Benjamin B. - Quilt Finished in 2008
Born: August 1, 2001
Illness: Osteosarcoma of right upper tibia
A Thank You From Benjamin's Family!
December 2, 2008
Hi everyone,
Ben has enjoyed his Quilt so much. The nights are getting colder and he is staying warm,
cozy and Loved underneath it.
Sorry for the delay in sending a picture, the last half of November has been a blur!
His health improves each day, his endurance amazes us.
Thank You again for sharing the Love of many ladies throughout the world, your
kindness is imeasurable.
Sincerely,
Benjamin's Family
Benjamin B.'s Story
From Benjamin's Webpage
Ben was diagnosed on 5 March 2008 with Osteo Sarcoma in his upper right Tibia, his amputation was on 16 May 2008. Chemo continues thru early OCT. 08
Many ask how we found this problem with Ben. He started complaining his leg hurt somewhere around the first of Feburary. We had just finished a snow ski trip in January over MLK week. I put off his pain as an injury to sking....he took some crazy falls, I taught him how to ski and he was quite the trooper. I figured he had pull something or twisted his knee.
I was very busy at work in Feb and after returning home after my 3d time away and he was still limping I decided it was time to ask our local doc. They did some blood work and shot a few xrays. Nothing conclusive, so they sent us to P'cola the next week. ODD, they sent us to an Onocologist, Kim is a nurse so that didn't sit well.
Well from P'cola they sent us to Shands the next week, we still didn't know nor were we expecting what hit us the first week of March.
We are very grateful for how early it seems we have caught the cancer. But, it did go down his tibia about 10cm which is a long way on a 6 year old. They have to take out all the bone that has cancer and this would not leave enough to work with for limb salvage. His age and this cancer is unusual. Ben has many years of growth ahead and his Doctor and many other doctors all felt limb amputation was Ben's best option.
The more I read about Osteosarcoma, the more I know we are doing what is best for Ben. Surgery and rehab and relearning to walk will not be easy for Ben nor our family. But with God's help and some wonderful Doctors all will go well.
5 Oct 2008...Ben finished Chemo. Port removal was on 20 Nov with clean scans same day.. He will do antibiotics every Sat and Sun for 6 months and have scans done every 3 months for a couple of years.
Clean scans 16 Feb 2009.
He is well on his way to recovery. If he is running around a soccer field next year we would be extactic, only time will tell.
