THE ANDERSON FAMILY
I just got an email update from my sister....
Hi Kathryn
Just letting you know that Kallan has a massive abscess that can be treated with antibiotics. When the surgeons opened him up, puss and goo just oozed out. They all thought it was cancer again and so told Karina that they were all going to buy lotto tickets. What a relief.
All the best for great results and the all clear with the biopsy today. We love, love, love you Kal Pal!!
My wonderful, courageous, charmer of a nephew, Kallan, completed his chemo this last week and returned home! We are just so in awe at his strength and ability and shouted a big, "woohoo!" for him once we knew he was able to go home.
His dad, my brother-in-law, Darren has been there with him every step of the way. He has stayed literally by his side these last 9 months and I bet they are just all so glad to be home all together. My sister has had to play runabout between Sydney and home trying to manage home, work and beautiful Shaylie. Shaylie has been a little bit of a star at the house in Sydney and I am sure the whole family will be missed. Life will be so sweet for them to be together and this whole experience has changed them (and all the extended family). I don't think you can go through something like this and it not change you. We are just so proud of our boy and I bet there are some lovely celebrations happening in the land of Aus right now... can you tell I am a little jealous....
I wrote on my last entry on Kal's blog the following,
"Only when nanny had her accident and you were first diagnosed have I ever felt such a strong pull to be with you all! I SOOOO wish we were there for some lovely 'welcome home, you kicked cancers butt' celebrations and more so to give you the biggest, fatest cuddle and kiss ever!! I so love, love, love you Kal, Shay, Karina and Darren!
Kathryn.xx."
I think this was my biggest fear when leaving Australia, was not being there for major events, whether good or bad but life goes on, no matter what side of the world you are on.
I just wanted to write a little something to the wonderful little family that has gone through so much from September 23rd - June 11th!!
Kallan.... I love you more than I can express, I am so, so proud of you. You have shown me how much one person can make such a difference not just in my life and everyone elses lives but in their own life too. Keep strong and always be that fun, sweet, spunky little man you are!
Shaylie.... you really are a delight. Nanny, Netty and Ronnie and everyone have loved having you around all the more when life was busy for Mummy and Daddy with Kallan. You are a star sweet girl!
Darren.... What a man you are! Karina, Kal and Shay are so blessed to have you. You have been an absolute champ with handling all you have. Breathe a huge sigh of relief and enjoy your own bed Dash!! I love you.
Karina.... I so, so love you. You have been pulled in every direction and what a stress for you. I could not imagine having to be away from Kal through much of this and I know it must have been the most difficult thing to go through. Your husband and children absolutely ADORE you. Hug them, hold them close and love them as they have never been loved before.
For those that have been following the treatment and recovery of my wonderful nephew Kallan, here is some happy news....
Kallan is the face of the Bandaged Bear Appeal. He has somewhat of a little celebrity status going on at the hospital he is in with big posters around and was in our local paper in Maitland yesterday. Check it out at http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/face-of-the-bandaged-bear-appeal/1455791.aspx
He is also going to be on TV this week promoting the appeal.
I just love Kallan. He is such a strong little man and just makes us all so proud. He has had some ups and downs with his treatment which is be expected but thankfully has always come out on top. He has such a good sense of humour and I remember when he was first diagnosed they told him and his parents that his sense of humour would carry him through. We call this little funnys of Kallan's Kallanisms and they make us smile through all this! I love you Kal Pal, save an autograph for me ya spunk!!
I just had to post this beautiful photo from Kallan's blog. My sister Karina, Darren and Kallan. I just really had a cry when I saw these photos. 
I have been doing really well coping lately but just felt the emotion from these photos. I so wish I was there for a visit somedays.
Kallan starts dual drug chemo treatment again on Friday, this is his second round and hopefully it is kinder to him than the first round he had. He has had quite a few visitors lately from my family and Darrens family so I know he has loved that. We love you Kallan and hope and pray for a speedy and kind second round!!
I just had to add these pics I got today of my nephew Kallan. I just so love him to bits. Life has been difficult for Kal and family lately but I am so thankful each day is a new one and he seems to be doing well for the most part. I must check his blog about 5 times a day to see if there is any news. I am just so thankful for family and the support that they are to each other. I miss them so much and wish with all my heart I could be in 2 places at once a lot of the time. Kallan, Shay, Karina and Darren I just so love you and want each of you to know that. You are constantly in our prayers!
Kallan... the little stud!
Kal and Shay, what a beautiful photo
One of the hardest things I have found when pregnant is dealing with issues or trials that come along. I do not process very well when hormonal I have come to realize.
My pregnancy with Cade was so very wanted and althought it took us some time and I was sick (probably the best morning sickness one can get really), it was so worth every minute to have a happy, healthy baby. My pregnancy was laced with sadness in the fact that our brother-in-law Brett was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer at only 29 years old and it was just such a shock and a blow to all of us. I can not tell you how much I wished things were different at that time. My mum was also in a terrible accident 10 days before she was to fly out of Australia to come for Cade's birth and that was a time I had never felt so hopeless or helpless. I kept thinking that had my mum died, I couldn't have even travelled to her funeral I was so heavily pregnant. These stresses I truly did not cope well with. I look back and I did well in the fact that I had the happiness of this gorgeous child in which to lose myself but it was a hard time.
This pregnancy has not been without it's trials also. I share these things not for sympathy or understanding but merely to record for myself as my blog is essentially a thinking journal. My oldest nephew, Kallan, who is 10 years old, has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. It is also a bone cancer. It is however a primary cancer, meaning, usually bone cancer is a secondary cancer but not in Kal's case. His is not terminal. It is in fact very treatable so there is definate positives to us. This cancer is a rare cancer that affects usually boys between the ages of 10-25 when they do the majority of their growing. It seems to affect the largest bones in the lower extremity (femur and tibia) and the upper arm bone (humerus). Kallans tumor is in his right humerus and is about 6cm x 5 1/2cm in size. He has seen some great doctors and has now been told he does have cancer. His parents had told him he had a tumor but decided against telling him he had cancer initially, which we all could totally understand. Kallan met with a specialist (I actually think it is the Dr that will oversee his treatment) and he did tell Kal he had cancer and that he had to be strong but they would get through it together. Kallan has a biopsy tomorrow and a PET scan I think it is and from there they will be scheduling 12 weeks of chemo. The hospital that is caring for Kallan is about 2 1/2 - 3 hours from where they live and they will have to live in Ronald McDonald housing 3 days out of the week for his treatments. After the 12 weeks I believe they will remove the cancer affected bone and zap it directly with radiation and I am not sure if they replace it in the arm or if he received a grafted bone from elsewhere. I guess we will know more as time goes on. The doctor has said that the cancer had not spread but the scan tomorrow will confirm this. I just pray with all my heart he will pull through with flying colors. He is a fighter. Kallan holds a very special place in my heart. He was the first grand baby born and I was 16 when Kallan was born and I remember it very clearly. He was the most gorgeous child, always smiling, always happy. I have found myself at times, looking through photos of the kids when they were younger and Kallan and Cade look almost like the same child in some photos, it is relly nice to see. Kallan is probably the one that knows me the best out of all my nieces and nephews as he was the oldest when we left to move here. I just so wish I was there to love on him!
I also just got a call that my mum is in hospital. This is never a good thing. I started to feel the panic and my sister explained that she was violently ill, vomiting etc and had gone to the hospital and they sent her home with my sister and another of my sisters went to be with her for the day and she was so ill she couldn't even walk or crawl or anything to make it to the bathroom. They immediately took her to the hospital again and had her admitted. Poor thing. She can't even move her head without getting sick. They gave her a CT scan and ruled out bleeding on the brain for stroke etc but are thinking it may be vertigo. She is still in the hospital and is too ill for calls or visitors so I will have to wait to hear what the outcome is. It is awful to not be there at these times. I so feel the pull to want to be there, helping in some way. I have 4 sisters that all live really close to my mum and I know she is in the best hands possible and so is Kallan and his family for that matter. I just wish I was able to click my heels together and transport myself there and back whenever I wanted. I knew this would be the hardest thing for me when we moved, to not be there when family dramas occur but it has been harder than I imagined and that is possibly due to the pregnancy hormones running rampant also.
I just pray and pray knowing that Heavenly Father is where I can not be and taking care of things I can not. What a blessing and comfort prayer is to me at times like these. I just so dearly love my extended family and want nothing but health, strength and happiness for each of them. I just so feel that fight or flight pull to want to be there in every which way.
One of the hardest things I have found when pregnant is dealing with issues or trials that come along. I do not process very well when hormonal I have come to realize.
My pregnancy with Cade was so very wanted and althought it took us some time and I was sick (probably the best morning sickness one can get really), it was so worth every minute to have a happy, healthy baby. My pregnancy was laced with sadness in the fact that our brother-in-law Brett was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer at only 29 years old and it was just such a shock and a blow to all of us. I can not tell you how much I wished things were different at that time. My mum was also in a terrible accident 10 days before she was to fly out of Australia to come for Cade's birth and that was a time I had never felt so hopeless or helpless. I kept thinking that had my mum died, I couldn't have even travelled to her funeral I was so heavily pregnant. These stresses I truly did not cope well with. I look back and I did well in the fact that I had the happiness of this gorgeous child in which to lose myself but it was a hard time.
This pregnancy has not been without it's trials also. I share these things not for sympathy or understanding but merely to record for myself as my blog is essentially a thinking journal. My oldest nephew, Kallan, who is 10 years old, has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. It is also a bone cancer. It is however a primary cancer, meaning, usually bone cancer is a secondary cancer but not in Kal's case. His is not terminal. It is in fact very treatable so there is definate positives to us. This cancer is a rare cancer that affects usually boys between the ages of 10-25 when they do the majority of their growing. It seems to affect the largest bones in the lower extremity (femur and tibia) and the upper arm bone (humerus). Kallans tumor is in his right humerus and is about 6cm x 5 1/2cm in size. He has seen some great doctors and has now been told he does have cancer. His parents had told him he had a tumor but decided against telling him he had cancer initially, which we all could totally understand. Kallan met with a specialist (I actually think it is the Dr that will oversee his treatment) and he did tell Kal he had cancer and that he had to be strong but they would get through it together. Kallan has a biopsy tomorrow and a PET scan I think it is and from there they will be scheduling 12 weeks of chemo. The hospital that is caring for Kallan is about 2 1/2 - 3 hours from where they live and they will have to live in Ronald McDonald housing 3 days out of the week for his treatments. After the 12 weeks I believe they will remove the cancer affected bone and zap it directly with radiation and I am not sure if they replace it in the arm or if he received a grafted bone from elsewhere. I guess we will know more as time goes on. The doctor has said that the cancer had not spread but the scan tomorrow will confirm this. I just pray with all my heart he will pull through with flying colors. He is a fighter. Kallan holds a very special place in my heart. He was the first grand baby born and I was 16 when Kallan was born and I remember it very clearly. He was the most gorgeous child, always smiling, always happy. I have found myself at times, looking through photos of the kids when they were younger and Kallan and Cade look almost like the same child in some photos, it is relly nice to see. Kallan is probably the one that knows me the best out of all my nieces and nephews as he was the oldest when we left to move here. I just so wish I was there to love on him!
I also just got a call that my mum is in hospital. This is never a good thing. I started to feel the panic and my sister explained that she was violently ill, vomiting etc and had gone to the hospital and they sent her home with my sister and another of my sisters went to be with her for the day and she was so ill she couldn't even walk or crawl or anything to make it to the bathroom. They immediately took her to the hospital again and had her admitted. Poor thing. She can't even move her head without getting sick. They gave her a CT scan and ruled out bleeding on the brain for stroke etc but are thinking it may be vertigo. She is still in the hospital and is too ill for calls or visitors so I will have to wait to hear what the outcome is. It is awful to not be there at these times. I so feel the pull to want to be there, helping in some way. I have 4 sisters that all live really close to my mum and I know she is in the best hands possible and so is Kallan and his family for that matter. I just wish I was able to click my heels together and transport myself there and back whenever I wanted. I knew this would be the hardest thing for me when we moved, to not be there when family dramas occur but it has been harder than I imagined and that is possibly due to the pregnancy hormones running rampant also.
I just pray and pray knowing that Heavenly Father is where I can not be and taking care of things I can not. What a blessing and comfort prayer is to me at times like these. I just so dearly love my extended family and want nothing but health, strength and happiness for each of them. I just so feel that fight or flight pull to want to be there in every which way.
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