"But it all turns out all right you see"
John J. Hagen
"But it all turns out all right you see. And I go back to being...me." - Dr. Seuss
This quote is on the wall in the kitchen area here at Casa Ronald McDonald. (See picture above). Every time I pass it, I feel peace & hope. It strengthens my belief that John will win this battle and live the life he deserves.
I have now accepted the fact that the path to curing John’s cancer is not one that simply goes from A to B. He has a long challenging road ahead of him. A road that will have many twists and turns but will ultimately lead to John beating Leukemia!
Tomorrow will be day 22 of John’s Induction phase, the day when Dr. Pui will get more aggressive with John’s chemotherapy treatments. John has been pumped with so many drugs over the last three weeks it’s hard to imagine a more aggressive path. He will be inpatient for at least a coupe days. His stay in the hospital is critical because they push the chemo in, via his IV, then they flush it out with IV fluids to protect his bladder and kidneys. They repeat this process every 12 hours for 2 days, four treatments over 48 hours. Ugh!
John’s body is starting to show the signs of chemotherapy. He started to lose his hair today. I think he still looks very handsome but he is emotional about the changes he sees in the mirror. He is also showing the side effects of chemotherapy internally, John’s ANC level is 100. ANC stands for Absolute Neutrophil Count and it represents how well your body can fight off infections, especially bacteria infections. To put John’s 100 ANC in perspective, a normal ANC is above 1,500. Having a low ANC right now for John is a good thing. They don’t want his body fighting the chemo. That also means John could get sick easily, so we need to be extra careful and take antibiotics & antifungal prophylactically. Germs are bad!
Kathy, John, Isabella and I continue to be humbled by the outpouring of love, prayers and support. It’s amazing and uplifting. Please continue to send John messages, emails, tweets, viddy’s, instagrams, and smoke signals of prayers.
It all WILL turn out right you see......
Unstoppable Determination!
Rich
Reader Comments (17)
Bravo Rich...you and Kathy are inspiring. Good luck with the start of the intense treatments.
God bless you all
Rich- My family is praying for John every day. We are amazed and truly inspired by his courage. Stay strong Hagen family -- Unstoppable Determination .
Sincerely,
The D'Amore's
You all have Unstoppable Determination. I am amazed by the strength you all show. John will beat this. You are all in our thoughts every minute of every day. Keep fighting. We are with you in spirit. We love you all. The Cahills
Praying every moment for you all. Dr Seuss is the best. He simply breaks it all down!
Jack was born on Dr Seuss's bday! so he wears that Cat in the Hat Hat every year.
You all are so wonderful~ thanks for sharing and we will keep praying for you.
Go John GO!
The Harrisons
Kathy and Rich,
We are thinking about you today. I am constantly amazed by your strength and determination. Again, please let me know if there is anything I can do for you, John or Isabella.
Courtney
Kathy and Rich,
You all are such a strong family and your unstoppable determination continues to show through your words! We will be praying for John's healing this week and believe he will beat this. We are with you every step of the way.
God Bless you,
The Hamelinks
May this new round bring new beginnings and new hope that he will begin the path towards calmer waters. Thinking of you all each and everyday with positive thoughts and prayers.
Beth Otis
Kathy and Rich
I prayer for you all everyday. Stay strong.
“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”
― Dr. Seuss
Get out your big bat John and start knocking it out of the park! We are all praying for you and your family. Keep up your unstoppable determination.
Hi John,
I just got back from taking Bristol on a walk and I met your Uncle and his cute dog!! I really like your Uncle's mohawk...Dawson would like to get one too!! I told him he could get one after his 1st Communion in May!!!
I know this has been a tough couple of weeks for you but remember you have so many friends, teachers, family and neighbors that are thinking of you every day!! Let me know if there is anything you would like from Charlotte :-)
Hugs,
Mrs. D'Agostino (and Bristol too!!!!)
Kathy and Rich,
Please know that you and John are in our thoughts and prayers each day. James and Jacquelyn have called on all their friends at Carmel Christian to pray for John's healing. You are amazing parents and your love and strength will lift John up during this difficult time. His Unstoppable Determination comes from both of you---for that he is truly blessed. May God the father bless John, God the Son heal him and God the Holy Spirit give him strength. The DeJesses
Sending you love, support and lots of prayers. Thinking of you always.
Shawn and Denise Dulligan
Sending you love, support and lots of prayers. Thinking of you always.
Shawn and Denise Dulligan
We are thinking of you always! We love you! Deme, Madeline and Max
Thanks for the beautiful update, Rich! You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
We are praying everyday. May this weekend be full of God's healing touch and peace. We loved having Bella with our family last night. You all are loved. The DuBose Family
Hey, John. i think of you often especially when i am playing soccer. The team sure does miss you. fight hard my friend!
Will