Peter’s Page

There was a nice article in the Brainerd Dispatch on the 22nd. To read it, go to the site and search for “Pete Eigner”. Thanks to the author, Mike Bialka.

I hope everyone has a good time on Sunday.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, Peter has gained strength and energy. I think it’s safe to say that he has recovered and is ready for round 5 of chemo to start on Monday.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

On Thursday, sometime in the later afternoon, Peter turned the corner. He quickly went from lethargic to energetic and ate a big meal. On Friday he still wasn’t 100%, so he received some more platelets and was deemed well enough to check out of the hospital. This has definitely been the toughest between-round recovery for Peter. Maybe it’s a cumulative effect from all the previous rounds. In any case, he’s back home and recharging for round 5 which is scheduled to start in a week.

Wow. It’s almost round 5 already. It won’t be long before Peter (and the doctors) will be delivering the knockout blow.

Erika came to the hospital this morning feeling 100% better and resumed her bedside post. However, Peter is going to need a couple more days under the care of the doctors.

I mentioned that he didn’t eat much yesterday. One of the typical causes is sores in his mouth that make eating unpleasant. He had a sore or two before coming down, but yesterday he said that he didn’t have any sores in his mouth. He didn’t complain about anything the entire time I was there, but food wasn’t appealing. He slept well last night and woke with breakfast at the foot of his bed, but was reluctant to eat or drink any of it. Yet he still assured us that he didn’t have any sores.

Doctor Weigel believes the sores have moved to his throat or down his esophagus. Apparently they can go all the way to the stomach. Until he’s eating and drinking more, it’s best he’s hooked to the IV and hydrated. They’re still keeping any eye on his counts (the reason he was admitted in the first place) to make sure they’re on the rebound.

I suppose this is one of the schedule variations within the master plan for remission and variations can be accommodated.

Erika and Peter headed down to Minneapolis on Monday for the transfusion. Kate and Ellie also came along, because the flu bug got to Grandpa Brian (Poopster) and was still bothering Grandma Barb; They are usually the sitters when Peter is in the hospital, so Grandma Mary took them this time. Ty stayed in Brainerd to run the tryouts for his hockey team.

A transfusion is fairly routine during his recovery and this one has been relatively normal, except for one little wrinkle. The flu bug bit Erika on Monday night. Auntie G was at the hospital when it set in, so Erika was able to vacate and Auntie G stayed overnight. I was able to cover at the hospital today and Auntie G is back tonight. (Clarification: Peter has three aunts named Michelle. So we use their code names, Macer, Meeses, and G. How these names came to be requires three more clarifications.)

We currently have two sick people to report on. Erika is getting better this evening after a hellish 24 hours. She was able to eat a few crackers and that’s always the first sign of recovery with the stomach flu. She should be back at the hospital in the morning wearing a mask.

And Peter, who’s fight will take a little longer, is hanging tough. He came in on Monday with his blood counts bottoming out, with his color resembling the bed sheets more than flesh, and with a slight fever. The staff took a culture to determine if infection had set in and, as of now, it looks as though he’s in the clear. He received the transfusion and has been getting other medications through his IV. His color is coming back and he seemed to gain strength during the day. His fever is gone and vitals are strong. He hasn’t able to eat very much and gags on solid food, but the yogurt, pudding, and ice cream should keep him going. I think they’ll be able to head back to Brainerd tomorrow, but I’m not certain.

It was an eye-opening day for me as a stand-in for Ty and Erika. I’ve spent many hours at the hospital as a visitor, but not as the parental figure. I got to test out my parenting legs a little bit, which are like the legs of a newborn horse, but they kept me upright. That’s the easy part (especially with Peter).

The amount of medical care required is astonishing. It seems like there is something going on almost constantly. The doctors and nurses keep the schedule and perform most of the tasks, but at the very least it requires your attention. It allowed me a taste — albeit a small taste — of what Ty and Erika live daily. When they leave the hospital, keeping the schedule and administering the medications (sometimes against Peter’s will) falls completely on them.

I’m worn down from my day as parent and caregiver and I hardly did anything. It’s obvious to me how brilliant Peter’s real parents are and how much your support means to them and to Peter’s defeat over this “path thing”.

A benefit is being held on Sunday, November 26th, from 4:00 – 8:00 PM at Timbermist on CR #3. The evening will feature a buffet meal, cash bar, door prizes, silent auction, kids games and drawings to be held throughout the evening. Ticket donations are $20.00 for adults, $10.00 for students, and kids under 5 are free. Go ahead and have yourself some fun!

Ticket Outlets:

• MJ’s Sportshop
• Northern National Bank
• Brainerd High School
• Triangle Store – Baxter Hwy 371 North
• Brainerd Hockey Arena Concession

Peter is doing pretty well coming out of round four. He hasn’t been too sick, but he’s had some of the expected symptoms: a sore in his mouth, limited energy, less appetite, and some digestive problems. However, he’s drinking enough fluids and staying hydrated.

Both sisters, Ellie and Kate, got sick after the flu shots. They’ve had the stomach flu bug that doesn’t last more than a day or two, but creates a very long 24-48 hours and leaves you without energy. They’re both coming out of their sickness, but, thankfully, Peter hasn’t caught it yet (it’s OK to rap on your wooden desk). Although I suppose it’s possible that the flu shots caused the sickness, both my wife (Auntie G) and my mom (G’ma Barb) had the same sickness this week, but didn’t have contact with the girls. It’s strange how those bugs travel.

Peter’s counts are predictably low and should continue to go down over the next couple days. I think he can count on getting a transfusion for platelets and hemoglobin early next week. I could have said that he’s getting a “blood transfusion”, but I like to use bigger words when I get the chance.

Have a good weekend, all.

The Rosemount High School boys hockey team is having an event on November 22nd and all proceeds will benefit Peter. Rosemount hockey fans of all ages are invited to come out and join the Irish on the ice from 8:45 to 10:15 PM at the Rosemount Ice Arena.

Admission is free, but please bring a canned good for the local food shelf. There will be player pictures, a trivia contest, face painting, a bake sale, music, raffles, pizza and more. Sounds like a blast! Thanks to Terri Maroney for passing this information along and thanks to all who are helping to organize the event. Mark your calendars, sharpen your skates, and go skate with the Irish.

This morning Peter slept later than usual. When he did wake, he threw up. Then he fell asleep again on the ride back to Brainerd. So he’s definitely feeling the affects of the medicine as it does its job. Yesterday he was very active and doing great, so hopefully he just needs some rest and the side effects will be temporary.

It was a busy weekend. Let me back up to Saturday. Peter finished the fourth round of chemo on Saturday night. While he was wrapping things up, my wife and I had the pleasure of joining Erika and Ty at the annual Dawn of a Dream Gala to benefit children’s cancer. Thanks to Tradition Companies for buying the table. We had a great time and, more importantly, the event raised a whole lot of money for children’s cancer and the University of Minnesota hospital.

Peter’s benefit party took place last night. The event was a great success; Nearly 450 people showed up to socialize, be entertained and support Peter. The music was wonderful, Peter’s video was touching, and it was great to see so many familiar faces. The Eigner’s had a fantastic time and that’s as important as the money raised. Thanks again to all who made the event a success.

Here’s a photo of Peter on Halloween that speaks for itself.

Sorry for another delay in posts. Let me get you caught up. The fourth round of chemo began on Wednesday evening. It hit a little harder than the previous rounds and caused Peter to vomit a few times on Thursday morning. The doctors tweaked the medicine formula a bit and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. This round is scheduled to be complete on Saturday night.

Thursday in the hospital means the airing of the closed-circuit hospital game show that I mentioned in a previous post. Perhaps Peter made an impression with his side-splitting joke or just the frequency of his calls into the show, but whatever the reason, our man was asked to co-host the show yesterday. I haven’t viewed the tape yet, but the report is that Peter’s improvisation was spectacular.

When the camera lit up, Peter dimmed down. The hostess proceeded with her upbeat introductions and Peter fidgeted with a plastic kazoo and averted his eyes. She would ask him to chime in, but he was a little shy.

Then his fidgeting escalated and, Erika, watching the action and knowing her son, sensed the issue. Soon Peter couldn’t hold his thoughts any longer and announced, “I gotta go weewee”, and left the set. The veteran hostess recovered and continued the show, announcing that her co-host would soon be back. He’ll be back any minute, she re-stated. Any time now, Peter.

He did return to the show, but not in person. He was back in his room calling in during the bingo action, per usual.

After a fun Saturday in Madison, WI, watching Boston College play Wisconsin in hockey, the Eigner’s returned to Minneapolis on Sunday. They reported to the hospital on Monday morning and learned that Peter’s counts were too low to immediately start the next round of chemo. So they were not admitted to the hospital, but are scheduled to return on Wednesday morning to get things underway. He should be recovered by then.

In the meantime, Ty, Erika and Peter (and Ellie’s here, too) have been hanging around the cities to save a trip back to Brainerd. It’s been nice to be together outside of the hospital, for a change. Peter seems as normal as can be right now. The big guy was showing his sister and younger cousins his dance moves last night. The kid can really shimmy.

Here’s a picture from the trip to Madison. BC Golden Eagle, Carl Sneep, is with Peter after the game. They are mutual fans.

The event is being held November 5th at Bogart’s Place in Apple Valley from 7:00 PM to midnight. Five bands will be entertaining the crowd and this is the lineup:

1. Tim Sigler (http://www.TimSigler.com)
2. Jim Cary (Leave a comment if you know Jim’s site)
3. GB Leighton (http://GBLeighton.com)
4. Tim Mahoney (http://TimMahoney.com)
5. Tony Sims (http://TonySimsBand.com)

There will also be raffles throughout the event and appetizers will be served. A $10 minimum donation will be collected for entry.

This will be a fun night. Not only are these are top-notch musicians, but it will be a great opportunity to see friends and family.

Thanks in advance to the bands, the venue, and to those that have taken on the coordination efforts. I hope to see you there.