Max Update! June 10, 2005

It has been a busy couple of months so this is kind of long but we really want to get everyone caught up. – Maybe we’ll have to start breaking these into chapters - J.

Things seem to be going really well overall for all of us! It’s absolutely astonishing to think about what has happened over the last year plus. 16 months have passed since Max had surgery and started down the cancer treatment road. We went to a Mariners game last week and honestly, he looks like any other kid. For the most part Max is doing everything that a normal 9 year old boy would do, plus a few other things (physical therapy, growth hormones, thyroid meds…J). He’s got his hair back too! He’s even started putting a little “product” in it – hey, he is in 3rd grade!

Little league has gone well. I wish I could say that he was back to his old self, tearing the cover off the ball at the plate and pitching lights out strikes. He’s not there yet. But he was playing on the same team with boys and girls his age and he played about as well as most of them. Of course Max wasn’t satisfied with his performance but there were moments of real joy. It was so wonderful to see him smile, standing on first base after walking for the first time this season. After the game he said – “it felt great to be on first base again – that’s my first time in two years!” Two years - that’s almost a quarter of his life…

Max isn’t always happy about it. He really does expect himself to be as good now as ever and he’s mad at himself when he’s not. No excuses, no breaks. It’s astonishing, intense, and heart wrenching. Excelling just means so much to him, it ALWAYS has. Getting cancer hasn’t changed it at all. Max keeps fighting to be great.

Here’s some pictures from the baseball season.

In April we took a week off and went to Hawaii – the whole family! Probably the best way to describe it is to show you all some pictures – so have a look! Max did great but all the activity did tire him out. After playing on the waterslide, swimming in the pool and just running around he usually took a pretty long afternoon nap. One of his favorite activities was playing one v. one pool volleyball. He’d play against us over and over. We all did a little boogie boarding too and discovered the reason it’s called boogie boarding (when you get plastered by a wave it knocks all the boogies out of your nose)! Max did it! He rode some pretty big waves too! At first he was getting knocked around a lot. He looked so frail standing there in the surf, with his little board. Waves crashing into him, pushing him over. He kept with it though and by the end of the week he was able to get himself out past the breakers, float around and then ride a wave back in all the way up the beach.

In March Max got to be the honored child and special guest host at Ray Allen’s Bowling tournament benefiting Make a Wish. Standing alongside Sonics play by play announcer Kevin Collabro, helping to get things kicked off. “Are you ready to get out there and raise some money for Make A Wish” he said enthusiastically into the Microphone. It was completely un-coached, unrehearsed – unbelievable! The event was great. After our Make a Wish trip with the team it was cool to see them again. Max felt special – the players all knew him and most of them said hello. Luke Ridnour even made a point to come over and talk to him for a few minutes. Here’s some pictures!

The Sonics put us up in a suite for the final playoff game against San Antonio in Seattle where we got to meet Slick Watts and some other legendary Sonics players! What an amazing game. This team played so hard and inspired us so much. Max was sobbing on the way home as we heard the final seconds of the game and realized the season was over. It was an unbelievable basketball season – the entire Sonics organization, players, coaches and announcers are generous, caring people who have made an enormous impact on Max. They’re good basketball players too.

On May 21rd Max got to participate in the seventh annual Surviving With Style Fashion Show benefiting Gilda’s Club Seattle. The show was at the Westin hotel in one of the big ballrooms. Max got to pick out some clothes he liked at Target (basketball T-Shirt and shorts) and then walk down the runway sporting a big smile, brand new hair and his stylish threads! There were around 25 other participants (mostly adults) and hundreds of people attending the luncheon. We all had a lot of fun – especially Max! Halfway down the runway he tossed the basketball he was carrying to his Grandpa who was sitting eating lunch alongside and then caught it when Grandpa threw it back - What a ham! His little brother Beck even got to take a trip down the catwalk as Max’s support person the second time down. Here are some pictures of the show.

Max started taking thyroid pills and receiving daily growth hormone shots about a month ago. He’ll be on thyroid for the rest of his life and growth hormone for at least 10 years. These will help him grow which he hasn’t done in about 2 years. It’s really wonderful that these drugs are available now, that they’re safe and pretty easy to deal with. We’re told the growth hormone shot is similar in size and the way it feels to insulin. Eventually Max will be able to give it to himself.

We do see improvement in his strength, stamina, coordination and balance, but it’s slow and can be pretty inconsistent. A few weeks ago he ran (with a couple stops) a half-mile at his school and has continued to improve at throwing and catching. It’s great to see the improvement but sometimes still tough when we compare with where Max used to be. About two years ago he took first place in a cross-country meet against 60 other boys his age. It was a half-mile course.

Max will be going to camp good times later in June. He’s super excited about it. He gets to take his sister Robin with him too! It’s such a great idea – he’ll get a chance to meet and have fun with lots of other kids that are going through the same kind of thing he is and not have to worry about feeling different. He’s going to learn a lot from it.

Later this month, on June 27th, Max is going to have his next MRI and spinal. Please keep Max in your thoughts and prayers that these tests will once again come back clean.

Thanks for reading and making Max a part of your prayers and thoughts. It really matters.

Brain tumors are big deals. So is Max. His strength, courage and drive are awe-inspiring.

Max Can.

Blessings, Love and Light

Here are a few misc pictures from this spring!