Hello everyone! Taylor had a terrific day at MSK today! He began cycle 8 this morning. He even ate very well. We found out that he loves popcorn. We received some awesome news from Dr. Wexler today! He told us that he believes with no doubt that Taylor is cured! He also said that Taylor's ruitine scans over the next 5 years are for the sole purpose of seeing if there are any after effects to his leg post treatment. He then added that he didn't expect there to be any significant damage to his body, especially since he had a low grade of radiation! He doesn't believe that Taylor's tumor will ever return and he is a month away from a full recovery! PRAISE THE LORD! Thank you again and again for all your prayers everyone! We love you all, Jen

Hi everyone! Taylor is having a good week at MSK. Only two more days to go. He has not been sick and he has been very happy most of the time. Of course he has his "toddler moments" from time to time, but other than that he has been doing well this cycle. He received a blood transfusion yesterday afternoon. He had been very tired all morning. Before the time it was completely infused, he jumped out of bed and started running up and down the halls shouting, "Gentlemen...start your engines!" and making race car noises! And his cheeks turned a rosey shade of pink! When their hemaglobin is low, patients turn a grayish color, feel tired, have headaches, and hurt all over. Thank you again to all of you who have been donating blood (and platelets) for Taylor! Your blood saves and improves the quality of Taylor's life during his treatment! Please pray for him as his count drop and that he might avoid being admitted this time around. Please pray that we all three stay healthy as it is cold and flu season. Amazing, so far Matt and I have been in perfect health since the day he began treatment! With all the stress we have been dealing with, it's almost inconceivable that we've avoided getting sick! That's the power of God for you! He's been so good to us in so many ways. We love you all, Jen

Hi everyone! Taylor is all finished with cycle 8. Eight down and two to go! He had a terrific week at MSK. He seemed to feel really good all week long. He is off for the next three weeks. Normally, he gets chemo for a week, and then he has two weeks off before the next cycle begins. Since his next cycle falls on the week of Christmas, he will have that week off as well. He will begin cycle 9 the following week. We will have to be there on New Years, but we don't mind. He will be fully recovered from this cycle and feeling great for Christmas...that's all we want this year! Every day that he feels good is a precious blessing. And the wonderful news we received this week from his doctor has made our holiday so amazingly special! We love you all, Jen

Hi everyone! Taylor was admitted to the hospital on Monday evening. I'll tell you what happened. On Sunday afternoon, Taylor tripped and fell head first into our living room wall. He almost immediately received a huge bump on his forehead. I put ice on it and it began to look a little better, but I called MSK and they said we needed to bring him in for a blood count and CT scan. When his platelets are low, he is not able to clot easily. The concern was not the bump on the outside, but what could have happened inside his head. He could have had a slow leak in there and that is very dangerous! His platelets were indeed very low, so he received a transfusion as soon as we got there. His CT scan was fine! Praise the Lord! His bump is already almost gone. We returned home at about 2:00 am.

On Monday, not even 24 hours after he injured his head, he developed a fever while we were home. By the time my mom and I got him to MSK, his fever was gone and he was gleefully running up and down the halls. The nurses said that he does not look like a child who needs to be admitted! Last time we brought him in to be admitted, he was septic from a dangerous gram B negative infection in his blood. He was so sick that day! He was shaking badly and so very gray. However, this time his cultures all came back fine and it's just that his counts are down so he needs to stay until the weekend when they will be back up again. He is feeling fine, only a little tired. He received blood last night while he slept.

Today was our 62nd day inpatient since June and our 100th day total with chemo, not including days here for counts, transfusions, and procedures! He has had over 40 transfusions. I keep track of everything. We have had very few bumps in the road so far, and we are very aware of the many things that can (and do) go wrong along the way. We thank the Lord for getting him through each day and we pray for uneventful days for the remaining weeks ahead. Thank you everyone for remembering Taylor in your prayers. We've had some scary moments, but God has brought us through them and taken care of our little sweetheart. We love you all, Jen

P.S. I felt the baby move for the first time last night here at MSK (of all places)! They were probably protesting being here again. It felt like a little foot pushing against my uterus a few times. It was so cool. With Taylor, at this point all I could feel was a little fluttering sensation once in a while. I'm in the best part of pregnancy now, the second trimester. I'm feeling pretty good, yet I'm not big enough to be uncomfortable at this time.

Hello everyone! We are still here in MSK. His counts are on their way up though. He is in very good spirits and he's comfortable. We have been moved to a private room. Taylor's roommate tested positive for RSV on Wednesday. It's very unlikely that he could have been infected by her, but they are very cautious here so he is isolated from everyone else just in case. Everyone who comes into his room must wear a mask, gown, and gloves. He has no signs of a cold so far and his two antibiotics are covering the infection he may have had when he was admitted with a fever last Monday. His counts take a while to come up because his bone marrow has been taking such a beating during these past seven months. He received both blood and platlets today. His doctor doubled his G-CSF to help them come up faster. G-CSF is the injection that Matt and I give him at home that helps him manufacture more white blood cells before his body can take over production of them on its own.

Matt stayed with him the past 2 days so that I could go home, get some things done around the house, and also get some rest. I was in desperate need of a few good nights of sleep. Matt has been so busy trying to juggle both his job and family. He's been awesome as well. He says it's hard to be at work when his heart is here with us. During the first few months of his treatment, I was on fire and running on a constant flow of adrenalin. Now things are very different. I'm starting to get burned out. I'm very thankful for my mom. She has been by my side every step of the way. This road is rough and exhausting. Also, he's 2 years old! That's a trying age even when you don't mix it with chemo, feeling sick, frightened and spending most of his life in a hospital! I feel (and probably look) like I've aged ten years since we began here in June. I don't know how I could have done this without my mom's help physically and emotionally. I have made it this far with my sanity still intact - barely! She tells me that once you're a mother, you're always a mother. She's selflessly gone over and above the call of duty as a mom! She has taught me what sacrifice means and without complaint. I hope that I can be as great a mom to my children, as she has been to Gary, Meredith and myself.

We are all so glad that this is almost over, and that the Lord has blessed us with a little boy who is now cancer free. Please pray for high counts for our little one. And thanks for praying us through each day! We love you all, Jen

P.S. The baby is very active! I feel little kicks and punches all day long now! I think I've got a tiny Jackie Chan in there!

Hi everyone. Taylor was discharged on Monday afternoon. We're so glad to be home again. He received blood and platelets on Friday and blood again yesterday morning before we left. He had a pretty good inpatient stay this time. He vommits a couple of times a day each time he's admitted, but that's unavoidable. The antibiotics, the mucusitus from low counts, and a full belly from his feeding tube all contribute to that. The new floor is beautiful! It is a little more pleasant being there when he is inpatient now. We have definetly had it though. All three of us. I do realize that it's all worth it because the outcome is that he is cured, but we're not done yet! We'll do anything for this little guy, but few people realize how trying this is on us, especially seven months into this! Also, I don't find it nessessary to give you guys all the details of a typical rough day in the life of a two year old with cancer. Some people have asked us why we are still going in there for treatment if he is cured? He needs these six maintenance cycles because they are part of the protocall (package) for his type of tumor, cured or not. We still have needed to be in that hospital outpatient and inpatient almost every day of each month. I think we have been home five days between each cycle per month. We are home now for two weeks for Christmas! Praise the Lord for that! A little break is just what we need to juice us up for the last two cycles. He will be completely finished with the last of his chemo the third week in January! Although we may be inpatient the week after that. Please pray for strength and patience all of us. God has been so good to us this year. He is truly awesome! We love you all, Jen

P.S. One or two of you have asked if we're having twins! I'm only having one baby everyone! When I wrote "they" in my last update, I meant he or she, not more than one! He or she is doing great. We will know if "they" are a he or she in three more weeks!

Hello everyone! Taylor has had a very good past couple of days. He's been playing and in a great mood! It's so nice to see his toys all out all over the floor. To me, that means he's feeling good! What a sight for sore eyes for us. Despite his hospital stay last week, this has been a very good cycle for Taylor. We hope the last two cycles go as well! His platelets were very low today so we will be going in to New York tomorrow morning for a transfusion. I think that this is the first time he's needed a transfusion after neutropenic week! His body is taking a little longer to produce them on his own as each cycle goes on. However, his white blood cell and hemoglobin counts were excellent this morning when he had his counts done at Chilton!

The Miller family, of our town of Bloomingdale, has so kindly offered to take donations for Taylor at their home this holiday season. Each year, they decorate their house with beautiful lights and Christmas displays for the public to come and enjoy. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be there for the children and treats will be given out as well! Weather permitting, the tour and display of the Miller home will be each night from 7:00 to 9:00pm. The dates are December 18th through the 22nd. The address is 289 Macopin Road in Bloomingdale. If you need directions please click here. We thank the Miller family for their desire to help us by taking donations for Taylor at their home this year.

We love you all, Jen

Hi everyone! Taylor is doing well. He's slowed down a little today compared to the past few days. He has been eating fantastic though...at least for Taylor. He had a yogurt and a half of a waffle today! We have his feeding tube on only overnight now. He will have his broviac and feeding tube removed around the first week of February. I think he'll do fine eating and maintaining his weight on his own. He will eat even better when he begins feeling better on a permenant basis. He's getting tall! We just bought him a booster seat for the car because he outgrew his car seat. He grew several inches since he was diagnosed. He is tall and thin, following in the footsteps of his uncle Gary. He's also talking much more these days. His vocabulary is getting bigger every day. Now we have to be careful what we say in front of him because he is our little parrot!

I'm feeling a bit more rested now that we are home and not having to drive into the city every morning. I really need a second wind to get through these last weeks of treatment. The Lord has always given me an extra measure of strength just when I've needed it. He is always faithful to see us though, no matter what the circumstance is. The other day, I was thinking about how I felt the very first time I felt movement within when I carried Taylor, and how it is now that I can feel this new little one each day. It's so very reassuring when that happens. The prenancy test, the tiredness, the sonogram and hearing the heartbeat all confirmed the pregnancy, but it truly became something real and believable when I could actually feel these children alive inside of me. Before we began going through all of this with Taylor, I felt the same way about God! I knew He was there because of what I learned from the bible, my pastors, Sunday School teachers and so on. But it wasn't until we were faced with this news and then this unbelievably difficult road to wellness for Taylor, that Matt and I truly felt the presence of God in our lives. He is real...always there when you need him...and always faithful to His children with His reassuring presence It's been a tough road, but it's been so cool to experience Him in that way! I'm sure I've said it before, but I can't imagine going through life without the Lord...even in the bests of circumstances. We love you all, Jen

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! We hope you all have a wonderful time with family and friends. It's so great to be home. Taylor has had a cold this past week, but he is in good spirits overall. We will be home for good in four more weeks when he is officially done with treatment! He has only 2 more cycles of chemo left! God has been so good to us. Matt and I have so many reasons to praise Him this holiday season! He has healed our Taylor and blessed us with a new baby arriving this spring! Taylor is so excited about Christmas. He knows it's Jesus' birthday...he also knows about the presents. We couldn't get him to go to sleep tonight! After he finally went to bed, I put all of his gifts under the tree. When I came back into the livingroom, I found Matt sitting there on the couch staring at the gifts under the tree. I asked him what he was doing? He said, "Looking at all these gifts made it a reality that I'm a parent!'' It's different this year. Taylor understands a lot of what's going on in the world around him now. It's really amazing to see him go from baby to little person! I brought him with me to my doctor the other day. He was able to hear his little sister or brother's heartbeat! He said to me afterwards, "That's so cool Mama!" That's his favorite saying.

Taylor will be needing extra platelets during these final 2 cycles of chemo in January. His body is taking longer to make them on his own after all these cycles bombarding his body these past 7 months. If you are interested in donating for him next month, please call us at (973)283-2933 or email us at family@themarmets.com We love you all and Merry Christmas, Jen

Hi everyone! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a terrific Christmas! Taylor was (and still is) feeling good and he had a great day opening his presents and spending time at home with family. We went to my parents' house during the day. Matt's parents came over our house in the evening. We can't get together with the whole family, including his cousins, because of the germ factor. He must be healthy until we are done next month. He had a little cold last week which he probably received from Matt. He does fine now thank the Lord. Taylor begins cycle 9 tomorrow morning. He will also have his last set of scans this week. His scans will now be done every three months for 18 months, every 6 months for the following 18 months, then once a year for the remaining 2 years. After that, he never has to see that place again! If you missed the good news a few weeks ago, his oncologist told us that he has no doubt that Taylor is cured and he doesn't believe the tumor will ever return again! He also said that the scans are for the sole purpose of seeing if there has been any damage to his leg post treatment. Dr. Wexler then said that he expects that there will be no permanent damage because of the very low amount of radiation he received. That was WONDERFUL news! What a Christmas gift! Please keep him in your prayers this coming week. He has two more weeks outpatient getting his chemo. Then most likely two more weeks inpatient after each chemo this coming month before he will be finally done for good. Thanks for your prayers everyone! We love you all, Jen

Hello everyone! We have a huge prayer request for you! Taylor was at MSK yesterday for his first day of chemo, cycle 9. He also received an MRI and CAT scan for his last scans before he is finished. He was feeling great when we got to the hospital and he was not coughing very much anymore as a result of the cold he had last week. He was given anesthesia for the two scans because he is too little to lay still for that length of time. He was under for over 2 hours. When he woke up he was very congested, which often happens while under anesthesia since the respiratory system slows down significantly. He just wasn't himself after the scans. About an hour later, I noticed that he was breathing very fast and his color was pale. Four nurses and a doctor couldn't figure out exactly what was happening to him. He also wasn't responding to us when we talked to him! There were some scary moments for a while. His oxygen level was pretty low and he was working hard to breath. His blood pressure was fine. They gave him oxygen and a breathing treatment. He also had a chest x-ray. This was the final conclusion. He has pneumonia in both lungs and his lungs had collapsed during his scans. The chest x-ray showed a lot of white areas in his lungs. However, it will look worse after the anesthesia and the lungs having been collapsed. He developed a fever last night, which made it official that he was fighting the pneumonia. He is getting antibiotics through his IV, just like when he's here for neutropenic weeks. We had a rough night last night too. He has to have a breathing treatment while we pound on his back for 15 minutes ever 2 hours, even overnight! He needs oxygen all the time. When it is removed, his level drops like a rock in seconds! He's slowly improving as each hour goes by. He is talking a little this morning and taking his breathing treatments a bit better. They will do them every 4 hours, then 6, then 12, as he is more stable. He is considered ICU right now, but he was cared for by a CCU nurse all last night. If he didn't improve overnight, he was going to have to be moved to the Critical Care Unit. His counts are up! This is not unusual. The floor is full of children with pneumonia, RSV and other respiratory illnesses. He has this because his body is weak, not because of his counts. He will be able to go home when he can breathe without the help of the oxygen and be fever free for over 24 hours. If all goes well, he will resume cycle 9 next week! He will still be on target to be finished by the end of January. Once he is all done, he will not be as likely to get these major illnesses anymore. He is in wonderful hands here, and God is always in control! Please pray for Taylor in the days ahead as he recovers, as well as for continued strength for me and Matt. We love you all, Jen