Where to Visit Joe

Sorry, I didn't even think to tell you where Joe's at now so that you can visit if you want. He's at Roselawn Memorial Cemetery, 3801 Roselawn Dr, Denton TX 76207, in the "Garden of Oaks," plot 107. That's the cemetery right next to Hills and Hollows if you are familiar with that. It's back in the back of the cemetery, but it's really nice with an oak tree near the grave.

Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who helped all of us during this hard time. The funeral was beautiful and so well attended, it's clear that Joe was well loved. Thanks for all the prayers, visits, food, etc, they all meant a lot to us. Joe loved attention, so I think we all did him proud. :)

Come see Joe

The viewing will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel at 4501 Teasley Lane in Denton, on Thursday, Oct 9 from 11-1:30, with the funeral service to take place at 2 in the same location.

In lieu of flowers or cards, please make a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. See http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page?item_id=8477 for more info.

The Beginning

Our Heavenly Father finally called Joe home to him this morning around 3:30 am. He fought right up to the end, but he's no longer in pain. We know that Joe was loved by everyone whose life he touched, so we will post the viewing and funeral information as soon as we get it. Thank you for your prayers and visits, they really made a difference to Joe.

Almost over

Joe's fight is almost over.

As I write this, Joe's renal system is in the process of shutting down. That's a fancy way of saying that his body isn't flushing the toxins that build up as we eat and drink. The Doctors have said that this is the end, and it won't be long. We all love Joe and we are going to miss him terribly.
But...
There is an end to pain. And we believe that Death is not the end - that Joe will niether forget us nor will we forget him until we meet again.

We love you, Joe.

what to do?

I haven't written in a few days because I didn't know what to say without sounding all doom and gloom. Joe's entire torso is full of "nodules," which I assume is a nice way of saying tiny tumors. They think some of these nodules might be interfering with his internal organs for several reasons. First, his bladder wasn't working properly and now Joe has a catheter. When they first put it in, they got out 10,000 cc, and that's just not cool! He's retaining water so badly that he's gained back 50 pounds. His feet, legs, and stomach look so swollen the skin is stretched and shiny. The oncologist honestly doesn't know what to do next. It's been pretty rough in room 4210 lately, so if everyone could pray harder, we'd appreciate it. :)

Big foot strikes again!

I haven't been able to spend much time with Joe this week because I have been sick with a cold. My source of info when I'm not around is mom, and she's been sick, too. :( But here's what I do know: Joe's nutrapenic and his feet are even more swollen than usual. And Joe's feet being even bigger than usual is a sight to behold! That's about it. Sorry!

Hard Saturday

It was a hard Saturday yesterday. It wasn't hard for Joe so much as it was hard for all the rest of us. When the morning nurse came in Saturday morning, Joe had had a major personality change and had lost much of his body functions. All he did was sit there and smile, or even chuckle quietly to himself. He wouldn't eat, take his pills, or answer questions. He did answer some questions, but for the most part if you asked him a question he would just smile and put his head on his hand. He didn't remember when or where he was born, but he did remember all our names and he remembered that dad had surgery yesterday. The doctors thought that the cancer was in his brain or that possibly he had a stroke, so they did a bunch of tests and did an MRI, but it turned out that it was just one of the drugs he was on. Sometimes the drug for his nueropathy can have this effect on people, and also his electrolytes where out of whack. So they took him off the nurotin and put him on a magnesium drip, and around early evening, Joe started slowly returning to us. By night, he was perfectly fine! What a relief! So now we know what Joe's like when he's super dooper stoned. I prefer regular Joe!

these summer days

Joe's doing another round of chemo, and so far so good. I haven't posted because there's really nothing new to report. Joe's still in the hospital, still getting chemo, still lonely. That is all. :)

fever

Well, we had the meeting and they basically wanted to know if Joe felt safe being treated from home or would rather stay in the hospital. After some discussion, he and his oncologist agreed that they needed to get even more aggressive with the chemo, and so it would probably be better to stay right where he is. As always, he still would love for every one to write to him or call or come by. He is running a fever this morning but they are medicating for it. Joe's spirits are high and he feels good. Thanks for all the support. Looking forward to see everyone soon. Joe's mom

update

Thank you to everyone who really came through at the last minute on the Pampered Chef fundraiser! We got above the party mark, and I don't know what the exact numbers are, but I'll be sure and tell you as soon as I can.

Joe's doing well. He's rebounding well from the last chemo, but we don't know yet when the next round will start. The oncologist and a social worker want to meet with the family in Joe's room Tuesday morning, which kind of wigs me out, but I'm trying to not worry too much. Keep praying for us, especially Joe!

Pampered Chef

Just a reminder-there's just a few more days to order! We're actually $36 short of making a party order, which really complicates things, so please tell anyone you know that said they might order to do it now! Here's the instructions again:

-------------------------------------------------------------
It is simple to order.

1. Go to www.pamperedchef.biz/fonda
2. Click on Order Products (the picture of the Trifle Bowl)
3. Enter Joe Quinton as the host, click

You are then ready to shop.
-------------------------------------------------
OR you can paste this link into your browser.
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/fonda?page=host-search-results&showId=1703218

Thanks!

improvements

I forgot to mention something exciting in the last post! Joe's been improving physically, and he's made so much progress that he's been able to lose the eye patch and go back to binocular vision! YAY! It seems the chemo might not being killing his hair follicles anymore, cause he's covered with fuzz on top and he's getting quite a beard. The nursing staff has taken to calling him Grizzly Adams.

He's complained of being very lonely in the day, so if you're available during the day please try to drop by. Also, don't forget to place your Pampered Chef order soon! You only have about a week left!

keep on keeping on

Joe's doing pretty well, all things considered. He's been running a slight fever, but his counts haven't really dropped at all since his last round. The doctor found out a new way to do the chemo that's extremely effective on resistant cancers, so Joe's starting that this week. We all feel really hopeful that this is the key! The tumor on his chest is big and yucky looking. Get him to flash you if you want. You might want to take some mardi gras beads as incentive!

Don't forget to order some Pampered Chef! Scroll down to the next entry for details. :)

Happy monthaversary!

Tomorrow will mark 7 months in the hospital for our beloved Joe-dawg. So in celebration, I'm announcing-*too doo doooooo* ANOTHER FUNDRAISER!! YAY!!!! Due to popular demand, we're having Pampered Chef part duex. A lot of people have been asking if they can order more stuff, so here is the answer: YES! Order lots! Order often! Tell all your family and friends to order! Tell that guuy you know who always grilling in his garage! Tell your aunt that buys lots of cooking stuff but never cooks! Tell that person you know who always buys all their Christmas presents 6 months early! Tell everyone! Run don't walk! :)

-------------------------------------------------------------
It is simple to order.
1. Go to www.pamperedchef.biz/fonda
2. Click on Order Products (the picture of the Trifle Bowl)
3. Enter Joe Quinton as the host, click
You are then ready to shop.
-------------------------------------------------

OR you can paste this link into your browser.
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/fonda?page=host-search-results&showId=1703218

This one is all online, with no parties, and you have all of August to place your orders. Cut and paste this blog into your email browser and send it to everyone! Thanks for your help!

chemo ends, again

Well, the guns are loaded and the real battle begins. Joe is finishing his chemo today and now we will wait, again. He says that he is really lonely. I have not been able to spend whole days with him and he misses the companionship. Joe is a very social guy. So, if you can come to see him, that would be great. The days are long and usually the loneliest. He is growing hair now on his face and head, so he looks different. It seems that his beard is dark and his hair is blonde. His diet is not restricted any more so treats are okay. Not too much sugar or chocolate but he looks other stuff. Maybe a call to see what he is interested in at that time. Keep up the good work, guys, Joe needs your prayers and calls as much or more than ever. He gets depressed when he is alone a lot. See you there! Joe's mom

Battle Three Begins

The war is not over and we began Battle Three yesterday. They started chemo and will continue with four different ones for four days. He has had three of them before but one a VP-16 is new. One will run for 24 hours and the others are 2 hours over four days. He is feeling a little more allert today since they cut back on his pain meds yesterday. He really enjoyed the visits. We are taking the blog comments to him today. Even though he has internet now, it won't let him see the comments due to the hospital firewall. I don't know if he can email or not. So if you want to come before he hits the lows, now is a good time. He is more awake and feels pretty good. Next week on or about Tuesday he may start going down but we will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the prayers and comments. from Joe's mom

more of the same

Joe is feeling about the same today. Yesterday was particularly hard. Pixel died and we had to let Joe know. He seemed to take it pretty well since he had known that she was ill and not doing well. There is really not much to say. Please post your comments to Joe so he will know that you are out there. Thanks, his mom.

hard days

Yesterday was a really hard day for Joe. His platelet count went down to 2 and his white count went down to .4. His port went bad and he has a staph infection again. He ran a fever of 102 during the night and they used ice to get it down. It went up and down all day. He received 2 bags of platelets and a bag of blood through an IV that they started in his hand. His pain meds were given in a shot as they couldn't hook up the blood and the pain pump at the same time. In between each bag of blood they gave him a bag of antibiotic. Three doctors were in to see him. Dr. Cichon (oncology) told us that he has another mass as revealed by the Cscan they did. It is 6cm and between his lung and ribs. This was quite a blow as we were hoping that they had gotten rid of everything with the last cheme. Dr. Spivey gets back on Wed. and hopefully Joe's counts will be up and they can do something. His infectious diseases doctor was in and said that the low white count allowed the staph to get hold and the staph caused the low platelet. He seemed confident that we could see some good results from the antibiotic by Tues or so. Today Joe is still feeling kinda low and tired. It will take some time to get back up on top but I know he will do it. Thanks for your support. Joe's Mom

lower and lower

Joey's counts are getting lower and lower. His platelets are 7 and his white count is .4. They gave him blood last night and are giving him more today, as well as platelets. He sounded a little stronger when I talked to him so that was the transfusion. I know he misses me and his dad coming up there every day so we appreciate those who take the time to go by and see him. His dad is getting better and hopefully by the end of the week he will be able to get up to the hospital to see Joe. Thanks for the prayers and visits. Please pray extra hard this week. It is the most dangerous time for Joe.

not so good today

I know that Margie wrote yesterday, but I talked with Joe this morning and he is not feeling well at all. His platelet count is down to 16 and the last time he got that low, he had a nose bleed for 16 hours. They are giving him shots to boost his white cell and red cell counts but that doesn't seem to be doing the trick. He thinks they should give him blood but the doctor disagrees. Dr. Spivey is on vacation (how could he?) and Dr. Cichon (Say shawn) is on duty. Pray if you could. He could really use some short visits if possible. Thanks for caring. His Mom

holding steady

Joe's in good spirits lately, although he is nutrapenic. Some of his other blood counts have fallen as well, but they've given him drugs and transfusions and he doesn't seem nearly as hard hit this round as he has in the past. Dad is also doing extremely well. He was sent home Monday, and since Mom is staying home with him for the most part, Joe's spending his days alone, so if you're available during the day you might make a special effort to get by to see him. That's about it for now!

bad luck

Joe's continuing to hold steady as far as counts and whatnot are concerned. He's finished the latest round of chemo, so his counts should really start dropping anytime now. His last lumbar puncture produced clear liquid rather than cloudy, so that's a good sign.

Dad's sextuple bypass went well. The doctor says he has strong arteries and a strong heart with no enlargement, so the prognosis for a great recovery is good. He looked great after the surgery, not at all like he had been split stem to stern for the better part of the day! :)

The latest bad news has really been a serious blow to Joe. His cat Pixel is very sick. She has feline peritonitis (Google "FIP, dry form"). It's caused by a virus she could have picked up at any point in her life, and when she became stressed or sick, it developed into the FIP. She started showing signs shortly after Joe went into the hospital, so I'm guessing that was the stress that brought it on. It's not curable, and most cats who have the dry form live for about a year after they are diagnosed. (This is far better than the wet form, where the cats suffer horribly and usually only live for a month or two. Most people opt for euthanization in that case.) But, the vet gave us antibiotics, liver pills (cause her liver function is compromised), and steroids, and hopefully with those and good nutrition we can give her a good slightly longer life. I had never heard of this, and it's a disease that only affects cats, both domestic and wild. There is a new vaccine against the original virus, and I ask you to look into it if you have cats. It is contagious and can live in the environment for 3-7 weeks, so if you come into contact with Pixel, please wash your hands and arms thoroughly before contacting other cats. Fortunately, she has shown some improvement on the meds, so hopefully we can keep her alive at least until Joe's out of the hospital himself. I personally want to know if Joe was very very bad in a past life or something? Was he a evil warlord or head kitten drowner or something? Geez louise, what next?!?

6 months!

Today is Joe's 6 month anniversary! What's the gift for 6 months in the hospital? Paper? Food? Who knows! They need an etiquette guide for this sort of thing. So far, Joe's been doing really well on the chemo, but it usually doesn't hit him for a day or two. My son just got back into town last night and I think it's really boosting Joe's spirit to spend time with him, and that's good, cause it looks like he might be spending LOTS of time with him. You see, I can't take him to work with me, so mom's taking him up to the hospital. This morning dad was supposed to get an angioplasty, so mom left Ethan with Joe while dad was getting the procedure so she could be available for the doctors to speak to her. When they got in there, they decided that dad was in way worse shape than they thought. They admitted him to ICU, and tomorrow he's getting a sextuplet bypass. That's right, 6 arteries are THAT blocked. So, hopefully Joe stays in good shape, or I'll have to take Ethan to work with me, and my boss HATES kids! :)

Joe's really appreciated all the extra visitors that have been coming his way lately. He said, "I don't know why all of the sudden everyone's coming to visit me, but I like it!" Tee hee! It'll be our little secret! Thanks for taking the time and keep up the good work!

intensive chemo today!

Today is the day that Joe starts another round of chemo. He is glad as the mass in his lower back has begun to grow again and is causing a lot of pain. It is more intensive than he has had in the past so we don't know what is going to happen. He has really enjoyed the visitors he has had and appologizes for his dropping off to sleep. Please keep him in your prayers as this is going to be a rough week. Thanks from his mom.

double entry

Well, Joey is doing pretty good. He had some bad times with some unstoppable bleeding last week but with 6 pints of blood and 3 bags of platelets he is okay now. This week he is facing another intrathecal where they put chemo into his spine after taking a sample to test. He has to stay flat for 4 to 6 hours after, so he is not too fond of this procedure. His platelet count is 114thousand so they will be starting another round of chemo soon. He really appreciates all the people who came to see him the past couple of weeks. It makes a big difference to him, even if it is a short visit. He tends to doze off, but will wake shortly, so be patient and bring a friend to talk to while you wait. So keep up the good work. See you at the hospital.

today or tomorrow

Today was another good day for Joe. He walked to the nurses station with the walker and a physical therapist named Kenny. He is getting stronger and his left arm has more movement in it than it has had in a long time. He was going to have a spinal tap but it has been put off until tomorrow. He said he has really appreciated all the people who visited him or called. It makes all the difference to him. His counts are really good. His platelets are up to 114 thousand which is close to normal. Last week was really rough with 3 units of platelets and about 6 bags of blood. he says he feels like a vampire. He is eating a lot better now so any homemade goodies are appreciated. If you are not sure, give him a call. He will be getting a second round of chemo soon so you better enjoy this lull while it lasts. Call or come by and say hi. Thanks to all. Joe's Mom

situation normal

Joe's still better than he was, but he's feeling the effects of the chemo. He's nutrapenic off and on, and his other counts are a little low, too, which is why they gave him a transfusion yesterday. He's got sores in his mouth, and the've had to put him back on IV nutrition. He's officially lost 100 pounds in the last 6 months, and the oncologist has said that Joe's size going in is literally what's kept Joe alive through all this. He's tired, but he's really been enjoying the visits from everyone. That REALLY helps keep his spirits up, so thanks to everyone who's been able to get by.

better and better

Joe has been steadily improving since he receiving the new treatment. He still can't swallow real food, but he's able to get up to move to his chair, so he's MUCH happier. He's nutrapenic right now, but that's good cause it means the chemo's working. His friend Ryan got a 5 week leave from the Peace Corp to come visit Joe. Man, there's a guy who not only asks what he can do for his country, but also asks what he can do for his friends! Last night I got to hear all about Vanuatu, which is an island nation off New Zealand where he's stationed. It was VERY interesting!

So, for our next fundraiser, we're going to be selling t-shirts. I'm not sure yet exactly what the price will be as it will depend on what the costs are. I'm hoping they'll be somewhere between 10 and 15 bucks. If you'd like to pre-order so I'm sure to have your size, say the word. Also, if you have an idea for a design or slogan, submit it, baby! So far the best one I've heard is, "Forget the whales; save Joe!" If I get more than one good submission, we'll have a vote! Exciting!

good news that looks bad at first

First, I'd like to thank all the people who have come to visit Joe this week. You're good people! Keep up the good work. :)

Second, word has come from MD Anderson. He's been rejected. BUT. Not because he doesn't have insurance, but rather because they think he's fine where he is. He's not eligible for the stem cell therapy because that's only for people in remission, which he's obviously not. They told Joe's oncologist to keep up the chemo, only more so, and they suggested an antibody medication that should clear out his neurological system and take care of all the physical problems he's been having! Yay! So Big Joe's staying in Denton. He's already doing chemo again and he starts the antibody drug today. I have no idea how fast it will work, but hopefully fast!

We need your help

Ok, people, this is a little more on the serious side. Joe's in real bad shape these days, and it's not easy to be around him. I know I've not been visiting him as regularly as I used to. But the thing is; no body's been visiting him lately, other than family. He's getting depressed. REAL depressed. He misses his friends and all the socialization that he's used to. PLEASE make some time to go see him for a couple of hours. He'll probably be asleep when you get there. Go ahead and wake him up, he'll be happy you did. It'll be hard for you, but Joe really REALLY needs people right now. There's no need to bring anything. He can't eat or read, and he's not watching movies anymore, just your presence is enough. I hope that visits will be spaced out so everyone doesn't show up the same day, but even that would be better than nothing. I'm serious, PLEASE, I'm begging you, this is more important than any fundraiser. Please go, and go again and again. Thank you.

Waiting is the hardest

Dr Spivey is still working on getting Joe into a better hospital, and Joe's going downhill while we watch. He has to stay in bed because he falls if he even sits up. Now he's lost the ability to swallow, so they've been running tests to figure out what's up with that and he's on IV nutritiony goodness. In order to keep the cancer at bay while we find a place for him, Dr Spivey is going to start him on the same chemo that he did before, assuming nothing else changes, on Friday. He's out of it most of the time because of the pain killers, but they switched him to a constant pump, so he's slightly more intelligible now than he was before. Keep the prayers coming kiddoes!

stupid system

We're waiting and hoping right now. Baylor turned Joe down because he doesn't have insurance. The doctors are trying and trying to find a hospital that has the facilities to treat him that will take him, but I'm worried because the cancer moves so fast; I hope the search doesn't take too long. They're checking out a hospital in Houston and one in Galveston that has a program that would pay for everything, so hopefully that would work out. The oncologist suggested contacting the media, so I wrote all the local news stations and Oprah. :) I haven't heard back from any of them. If any body out there has any suggestions or knows any strings they can pull, we'll gladly take the help!

Out of the frying pan. . .

It seems that Joe has a tumor in his spine and holes in his pelvis bones, both of which are caused by the lymphoma. The tumor in his spine is causing him huge amounts of pain, so he's drugged up all the time making it pretty hard to carry on a conversation with him! He's started falling down again, so he has a huge knot on his head, which is apparently not as hard as I thought. His oncologist says he needs more extreme treatment which can't be done where he is, so they are transferring him to Baylor as soon as possible. I don't know which Baylor, but I assume the one in Dallas. Once he is there, they are going to start giving him the drug that increases his cell production. They will then start sucking out his stem cells and freezing them until they have enough to work with. Then they will give him some super hard core chemo, and shoot the stem cells back in, but I'm not really up on all this so I may not really understand what's going to happen. If you'd like to visit Joe before you have to drive to downtown Dallas and pay for parking, I would suggest getting up there today.

Spoke too soon

Apparently, I should never say anything optimistic about Joe's situation because it only jinxes things. This weekend, Joe started having extremely painful muscle spasms in his butt and lower back. They're having to keep him on high doses of muscle relaxants and deladen, and as a result he sleeps most of the time. After doing a c-scan and an MRI, it turns out he has a mass AND and abnormality in the hip area. The are going to biopsy the mass and do a pet scan on the abnormality. They have no idea what this is all about, but it didn't happen until after his latest bone marrow biopsy, which he said was FAR more painful than either of the other two, so I'm guessing it's related. Hopefully they'll figure it out quickly.

looking good!

Joe seems to be coming to the end of the hospital road! He had a colonoscopy and cat scan last week which declared him tumor free, and lab results show that his staff infection has cleared up. They still have him on antibiotics for it, but better safe than sorry, right? Today they did a bone marrow biopsy, and we should get preliminary results in a few days, and full results in a couple of weeks. So Joe could be home soon! WOOT!

home stretch

The garage sale was a huge success, and we rasied over $900! How great is that? Many thanks to all who contributed, participated, tried to contribute or participate, shopped, or just sent good vibes our way. And now I will never have another garage sale ever again, so don't ask!

Joe is doing very well and seems in good spirits in general. He had the intrathecal shot, and Monday he should be getting a bone marrow biopsy and a colonscopy (for checking on the abdominal tumors). He has a raging staff infection still, but he's on the good drugs for that, so hopefully it'll clear up quickly. Keep sending prayers and visiting!

and the counts go down

Well, you all know that Joey finished his fourth final (hopefully) chemo and we have been waiting for his counts to go down. The wait is over and they are officially down. He is neutropenic (low white cells - no defense ) and his platelets are at 3 which is where they were when he went into the hospital. That means that he has no way to make clots so he can't get HURT!!! He is being very careful and if anyone out there is sick, put off that visit until later. When he gets better they will do the intrathecal (spinal tap plus chemo) and a CAT to see where his cancer cells are or if they are. If they have been truly conquered, and we hold our mouths just right, maybe he can go home! Shh! whisper and don't tell anyone so nothing else happens to foil his attempt to escape the evil hospital. Anyway, he is feeling kinda sick and low right now so anything to cheer him up would be nice. Also we are having a garage sale tomorrow for his fund so give us a call for directions and find all the treasure you can carry away, for a good cause. Until better news, bye, bye.

Change

The Cool Beans fundraiser has been changed to May 9th, so if you go tonight and give them money, it'll only go to them, not Joe!

waiting on the kidneys

The oncologist came yesterday and said that Joe's kidneys are doing well, and if they continue to improve, they should be starting the last round of chemo on Monday. He also said that he's planning on transferring Joe to a rehabilitation place after he lets him out of the hospital where he'll get physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and any other therapies that they do. I wonder if he'll get massage therapy! It seems that when people get the kind of neurological problems from cancer that Joe has, it sometimes takes months of rehab to get back to working order again. Sucks, huh? I mean it's not enough to get cancer, am I right?

I've decided to move the garage sale to the first weekend in May. If you have any items you'd like to donate, please let me know.

Don't forget to get on down to Cool Beans this Thursday for karaoke. Or at least tell everyone you know! :)

just chillin'

Nothing really new to report. Joe's pretty much the same, although his demands for various food are getting annoying. :) He got a transfusion because his white blood count was getting low, and as soon as they get his kidney levels to a satisfactory point they're going to start the last round of chemo. The biggest thing is that after spending 3 months in the hospital, Joe the social butterfly is LONELY. He misses his friends! If you haven't been getting by to see him please try to go. It would be especially nice if people could try to come by during the day, because most people come in the evening. You might also call to see if anyone else is already there, cause it seems like everyone comes on the same day!

Next Thursday, April 24th, Cool Beans is having another Karaoke fundraiser! They're making jello shots, so come on down and get your booze in jiggle form and sing till you puke. Tell everyone you know!

If drinking isn't your thing, come on down to the garage sale fundraiser we're having the weekend after that (April 25-26) It's going to be at 1802 Avon Dr in Corinth. If you have any items you'd like to donate to sell just send me an email and I will make arrangements with you. Thanks!

same old same old

Joe's just chilling these days. He had some troubles with a fever for a while, but that seems to have cleared up. He had started shaking pretty bad, but the doctors figured out that he was getting too much medication for his nueropathy, and once they cut it back the shaking cleared right up. He's had a lump on his shoulder from the staff infection which the surgeon finally agreed to lance. I hear that was pretty gross, I wish I was there! :) The oncologist is pretty worried about Joe's neurological problems and is not happy with the Denton neurologists on this one. I think he's going to call in somebody new. Joe's bored a lot, feel free to come by and visit him!

By the way, we're having a huge fundraising garage sale on April 26th at 1802 Avon Dr in Corinth. Come by, and tell everyone you know!

End stretch?

Joe seems to be doing pretty well. He got a chemo to the spine shot today and he won't have to have another for a month. They think he's technically in remission, but the doctor's still worried about his neurological disorders, so he's still hanging onto him. His kidneys seem to on the mend, because the numbers for that have gotten better rather than just staying put. He's being switched to a different painkiller, so watch for crankiness! Just kidding.

Here's something crazy: the people who determine whether he should get disability want him to get a second opinion from THEIR doctor before they approve him! Cause he's been faking all this time. Or maybe he and ALL the GAZILLIONS of doctors who have kept him in the hospital for three months are scamming the system! Retarded, eh? Needless to say, he's going to have to call and tell them that he won't be able to make the appointment. Stupid bureaucracy.

3rd round down

Joe finished his third round of chemo, and surprisingly hasn't gone nutrapenic, which is nice for all of us! He's been achy, and his back is especially pained, but that's probably because his kidneys are starting to feel the pressure. You see, chemo is super duper hard on the kidneys, and people who have Burkett's have to have such aggressive chemo that it's a given that they'll have to go on kidney dialyses, and even get a kidney transplant usually. Joe's oncologist was actually surprised that his kidney's haven't shown signs of wear before this. He was actually genuinely surprised that they didn't trash his kidneys in the FIRST round! So, they're just giving him a drug that flushes the toxins out of the kidneys, which means it's actually not that bad yet. He's still peeing, and that's a good sign. He's supposed to tell them the instant he STOPS peeing, and I'm slightly confused as to how he'll know. Like, how many hours do you have to NOT pee before you realize that you're NOT peeing? 1? 4? 12? But I'm sure the nurses will be asking him, so they probably know what to look for. Other than that, it's the same old story. He's doing well. He's ready to go home, big time, but he's keeping his spirits up. I think his face is getting a little better, but it's hard to tell. All in all, things are right on track.

*UPDATE*
The nephrologist (that's a kidney doctor) came and said that Joe's kidney's were just getting clogged up from something in one of his drips, so they've taken him off of that and put him on something else, and the whole thing is clearing right up! Go team Joe's kidneys!

3rd round woes

Well, Margie is busy so I am writing for her. This is Pat, Joe's mom. Joe has one more chemo drug to go in this 3rd but it is the worst. He has been very tired and sleeps a lot. They are giving him so many meds that cause drowsiness, that is not surprising. He says he is kind of lonely so don't hesitate to go see him if you have the time. They put him back on IVIG, the one for his neurological problems so we will see how that works. His eyes seem to be doing a little better and he is walking more so that is the good news. The bad news is they won't let him go home and he really wants to. He tolerated the lumbar puncture last Friday pretty well but now has bad headaches. Today it was migraine and they had to give him a pill for that and it helped. He still isn't neutropenic as of today so get your visit in before it's too late.

chemo again

Joe started his most recent round of chemo on Monday, and it seems to be going pretty well. He's tired in general, but so far he's not puking or nutrapenic. He was having some problems with falling down, but then we realized that it was blood pressure problems and he started standing up more slowly and it all cleared up. Pretty much everything else is the same, but keep checking back!

Ah, irony

So Joe's counts are spectacular! He's able to get up and move around, and he's feeling pretty durn good. The irony is that the doctor said that if it weren't for the neurological problems (the AIDP specifically) Joe could go home today! So he's aloud to wander the hospital and even the grounds, but he can't leave. They don't know yet when the next round of chemo is going to be so now is a fantastic time to go for a visit! Go now! Run, don't walk!

New week, new pic line

This week, Joe's numbers have been extremely low as a result of the chemo. They were so low as a matter of fact, that he had 5 transfusions on Thursday, 3 on Friday, and 3 on Saturday. But he's finally not nutrapenic anymore! It's all part of cancer apparently. They had to take out his pic line because it wasn't working anymore and they found out that the reason it's not working is because he has a blood clot in his arm. I have no idea what they're doing about the clot. He should be getting a new pic line as we speak on the other side.

He had a very bad weekend. He's been throwing up all the time and sore all over. He got a migraine last night and, unfortunately, he vomited immediately after taking his migraine pills. The doctor said he might be sore from a certain medication and said they'd skip it today and see if it helps. In spite of everything, he's doing a good job of keeping his spirits up.

doing better

Sorry I haven't updated this week, I've been having serious allergies. Joe's doing a lot better with the paralysis, and he's getting better everyday. He was supposed to have another chemo shot in the spine yesterday but his platelet count was down to 33 so they rescheduled for Friday. He's not nutrapenic anymore, so that's good. Not much else to report.

2nd round almost done

Joe's just about finished with his second round of chemo. He's doing pretty durn well this time. He's been doing chemo since Monday, and he just started throwing up again last night. Other than that, he really doesn't seem to be having other chemo symptoms.

The medication for the AIDP is already working! He's able to stand on his own again enough to switch between his bed and chair without having to be lifted (which is really good considering he was getting to the point that he couldn't even sit up!). They're supposed to be getting him a walker so that he can go to the restroom on his own, but I think they forgot cause it hasn't shown up yet. He still has problems with his "T-Rex" arms as he calls them, and he can only feed himself dry foods that can be held easily in one hand, but it's still better than it was. Yesterday I kept gushing about how much better he was already because I just couldn't get over it!

He has to do respiratory and physical therapy exercises now, so that's more people trooping in and waking him up in the morning. (And waking me up this morning! Grrr.) But it's good that they take care of him. AIDP can cause serious problems if it gets into the lungs or the heart, so I guess it's better for them to stay on top of things.

He's nutrapenic again, so if you're sick please send your love rather than bringing it to him. :) His platelet count is staying totally awesome! Keep those prayers coming, and have a good weekend!

answers!

Although the MRI didn't show anything, Joe was visited by a neurologist today who has diagnosed his paralysis problems and it's good news! The paralysis and weakness in his body is caused by something called Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (try saying that 10 times fast!) or AIDP. It was probably brought on by his staff infection, and it is fully treatable. He will mostly likely be treated and left with few to no lasting effects. The neurologist just needed to confer with the oncologist to see if the treatment could be administered with chemo. But, according to my research, many patients begin a slow recovery (at least 10 weeks) on their own after peak paralysis about 4 weeks after onset. I would much rather him receive treatment, but it's nice to know that it's not an emergency.

The facial paralysis is caused by Bell Palsy, which is nerve damage. It is kind of like a really mild stroke, and it repairs itself and is not permanent. It usually occurs in people with compromised immune systems. It could take anywhere between 2 weeks and 18 months to fully repair it's self, but how awesome is it that neither one of these problems is a huge deal?!? I'm happier today than I've been in a while! Joe does have some neuropathy in his fingers that MAY be permanent, but that is much more acceptable than being a quadriplegic, as far as I'm concerned.

The oncologist has ordered physical therapy, and Joe may or may not be starting radiation soon, since it's yet to be decided. Joe has not been throwing up at all lately and while he's frustrated that he can't do anything for himself now, he seems to be keeping his spirits up.

MRI day

You might remember that the left side of Joe's face has lost mobility. Well, over the weekend this spread at an alarming rate. He lost a lot of the use of his arms (he can't raise them up at all), and his hands, he keeps dropping things, and today he started falling down almost every time he got up. The oncologist is extremely distressed and ordered a full set of MRI's for Joe. Since the hospital doesn't have an MRI large enough to accommodate Joe's large and manly shoulders, they had to transport him via ambulance to a facility in Flower Mound. He was there for at least 4 hours get all kinds of MRI's done, before being taken back to his trusty room. The most likely problem is that cancer cells have bunched around the nerves near the brain stem. They tend to start at the top and drift down, which is why it started with his face and ended with his legs. If that is the case, they will probably be adding radiation to his treatment regimen.

On the plus side, Joe slept better last night than he has in weeks. The oncologists claims that he was up all night worrying, and he's not the only one that's missing sleep, so I guess it's good that Joe's sleeping! I spent the night at the hospital last night because Joe really can't take care of himself. If any of his REALLY close friends would like to volunteer to take a night (or day for that matter), please let us know.

Next round

Joe's numbers have been spectacular, but that should change soon because he starts his next round of chemo today. Hopefully he'll weather it well.

Our thanks to anyone who was able to make it out to Cool Beans of Saturday. Karaoke night raised a whopping $951!!!! How awesome is that?!? Looks like the radiology department might be getting a check this week, so they thank you too. :) Don't forget to check out Pampered Chef to see if you want any awesome kitchen stuff.

Keep those good prayers and thoughts coming. Joe is still got a long road ahead of him, and we all appreciate the love and support.

Party time!

Dude! I totally forgot to tell you about another fundraiser! If you like to party, tonight at Cool Beans starting at 10:30, there will be a Karaoke fundraiser with $1 jello shots! All proceeds go to Joe. You heard me right ONE DOLLAR JELLO SHOTS! Cool Beans, on the roof, 10:30, Saturday February 23rd. You know you're gonna be getting drunk tonight anyway, why not have the money go to Joe instead of some skeezy bar owner? If you get confused or have questions find Bobbie, she'll be spinning for this event. GO THERE, the gods command it!

What a diffrence a day makes!

It's seems that I was right, as usual! :) The doctor thought that trying migraine pills was a good idea, so he did and it worked like a charm! Joe is a new man! He still throws up a little bit, but you expect that sort of behavior from a cancer patient. His head still hurts, but it's very slight and bearable and he's able to eat, sit up, watch TV, converse, and even laugh again! It warmed the cockles of my little heart to see! His counts are excellent, and as soon as the bone marrow biopsy results are in the doctor will decide what to do next. This might be a good time to visit Joe if you want to, before his next round of chemo starts and he gets all nutrapenic again. Be sure and call first, just in case. And don't surprise him with food; he hardly has any appetite, so it's smarter to check with him and get him just what he thinks he can eat. Chemo changes your taste buds, and Joe doesn't like things he used to, like chocolate tastes horrible to him now. What did he do in a past life that he's being punished for?!?

For anyone who's interested in ordering from Pampered Chef, here's how to go about it:
1. Go to www.pamperedchef.biz/fonda
2. Click on Order Products (the trifle bowl)
3. Enter Joe Quinton as the host
They're then ready to shop.

Remember that 30% of what you spend goes straight to Joe, and you get some awesome kitchenware! Send this info to anyone you know who might want to order something, but remember all orders need to be placed by March 28th. Thanks for your support!

not well

I don't know if I was misinformed or if I misunderstood, but Joe told me tonight that the cancer is in his brainstem. He didn't ask he doctor how bad that is, and I've been looking online and I can't seem to find anything about that. Joe's condition seems to be getting worse all the time. He's thrown up at least 10 times today, and as of 7 this evening had only eaten a jello cup. His head hurts so much that he can't tolerate any light at all and can't even really carry on a conversation. For the time I was there he was clearly in massive amounts of pain. The doctor put him on a deladum drip which means he will receive constant painkillers, but I told him that it seems like a migraine and he should ask the doctor if migraine drugs might do more for him. He asked me to pray for him A LOT, and I'm sure your prayers would be appreciated as well. The bone marrow biopsy is tomorrow morning, and I hope that they will start the next round of chemo after that because if that's what it takes to get rid of that headache then they should get on the ball! As his white blood cell count is 7, and his platelet count is 550 *!* I personally see no reason for them to wait. I know that they wanted Joe to go home between, but he obviously can't go anywhere in his current condition. It seems quite unfair really, that he waited all this time for his counts to get higher and now he can't enjoy it. On the up side, visitors no longer have to wear masks! Send all those good vibes Joe's way, he needs them now more than ever!

not much change

So, Joe had his spinal tap today and it didn't show any cancer cells or white blood cells in his spinal fluid, which is good. They went ahead a shoved some chemo in there while they were at it. Basically, now they're like, "Well, we don't know. Maybe it'll get better after the next round of chemo," which I for one am not very satisfied with. It could be that he has a tumor pressing a nerve between his brain and his face, or it could be something else. Nobody knows, which sucks.

Tomorrow, the oncologist is doing the bone marrow biopsy and then will decide if he's going whole hog with the next round of chemo or not. Today Joe's numbers are fabulouso, with his white blood cells at 2.7 (which means he's not nutrapenic anymore, but they've asked everyone to continue wearing masks until tomorrow, just in case) and platelets at 280! All time high!

Joe's facial hair has started falling out, so I guess the hair loss is starting at the top and traveling down. I tried pulling out some of his arm hairs, but they seemed to want to stay put. Joe wanted them to, also. Some people have no sense of humor!

The doctor gave him a prescription for his vomiting, which he takes as needed, so I'm sure that will be a great help to him. The hospital has started proceedings to get Joe on SSI/disability, which is too great for words!

scary

Joe seems to have taken a rather serious turn. The left side of his face is numb, which means that the left side of his tongue, mouth and left eyelids aren't working. He looks kind of like a stroke victim. He had a cat scan and an MRI (since he lost 45 lbs, he fits now!), and tomorrow he'll be having a spinal tap. It seems like the most likely candidates, in this order, are: a tumor in his brain, fluid putting pressure on his brain, or a hematoma on his brain. I didn't have the courage to ask what the long term effects of this could be. I figured let's find out what it is before we worry about that. Seems this is also most likely what's been causing his vomiting, which has gotten exponentially worse in the last couple of days. Conversly, his numbers seems to be going up. How ironic is that?

He really doesn't want visitors at the moment, so be sure and call to see if it's ok rather than just popping in. I'll update the second I have more information.

low

Joe's numbers are still low (white blood cells around 1.1 and platelets at 21), and his oncologist is concerned. He thought that they would be going back up by now, so he's thinking about doing another bone marrow biopsy to see if the chemo he's gotten so far is doing anything. If it is working, they might just have to go ahead and do the next round of chemo without waiting for his numbers to get higher. If it's not working, they might have to pump up the volume as it were. I think if they're gonna do more chemo either way, then why do the biopsy, but I don't have a fancy degree, so what do I know?

The joys of vomit

Joe's been put on a major antibiotic that's causing him to puke left and right. No fun. His shoulder was getting better, but now it's started having a severe pain at the corner of his shoulder. It might be liquid on the joint, but I haven't heard the latest. He seems to only be losing the hair on his head and not on his face or bady. Weird. Or maybe not. Is that normal? He's pretty good, but he's lonely because just about every person on the face of the planet is sick and can't visit him. So, if you are one of the lucky few who have managed to escape disease, PLEASE drop in!

All's well

Joe's still in the hospital, and is still nutrapenic. Yesterday his platelets were down to 45 and his white blood count was pretty low too. Today they are slightly higher, so that's good. His tumours (turns out he has 2!) have gotten smaller! YAY! He also has lost between 30 and 40 pounds since he went into the hospital (1 month ago! Can you believe it?). Man, let me tell ya, if you want to lose weight, cancer's the fastest method ever, although Joe says he would have preferred a different method. His stubble is falling out and getting all over the pillow, so he's considering getting the nurse to shave his head. He seems to be in pretty good spirits for the most part, although he's really missing human contact since we're not allowed to touch him. :( But, he does gets to watch the Discovery channel all day, and that really bouys his spirits! His port infection is looking tons better, and that's REALLY good!

The Deladum they had him on for pain stopped working, so they switched him to Morphine, but that was making him throw up. So now they've put him on massive quantities of Deladum, and that seems to work like a charm. The doctor said that the problem they're facing is Joe's size. Since Burkitt's is usually a children's disease, they have no frame of reference for time frames or medication amounts. Seems you can't just say, oh well, a 50 pound kid gets this much, so let's see here, multiply by. . .carry the one. . . They're pretty much estimating everything and seeing what works. He was supposed to start his next round of chemo on the 13th, but the doctor says no way until his counts are up enough. So he WILL come home between, the question is just how long will that be? No body knows but God, and he ain't spilling the beans.

The Pampered Chef party is being moved to March 15th at 11am. Once again, if you want to be invited email me! I should be getting the info tomorrow for anyone who can't come to the party but still wants to be involved. Thanks for all the great interest already expressed! We are all genuinely touched and grateful for all the wonderful support and love coming our way. You people are THE BEST!!

The spell check on this blog no longer seems to work, so I apoligize if anything is horribly mangled. I used to be able to spell, but aging and spell check ruined it all.

I was wrong!

Well, clearly Joe did not get out of the hospital last week. He's still nutrapenic (which means his white blood cell count is below 2 and everyone has to wear masks) and he's not even aloud to leave his room, let alone the hospital. But he seems to be in better spirits and he's in the mood to socialize, so if you're not sick come on down! It's hard to believe that he's in a good mood since his hair has officially started falling out. But he entertains himself by pulling chunks of it out at a time, which is quite disturbing. Next time you see him, I'll have given him a buzz cut, so brace yourself for no well gelled metrosexual like you're used to!

They've had to put him on bags of stuff that look like milk that's full of good stuff because they don't think he's eating enough. Maybe you can think of something to bring that would tempt him! I'm gonna take him some ramen, but I feel sure you can do better. :) Remember, no uncooked foods like fruit, and his mouth hurts so rough foods won't go well.

I'm having a Pampered Chef fund raiser party on March 8th. All profits from everything sold go to Joe, as well as the sales lady's commission (isn't that nice of her!). Anyone who is interested is welcome to send the information to anyone in the US, and you don't have to go to the party to be involved. If you'd like to come to the actual party, email me your address at margie_vi@yahoo.com and I will mail you an invite, or if you'd like information for ordering or for sending information to all your friends and relatives (especially your rich aunt who loves to cook) email me and as soon as I get the info I'll send it straight to you. We've just received the first medical bills, and boy howdy! So don't order anything at anyone else's party!! :) Catch ya soon!

baby steps

Joe's white blood count is up to 1. something or other, and his platelet count is down very slighty but nuthing to worry about. All of the crazy poisonous chemo is finally gone from his system and they were able to take him off of the rescue drugs today. They've hung a cabinet with masks and gloves and whatnot outside his door so that people are sure to not miss it. He's clearly feeling better, but not by much. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say Joe's not getting out of the hospital this week! I visited with him for a little while today and we watched some delicious looking dessert being made on cable. It piqued both of our interest, so he must not be in too bad of shape!

Not better

Joe's white blood cell count is back down to .5 and feeling pretty crappy. To the best of my knowledge, for two days he's been turning away all visitors, including family. Of course, maybe he's just turning away family cause he's sick of us. :) Mom has gone into the hospital for surgery herself, so my spy on the inside isn't so inside anymore! She is told by the nurse that Joe's mostly just wallowing, but the nurse could just be reading into the situation, I dunno.

Better

Joe seems to be doing better this week. He's just finishing up his first round of chemo and his platelet count is 130! His white blood cell count is hovering around 2 more or less, and his hemoglobin is down, so he's still getting transfusions. His blood poisoning seems to be getting better, and the doctor is quite amazed at Joe's excellent progress. If he continues in this direction, he might be able to come home at the end of the week! He'll have to go back on Feb 13th for his next round of chemo, but at least he might get SOME time at home! He's very excited, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

Bad blood

Joe's somehow gotten blood poisoning, so they've had to stop chemo and put him on a huge array of all the most baddest antibiotics known to man. His port is no good as a result (which is actually why they've stopped chemo, since they can't do chemo through an IV.), so they've taken him to surgery today to put in a new one. His shoulder on the side of the port is covered with bright red streaks and that shoulder hurts really bad all through from front to back. (I know because I tried to help him up yesterday by means of his shoulder much to his dismay. I also found out he gets annoyed when you stand on his IV. Go figure!) The good news in all of this is that his platelet count is up to 65! Woohoo!

Now that they've put in a new pic line, they're going to be starting a really nasty chemo that's going to take a full 24 hours to administer, and right after that they give him something to counteract the nasty effects of the chemo for the next 24 hours. Sounds like a good time! It seems to me that when the nurses basically get into biohazard gear to even handle the bag that the chemo is in that you should wonder if you really want it going into your body, but I guess it's better than the alternative!

It's pretty hard to get Joe to smile these days, but keep on trying! He got some cards from the kids at church, and one summed up all of our sentiments. It said, "May your blood win!" That's kind of our battle cry at the hospital now. Along with the thought on another card, that said simply, "Pohah." We have no idea what the heck that means, but we yell it with pride!

Hard week

Joe's having a pretty hard week, since he feels especially bad lately. He's been getting chemo almost every day for over a week, and today he got chemo and then received his first chemo shot in the spine, which he says is even worse than a spinal tap. His fever has gone up to 101, and for most of the day he was sleeping the sleep of the pained. He hasn't been up to having many visitors lately, so if you go he asks that you knock on the door and wait for a family member to come tell you if he's up to seeing you. He has been enjoying hearing the comments that you all having been leaving, so keeping on leaving them! I haven't been able to see him myself since I have a cold sore and can't go up right now, but he's still in the loving care of other family members, have no fear! All his counts are down and he's received more transfusions today. Keep those prayers flowing guys, I have a feeling he's going to need all the help he can get in the months ahead.

Immune System

Joe's immune system has crashed, as expected. His white blood cell count, which is supposed to be 11, is .7 this morning. What that means to you, dear Joe watchees, is that his visitors need to be limited (whatever that means. I'm not sure if it means less people should come or less at a time or what.) But if you are sick at all, live with anyone that's sick, or have been exposed to sickness you should stay at home, but feel free to leave comments on here so Joe will know that you still love him! Probably school children and small kids need not apply since they are a regular breeding ground of germs. No offense, kiddos! If you do come, you must wash your hands upon entering the room and put on a mask that is in a case right next to the sink on the wall. Joe cannot have uncooked foods, including fresh fruits, and also cannot receive potted OR cut plants or flowers. As the fund raiser, I would encourage you to put the amount you WOULD have spent on flowers into a donation instead! :)

This isn't a bad sign, this is a part of chemo. It just means everyone has to be very careful. If he catches ANYTHING, it could spell the end for our hero since he can't even fight off even the smallest cold! We all appreciate your cooperation.

headaches

Joe's kinda bummed because every since his spinal tap on Thursday, he's having the most splitting headaches. If he even sits up at all, he gets such a headache he gets sick to his stomach. Hard core pain killers only take the edge off, so he can't really sit up or go for rolls (like a walk, but in a wheelchair) anymore. Let's hope this problem doesn't last too much longer!

He seems to be adjusting to chemo pretty well, even though it is extremely aggressive, so that's good so far! Also, the nurse said today that his blood counts are up, although she couldn't remember what they are. Yay!

The story

So, Joe slept on an uncomfortable couch just before Christmas and came home with back pain. The pain was continuous for the next two weeks and he was taking alot of pain killers and muscle relaxants to try to deal with it. The pain was so severe he couldn't work, so finally he decided to go to the doctor to get it adjusted. That helped for about half a day, and then it got really bad again. He made another appointment, but then when he woke up on the 9th, he went to the bathroom and peed blood.

He called the doctor, who told him to come right away. When he got there they did blood tests and found out that his platelets (which are supposed to be between 140 and 300, I'm guessing that's millions, but I'm not sure) were at 2. The doctor sent him to the ER, where they did more tests and found his platelets to be at 0. Just so you understand what that means, platelets are the part of your blood that causes clotting. When it gets below 20, your body loses the ability to maintain coherency. He had a rash that we just thought was heat rash or an allergic reaction or something, but it was the blood soaking through his skin. The blood in the urine was also because of this. They also did a cat scan and found a mass in his abdomen near his appendix. He was then admitted to the hospital.

Long story short, after numerous tests, scans, and even a bone marrow biopsy (I don't recommend getting one, it's no fun.) it turned out he has stage 4 large cell lymphoma. They keep having to give him transfusions because his body is killing all the blood that enters it, and today his platelets are up to 50, which is an all time high! He has a huge tumor in his abdomen, but they can't do anything about that until his blood is stablized. They did a spinal tap to see if the cancer had gotten into his brain, and it hasn't, thank God. They thought he had phumonia so they did a chest x-ray, but he doesn't. Maybe if he did, he would quit smoking, which I think he should do anyway!

This just in: they got the results of the bone marrow biopsy back. He has Burkitt's Lymphoma. It is extremely rare in the US, especially in adults. (Only 300 cases per year in the US, most of which are in children. It's rampant in Africa. But what ISN'T rampant in Africa, eh?) It is an extremely rapidly spreading and aggresive type, and treatment has to be equally aggressive, so he'll be getting chemo more often, and more of it. They'll actually be injecting treatments right into his spine. That's gotta suck! But, the doctor says that his prognosis is actually UP frm 60% chance to 90%, so good on him! It's usually caused by the translocation of a particular gene, and if you want to know which one, you'll just have to google it yourself.

We have no idea how much longer he'll be in the hospital, but the treatments for Burkitt's usually last about 4 months. I seriously doubt they'll keep him the whole time, probably they'll keep him until they can get him blood counts to stay up. I'll let you know more just as soon as I know. See ya soon!