We are in the final stages of planning and preparation for the Golf Tournament at Lee's Hill Golf Club on Thursday, May 21st. We are all very excited about the success of this event and cannot wait to see it unfold!!
We are asking all of you to consider donating a case of soda or Gatorade to the cause. I would be happy to house them here at my home until the tournament should you wish to bring them to me. If that's too much, I can arrange for myself or someone else to pick the drinks up from the location of your choice. If you are interested in helping us out, please email me at rebecca.beggan@gmail.com or you can call me at (703)371-7765.
THANKS!
Becca
Monday, May 11, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
My Dearest Courtney.....
About 30 minutes premature...BUT--I know I speak for a LOT of people when I say.....
Courtney,
You have made me so, so, so proud!! In the past, we've spoken briefly about the "What Ifs" in our lives.....many things were discussed in our multiple conversations, including the "drastic scenarios" that we now find ourselves in (I say WE, because I have taken this journey with you every step of the way even when you may not see/feel me there). You have exemplified the true meaning of motherhood in the total sense of the word. I know you thought you'd never get through this, and I know there are days you think may break you. You are a true hero and a mother that we all honor, respect and aspire to be. I want to wish you a VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, COURTIE!
You may not be where you intended to be for Mother's Day this year, but you will be exactly where you have ultimately been put on this great Earth to be, and that is with your beautiful son, CarterMan....Your dedicated husband, Skip (who recognizes that you are better than any Mother he could have dreamt up for his kids), your determined and electric daughter, Caroline....and the many family members and friends that will surround you when the sun comes up in the morning. Please know that beyond your physical company tomorrow, there are hundreds of people by your side in celebration of tomorrow's Mother's Day and always!
I love you today, and always :) HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!!!!!
Courtney,
You have made me so, so, so proud!! In the past, we've spoken briefly about the "What Ifs" in our lives.....many things were discussed in our multiple conversations, including the "drastic scenarios" that we now find ourselves in (I say WE, because I have taken this journey with you every step of the way even when you may not see/feel me there). You have exemplified the true meaning of motherhood in the total sense of the word. I know you thought you'd never get through this, and I know there are days you think may break you. You are a true hero and a mother that we all honor, respect and aspire to be. I want to wish you a VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, COURTIE!
You may not be where you intended to be for Mother's Day this year, but you will be exactly where you have ultimately been put on this great Earth to be, and that is with your beautiful son, CarterMan....Your dedicated husband, Skip (who recognizes that you are better than any Mother he could have dreamt up for his kids), your determined and electric daughter, Caroline....and the many family members and friends that will surround you when the sun comes up in the morning. Please know that beyond your physical company tomorrow, there are hundreds of people by your side in celebration of tomorrow's Mother's Day and always!
I love you today, and always :) HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!!!!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Have a toddler and want out of the house to forget all this rain???
Here is a perfect way to do just that....GET OUTTA YOUR HOUSE and help CarterMan while fulfilling your own needs!
Toddlin' Time of Fredericksburg, located not far from Carl's - don't even try to tell me you don't know where CARL'S is, you silly!!....is having a SPECIAL 2-HOUR FUNDRAISER on Monday, May 18th from 10AM until NOON!!
"Miss Tricia" and "Miss Caroline" (CarterMan's former teachers when he attended Toddlin' Time of Fredericksburg in his younger years) are putting on this fundraiser where 100% of the proceeds will go to Carter Harris and his family!
*Snacks will be provided for your little ones
*Lots of Singing and PlayTime!
Please click HERE as soon as possible for more contact information as the response to this event has been overwhelming and there are only a few spots left!
Toddlin' Time of Fredericksburg, located not far from Carl's - don't even try to tell me you don't know where CARL'S is, you silly!!....is having a SPECIAL 2-HOUR FUNDRAISER on Monday, May 18th from 10AM until NOON!!
"Miss Tricia" and "Miss Caroline" (CarterMan's former teachers when he attended Toddlin' Time of Fredericksburg in his younger years) are putting on this fundraiser where 100% of the proceeds will go to Carter Harris and his family!
*Snacks will be provided for your little ones
*Lots of Singing and PlayTime!
Please click HERE as soon as possible for more contact information as the response to this event has been overwhelming and there are only a few spots left!
Carter's going to eat one way or another!
CarterMan had surgery yesterday to have a Feeding Tube put into his stomach in order to be sure that he is getting proper nutrition. It is referred to as a G-Tube but is more affectionately referred to as his second belly button by his family! :)
He is a bit sore today, but is doing relatively well. His sugar levels have somewhat stabilized for the moment. He did get his Neupogen shot again today because his white blood cell count dipped down a little bit. This could be due to the final radiation treatment he recently underwent.
After a little bit of a trying morning, he was playing the Wii again today! He also colored for the first time in a very long time this afternoon! You go, Carter!!
He told his Dad, for the first time in a about a month now, that he felt hungry!!! He didn't actually eat anything, but it's a promising sign that good things are to come!!
Please continue to pray for Carter and his family. Don't forget to pray for Baby Noah who rests just a few doors down from CarterMan. To learn more about Noah's story, please click HERE.
He is a bit sore today, but is doing relatively well. His sugar levels have somewhat stabilized for the moment. He did get his Neupogen shot again today because his white blood cell count dipped down a little bit. This could be due to the final radiation treatment he recently underwent.
After a little bit of a trying morning, he was playing the Wii again today! He also colored for the first time in a very long time this afternoon! You go, Carter!!
He told his Dad, for the first time in a about a month now, that he felt hungry!!! He didn't actually eat anything, but it's a promising sign that good things are to come!!
Please continue to pray for Carter and his family. Don't forget to pray for Baby Noah who rests just a few doors down from CarterMan. To learn more about Noah's story, please click HERE.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Car Wash for Carter!
If I told you that my car wasn't covered in pollen, I would be lying!! Now is that time of year when our cars need a good scrub down at least once a week. Give your local car wash a break and come take advantage of a good, old fashioned hand washing of your car!! Here are the details:
When: Saturday, May 9th from 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: Behind Steamers Restaurant/Bar in Chatham Heights
Why: Because it's a fundraiser for Carter!!
Who: 5th grade students at Grafton Village Elementary (organized by Mikayla Bonner)
How: FREE CAR WASH (donations greatly appreciated)
EVERY DONATION GETS YOU A FREE APPETIZER AT STEAMERS!!
We hope to see you and all your pollen covered cars on Saturday!!
When: Saturday, May 9th from 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: Behind Steamers Restaurant/Bar in Chatham Heights
Why: Because it's a fundraiser for Carter!!
Who: 5th grade students at Grafton Village Elementary (organized by Mikayla Bonner)
How: FREE CAR WASH (donations greatly appreciated)
EVERY DONATION GETS YOU A FREE APPETIZER AT STEAMERS!!
We hope to see you and all your pollen covered cars on Saturday!!
Carter's Weekend...
Carter's overall health picked up dramatically on Thursday and Friday. He was playing the Wii, playing with toys, talking more, smiling and laughing. He was having great physical therapy sessions and it was determined that he did NOT have a clot in his PICC line!!
Saturday morning, things changed a bit. Carter woke up to very "junky" sounding lungs and breathing. His chest was retracting, causing his heart rate to severely elevate and his oxygen levels to drop drastically. This seemed to progressively get worse throughout the day. He was eventually moved back into the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) so that he could be monitored more closely.
They orders a STAT CT scan of his chest which showed absolutely no signs of pneumonia. In fact, the doctor said that his lungs looked healthier than most healthy patients. The PICU doctor felt that Carter may have been retracting his chest on purpose (meaning he wasn't letting his lungs completely fill up with air before releasing). The same doctor said that he needed to be deep suctioned regardless of his platelet count. This procedure consists of two tubes being place in each nostril and one down his throat. "Pete", the respiratory therapist in the PICU did the deep suction and was able to clear Carter's chest/nose/throat of all kinds of JUNK!! As soon as the deep suction was complete, Carter's respiratory and heart rates both returned to normal and his oxygen levels shot back up. It was believed that he would need another deep suction around midnight that night, but Carter slept peacefully from about 9:15pm that night until the next morning!!
Carter has been deep suctioned a couple more times since then, but he was able to be moved out of the PICU and put back in his normal room yesterday.
His sugar levels are still a little high (hovering between 160-209), but this could just be a result of all the medication he has been taking. There is an infection on his finger, but it is being treated. Carter receives a dose of Morphine every 4 hours to help him deal with the pain he is experiencing from the mouth sores. The sores are coming loose, which is a promising sign that his mouth will be back in working order soon!
Last night, after being discharged from the PICU to be put back on the floor, Carter was back to his smiling, laughing self playing with some toys that "Pete" from the PICU gave him.
We are hopeful that Carter will be home by Friday, but this is contingent upon some additional testing he will undergo to see what needs to be done to improve his ability to swallow properly. His epiglottis is not functioning properly due to the side effects of the radiation. This, of course effects his eating. He may have to have a GI tube put into his stomach (same-day procedure and easily removable) in order to ensure he has proper nutrition. This is imperative for so many different reasons, but primarily to get him strong enough to be able to restart his Chemotherapy treatment, which will most likely cause him to lose his appetite once again.
Best news of all??? TODAY WAS CARTERMAN'S LAST RADIATION TREATMENT!!!! No sedation was needed, only a mild relaxant to help him stay still. There will be no MRI performed for another 2 to 3 weeks in order to let the radiation "marinate" a little while and see where we are with this whole tumor business.
The family has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House for the past few days. We hope to see them and CarterMan back in the 'Burg sooner than later!!
Saturday morning, things changed a bit. Carter woke up to very "junky" sounding lungs and breathing. His chest was retracting, causing his heart rate to severely elevate and his oxygen levels to drop drastically. This seemed to progressively get worse throughout the day. He was eventually moved back into the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) so that he could be monitored more closely.
They orders a STAT CT scan of his chest which showed absolutely no signs of pneumonia. In fact, the doctor said that his lungs looked healthier than most healthy patients. The PICU doctor felt that Carter may have been retracting his chest on purpose (meaning he wasn't letting his lungs completely fill up with air before releasing). The same doctor said that he needed to be deep suctioned regardless of his platelet count. This procedure consists of two tubes being place in each nostril and one down his throat. "Pete", the respiratory therapist in the PICU did the deep suction and was able to clear Carter's chest/nose/throat of all kinds of JUNK!! As soon as the deep suction was complete, Carter's respiratory and heart rates both returned to normal and his oxygen levels shot back up. It was believed that he would need another deep suction around midnight that night, but Carter slept peacefully from about 9:15pm that night until the next morning!!
Carter has been deep suctioned a couple more times since then, but he was able to be moved out of the PICU and put back in his normal room yesterday.
His sugar levels are still a little high (hovering between 160-209), but this could just be a result of all the medication he has been taking. There is an infection on his finger, but it is being treated. Carter receives a dose of Morphine every 4 hours to help him deal with the pain he is experiencing from the mouth sores. The sores are coming loose, which is a promising sign that his mouth will be back in working order soon!
Last night, after being discharged from the PICU to be put back on the floor, Carter was back to his smiling, laughing self playing with some toys that "Pete" from the PICU gave him.
We are hopeful that Carter will be home by Friday, but this is contingent upon some additional testing he will undergo to see what needs to be done to improve his ability to swallow properly. His epiglottis is not functioning properly due to the side effects of the radiation. This, of course effects his eating. He may have to have a GI tube put into his stomach (same-day procedure and easily removable) in order to ensure he has proper nutrition. This is imperative for so many different reasons, but primarily to get him strong enough to be able to restart his Chemotherapy treatment, which will most likely cause him to lose his appetite once again.
Best news of all??? TODAY WAS CARTERMAN'S LAST RADIATION TREATMENT!!!! No sedation was needed, only a mild relaxant to help him stay still. There will be no MRI performed for another 2 to 3 weeks in order to let the radiation "marinate" a little while and see where we are with this whole tumor business.
The family has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House for the past few days. We hope to see them and CarterMan back in the 'Burg sooner than later!!
Save the Date!! ***JUNE 6TH FAMILY FUN DAY PICNIC***
We are happy to announce that our biggest fundraiser is in its final stages of preparation and we are really excited to give you the following details:
June 6, 2009
2:00pm - 6:00pm
56 Well Lane (PBM Property off 218/White Oak Rd)
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
VERY Family Friendly
Smoked BBQ
Steamed Shrimp
Live Entertainment
FREE Admission (donations greatly appreciated)
Silent Auction
Raffles
Tons of Kiddie Fun (Fire Truck/Ambulance appearance, Moon bounce, etc)
Please save the date and join us for a day full of Family Fun all to benefit Carter Harris and his family!! We truly hope to see each and every one of you on Saturday, June 6th - spread the word!!
June 6, 2009
2:00pm - 6:00pm
56 Well Lane (PBM Property off 218/White Oak Rd)
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
VERY Family Friendly
Smoked BBQ
Steamed Shrimp
Live Entertainment
FREE Admission (donations greatly appreciated)
Silent Auction
Raffles
Tons of Kiddie Fun (Fire Truck/Ambulance appearance, Moon bounce, etc)
Please save the date and join us for a day full of Family Fun all to benefit Carter Harris and his family!! We truly hope to see each and every one of you on Saturday, June 6th - spread the word!!
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