All is well at home. The kids all have colds, but I don’t think I know anyone who has not had a cold, the flu, strep throat, or some combination of, this winter! Peter’s counts should still be on the rise and a nurse will come out tomorrow and do labs to confirm.
Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) is quickly approaching. We’ll head to the hospital at 8:00am on Monday, Feb 19th to start Peter’s “Work-Up Week”, where he’ll undergo all of the original tests & scans, bone marrow biopsy, and some additional doctor appointments. I think Ty & I are in for a major debriefing too, which I look forward to, since I’m the one who needs to know all the details. They will make sure that he has no infections or anything that will delay this process.
He’ll be admitted the week of the 26th and begin the high dose chemo (to completely wipe out his system) which lasts 4 days, followed by 3 days rest and then the actual transplant/stem cell rescue. As far as I know the transplant itself is a pretty short procedure – 4 hours maybe? It’s the recovery period that is tough. We expect Peter will be hospitalized for about a month starting 26th. Once out of the hospital he’ll need to remain close to the hospital for awhile.
They encourage the kids to decorate their rooms and make them their own since the hospitalization is lengthy and transplant can be a rough road. We all know Peter loves nothing more to be surrounded by friends and family. While we believe visitors will be welcome, they limit the numbers to maintain the air quality, so we asked Peter if he would like to have some pictures for his walls, to which he yelled “Yes, Yes, Yes!” If you can, we’d love for you to send him a picture – a picture of you, a picture you draw, a picture of you playing a sport or your pet or whatever you want!!
Please send them to “Uncle Matt”:
Matt Hanson
6520 Leesborough Ave
Eden Prairie, MN 55346
Speaking of Uncle Matt, I was just reminded again of how wonderful it is that he is doing this website. Since I’ve been typing away and Ty’s downstairs with Peter & Ellie, Kate just made her way up on to the kitchen table and spilled a glass of milk all over the floor… gotta go.
A journal of Peter’s journey
Hey Pete – when we’re in the hospital together, I will make a picture for you wall if you’ll make one for mine! Have a great last week home Eigners! We have a good idea about how you’re feeling right now! We want to know exactly whats gonna happen too!
Love,
Mary Virnig
You can add Lily & Parker to your list of sick people! Both have strep throat (which apparently isn’t common in kids under 2 years old… so I guess baby Parker made the record books! 🙁 ) P-man also has an ear infection. YUCKY-POO!! Obviously, I did not work today – but instead took care of 2 ill kids!
In a weird sort of way (??) I am “excited” for Peter’s upcoming procedures…. it’s like it’s the beginning of the end — or something like that??!!!? It seems like just yesterday that Pete’s news was broken to me – and here it is, 6 months later…. and he is nearing the end of the battle! No doubt – these next couple months could be tough….. but I just keep thinking about how well the Pete-man has handled all this so far…. and it gives me incredible faith that the pattern will continue!! We continue to send up loads of our most powerful prayers every night… and we look forward to the day when we can “thank God for making Pete a survivor!!”
We would be more than happy to send pictures for Peter to decorate his room!! What a perfect daycare project! 🙂 I am certain the pictures will come in by the bucket loads…. Peter – you are going to have the most lavishly decorated room around!
Thinking of you constantly and dreaming of the day when this is all over!
With love~
Jenni, Ryan, Emily, Lily & Parker
P.S. Erika ~ I know you know this, but always remember that I am available to keep Kate & Ellie whenever needed during Peter’s upcoming procedures and hospital stays!
Oh – and I have some of Kate’s clothes from when they stayed here last week…. if you are in the area – stop in for them!
Hi Eigners,
We are thinking of you. Hope we can visit when you are here for your lenghty stay. The kids will make some pictures for Peter’s room! The Enebak kids all had influenza two weeks ago, and now we are battling strep throat and sinus infections. We go to Mexico thursday, so are hoping to travel healthy!
Peter, you remain in our prayers tough guy! May this be your last time to spend many nights at the hospital! I am sure you will have lots of calls and visitors. You are a very special little boy.
We will be thinking of you! Happy Valentines Day!
Jake Becky Henry Emma Sam Zach
Hi Peter,
How are things going? It sounds like you have some busy weeks ahead of you. I wanted to write you a quick note because a friend of mine has a son who is in 6th grade that just had a birthday. For his birthday, instead of getting presents, he asked for donations. The donations that he got are going towards buying books for the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, so I was telling his family all about the cool little guy that I know that has been at the hospital. I sent them your website so they could take a look at your pictures and read about someone whom might get to read a book that they donate. So if you ever run into a book from Charlie Bahnson, you know who that is now!
I hope you are resting up for your next round and we are all pulling for you and thinking about you and giving you all of our strength. Take care little man! Just think, baseball season is right around the corner!!!
Kels
Whew – did I have some update reading to do!! Things have been so crazy with Auntie Tara’s hospitalization, I have been out of the know with you for over a week!! So sorry to hear about the rough times, but like Jen said, WOW – can you believe the final stages are around the corner??? Stay strong little guy – you are still always on our minds! You know, I stayed with Auntie for a whole week at ‘her’ hospital in Minneapolis last week – YUCKY!!! I sure feel bad for you having to stay so often! They are moving Auntie to the Sheridan ??? for the rest of her stay – however long that might be! But when you have to stay in bed ALL THE TIME, there is no place fun to be! Too bad you’re not at the same place – you could play together!! Auntie is pretty lonely and bored!
Ty and Erika – hang in there. Boy, what a long road you have been on. As always, if we can help in any, please don’t hesitate!
Love,
Peg and Ron
(HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY)
Peter~
Roses are red,
Violets are blue!
Boy. oh boy..
I sure miss you!
Happy Valentines Day to the whole Eigner family!
With love,
Jenni
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY PETER & family!!
I hope you are feeling better at home and getting all the rest you need! You have a pretty BIG schedule coming up and I have NO DOUBT that you will be completely ready to give this “Path Thing” the boot for good! Our constant prayers are with all of you as you prepare for tough months ahead. If you need anything please let us know!
We will send some pictures for your room, from the sounds of it you will have lots of great wall decorations!!!
Take care and hopefully we’ll see you before you head for the cities!
We’ll be thinking of you,
Love The Olson’s
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY PETER…………and family
Uncle Ed is home sick with the flu. I’m trying to stay away from him since I don’t want any of those “bugs”. We’ll be sending you pictures for your room…..I know you’ll be getting so many that you won’t even be able to see the walls!!! Keep doing what you’re doing Pete…..you are a WINNER.
love Uncle Ed and Aunt roz
Hi there, I hope you and Ellie and Kate had a great valentines day. I hope my valentines got to you in time. I went to dinner with Grace, Lily and Auntie Macer because Uncle Troy (Roy) had class tonight. We had hamburgers and ice cream. Sounds good doesn’t it. I love you very much. Have a great night and I’ll see you Sun. Gramma Mary
Peter-so very good to hear you continue to fight hard against those bad dudes. Keep it up!!
We don’t have any pictures to send to you for your extended stay in the hospital-but our girls want you to know that for 6 months running now you’ve been part of our daily prayers. you are an inspiration to many-and we all appreciate that more than you will know until you are much older, little man.
you have the best of well wishes coming to you from literally the other side of the earth..can’t hurt to have prayers from all corners of the globe, can it??!!
we will continue watching and praying and cheering you on–keep fighting hard!
be well……
Peter, We have not posted in a long while but have faithfully prayed for you daily. Your doing a great job. Ruth is now back at her home on her island of Hawaii. She had to live on Oahu at the Ronald McDonald House during her treatment. It has been 106 days since her transplant day. You will get there soon too. We send you much aloha from Hawaii. Ruthie and her family, The Mersburgh’s
Hi Everyone,
We have been following your progress Peter. Stay strong…you are winning this battle! You all are in our thoughts and prayers!
The Callahan Family
Hey Peter,
I’m trying to take a photo of my dogs for your room…they are too silly to sit still. Any helpful hints?
Be well and happy belated Valentines day to you all.
Love,
Kim and Kyle
Hi Eigners, I haven’t wrote or talked to you all for a while but continue to pray for you all as well as the doctors and staff that will be caring for Peter during your long stay! I told Gavin about your stay in the hospital and that you need some pictures to decorate it up! He is so excited to help!! I hope all is well! We have all been sick in our house! I had influenza and the boys have both been sick! Gavin has puenomia and an ear infection and Lucas an ear infection. So haven’t been out much!! I would love to finally do our lunch when you are in the area again and all of the treatments are over!! Looking forward to Peter feeling great again!!! Our prayers are with you!! Hope to see you soon!!!!!
love ya! LaCoe, Dan, Gavin, and Lucas Inwards
Hi Peter!
Hope your “work-up” week is going well! Have you been able to get outside at all? It’s been so warm!! Does this mean that spring is just around the corner?? We mailed off a great big envelope of pictures for you to hang in your hospital room! The daycare kids had tons of fun making them…. (oh, and so did I!!) 🙂 Tell Uncle Matt to check his mail box! We hope they help to “brighten your room”!!
Thinking of you always, bud!
Love, Jenni and family and all the daycare kids, too!
Hi Peter!
We just spent a week in the cities at the U doing PET/CT, bone scan, bone marrow biopsies, etc–you know the routine well. Your big buddy Erik received pretty good news! After relapsing twice with the same “path thing” you are bravely battling, he has responded miraculously well! Yay God!!
We will all be thinking of you as transplant approaches. We are partial to the U for such events–and believe you are at the right place! Especially Erik, who went through his second stem cell transplant there in November and December 2005. His first experience was at Boston Children’s in 1992, and the U was an infinitely better experience!
Erik was inpatient (5B) when you had your surgery at the beginning of January, but since he was in for a dastardly fever, he wasn’t allowed to go “visiting” his neighbors on 5B…bummer dude.
We are praying for a super SPEEDY and uneventful recovery from your stem cell transplant. Erik may be back soon for another stem cell harvest, so maybe he can swing by and say hi if you are feeling up to a big and crazy guy from Park Rapids with the same cancer.
Go Peter!!!!!
All the Ludwinskis are praying for you!!!!
Donna (Erik’s mom)
Dear Eigners, I hope you are all safe and warm and getting throught this busy week. It is so beautiful outside today with all our new falllen snow. I Hope that things are moving forward with work up. I will continue to check in and always keep all of you in my prayers. God Bless, Cheryl Bailey
Peter,
Hey there guy, we hope that everything went well during work up week and that you are ready for this very, very, big week. It sounds like it will be a doozie but it sounds like it won’t be a match for the strong, strong, strong man named PETER EIGNER. Say it again, PETER EIGNER. We are here praying for you buddy and wishing warm miracle thoughts. We’ll be tough on our end so you can be extra tough on yours. Have a blessed week big guy.
Love the Bastians
Peter, Erika and Ty,
It has been so long since we have written because we see you from time to time. It was great to see you in church on Saturday, sorry I missed you after. We wish you strength and patience through this next step in getting Peter well. Again, thank you for all of the time spent on this web site, what a gift! Love, thoughts and tons of prayers are coming your way from The Mraz Family! We will work on a picture to send to you.
All Our Love,
Chrissy, Monte, Sam & Max (from New York)