Please note: Historical account below was kept (at first) for insurance purposes. I only realized deep into our ordeal the importance of this chronology. Therefore, some entries are cryptic and incomplete. Nicole is still doing well overall. Nicole received her last Chemo in the beginning of December 2004.  She will not have to undergo any further treatment as long as her scans stay Clean. Please continue to pray.

 

2/7/07

Thankfully, Nicole Remains in Remission.

Thank God and thank you, Dr. Trippett for your efforts, your expertise and your humanity.

2/5/07

Nicole's Scans have been rescheduled for Wednesday 2/7/07

Please say a prayer for Nicole

1/15/07

Scans are have been Postponed due to Nicole's lingering Cold/flu

Dr. Trippett doesn't want anything

to obscure the scans.

1//14/07

Nicole will speak at Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, NJ on January 30th to Blood donors in order to thank them for the their donations The idea is to have a a recipient of numerous blood and platelet transfusions make the speech.

1/13/07

Nicole Sent the day with Christina (Marissa's Sister) they had lunch watched a movie and just "hung out all day"

1/07/07

Nicole is seen here with her "little sister" Marissa Cercone. Marissa has been battling Leukemia for the past two years, and thankfully has been in remission for a couple of months. Nicole loves spending time with Marissa (third grade) and her sisters Anna Lisa (first grade) and Christine (8th grade). She recently went to the movie to see "Happy Feet" with Anna Lisa and Marissa and has plans to go out with Christine later this month.

We are Very Proud of Nicole for her caring heart.

12/17/06

First grader Harrison, shown above, has Neuroblastoma and is undergoing treatment once again. Click on his picture to follow his journey. Please bless him with the powerful prayers you have so kindly bestowed upon Nicole. We know the power of prayer is a big reason for Nicole's miraculous recovery.

Show Harrison's family support and sign his guestbook.

Keep up the fight Harrison - We love you!

12/7/06

Today marks the two year anniversary of Nicole's last chemo treatment and we pray, her last.

12/3/06

Nicole Seems to be breathing better, even running track. However, she really feels the effects of all that treatment. She is hoping to get her body to overcome yet another challenge.

10/24/06

Nicole had some breathing problems over the weekend. After her band performance on Friday, she had chest pain and shortness of breath. The ambulance that was there for the football game brought her to the local hospital where they did chest xrays, cat scan etc etc. These tests ruled out a Pulmonary Embolism, but they could not account for her shortness of breathe.

Her problems returned once again on Sunday night. We brought her to Sloan Kettering on Monday where they did pulmonary tests. The Dr thought these tests would show diminished lung capacity given the symptoms and knowing how much chemo she had received. However, her lung capacity has actually increased since the last pulmonary function test conducted in January. The Dr. was very confused. They don't know why she feels like she can't breathe.

Nicole has been given an inhaler to see if it helps. We will have to wait to see.

9/20/06

Nicole is still in remission!

Scans were clean!

9/12/06

Nicole is to undergo Scans September 19, 2006. As usual, the day looms large in our minds. We ask for your prayers, that her life remains that of a normal 15 year old girl.

8/27/06

Nicole just came home from Band Camp where she expended all her energy (she slept 14 hours when she returned).

Life has shown us what a survivor's mother once told us: It is tough being a survivor as well.

5/22/06

The results are in.  Nicole is still in Remission!!!

This one was especially difficult given the time that has elapsed.

Thank God!!!

5/19/06

Nicole came down with Conjunctivitis over these three days.  The pink eye came with post nasal drip and cold symptoms.  This of course complicated the PET result.  Her neck "lit up like a Christmas tree".  They are using the CAT to compare and make sure the results are from the cold. 

We wait...

5//17/06

Still waiting for the PET Result - Will be back in the hospital tomorrow for the CAT.

5/13/06

Sorry, I thought I posted the correction.  Nicole's Scans have been rescheduled to 5/17 for the Pet Scan and 5/19 for the          Cat Scan.

3/19/06

Nicole is growing and expanding her horizons.  Life is going well for her as she becomes increasingly acclimated to high school life.  She is happy!

2/22/06

Nicole is doing very well, enjoying softball and music.  We are enjoying watching her living life.  Scans are on May 12.

1/13/06

Lucky - "Friday the 13th" - Nicole's preliminary results are in!  She is still in remission!!  Dr. Trippett was kind enough to call us the same evening.  Has anyone ever hear of a Dr. with so much consideration for the patient and family? 

1/08/06

Nicole is to undergo scans again on January 13th.  We ask for your prayers, once again. 

12/20/05

It's now been 1 year since her last treatment.  We have our (not so little) girl back.  As of right now, life has only the usual ups and downs that we all face.  We pray that the blessing continues. 

We face another crossroads in January.

11/12/05

Things are going extremely well.  Nicole is enjoying life, but now is catching up with the normal "stuff" kids have to deal with.  She got braces a few weeks ago, and had to have two teeth pulled.  "No sweat" after what she has been through.

10/13/05

Dr. Trippett was not supposed to call us today because of the lateness of Nicole's Cat Scan, and the Holiday which left the Radiology department short staffed.  However, Dr. Trippett "did not want us to worry" so she gave us the good news tonight.  Nicole's PET Scan (which is the more sensitive of the two tests) is negative.     

Thank you Dr. Trippett for your compassion and consideration. 

9/28/05

Nicole continues to do well.  Scans are scheduled for October 12th.  We pray that Nicole's life remains as it is today: healthy and happy.

918/05

Nicole is making the most of her life.  She is on the JV Tennis team as well as the marching band.  We couldn't be happier for her.  The Tennis coach is extremely pleased with her play, suggesting that she could try out for the varsity team.  However, Nicole realizes her relative inexperience and is wisely choosing the JV team instead.  She is only a freshman after all.  Nicole also baby sits to make some spending money.  This sounds like the life of a typical 14 year old.  Isn't that great?!!!

8/21/05

Nicole is doing extremely well.  Her soreness is gone, and life is as it should be for a 14 year old girl. Tomorrow she is off to band camp with her brother and the Wayne Valley Marching Band.  They are both looking forward a difficult, yet rewarding week.  

8/5/05

Nicole underwent surgery yesterday to remove the mediport.  She is extremely sore, but happy it's out.  She will not be able to be active for about 2 weeks. 

8/3/05

Nicole gets her mediport out tomorrow.  Finally, a surgery we can look forward to.

7/15/05

Everything is negative on the scans!!!  The reading in her intestines have diminished and are now referred to as "a normal variant".  Everything else is clear!!!!

7/14/05

Both Scans were done today as the CT department had a cancellation.  We hope to hear results on Friday 7/15

7/6/05

Nicole's Scans have been rescheduled because she has a cold.  The Dr. does not want to see erroneous readings in her sinuses, so we will do them next Thurs afternoon and Friday 7/14 & 7/15

6/30/05

Nicole is scheduled for a new set of Scans on July 8th. 

She has been enjoying a fun-filled month.  she has been able to put the thoughts of all of this aside, and has been enjoying herself with her friends and her new cousin Jake.   We only pray that life continues this way. 

5/26/05

Nicole had a GI Scan today (instead of the CAT Scan).  The Drs were looking for a Diverticuli sack (my spelling is probably wrong).  This would have explained the reading from the PET Scan the other day.  However, nothing showed on this scan.  This is one time we wanted them to find something.  Dr. Trippett told us to sit tight once again. She feels that it is not a return of the Cancer because Hodgkin's does not usually go to the intestines. 

We are going to repeat the PET and CAT in 1 month to follow this up

5/25/05

Everything in Nicole's neck is once again normal.

That said, she must undergo yet another Cat Scan, with especially high contrast, to investigate an abnormal reading in her intestines. 

The hits just keep on coming. 

5/23/05

Nicole has scans tomorrow.  Please say a prayer that she continues her remission.  Thank you!

4/20/05

Nicole's Scans show some activity in her neck.  The Doctor thinks that it is sinus activity.  However,  to be safe, the scans will be repeated in 6 weeks instead of 3 months.  Nicole will not be getting the mediport removed as planned "just in case". 

The good news is that none of the activity is shown on the CT scan, just the PET.  In other words, no mass is seen where the activity is. 

Nicole's blood work also shows a reduced function in her Thyroid Gland.  This is due to all the radiation she has received during treatment. She will have to take medication for this forever.

4/18/05

Nicole undergoes scans once again tomorrow.  We have even more trepidation this time because Nicole has not had chemo since December.  She looks sooooo good. 

3/25/05

Nicole has been busy with Tae Kwon Do, and living life to it's fullest.  She has been catching up with school, friends etc. No problems to report.  Just the way it should be!

Scans April 19, 2005

3/12/05

The family took a much need respite after a very difficult year.  We just came back from Aruba.  (We took the kids out of school to go).  Nicole had a very relaxing week.  I don't think we ever said the word "Cancer" the entire time we were there. 

2/18/05

Nicole went to the hospital today for her 2 week check-up.  Her blood counts are getting stronger with every day.  She is doing well.  Scans will be sometime in April. 

2/18/05

Nicole has had a few bouts of joint pain that have affected her during the day.  However, she has been able to continue Tae Kwon Do.  It seems as though she can't get enough.

Hair has grown back in enough to go without a hat or bandana.  That's huge!

2/10/05

Nicole is enjoying a week with no hospital visits for the first time.  Her joint pain has subsided.  Things are looking up!

2/10/05

Nicole is doing very well this week.  She has even gone back to Tae Kwon Do with no pain.  She is limited, however, from the mediport.  She will have to have surgery to have it removed, when things settle down. 

2/3/05

MRI results came in.  There is no damage to her knee.  The pain must be a side effect of the chemotherapy?  They're still stumped. We will go for a follow-up visit.

2/2/05

Still waiting for results of MRI.  Everything else is OK. 

Adjusting to life at home without the constant hospitalizations and outpatient visits is strangely difficult.  The security blanket of knowing that Nicole is receiving treatment for her disease is gone.

1/30/05

Nicole had MRI for her knee today.  She is feeling somewhat better.   Results will in on Tuesday. She goes to the hospital tomorrow for routine blood work.

1/27/05

Nicole Scans are Negative, but  there is always something. It seems a small air sack in Nicole's lung has collapsed.  This is the reason for the delay in the test results.  The Dr. assures us that this is no reason to be concerned, and that the PET Scan was Negative for disease.  We are, yet again, drained.

1/26/05

We waited all day for the call that never came.  I finally called the Dr. at 8:30 PM.  The results were not in yet.  She will call us tomorrow morning. 

1/20/05

Nicole has scans scheduled for the 25th to see if she remains in remission.  She also will get an MRI on her knee on the 30th in order to see what is going on in her joints.

1/13/05

We went to the Orthopedic Dr. today.  Dr. Boland was a bit stumped.  He ordered an MRI to see exactly what the problem is.  

1/10/05

Nicole came home from school early today totally exhausted.  Her blood counts were taken yesterday at the hospital and, while not normal, they were not bad.  We can't help it, but we are concerned.  We go back to the hospital on Thursday for the Orthopedic.  If she is not doing well we will go in to see Trippett as well. 

1/6/05

Nicole's joint pain, while less severe, still bothers her.  However, all in all, things are better.

1/0405

Nicole's joint pain continues.  It has become so severe, that she is having difficulty walking. She is attempting to go to school today.  She really tries to overcome pain.

We have scheduled an appointment with a orthopedic Dr. at Sloan who has expertise in chemo related joint problems.   

1/02/05

Scans have been rescheduled for January 25th.  This will be the first set of post treatment scans.  However, the span of time is very small since she stopped. 

Nicole is doing pretty well these last few days, except for some excruciating joint pain last night.  This has happened before.  The Dr. days it is a side affect from the Chemotherapy. 

12/30/04

Nicole's counts are on the way up, albeit slowly. Things are looking better.

12/28/04

Nicole went to get her counts checked yesterday.  Unfortunately, her counts were unexpectedly down.  She is borderline Neutropenic.  The Dr. said that the counts could be down because she is fighting off an infection of some sort, or her marrow is once again exhausted. Dr. Kaplan (Trippett was away) also said that it also could have been down from all the activities from the holiday.  We have to remember that as much as Nicole looks good, we can't let her do too much yet.  She has to get her rest. 

We have to go to the hospital again on Thursday to check them again.

Nicole has to put life on hold a little while longer.   

We feel responsible.

12/25/04

Nicole had a really great Christmas.  We had a wonderful  day at Tiffany's house.  Thank you for all the well wishes.  Monday we go for blood work at the hospital just to check counts etc. 

12/22/04

Nicole is doing very well this week.  She has been tired as her Red blood counts were a bit low.  However, they were not low enough for transfusion, just low enough to make her tire quickly.  She should be fine for Christmas. 

Scans have bee scheduled for Jan 25.  Her first test after completion of chemo. 

12/18/04

Nicole is doing a little better.  She did not need platelets yesterday, and her counts are "starting" to come back.  Denise has been sick with an extremely bad cold this week, so she has to quarantine herself in the bedroom, and Nicole has been unable to go anywhere due to her counts. She can't even go over Tiffany's because she is sick as well.  As a result, Nicole has been pretty bored the entire week. However, she has been a real trooper. 

12/15/04

As expected, Nicole needed a platelet transfusion today again. Her platelets were only 17.  She will have to the hospital again on Friday to check her counts.  Her White cells were still at 0. 

She has been dealing with a cold for these past two weeks.  We thought it was allergies, but given the cold weather that now seems unlikely.  Dr. T is concerned that due to her depressed immunity this might cause a problem.  We have to make it a few more days until her blood counts come back. 

12/14/04

Nicole is doing well these past few days.  Her counts remain low.  We go tomorrow for blood work.  We expect that she will need another platelet transfusion.

12/12/04

Nicole needed an emergency platelet transfusion today because, for the first time in 3 years, Nicole had nose bleed while her platelets were low.  We were always warned to be on the lookout for this when her counts dropped. It just never happened before. We rushed her to Memorial Sloan Kettering this afternoon. She is fine tonight; home resting comfortably. 

Nicole's blood counts are 0.0

Never a dull moment around here.

12/7/04

Chemo for the LAST TIME today (God willing).

Nicole has the normal exhaustion and nausea. 

12/1/04

Nicole had chemo yesterday.  Although she went to school in the morning today, she had to come home due to nausea.  She did return to school later, however,  in order to attend rehearsal for tomorrow's concert.  She will play the mallets

11/30/04

Nicole's last chemo cycle begins today.  She will receive it  again next Tuesday.  God willing, that will be her last time.

11/29/04

Nicole starts her last chemo cycle this week.  However, she now has a cold.  Nothing is ever easy.

11/26/04

The Dr. Called. Nicole is still in remission  We are on track to stop treatment next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Only 1 more cycle (2 hits of chemo) and we are done!!!!!!!!!

11/24/04

And we wait..........

11/23/04

Nicole Has Scans Tomorrow.  As most of you know,  if Nicole continues in remission she will undergo one more round of Chemo, and  then discontinue treatment.  Please pray for good results.

We hope to have results quickly.

11/18/04

Nicole went back to the hospital today just for blood work.  Everything checked out Ok.  She is doing well, and does not need to return until next week

11/16/04

Nicole came home today after receiving an uneventful whole blood transfusion. 

We are  all exhausted.

11/15/04

11:00 AM

The Nurse re-accessed one lumen of her mediport at 9:15 AM.  The results have been promising.  There has been no fever to this point. 

They are going to use the other lumen now.  We will wait and see.

11/14/04

7:00 PM

We have just learned that the Dr. is definitely going to attempt to access her port tomorrow with Antibiotics regardless of her counts.  In the event she starts to chill, they will immediately surgically remove the  port.  Her hospital stay would then be extended. 

5:30 PM

Nicole seems to be doing well today.  While she did have a fever during the night, she has remained a fibril all day today.  Her counts have come up slightly but nowhere near normal.  Tomorrow, assuming her counts come up more, the Dr. will feed antibiotic through the port.  If all goes well we might come home Tuesday.

11/13/04

Nicole is doing better today.  She has had only a moderate fever with no chills.  One problem involves the inability to use the mediport.  The Dr. is afraid to spread the infection if they use the port for the antibiotics.  This has forced the use of an IV.  As some of you know, Nicole's veins have all collapsed from the constant chemo over the past 2 years (when she didn't have the mediport). Unfortunately, the nurses have been unable to draw blood for tests through this IV and cannot find another vein capable of holding an IV.  Nicole has had to put up with getting stuck repeatedly in order to draw blood. 

Nothing should have to be this hard for a 13 year old. 

11/12/04

8:30PM

Nicole's fever is up again to 103.2F.  This time without the chills....so far.

3:30PM

Nicole was doing well up until about 2:30 this afternoon.  Her fever was down, and she did not have chills since 3:30AM last night. 

However, at 2:30 while receiving her platelet transfusion, she began to have chills. Her fever spiked to 104 again. She was shaking so uncontrollably that the nurse could not take a blood pressure with the machine.  She continued to shake even after placing hot packs on top of her with blankets and even with Denise and I  almost on top of her in an attempt to transfer our body heat.

Luckily, after a manual reading her pressure remained strong.  This lasted for nearly 35 five minutes.  The nurse prepared oxygen as well as fluid bags in order to push fluids if her blood pressure dropped. 

This was a very scary time. 

Dr. Trippett came in and told us that they felt it was reaction to the platelet transfusion.  It seems that this can happen when some white cells from the donor remain in the platelets.  From now on we will do the donating of the platelets ourselves, or will ask those that have donated for her in the past, to do so again.  They are also going to cap off the mediport just in case that it truly is the source of the infection. 

Nothing has grown in the blood cultures as of yet.  They tell us that this is good news. 

9:30 AM

We got through the night.  However, if she continues to get chills then they are going to do surgery to remove her mediport.  The Dr. believes that the port is the probable cause of the infection.  Nicole is currently receiving multiple antibiotics IV through the port. 

11/11/04

11:25 PM - Nicole's fever has spiked to 104.  She has had the chills a few times during the night so far.  Things got a little complicated when she had an allergic reaction to one antibiotic, and again when the nurses had to try and start an IV independent of her mediport.  Thankfully, so far her blood pressure has remained stable. However, it looks like it is going to be a long night for Nicole. 

11/11/04

Nicole currently has no immunity due to the last chemotherapy cycle.  Unfortunately, as a result of an unknown infection, she has come down with a fever.  Nicole has been admitted so she can receive antibiotics through her mediport.

11/7/04

Nicole has had a very good weekend.  She goes to the Hospital tomorrow for blood counts.  We expect her to be neutropenic (low white cell count) and to need a platelet transfusion.  Both are results of the chemotherapy she received on the 5th.  Maybe we will get a surprise and she won't need it. 

11/5/04

Nicole had Chemo once again today.  I know we are getting close to the end, but it pains me to see her so tired and sick from the chemo. After coming home she went right to bed.  Although I didn't want to, I had to wake her to give her shot.  It was an extreme effort for her just to sit up.

 
10/25/04

Nicole is enjoying an extremely good week. She has been practicing for a talent show, and even went to a Halloween Party.

Chemo will be Thursday this week. She got a day reprieve so she could take part in the talent show at school

10/11/04

Today was Nicole's second birthday. She is two years old today Don't be confused; that's what they call it when one gets a stem cell transplant. They call it a birthday because when the stem cells take hold, the recipients immune system is just like a baby's. All recipients have to have their baby shots again. On 10/11/02, Nicole received her stem cells back during the procedure called an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant. As most of you know that transplant had Nicole in remission for a few months, but eventually failed.

Nicole also received a Platelet transfusion again today. Thank you to her friend Renee for coming to the hospital with her. It made all the difference.

10/10/04

Nicole is doing well this past few days. Yesterday she had a blast at her friend Rachael's Bat Mitzvah party.

When there's a party, Nicole's up for it!!!

10/7/04

Nicole has had rather severe joint pain over the past few days. Her knees have swelled as a result of a side effect of the chemotherapy.

10/6/04

It's back to the Hospital again today. Nicole will most likely need a platelet transfusion again. Her counts are expected to be low once again. Just have to keep her healthy to Christmas!

10/4/04

Nicole's white cell counts are zero again and her platelets dropped to 17. She received a platelet transfusion today as a result

9/29/04

At the hospital today. Nicole has just had her second round of Chemo. So far, so good

9/16/04

The Dr. Called. Scans are NEGATIVE, and we are still on target to December!

9/15/04

Usually we receive scan results the next day after a test. However, inexplicably, we have not heard from the doctor today. She has called late with results on other occasions, but it is now 9:07 PM.

We will have to wait until tomorrow for the scan results. Needless to say, sleep will be difficult tonight.

9/9/04

Nicole has scans scheduled for the 14th. If she stays in remission through December, then the Dr. will allow her to stop chemotherapy.

Nicole's counts have come back strong. She is in school this week.

9/3/04

Nicole has had two platelet transfusions this week. However, she did not require one today as the Dr. had expected. While she is still Neutropenic (compromised immune system) with blood counts that total 0.0, all the indicators show that she is on the rise. Her cough persists. The Dr. ordered a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia after hearing crackling in her lungs. Thankfully, results were negative.

8/28/04

Nicole is doing well this week. Her white cell counts are still going strong. She will probably require a platelet transfusion on Monday as her platelets have dropped to 46. They usually transfuse under 30.

8/25/04

Nicole had chemo again today. Mediport area is still tender. Not a good day overall. However, as expected it was not as bad as last week.

8/18/04

Nicole had chemo today. The mediport was still tender after the surgery. Inserting the needle in the port turned out to be a very painful experience. Hopefully it will not be as tender next week.

8/16/04

Nicole's cough persists, but is doing well overall. Chemo begins again on Wednesday as long as her loud counts are strong.

8/13/04

Nicole is doing much better. The pain has subsided. Last week she started with a cough again. It seems to be lingering. Hope its not Pneumonia again.

8/11/04

Nicole is still in pain today. She is very stiff. Denise took her out shopping and to the movies, but she really can't move very much.

8/9/04

Nicole had the surgery today. She came through it Ok, but is in a lot of pain. Medication is helping.

8/5/04

Nicole has to undergo surgery on Monday for the Mediport. Things got moved up because of the surgeon's schedule. Nicole is not happy. The port is extremely uncomfortable.

7/29/04

Nicole had to get a transfusion again today. Again, it was almost impossible to find a vein. Nicole finally has given in. We have scheduled surgery for next month for a mediport. This port will allow the nurses to access a line without having to go to her veins. Nicole has had them before, but the last one was removed because it got infected. She preferred to go without it as it is uncomfortable.

7/26/04

Nicole had a tough time at the hospital today. Nicole needed a platelet transfusion. However, even though her usual nurse was the one trying, It took 7 attempts to catch a usable vein. They finally had to use a vein in her leg. Not a very pleasant day!

7/24/04

Nicole continues to do well overall. However, she really has not felt well all week. She has complained of muscle aches and a general feeling of discomfort. The "G" shot that she gets nightly has cause an extreme amount of pain. This is all a result of the chemo. She gets very sensitive to touch after chemo.

7/21/04

Chemo again today. The good news is her counts were still strong, and is doing well. However, this evening Nicole felt as bad as she ever has on Chemo. She really didn't feel well at all.

7/14/04

Nicole's counts finally came up and she received chemo today.

Amazingly, Nicole was brave enough to go to Jesse's wake last night. She gains more of my admiration and respect everyday.

7/13/04

Nicole has not had chemo for over a month due to the lack of bounce in her white cells. The Dr. Says that this was expected, and that we should not worry. Her scans were negative, and we don't "have to have the chemo now" Nicole's body is resting until her counts are strong enough to get the chemo. She will be tested again tomorrow.

7/7/04

The roller coaster continues. While the overall picture is still good considering the last scans, Nicole's bone marrow is tired. She went for chemo again yesterday, but her counts were not strong enough again. We will check tomorrow at the hospital to see if she is strong enough to get the chemo. We are concerned because we wonder at what point will the chemo just be too much. Will her marrow hold out until the late fall?

7/3/04

Scan results came back yesterday. Nicole is still doing well, as all Scans were Negative. We are very relieved. The Dr also told us that is possible that we may stop chemotherapy in "late fall". The hope is that the cancer will not return given her long remission. The trick is to stay in remission without the chemo. I really feel she will (from my mouth to God's ears).


6/29/04

Chemo was cancelled today. Nicole's blood counts were not strong enough. Assuming that Nicole's scans are still good, Dr. Trippett wants to give Nicole an extra week of rest in between chemo cycles. The Dr. says that Nicole's bone marrow is exhausted from all the chemo.

6/28/04

Nicole gets chemo tomorrow. More importantly, scans are scheduled for Thursday, July 1st. Please say a prayer for Nicole, so that she continues to do well.


6/21/04

Nicole's counts came back like gangbusters. Her white total ANC went above 5. However, her platelets are still fairly low at 50. She will have to go to the hospital on Thursday to check again.

6/19/04

Nicole had her third platelet transfusion for the week on Friday. Her counts remain low, so she was forced to miss one of her best friend's going away/birthday party, and her cousins graduation. As a consolation prize we went to the drive-in this evening. She was able to go there, because it is outside or in the car and contact with other people was very limited. See pictures from the drive-in.


6/14/04

Nicole has had two platelet transfusions in two days. Her counts continue to be low. We wait once again.

6/12/04

Nicole has had two weeks of chemo. After a rough start, things got better. Her white counts are still holding. However, she is entering her third week on Wednesday and given the fact that her platelets were 39 on Friday, we are expecting her to need a transfusion on Monday. This chemo and all the associated complications are making life tough, but Nicole still finds the strength to have fun, play softball, and do whatever makes her happy, when she can.

5/31/04

Nicole has had an exceptional week. Chemo starts on Wednesday this week due to the holiday.

5/23/04

Nicole is doing fine. Sloan gave us tickets to go to the Harry Potter Premier. She had a blast! It was all very exciting. See pictures.

5/20/04

I haven't posted lately, because things were going well. We went away on Nicole's Make-a-Wish trip (she had a blast). However, some of the side effects of the chemo have really given Nicole a lot of pain. This past week has been exceptionally difficult for Nicole.

4/22/04

Scans are negative. However, the scans show a sinus infection and a slight pneumonia.

4/14/04

Scans are coming up again on 4/21/04. Here we go, yet again.

Nicole has been getting her shot to boost her white cell count (immune system). However, the shot has been causing an extreme amount of Bone Pain at night. It has been a bad couple of nights.

4/13/04

Nicole continues to do well. Her cough is all but gone. She received chemo again yesterday, but seemed to tolerate it better than usual. We will see what happens today and the rest of the week.

Her counts are still strong, although they are expected to drop mid week.

4/8/04

Nicole is doing well. However, the cough persists. She seems to have coughing "spells" and then you don't hear anything from her for hours. Luckily, her counts were strong on Monday for the chemo.

4/4/04

Nicole has chemo tomorrow. Although, it is not severe, she still has a cough.

3/27/04

Nicole is Home. Her counts came back strong and fast. This was the shortest in-patient visit to the hospital ever.

3/25/04

We are in the hospital. She has a fever and what sounds like a cold. Her temp went to 102, so she was admitted last night to get intravenous antibiotics. However her counts seem to be on the way up. Hopefully, this won't be a long stay.

3/23/04

Nicole doing relatively well. Counts are at 0 again. She has needed two Platelet transfusions and might need whole blood tomorrow. This past Friday it took the nurses 7 tries to find a vein. Her veins have collapsed.

3/16/04

Nicole had Chemo again on Monday, for the second week. Let's see how the counts go.

3/11/04

Nicole didn't feel well for the last few days. Went to the hospital for tests. Counts are still ok. Shot starts tomorrow.

She felt better today so she will go back to school tomorrow

3/9/04

Nicole had chemo again yesterday. Not in school today, but doing alright. She should be in school tomorrow.

3/6/04

Nicole is having a great week. She went Ice Skating yesterday. She had a blast!!!!!

3/1/04

Scan Results came in. The waiting was awful. The Drs. had to wait for the C.A.T. scan results to make sure readings that they were seeing on the P.E.T scans were erroneous. Thankfully, she is still clean!

2/26/04

Nicole is going for Scans tomorrow (Friday). Please say a prayer for good results.

Nicole's week has been tough. She has been to the hospital everyday, except Tuesday, for tests and transfusions.

2/15/04

Nicole has had a pretty good week. She was able to go to dance, tennis and drums this week. She had a blast. She loves her activities. When she went to dance, the other girls were so happy to see her, that they ran up to her and hugged her tight. It was nice to see.

Unfortunately, I became sick this week and have been under "quarantine" so as not to infect her. I have been unable take part in this "good week".

Chemo tomorrow. Here we go again!

2/11/04

Chemo went well the other day. Nicole feeling pretty good. This might be a good week. However, she is still positive for the RSV virus.

2/8/04

Nicole is doing well. She will get Chemo tomorrow in isolation, so as not to spread her virus to the other patients.

2/6/04

Nicole is doing much better. However, she is still coughing a little. I even got her to pose for a few pictures while playing pool.


2/3/04

Nicole's preliminary test results came in. She has a respiratory infection. The Dr. told us to notify her if her condition changes. However, for now, we are just watching and waiting.

2/1/04


Nicole's has a nasty cold. She has been coughing and sneezing all day. We called the Doctor. She said that we were going to delay Chemotherapy that was scheduled for tomorrow. However, Nicole must go to the hospital tomorrow anyway, and get a culture for influenza A.


1/31/04

Saturday afternoon we went to visit other families from Sloan Kettering at the home of another patient. See "Pictures".

1/29/04

Nicole is doing very well this week, after coming home from the hospital. She has been back to the hospital 2x since discharge for blood work. Both visits showed marked improvement in her cell counts, and Platelets. Chemo will begin again on Monday.

1/25/04

Nicole came home from the hospital yesterday. Her fever did not return, but thankfully, her counts did.


1/22/04

Unfortunately, Nicole had a fever the other night, and we had to bring her to the hospital. She has been in-patient since 1/20. The good News is that she has been a febrile for 24 hours. Hopefully, Nicole will be coming home tomorrow or the day after. It all depends on her white blood cell counts. The Dr. will not risk sending her home, as infections can return without counts.


1/19/04

Nicole's counts are at 0.0 again. We've got our fingers crossed!


1/13/04

Nicole had Chemo yesterday. She was not feeling well all day. Today, however, was a much better day.

1/9/04

Scans are Negative! Nicole continues in remission.

However, she must still maintain the chemotherapy regimen.

The search for a donor continues. Please continue to tell family and friends to get tested!


1/5/04

Things going well. Had a very uneventful holiday season. Nicole's getting chemo today.

Scans on Thursday


12/26/03

Counts coming up.

12/24/03

Nicole's white cells still at 0.0. We're still keeping our fingers crossed.


Nicole's new scans are scheduled for January 8th. Please say a prayer for Nicole for that day.


12/23/03

Nicole had chemo again last Tuesday. We made the decision, after advice from Dr. Trippett, that it would be wiser to keep Nicole home from school indefinitely given the flu situation we have been hearing so much about. We also have been continuing the Neupegen shot in order to keep her immune system up. However, even with the continual shot, her counts were at ZERO again yesterday. We have to be very careful again, so we don't end up in the hospital for Christmas!

12/9/03

Chemo today. Dr. Trippett informed us that Nicole is doing extremely well. However, we still have not found a match. The Dr. told us that treatment should continue until either a match is found or two years passes from the last relapse. That means, we really need to find a match, so this nightmare for my little girl will end!!!!!

 

12/8/03


Nicole has been doing relatively well recently. She has been strong, eating well, However, she has had bouts of nausea and at times been very tired.

11/18/03

Chemo today. Went well. Nicole's very tired

11/11/03

Stayed home. Still not feeling well.

11/10/03

Nicole tried to go to school. However, after a few hours she had to come home due to Nausea. She took Medication for the Nausea that made her sleep all evening.

11/9/03

Nicole had Chemo Today. Denise took her as I had to work. It was a long Day. Both were extremely tired.

10/31/03

Nicole came home today. Her counts came back, so they let her go after a Platelet transfusion.

Even though she is no longer neutropenic, we were hesitant to let her go Trick-or-Treating. Of Course we sent her, as we could not bear to say no. By coincidence, she missed Halloween last year as she was discharged after her Autologous Transplant on Halloween evening last year.


10/30/03

The good news: Pet Scan Results were Negative. Nicole continues to be in remission.

Although blood counts are rising, her white cell counts remain too low.

She will continue to be hospitalized because her infection would likely return without the IV antibiotics she is currently receiving.

Although the antibiotics can keep an infection at-bay, they cannot kill off the infection without her immune system intact.

we hope to have her home tomorrow or Saturday.


10/29/03

Took Pet Scan. Waiting for results. Blood Counts are going the wrong way. She will be in-patient

until tomorrow, at least. Dr. Trippett says not to worry.

10/28/03

Big mix-up on when scans were to be done. Hospital had 10/30/03. We understood date to be 10/28.

Cat Scan was done anyway: results show no increase in size of tumors.

We are eagerly awaiting PET which has now been moved up to tomorrow.

10/27/03

Still in the Hospital. However, spoke to Dr. Trippett today.

She says the blood counts are not an issue, and that they will come back. She told us to relax.

Nicole must remain hospitalized so they can continue to monitor her for any further signs of infection.

Scans are on for tomorrow.


10/26/03

Nicole is still hospitalized due to the fever yesterday.

Drs have been giving Nicole IV antibiotics to fight off the infection. She has been a fibril (without fever) for 24 hours.

Hopefully, she can come home tomorrow if her counts come back.

10/25/03

Nicole is in-patient at Memorial Sloan Kettering due to a fever. Her ANC or total white cell count is extremely low .04.


Nicole is scheduled for a round of Scans on October 28h.

We ask for prayers, for Nicole to remain in remission.

We will post results as soon as we know them.

Nicole undergoes Chemotherapy 2 Mondays On, and 2 Mondays Off. Overall she has handled the chemo well, with only two hospitalizations: April 2003, and October 2003.

April 4 -10 2003

The Drs. suspect the port is infected. Finally remove port, and fever subsides 12 hours later.

Nicole has fever. They don't know why. 105 Fever for 5 days. Her blood pressure dropping again.

Nicole is Septic.


March 17, 2003

Surgery revealed our worst fears. The Cancer was back.

Dr. Trippett to begin another chemo regimen of Gemcitabine.

Laquaglia says that cut around tumor was clean. Hopefully we got it all, and chemo will do the rest.

Inserted Port for chemo

Dr. Trippett Says we need to do Mini Allo Transplant from someone else.

March 13, 2003

Scan Results: Our world just caved in. The PET Scan showed some activity in the lung, on the same spot as before.

Dr. Trippett wants to have Dr. Laquaglia remove and then biopsy on the table immediately.

Surgery scheduled for the 17th.

March 12, 2003

Scans today.

February 22, 2003

Things going very well. Couldn't be happier.

Dinner for Nicole. Town Showed compassion and generosity, in helping the family.

We celebrated the successful completion of treatment
 

12/12/02

Things have been going well. Nicole has been off fluids for about a month now.
She has continued to grow stronger each and every day.
Her appetite has improved as well as her fluid intake.
She has even taken to working out with Anthony and I on the Bow flex.

10/31/02


Pick line inserted. Nicole's potassium levels were low. needs to have iv 24 hours.
released from hospital at 9:30 PM after platelets.
Went home with line, but slowly came off.

10/16/02

Things started to improve a little bit each day. Nausea, vomiting, and pain continued.


10/15/02

TPN nutrition began in eve.


10/14/02

Removal of Broviak fever Dropped & Pressure stabilized temporarily.

Low grade fevers continued.

10/13/02

Drs. aren't sure why fevers persist. Nothing has grown on culture.

The believe it could be Broviak has become infected.

10/12/02

High fever 104 at night.

Blood Pressure dropped to below 60/32. Very Scary night

10/11/02

Stem Cells Given At 10.28 Am


10/04/02 9:00 PM

Admission for Stem cell Transplant. Chemo given.
Cytoxen, something and Bcnu

9/30-10/4

Fractionated Radiation: Chemo is 2x in one day.

The theory is that Cancer cells are active different times during the day. Need to get them when they're active.


9/26/02

Pet & Ct Scans.

CT scan shows 82% reduction in size of tumor. It is now 2.9cm.

Pet shows slight uptake on left lung & sinuses. This has been attributed to cold.

She has been displaying cold symptoms for about 1 week.

9/25/02

Received call from Joan Smith
from oxford, and Pat Walker from Sloan. Nicole Approved for Stem Cell Transplant.


9/4/02

PFT Test - results better than last Time.

Spoke Dr. Trippett Re Stopping-. Ony 25% of patients who stop at this point, do it succsessfully.

Chances more than double when we go through with transplant.

Radiation -



8/30/02

Pet scan Test Result: NEGATIVE

8/29/02

Cat scan, echo, hearing test



8/27/02
Cat Scan RESULT: 60% shrinkage

8/19/02

Chemo - cycle 2 Again, 24 hours per day /


8/11/02

Cap lock stuck on Broviak Cath. Had to get clamps from local MD to remove cap to flush.

8/12/02

Counts are Excellent.

8/9/02

Released- counts rising

8/7/02

Fever has subsided

8/6/02

Great day. She felt great: ran around went to Mud Pie's.

10:00 PM Fever 101.3 then 102.2 at hosp. Admitted with Antibiotics.

8/5/02

ANC .900
She will need tooth removed to prevent future infection.

8/3/02

Hospital forgot to give Hep solution. Had to go to Wayne General emergency Room for cap change. No Pharmacy had hep

8/02/02

She felt awful all Day. Finally Vistorel by Broviac put her out about 1:00 PM

8/01/02

Started out extremely naseous,
got a little better as time went on.

Nicole developed stomach cramps. Very Painful

7/31/02

Nicole was nauseous today. Started on Vistorel. Made her exremely sleepy.

7/29/02

Chemo begins Medications are ifosfomide, Mesna 24 hours with fluids. Venerolbine given monday's & Fridays.

To be followed by autologous stem cell transplant.

Nicole is doing much better. She is tolerating Chemo very well & is interacting with other patients.


7/23/02

Surgery - Dr. Laquaglia - biopsy to confirm scans. Diagnosis confirmed.

Broviak Cathedar inserted.

7/22/02

Met with Surgical Team.- Dr. Laquaglia: explained procedure.

He needs to reach Medial Stinum region for Biopsy, or else will go into lung.
Met with Olga & Melinda for Padre Pio Blessing.

7/16/02- 7/18/02

Went to St Joes, Hackensack, Columbia, Sloan & NYU.
All agree on Biopsy. Toughest decision we'll ever make.

However, one Dr. Stands head & Shoulders above the rest.

She will be treated at Sloan. Dr. Trippett seams the best.



7/15/02


Dr. Menell Appointment

Pet scan shows darkening of spot thought previously to be insignificant.

Cat & Pet show something on lung. She has relapsed!



Cat Scan: 5/29/02



Port removal - Dr. Bhattacharya
Denise continually questions the results of scan. Pin Point is from what? Is it the Hodgkins? The scar Tissue?

How can she be cured & still show hot on test. "little bit Pregnant". Is she right? Are we losing precious time?

Put call into dr Trippet. Is waiting the proper course?


Dr. Trippett called back. Denise Sent Pet to Trippet’s office. - concurred. Trippet felt residual was insignificant.


Pet Authorization # A002835519-78810

Pet scan shows pinpoint (Very faint) hot spot. Menell says " in my heart of hearts, she's cured "

Says we need to watch Thymus gland it is "generous for someone her age." We will retake scans in July.

5/9/02

Nicole Having difficulty with getting stuck all the time.

3/28/02

3:00 Pm Nicole has 103 fever. Hospital for antibiotic

3/22/02

Radiation completed

3/11/02

Rollercoaster continues. Pet does show Faint positive.

Bloodwork - Radiation

3/4/02

Bloodwork - can't do radiation

3/03/02

Hospital for antibiotic.


3/02/02

Hospital for antibiotic

Cat scan shows something still there. Is it Cancer or Scar tissue?

Pet scan showed negative for Cancer. It is Scar tissue.

Fever persitsts.

Pet Scan

Nicole woke with fever- went to department. Dr Menell, spoke to us.


2/25/01

Dr. Periera - doses to be small. Very confiden on outcome.

2/19/02

Radiation consult

Dr. Najikhan explained diffusion & meanings of lower numbers.

We asked him if we could do another pft test, given that she was sick last week.

Another Pft results back to normal.
72%diffusion.

Chest x -ray taken- Normal

Bleomycin given after we struggled with decision. Should we give Bleo or not?

2/12/02

Chemo -
& pulminologist appt.

2/5/02

Pulminary test again.

47% diffussion - Nicole still sick when taken. Results low. Menell does not want to give Bleomycin next week.

1/28/02

Blood work good. ANC 985 from 1500 last week.


1/23/02

Woke up with fever. Took to hospital. Gave antibiotics through port. Must return tomorrow.

1/22/02

Blood counts ok. 1.9 wht anc 1500.

1/15/02

Chemo today. Took Vistoril by mouth, instead of IV. However still got nauseous even before Chemo.


1/8/02

Bloodwork ANC 1800

Third pulminary test done today. Tech says results look consistant with 2nd Test. Dr. Will give Menell results.

Chest X-ray Today


1/7/02

Nicole has been good health wise.


Very rough emotional day today


Results from echo today: Normal!

1/02/02

Echocardiogram Today. Using original referal. Called today to confirm still good. Monica H. Says expires 9/20/02.

Saw Dr Glade. They will not do pet until the end because results would not change treatment. She is doing well.

12/26/01

Bloodwork - ANC 700 wbc 1.

12/14/01

One of Nicole's classmates may have the Chicken Pox.

We took Nicole out of school to go to the hospital to get checked out & to get 2 shots.

Nicole became extremely emotional.


12/11/01

Pulminary Test due to being out
of breath at Tae Kwon Do Test last week.

Results - according to tech - slightly reduced capacity. However, not unexpected on Chemo.

Blood work came back ok so they could continue chemo Today.

12/4/01

Blood work - white cell count still low, but coming back.

11/27/01

White ccll count low. ANC low 500?

11/21/01

11:AM Chemo Day. Everthing going well so far counts are good. No nausea at present.

11/18/01

So far Ok. Much better than last time. However Nicole becoming impatient.

Wants hair to grow & to get the port out of her, so she can do all her activities.

11/14/01

Chemo. A lot of trepadation. We hope it will be better than last time.

11/13/01

The Past 2 weeks have been good, especially after bringing home the puppy.

Angel has been a source of distraction and pleasure for Nicole. It has made her very, very happy.

11/06/01

Chest xray - results good

10/27/01

Nausea continues through Today. Nicole also has cramping: after dinner nausea increased as did abdominal Pain.

Extreme pain at night

10/25/01

Chemo again. Tolerated well with port. Made things a lot easier today.

Came home, Very nauseas.

10/24/01

Pain now is in her legs. 2 Percocets required to eliminate pain

10/20/01

Extreme Jaw pain really getting to her. We have gone from Tylenol with Codeine to Percocet.

10/18/01

Chemo as outpatient. All day.

10/17/01

Surgery for Porto Cathedar.
1/2 hour procedure allot of pain.
Dr. Charles for Anesthesia

10/15/01

Same day surgery for porto Cathedar. Referral. Dr Bhattacharyya.
SURGERY CANCELLED DUE TO TEMPERATURE & COLD. Dr. Nuesa recommended against.

10/13/01

Sores in Mouth. White spots all around the inside of her mouth. Another side affect of the Chemotherapy.


10/12/01

Extremely traumatic day. Nicole had Cat Scan & Pet. Tech For pet scan missed with needle 2x.


9/24/01

Nicole Doing well after Trip to ER on Sat 9/22 for trouble swallowing.

We became worried that problem could be tumor itself.

Turned out to be medication related. Took culture, no results as yet. No news is good news?


Betsy or Jane to speak to school.

Made Call to

Dr. Devali to give

9/17/01

Nicole going down for second biopsy at approximatey 10:00 AM.

Cancelled: Dr. Mennell came in with Diagnoses of Hodgkins.

The previous Biopsy results that were sent to (Columbia) came in.

Dr. Mennell felt this was very good news.

Treatment would be about 6 months rather than 2 years (as would be with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

2:00 pm Pet (P.E.T) (Positron Emission Tomography) scan.

Informed Consent Consultation- Horrific.

For second Opinion.
Memorial Sloan Kettering
Dr. Tanya Trippit -212 639 8267. Main: 212 639 2000
Sign out Slides 212 639 2000

St. Joes Treatment: is
Coppabv x 6 cycles
radiation - Low Dose on involved field.

Betsy or Jane to speak to school.

9/16/01

Dr. Dibruin removed chest Cathedar. She is much more comfortable.

Dr. Thinks that tube is what gave her pain. She has been laughing & playing with kids.

Dr. Weiner came to visit. Spoke about case. He does say that the first biopsy was infectious.

He says it is possible that this could be infection.

However, it is more likely to be infection surrounding the Tumor.

Dr. Mennell told us first biopsy had contained dead cells


9/15/01

Nicole has been having chest pains all yesterday and throughout day today.

However, in earlier part of day today, she required Tylenol only for pain management.

As the day progressed, it again became necessary to administer Morphine.

No one seems to know exactly why chest pain returns.

Very little fluid comes from the aspirations.

One nurse suggested that it might be the aspirations themselves causing the pain.

9/14/01

Biopsy inconclusive. Dr. Menell says cells were dead.

Inserted cathedar in right arm for antibiotic & future Chemo.

Very Painful. Nicole required Morphine 2 x for pain in chest.

Dr. Menell feels there is possibility of infection surrounding tumor.

However, feels it unlikely that Tumor so large could be infection only.

They will take Biopsy from chest tumor on Monday.

Dr Battacharia will not have to "break" open chest but will take sample from tissue close to rib cage.

9/13/01


Surgery for biopsy & heart. . Dr. Musina & another Dr. are the cardiac team.

Dr. Bhattacharia is surgeon for biopsy.

They removed 160 cc of fluid removed at time of surgery.

Approximately 10cc removed that night. Note: they were supposed to insert port Cathedar.

However, did not want to due to location of Tumor.

Also, did not insert cathedar in her arm for reasons that weren't clear.
Dr. Charles for Anesthesia:

Nicole is Pseudocholine sterase deficient. She is sensitive to Muscle relaxants. Woke intubated.

9/12/01

Called back to emergency for more x-rays.

Radiologist has read first neck x-ray, and sees something wrong in chest. Wants full chest x-ray.

Tumor found. Cat Scan performed. Diagnosis:

Lymphoma, and fluid around heart due to tumor's location around blood vessels to the heart.

Will require biopsy to tell whether Hodgkins or non Hodgkins Lymphoma.


9/11/01

Nicole came home from school complaining of pain in her neck. I felt lump.

Went to Dr. Devli at 6:00 PM. She sent us to emergency room saying she did not know what it was,

but that it wasn't right. She claimed it might be muscle pull. She said wanted Ortho to see her.

ER: Sent home with heating pad. Thought, at first, arm was broken. Ortho said no break.

I asked if this could be Lymphoma. Dr. "Phil" said that would be very low on his list.

She is a symptomatic and the lump is warm to the touch.