We had a quiet Sunday at the apartment and I was able to work for six hours before Tanner even got out of bed. The only time we even got out was to go and pick up a pizza and some groceries. Tanner decided to do a little reading in front of Walmart. Doesn't he look relaxed? If you look closely, you will see that's a romance he's reading! LOL!! He borrowed Susan's book while they were here and "kicked back" in the wheelchair.

Shirley and Tom, (Shirley is having treatment at the MIRT also) arrived back at their apartment across the road from us yesterday. Tom came over to say hello and to check on Tanner. I must say it feels good to have them back. Tanner and I were feeling kind of lonely at the apartments with none of the other patients around us. I told Tom we didn't feel so alone now.

He asked if we had seen many familiar patients while we have been here this past week and we told him that we have only seen a few so far. I know some of the other couples we met when we were here before are supposed to be arriving this week so I think most of us are on similiar schedules. John and Lauren are supposed to arrive today and Tanner is already wanting to call them!

I'm glad he has made friends and is handling this all so well because I think he's got many years ahead of him with trips to Arkansas in his future!

We had a great day yesterday! My cousin Kathy and her sister-in-laws, Susan and Joanne, were in Conway and came up to see us. We went out to eat for lunch at On the Border (of course!) and then went to Benton to see Aunt Tincey, Julie, and Alston, It was a lot of fun!! It was sad when they left the apartment last night. It was like part of home was leaving with them.

Dr. B gave us copies of the reports from all of Tanner's tests and from my reading the MRI and PET scan reports, it seems like that his previous treatment and the new clean bone marrow has "unmasked" several lesions that they previously had not seen. In most instances, the reports showed improvement in the lesions that had been previously found. The scans showed a fracture in the left tibia (which is the leg that is still in the full cast) but did not go on to expand to say if the facture showed improvement or not. In regard to the lesion on the right femur (thigh area) it said that this was the largest lesion, over 10 cm, and is in danger of "immenent fracture". This lesion is why Tanner is supposed to use the wheelchair as much as possible and why I almost have a heart attack every time I see him using his crutches and almost fall. He would be bed-ridden if that right lesion gives out and fractures.

All together, the reports says that Tanner has "100+" lesions in his bones, which I feel is why Dr. B wants to go ahead with more chemo and another stem cell transplant. Though the chemo and stem cell transplant he has already taken has resulted in improvement in the lesions and NO more cancer in the bone marrow, he needs to proceed with the treatment necessary to give him the best result possible in repairing these lesions in his bones.

Bonnie, Dr. B's assistant, came to talk to me and Tanner and she asked how long Tanner would be in the cast and I told her Dr. Nicholas had said at least until the end of October (though I'm afraid that starting chemo again will slow down the healing once more). She asked about the right femur and I told her that he was very concerned about that area and she said "I think they all are but they can't do anything until..." and she looked at Tanner and just stopped talking. I think what she was going to say was that they can't do anything about the right femur until Tanner is through taking chemotherapy - and also while his left leg is in a cast.

I'm afraid that once Tanner is through with all of this chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, they are going to move on to talking about sugery on the right leg. I'm hoping when, and if, we come to that point, they will allow him to have that surgery in Fort Worth - but I've been told that Dr. B is very picky about allowing anyone he doesn't know performing surgery on "his" cancer patients. Dr. Nicholas is an orthopedic surgeon who only treats cancer patients and is who Dr. B knows and trusts.

I guess we will have to see what is said about surgery on the right leg - and where it is going to be performed - when the times comes. There's no use worrying about things that might or might not happen before the time has come. We have enough on our plate right now. For instance, the insurance lady at Dr. B's office still hasn't filed the appeal and the insurance is still denying everything as experimental. I talked with one of the nurses at the doctor's office about the insurance and the fact that the "threat" letters have already started. She said there was no excuse for the appeal not to have been filed yet and they are going to schedule an appointment for me to talk to the insurance woman Monday. I'm going to have to tell her that I can accept no more excuses. We are over two months past the initial denial and the appeal has to be filed now or I'm going to have to go over her head and talk to someone else. I hate that we have to worry about something like this when we should just be focusing on getting Tanner well, but this is reality and the insurance has to be dealt with.

On a lighter note, Dr. B's assistant Bonnie also told Tanner that they have been talking with the Today Show about the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy and they told them about Tanner and how he's the youngest patient being treated at the Center. She said they have expressed an interest in talking to Tanner. Tanner asked Bonnie if she meant on TV, and she told him yes and he said "Heck Yea!".

Tanner would probably excel talking on TV, I on the other hand freak out even when I have to talk to a room full of agents whom I've know for nearly 10 years. But, on the other hand, this would also be an opportunity to put out on national television that Tanner's insurance company is denying him coverage for life saving treatment because they deem it "experimental" - even though the treatment has been proven to save lives and has been used for many years.

Bonnie told us she would tell The Today Show we had given permission for them to contact us so I guess we will just see how this plays out.

Tanner gave Dr. Barlogie a thank you card and wrote on the back of it that he was "our hope". It brought tears to Dr. B's eyes and he kissed Tanner's cheek and told him he loved him. I think he pushes himself so hard because he truly cares about his patients. I know that he always gives him a hug when coming and going from the office.

The good news is that there is still no sign of cancer in Tanner's bone marrow. The other news is that it looks like we are going to be here at least three more weeks.

Our appointment to see Dr. Barlogie today was at 2:00 p.m. and we arrived there about 1:45. At a quarter to six, he finally made it to our exam room. He was very apologetic but we had been watching him from our exam room running from room to room for hours and you could see the exhaustion in his face. He told me he tries not to rush his patients, and then he falls behind. After seeing Tanner at 6:00 p.m. he still had two more new patients to see.

He asked me if we were prepared to stay here a while and I told him that when coming back this time, we didn't know what was supposed to happen next but that we had kept the apartment and had packed to be here a while. He thanked me said he wanted to go ahead and do the next stem cell transplant.

I told him that the insurance lady had told us that since our insurance wouldn't cover two implants (if they cover any of this at all), in one year, that Dr. B might just do one implant. He asked why in the world would she say something like that and that he wouldn't give Tanner any less treatment than he would an old person.

Soooo, it looks like I will be signing for another stem cell transplant to be performed and the process will start next week.

I asked about the lesion in Tanner's right femur, and he said that he didn't want to say anything about that since that was more Dr. Nicholas' area and that he would send a note over to him (the cancer orthopedic surgeon) to look at Tanner's tests and to get back with us about the big lesion in his right leg - and also the lesion and broken bone in the left leg. I know the next appointment with Dr. Nicholas isn't until October 30th but hopefully, he will get with us after he gets Dr. B's note and he looks at the MRI and PET scan that was done this week.

I have a pounding headache from sitting so many hours at the doctor's office without eating so I'm just going to leave it at this tonight.

Tanner and I both are a little disheartened - but Dr. B knows best and I want him to do everything he thinks is best to make sure Tanner has a long and healthy life.

Not much to post this evening. The only thing done today was labwork at the hospital. We saw one of the ladies we met when Tanner was going through chemo and she told him it took her about three weeks to go through "consolidation". Whew! Three weeks!! We are so hoping that because Tanner is so young he won't have to go through that step, but I guess we'll just see what Dr. B has to say tomorrow. Whatever he thinks is best to make sure Tanner reaches a cure.

We stopped by Old Navy on the way back to the apartment this afternoon and got Tanner a jacket and some sweat pants that will fit over his cast.

It's been a rainy, dreary day. Tanner thought he wanted to go to the Multiple Myeloma dinner tonight but has now changed his mind so I guess we'll have a quiet night at the apartment.

I have been working for the last several hours on the computer so I guess I'll hand the internet over to him for the night.

The doctor's appointment tomorrow is at 2:00 p.m. so I will post as soon as I can.

I'm sorry I didn't post last night. The first thing Tanner told me when we got back to the apartment yesterday evening was that he wanted the internet for a while (no wireless connection) before I got on for HOURS.

I told him that I wouldn't be on for hours because there wasn't that much to report but I went ahead and let him log on for a while and I settled on the couch to rest for a little bit. The next thing I knew, the telephone woke me up. I got up long enough to make grilled cheese and tomato soup for supper and then I went to bed.

It's raining here and cooler than in Texas. Thankfully we brought some warmer clothes this time. The people at the hospital tell me it's been raining every day for two weeks. I know that the rain makes it a little difficult to get Tanner in and out in the wheelchair.

Tanner started his day yesterday with the PET scan and then we went over to MIRT and saw the gang at the office and had labwork drawn. He told me he didn't think he needed his "lollipop" (sedative on a stick) and made it through his bone marrow aspiration drug free. He just took deep breaths and the girl who performed the procedure did a really good job. We ended the day with an MRI that took a couple of hours (he did take a Lorazepam to help him relax for those hours spent in the tube).

There is nothing on the books for Tanner today, so I'm planning on running over to Central Licensing Bureau to meet some people I have been working with long distance for several years now. It will be nice to finally meet them and have faces to put with the voices.

We see Dr. Barlogie tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. and Tanner and I are both anxious to hear what he has to say. It seems like, from what some of the patients we met yesterday were telling us, there is a phase after the stem cell transplants called "consolidation" in which the patient has to go through chemotherpay again at about 75% strength . Now we are both afraid that, at the very least, we might be here another week or two.

But, as Dr. Barlogie told us when we asked him what was next, "every patient's treatment is individualized", so I guess we won't stress over what's next and will wait to see what the doctor has to say on Friday.

I'll be sure to let you all know.

Well, we are back in Arkansas. I think that drive gets longer each time.

Tanner slept most of the way and only woke up when I stopped to get gas in Texarkana. When I got back on the highway he told me he was feeling sick. I gave him a gallon baggie and the next thing I knew, he was throwing up. I don't guess the Chipotle that we had for lunch before we left Fort Worth set well in his stomach. He has been having some problems with nausea since we got home so I guess it's something we will need to talk to the nurses about at the doctor's this week.

The apartment looked just like it did when we left except that there was a note on the door that a couple in the apartment building next to us was robbed at gunpoint and that we need to take extra precautions. They went on to say it's the first time something like that has happened at these apartments so I hope it's the last time.

Tomorrow, Tanner has a PET Scan at 7:00 a.m., then he goes to MIRT for labwork, then he has a bone marrow aspiration, and lastly will have a full body MRI. We will have a long day ahead of us so I'm going to come to a close for the night.

Back to the air mattress!

Well, our break is nearing an end and I think Tanner and I both are feeling some stress from the thought of heading back to Arkansas next Tuesday.

When Dr. Barlogie told us Tanner could come home for a month, it sounded like a long time - but the days have flown by.

Granny Jane had a "Tanner's Remission Celebration" dinner and we were able to see a lot of family and friends. Tanner had a great time and was so touched by all the people who were able to attend. He thinks his "Big Granny" (his 91 year old great grandmother) is one of the funniest people he has ever met! He loves it that she has a new joke to tell him every time he see's her.

He's gotten to see many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends while he's been home and he wants to thank everyone for taking the time to see him while he's been here - and to all of you who have been sick since we've been back and haven't been able to visit, we'll get together when we get back from Litte Rock!

We are so hoping that this trip back to Arkansas will be of short duration with all the tests still showing full remission -- and are hoping that Dr. Barlogie will be sending Tanner home on a maintenance program.

I know that Tanner is scared. He goes through all the motions and shows a happy face, but I know that he lives with fear on a daily basis. He put on his Facebook yesterday that he doesn't know what the future will bring and that he's afraid. I think he feels free to express his fears in writing on Facebook where he can't bring himself to talk out loud about it to his family. I know the fears I live with daily when I think about the fact that Tanner has cancer so I can only imagine what goes through his mind. Hopefully, this trip back to Arkansas will put to rest many of the fears he is enduring.

We will be heading back Tuesday October 13th so I will be sure to update daily once we return to Little Rock.

Thanks to you all for the overwhelming love and support Tanner has been receiving daily!