022, 09:20:20 PM
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Just wanted to let everyone know.
Late last week we found out that my new 7month old baby granddaughter has a growth on her liver, and they have no idea what it is. Blood tests seem to indicate it’s not cancer, but they can’t be positive until the results of the scans come back probably tomorrow.
You’ll still see me posting. Anything I can “talk to text” into my phone I can enter on the fly. But most of the countdown threads have been a bit harder to post regularly because I prefer to sit down at a keyboard and write out a paragraph and format my post a certain way, and I just honestly haven’t had the mental energy for it.
Anyway. I want you all to know that every one of you (even the ones who don’t like me…which I honestly hope is an extremely short list) mean very much to me. You are all like a secondary family.
I’ll post an update when I have one.
Anyway, if I seem a bit more sparse than usual, I wanted you all to know why.
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When my younger child was still in the womb, they detected an abnormality with one of her kidneys (which I am still amazed it). Took a little time to determine it was cysts. Terrifying to hear there is something wrong with your child (or grandchild), and they cannot give you a solid diagnosis. Wishes coming down 405 to you.
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All my well wishes, thoughts and prayers to you mate that everything works out and it turns out nothing serious. :heart
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All my well wishes, thoughts and prayers to you mate that everything works out and it turns out nothing serious. :heart
This.
Take care jammindude, I've always appreciated your input with everything!
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I extend my well wishes as well. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious.
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All my well wishes :heart
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Well wishes coming from me too...
Hope you get some good news soon
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Terrifying is probably as good a word as English has to describe how it must feel. I'm not the praying type, but will put some positivity in the universe for all the Jammin Dudes.
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Terrifying is probably as good a word as English has to describe how it must feel. I'm not the praying type, but will put some positivity in the universe for all the Jammin Dudes.
+1 from the awaken family
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Sending you my very best wishes, Jammin.
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I hope all goes well for you, your granddaughter, and everyone else. :)
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Positive thoughts and viibes coming your way. Can't imagine how difficult it must be to go through that.
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That blows Ben. Fingers crossed for the best. They can do amazing fucking things these days, so the fact that they found anything should be comforting. They're on it, whatever it is.
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Sorry to hear that. Prayers.
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Really sorry to hear that jammin, I'll be sending positive thoughts to your granddaughter and family. Keep us posted.
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Praying for your granddaughter....and your family
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My heart is with you buddy. Not a prayers guy, but if I were, they'd be heading in your direction.
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Well wishes to you and your family. Hopefully it is something benign that can be dealt with easily.
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Positive thoughts on the way.
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Wishing for positive outcomes, JD.
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Qapla'
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Nothing but good thoughts from NH.
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Well wishes Jammin!
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Best wishes and positive vibes to you and your family. Please keep us posted as you can.
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All my best wishes to you and yours, buddy. :heart
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Damn, that is awful news. Well wishes indeed, man. My gosh, I cannot even imagine. :(
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We’ve never met (in person), but you can count me as someone who likes and respects you.
Between this place and MP.com, I’ve been reading your posts for damn near 15 years (maybe longer)… I know you better than most of my extended family.
I totally get your desire to post via desktop (I share the preference), and appreciate the update.
Above all else, my thoughts are with you and yours. Devastating news, no doubt, but a silver lining in the lack of conclusiveness?
Either way, as you can tell by this thread, you got tons of support waiting for you on the other end of this url.
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Sending love, mate. Hoping its nothing too serious.
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The diagnosis is hepatoblastoma. The most common child liver cancer, and fortunately the most operable.
Right now, the prognosis seems to be good, and confidence is high. But once they pull the C word out, it instantly gets very scary.
Right now I’m just trying to focus on being there emotionally for them. I read her a bedtime story over FaceTime last night, and if possible I might try to fly down over MLK weekend.
Right now, they seem to be pretty confident, so I’m clinging to that. I can only imagine what my son and daughter in law are going through. But we are talking a bit. It’s hard to have meaningful conversations when you’re 3000 miles away and they are in a hospital room with many distractions. But we’re communicating.
I guess I don’t know what else to say right now. I’m a bit numb.
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I'm so sorry. I know the helpless feeling. Be there for them. It's all you can do.
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Damn! Are they doing surgery here in the short term?
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..
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Damn. I guess one positive is that, when you hear a diagnosis, it's always in your favor to hear it is something common, so at least the docs have experience in what they're dealing with and how to approach it.
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Damn! Are they doing surgery here in the short term?
Don’t know yet
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Man, I don't have the words. I just don't. :( :( :(
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The C word is always gonna be scary af.
But "most operable" is encouraging. Sometimes it helps to think about the things that might go right, rather than the things that might go wrong. This feels like it could be more of the former than the latter.
Medical science is wondrous, and this could very well be nothing more than a brief speedbump in the life if your granddaughter, that she'll never need to remember.
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Well said, Chad.
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Indeed. Here's wishing your granddaughter has a speedy and full recovery from this. Thoughts are with you all.
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Well wishes certainly heading your way.
It's my understanding that, when it comes to the "C" word, outcomes for children are often a lot more promising than for adults. Especially ones that are "common" and easily operable. But that makes it no less scary. I am certainly thinking of you and your family, and hope that, as you go through this awful thing, it at least brings you some comfort knowing that friends and relative strangers alike from the forums are rooting for you and yours.
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Hey Jammin, here's to thinking of your grandkid and your family! :tup
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Oh man, this is tough to read. Hang in there Jammin and hoping to the best for your granddaughter, what a terrible thing for a child and their family. But the prognosis sounded positive, that's what you got to hold onto as Jingle said.
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Oh man, that's awful mate. As others have said, positive thinking and being there for your son is all you can do. More thoughts and well wishes coming your way. Fingers crossed it all works out.
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Hoping for the best for her and that treatment goes smoothly.
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Just an update.
The baby is doing well. By outside appearances and tests, she seems very healthy. But the growth is too large to remove. So they started chemotherapy last night. They are hoping that the growth will shrink down to a point where they can operate and remove it.
As I said, the baby seems strong and healthy on the outside, so confidence is still high that she will make it through this.
But needless to say, none of us are sleeping well.
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Damn....Wishing for the optimal outcome, and hoping you all keep your peace in this difficult time. I'm so sorry man.
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Damn that is hard.... but stay strong and positive
Hoping the chemo is succeful and that there will be a full recovery in due tie.
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Just an update.
The baby is doing well. By outside appearances and tests, she seems very healthy. But the growth is too large to remove. So they started chemotherapy last night. They are hoping that the growth will shrink down to a point where they can operate and remove it.
As I said, the baby seems strong and healthy on the outside, so confidence is still high that she will make it through this.
But needless to say, none of us are sleeping well.
Jesus, Ben. That is some serious shit. The good news is that the doctors know what they're doing and have a plan.
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There’s not much worse than a child with cancer. Jammin, my thoughts are with you and your family. Hoping you will have the best possible outcome. :heart
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Thinking about you, Jammin. Hope everything turns out okay (I'm in the "Chad camp" here).
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I just saw this thread, sorry for being late.
I really hope everything goes well and I can only imagine how it must feel to be in your situation.
Little kids are way tougher than they get credit for so I know she's fighting hard.
Stay strong.
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Yeah, I haven't been online much in the last 3 weeks. Best wishes Jammindude.
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I've been MIA lately - just seeing this now. Of course you have all of my well wishes, that goes without saying. I will offer you 2 pieces of unsolicited advice though:
1. Most hospitals are affiliated with a cancer support network. These networks can be godsends. They aren't just for moral support but also for very hands on support. I hope your family will get connected to them. They will have lots of resources, information, and support for you and yours.
2. Rightfully the majority of the focus will be on your granddaughter. But caregivers need support and space to take care of their own needs. Sometimes parents forget that part and as their child improves they find themselves completely depleted and exhausted. They can neglect their own health needs. You can be the person reminded them that it isn't selfish to take care of themselves too and then coordinate with other family members to find a way to help them do that.
:heart
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Thank you all.
The prognosis is still good. The growth is contained and not spreading…just too big to operate. So they are using chemo to shrink it down to operable levels.
Support isn’t really an issue. Their local congregation has practically overwhelmed them with support and love. My son says the hospital is a virtual revolving door of friends and loving relatives. And I have been given the honor of reading her bedtime stories every night over FaceTime.
But she has run into the issue of being either too sick to eat at all, or being so famished that she eats too much and throws it up, so they’ve had to give her a feeding tube.
Guys…they keep saying she’s going to get out of this, but I can’t stop being heartsick. :'(
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Even though the outlook is positive, the current circumstances can still be terrifying. Let all your emotions express themselves. We're here for you.
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Ugh! Heart wrenching.