Well, as I'm sure most of you are aware, Baby Ben is a total rockstar. To make this short and sweet, he gets to go home today. He's doing great. He's standing and is up and around. So, our happy little trio of Ben, Jenny, and Dave along with a number of their supporters, get to go home today. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one excited about this. Great job Team Ben!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Big Day
Hi everybody.
So Benny's surgery was scheduled for 1 pm today. It got moved up to 11:30 am and then he actually went in at about 10 this morning. The surgeon thought it would take 4-7 hours. Jenny was actually woken up 2 1/2 hours later and told Ben was out already. The surgery went really well. The surgeon got 98% of the remaining 5% of the tumor. The hope is that the small amount that they didn't get is actually dead material. When I last talked to Beth she said they had seen Bennet, he had been in some pain, they gave him morphine, and he was sleeping. I guess he has a pretty big incision across his belly where they opened him up. Obviously, everyone is relieved that today went so well. Benny has been an absolute superstar since this all started in June, as have Jenny and Dave. I'm not sure what the next step is. Originally Beth told me Ben would spend 5 days in recovery at Doernbecher, but I don't know if that is still the case. I'll make sure to keep everyone up to date as to what is going on as I hear it. Thank you to everyone who sent good thoughts and prayers to Benny, Jenny, and Dave, I know they helped.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
So Benny's surgery was scheduled for 1 pm today. It got moved up to 11:30 am and then he actually went in at about 10 this morning. The surgeon thought it would take 4-7 hours. Jenny was actually woken up 2 1/2 hours later and told Ben was out already. The surgery went really well. The surgeon got 98% of the remaining 5% of the tumor. The hope is that the small amount that they didn't get is actually dead material. When I last talked to Beth she said they had seen Bennet, he had been in some pain, they gave him morphine, and he was sleeping. I guess he has a pretty big incision across his belly where they opened him up. Obviously, everyone is relieved that today went so well. Benny has been an absolute superstar since this all started in June, as have Jenny and Dave. I'm not sure what the next step is. Originally Beth told me Ben would spend 5 days in recovery at Doernbecher, but I don't know if that is still the case. I'll make sure to keep everyone up to date as to what is going on as I hear it. Thank you to everyone who sent good thoughts and prayers to Benny, Jenny, and Dave, I know they helped.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Surgery
I just wanted to pass on the information that the surgery to remove what is left of Bennet's tumor is scheduled for Tuesday. I'm not exactly sure what time its scheduled for, just Tuesday sometime. Ben and Jenny, along with at least Beth, Collin, and their two girls headed for Portland tonight. I don't know who else went up, but they should be there by now or pretty close. Please send all the positive thoughts and prayers you can their way these next couple of days.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
More Chemo and Surgery
Hi all,
Sorry for the lack of updates lately, but there hasn't been a ton going on to post. Benny has completed his fifth round of chemo. It was a three day round and he got through it like a champ like always. He, Jenny, and Connie took a trip up to Doernbecher a couple weeks later for an MRI to see how that round of chemo did. Ben was a little sick for this trip but the oncologist didn't want to wait for him to get better to see what was going on. Luckily, the tumor had shrunk even more. It had shrunk enough that it was no longer encroaching on his spine or rectum if I remember what Beth told me correctly. Because of that news, the oncologist and surgeon had to decide what the next step was. Apparently, again from what Beth relayed, the options were to leave what was left of the tumor and just keep an eye on it or do surgery to remove what is left of the tumor. Obviously, both of these options have pros and cons. And either way, Ben is done with chemo for the time being. Jenny was supposed to hear from the surgeon with a decision I believe last Monday, but it took until this afternoon for him to finally call. The decision is to do the surgery to remove what is left of the tumor. The surgery will be sometime next week from what Beth has told me. Jenny is waiting for a call back from the surgeon either tonight or tomorrow morning with a plan for when the surgery will be. It will be done at Doernbecher and apparently Benny will have a five day stay there for recovery afterward. That is all I have at this point. When I hear when the surgery is, I'll be sure to pass that along. For now, please keep up the good thoughts and prayers and send them Ben, Jenny, and Dave's way.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Sorry for the lack of updates lately, but there hasn't been a ton going on to post. Benny has completed his fifth round of chemo. It was a three day round and he got through it like a champ like always. He, Jenny, and Connie took a trip up to Doernbecher a couple weeks later for an MRI to see how that round of chemo did. Ben was a little sick for this trip but the oncologist didn't want to wait for him to get better to see what was going on. Luckily, the tumor had shrunk even more. It had shrunk enough that it was no longer encroaching on his spine or rectum if I remember what Beth told me correctly. Because of that news, the oncologist and surgeon had to decide what the next step was. Apparently, again from what Beth relayed, the options were to leave what was left of the tumor and just keep an eye on it or do surgery to remove what is left of the tumor. Obviously, both of these options have pros and cons. And either way, Ben is done with chemo for the time being. Jenny was supposed to hear from the surgeon with a decision I believe last Monday, but it took until this afternoon for him to finally call. The decision is to do the surgery to remove what is left of the tumor. The surgery will be sometime next week from what Beth has told me. Jenny is waiting for a call back from the surgeon either tonight or tomorrow morning with a plan for when the surgery will be. It will be done at Doernbecher and apparently Benny will have a five day stay there for recovery afterward. That is all I have at this point. When I hear when the surgery is, I'll be sure to pass that along. For now, please keep up the good thoughts and prayers and send them Ben, Jenny, and Dave's way.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Friday, October 15, 2010
Latest News
Ok, so I'm a little behind. For that I apologize. I was in Medford visiting for 11 days from September 30th to October 10th. The first weekend of my trip Benny, Jenny, and Dave were up in Portland at Doernbecher for tests to see how Ben was progressing in his fight. He had a heart test, a hearing test, and I think maybe a visions test, and possibly one other test to see how the chemo was affecting his body. All of the tests came back good. The kid is strong and his body is doing fine with the chemo. They also did another MRI to see how the tumor had reacted to the chemo. When the MRI results came back we found out that the tumor has already shrunk by 85%! That was great news. The doctors told Jenny and Dave they could go home but would need to return this week (the week of the 11th) for an IMBG test. This is a test where they inject Bennet with a dye or ink. I believe it is radioactive though I could be wrong about that. In any event the dye/ink is somehow able to search out any cancerous cells and light them up in another sort of scan. So this week on Tuesday Ben was injected with this stuff and on Wednesday he had the scan. Basically the doctors did this in order to see if the remaining 15% of the tumor was a sort of scar tissue or if it was still cancerous. Today the results of the scan came back. It turns out that there are still cancerous cells in the 15% that remains. I don't know how much of it is cancerous or if all 15% is. What I know is that Ben with have to undergo more chemo. He will have one more round (not sure when or how many days at this point) and then in three weeks they will head to Portland again for another MRI to see what this round does to what remains of the tumor.
Obviously, this is not the news were all hoping for today. But in my mind, its still positive. Ben and the chemo have already taken out 85% of what seemed to me to be a huge tumor, especially in someone so little. The kid is obviously a fighter. And really, that 85% has been destroyed in just under four months. We all want Benny to be healthy again and for Dave and Jenny to get back to a normal life with their little man. But, they don't get to do that just yet. But after 85%, we're hoping that this last 15% will be a walk in the park. The good news is that the cancer hasn't spread and its just that 15% that remains. My guess is that Benny will continue to fight the rest of this cancer the same way he did the first 85%. He'll continue to be a little trooper with a smile on his face and laughing. Luckily for him, he has two loving parents that have been very strong through all of this. We should all be so lucky to have parents like them willing to fight for us. Plus, well, they all have a hell of a support group behind them. Please, when you have a minute, continue to send good thoughts and prayers to Ben, Jenny, and Dave.
I know I continue to learn life lessons from little Ben day in and day out.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
Jake
Obviously, this is not the news were all hoping for today. But in my mind, its still positive. Ben and the chemo have already taken out 85% of what seemed to me to be a huge tumor, especially in someone so little. The kid is obviously a fighter. And really, that 85% has been destroyed in just under four months. We all want Benny to be healthy again and for Dave and Jenny to get back to a normal life with their little man. But, they don't get to do that just yet. But after 85%, we're hoping that this last 15% will be a walk in the park. The good news is that the cancer hasn't spread and its just that 15% that remains. My guess is that Benny will continue to fight the rest of this cancer the same way he did the first 85%. He'll continue to be a little trooper with a smile on his face and laughing. Luckily for him, he has two loving parents that have been very strong through all of this. We should all be so lucky to have parents like them willing to fight for us. Plus, well, they all have a hell of a support group behind them. Please, when you have a minute, continue to send good thoughts and prayers to Ben, Jenny, and Dave.
I know I continue to learn life lessons from little Ben day in and day out.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
Jake
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Heading to Portland
Hey all. I just wanted to let everybody know what's going on with Bennet this weekend. I talked to Beth today and she said Jenny got a call from Doernbecher this morning. They had an opening at 11:30 on Friday for Benny. So, our little trooper and his parents will be heading up to Portland tomorrow afternoon. I believe Ben has appointments both Friday and Monday so they will be staying the weekend in Portland. I guess most of the results of the various tests the doctors will be doing won't be available until sometime Monday. And for those that don't know, these two days of tests and results are to give us an idea of how the tumor/cancer has reacted to the chemo. So we'll know where Benny is in his fight and the doctors will give Jenny and Dave an idea of what the next step(s) is(are). So obviously, its that time again where Team Ben needs to send good thoughts and prayers north to Ben, Jenny, and Dave. I shouldn't need to say this as you should all have still been doing this. But just in case you forgot and needed a reminder, keep it up and spread the word.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Chemo Round 4 and a Benny Event
Hi all. So first off, Benny started his 4th round of chemo yesterday and rocked another day of it today. One more day tomorrow and he's done with round four. I believe the next step after this will be to head to Portland in two to three weeks (not sure exactly when yet) for a day of tests up at Doernbecher to see what the tumor is doing. Obviously, we're all rooting for a best case scenario of the tumor being gone, but I'm not a doctor and have no idea if that's even in the cards at this point. My not being a doctor won't stop me from thinking good thoughts that this is in fact the case though.
Item number two for today as the title states is a big Benny event going down this weekend in Medford. This big Benny event has been put together by Benny, Jenny, and Dave's friend Kathrine Henry. The basic details are as follows:
Baby Ben's Charity Yard Sale
Date/Time: Friday 9/17 and Saturday 9/18 9am-4pm both days
Location: RE/MAX Ideal Brokers parking lot (across from airport)3539 Heathrow Way Medford, OR
Donations for the yard sale can be made and you can volunteer to help out by either sending an email to teambensfriends@gmail.com or calling (541)770-3325. Donations can also be brought directly to RE/MAX by the end of business on Thursday, or they will happily be picked up if you call or email. You can also show up to help price items and organize whenever you have a free minute or two to spare. Volunteers to help work the actual yard sale are also welcome. If you don't have anything to donate or time to spare to help out, at least try to head down to the yard sale and check out what's for sale, maybe buy something if you find something you like, on Friday or Saturday. If I'm not mistaken, depending on how Ben is feeling after the chemo this week, Jenny is going to try to bring him out at least for a little while on both days. Thanks to everybody making donations and helping out. I wish I could be there to help out, but I can't, so those of you who can should check it out, take pictures, and send them to me at rideforclyde2010@hotmail.com so I can post them here on the blog. Great job Kathrine!
That's all for today.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Item number two for today as the title states is a big Benny event going down this weekend in Medford. This big Benny event has been put together by Benny, Jenny, and Dave's friend Kathrine Henry. The basic details are as follows:
Baby Ben's Charity Yard Sale
Date/Time: Friday 9/17 and Saturday 9/18 9am-4pm both days
Location: RE/MAX Ideal Brokers parking lot (across from airport)3539 Heathrow Way Medford, OR
Donations for the yard sale can be made and you can volunteer to help out by either sending an email to teambensfriends@gmail.com or calling (541)770-3325. Donations can also be brought directly to RE/MAX by the end of business on Thursday, or they will happily be picked up if you call or email. You can also show up to help price items and organize whenever you have a free minute or two to spare. Volunteers to help work the actual yard sale are also welcome. If you don't have anything to donate or time to spare to help out, at least try to head down to the yard sale and check out what's for sale, maybe buy something if you find something you like, on Friday or Saturday. If I'm not mistaken, depending on how Ben is feeling after the chemo this week, Jenny is going to try to bring him out at least for a little while on both days. Thanks to everybody making donations and helping out. I wish I could be there to help out, but I can't, so those of you who can should check it out, take pictures, and send them to me at rideforclyde2010@hotmail.com so I can post them here on the blog. Great job Kathrine!
That's all for today.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Friday, August 27, 2010
For Benny
First off, our brave little Benny finished up round three of his chemo today. That means one more round, then back to Portland for tests to check on what the tumor is doing. From what Jenny told me, Benny slept a lot during treatment yesterday but was still his usual happy little self. I haven't heard today how day three went. I do have something else to share tonight though. This one is another little personal effort on my part.
I met Bennet the day he was born. I consider myself his uncle though I have no actual blood relation to him. I'm lucky enough that Dave and Jenny also consider me his uncle. When Ben was first diagnosed with cancer, I had been growing my hair out for just over a year. By today it had been about a year and three months. Before I continue I need to explain a couple of things that happened last night. When I was getting ready for bed, I looked in the mirror. What I saw reminded me a little of the look crazy Joaquin Phoenix has adopted. I knew it was time for a change. Jenny also happened to mention last night, that the nurse told her Benny's hair would probably fall out with this round of chemo. So, tonight, I started to lose my hair too. The pictures that follow here are a before, a couple piles of hair, and after. The basketball is used as a reference for the pile of hair. My hair is now an eighth inch long, and I plan to shave the rest bald when Ben loses the his hair. I'm planning on keeping my head shaved until Benny's hair grows back as a statement of solidarity with the little trooper in his fight. Here are the pictures:
 | |
| Before |
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| The pile of hair |
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| I Ride With Clyde! |
 | ||||
| After |
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Good News!
Yep. Benny's counts were all good today! That means round three of chemo started today. I talked to Jenny and she said that it is a three day round, but they get to go home in between treatments. She also said Ben did great today with the treatment, though he did have a blood clot that made it so they had to access his port twice. That's all I know at this point. More chemo tomorrow and Friday. When I get updates I'll pass them along. For now just keep good thoughts for Bennet while he works on kicking that tumor's ass.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Another Go Round
Hi all. Well, they'll be checking Baby Benny's counts again today. If they are back to levels the doctors like, another round of chemo will start today. If I'm not mistaken this round will last three days. So, please send your good thoughts and prayers to Medford to Ben, Jenny, and Dave. I'll let you all know how things go today when I get home from work this evening. Kick that tumor's ass Benny!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Low Counts=No Chemo
Well a little bit of bummer news tonight. Like the title kind of eludes to, Baby Ben had a low white cell count again today which meant no chemo. From what Jenny said they'll wait until next week and check his counts again. If they're back up, they'll start another round of chemo. This means we just have to keep up the good thoughts for high counts so that they actually are up come this time next week. Luckily, Benny is still his smiling, laughing, happy little self. That's it for now on the Benny front.
But because, I am in charge of this blog, that's not all the asking for good thoughts I'm gonna do tonight. I know this blog is about Bennet and his fight with cancer, but tonight, someone else very near and dear to our family needs some good thoughts. I'm not going to name names because this person gets embarrassed and doesn't necessarily want the attention, but please send good thoughts for us up to Portland tonight and tomorrow. One of the members of my family is having surgery tomorrow and while we know everything is going to turn out ok, we're all still a little on edge. So good thoughts and prayers couldn't hurt and are definitely appreciated.
Thanks all!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
But because, I am in charge of this blog, that's not all the asking for good thoughts I'm gonna do tonight. I know this blog is about Bennet and his fight with cancer, but tonight, someone else very near and dear to our family needs some good thoughts. I'm not going to name names because this person gets embarrassed and doesn't necessarily want the attention, but please send good thoughts for us up to Portland tonight and tomorrow. One of the members of my family is having surgery tomorrow and while we know everything is going to turn out ok, we're all still a little on edge. So good thoughts and prayers couldn't hurt and are definitely appreciated.
Thanks all!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tomorrow
Hey all, just wanted to give you all a quick heads up about what's going on tomorrow. Benny will have his blood counts checked again tomorrow and if they've come back up from last week, he'll start another round of chemo. So, please think good thoughts for high counts so Ben can rock the chemo and continue kicking the tumor's ass. From what I understand this round of chemo will last three days. I'm guessing that means it'll be a little tough on our little trooper, so keep good thoughts that it won't be too bad as well. I'll let everyone know how tomorrow goes when I hear.
On a side note, some kind amazing soul used on of the donation methods to deposit $800 in the Ride With Clyde bank account on Monday. I'm not posting this as a way to get other people to donate. Rather, I have no idea who made this generous donation. The family is trying to thank everyone making donations and buying t-shirts, but we have no way to thank this person at the moment. If it was you, or someone you know, please send me an email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com so we can thank you properly. That's all.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
On a side note, some kind amazing soul used on of the donation methods to deposit $800 in the Ride With Clyde bank account on Monday. I'm not posting this as a way to get other people to donate. Rather, I have no idea who made this generous donation. The family is trying to thank everyone making donations and buying t-shirts, but we have no way to thank this person at the moment. If it was you, or someone you know, please send me an email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com so we can thank you properly. That's all.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Monday, August 9, 2010
T-shirts, Again
Hi all. So t-shirt orders have slowed down and I've had a couple questions about where to get them the last couple of days, so I thought I'd repost all the links so they're easy to find. As always, if you have questions, comments, or suggestions for new shirt designs, feel free to send them to me at rideforclyde2010@hotmail.com. Here are the links:
http://www.cafepress.com/L
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/C
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/F
http://www.cafepress.com/H
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/W
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
http://www.cafepress.com/L
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/C
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/F
http://www.cafepress.com/H
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/W
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Check That
Apparently my information last night was not completely up to the minute. I guess the doctors told Jenny and Dave yesterday that Benny would be doing two more rounds of chemo at home at RVMC before heading up to Portland and Doernbecher for an MRI in possibly September now. That's the latest that I've heard.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Transfusion
Well, Benny had his counts checked again today. I think this was the fourth time in the last couple of weeks or so, but I'm not positive. Earlier in the week his counts were low, but not low enough to necessitate a transfusion. Today however, his platelets were low which means he had to have a platelet transfusion. Kind of a bummer, but hopefully it will help him to feel/get better more quickly. From what Beth has told me the gang (Bennet, Jenny, Dave, Beth, Collin, and their girls) will be headed back up to Doernbecher's in Portland next weekend. Benny has some follow up appointments if I'm not mistaken and they'll be doing the next round of chemo there as well around the 13th. Not sure what this round of chemo will entail, but I'll keep you posted when I hear. That's it for now.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Just A Couple Things
So I talked to Ben's uncle Collin today. He mentioned that Ben, Jenny, and Dave stopped by the house today. They checked Ben's counts today and while they were low, they were not as low as the doctors had expected. So that's good news. The little man is through his second round of chemo. I guess this time around was a little harder for Benny, but he's still smiling. I think Jenny mentioned he was a little nauseous. I think that's all I know on that front at this point.
Just as a reminder t-shirts can still be bought, just scroll through the older posts and find the links (we haven't sold any since the 6th) and you still make donations. They're still coming in, less frequently, about one a week at this point or so. That's it.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Just as a reminder t-shirts can still be bought, just scroll through the older posts and find the links (we haven't sold any since the 6th) and you still make donations. They're still coming in, less frequently, about one a week at this point or so. That's it.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Pictures and Quick Update
So, I don't have a lot to update you all with at this point. Bennet is crawling, which is a good sign as it tells us that the chemo is still working and the tumor is still shrinking. Other than that, Ben should be starting his next round of chemo tomorrow assuming his blood counts are still where they should be. Last I heard, if the counts are down they will do a transfusion instead of chemo. But, we'll all keep good thoughts and another round of chemo will hopefully go off without a hitch. I think this round is just going to be one day, so Ben will be at RVMC for a few hours and then will get to go home.
That's it from me right now. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been really busy at work and dealing with some family issues of my own. I'll let you all know how Bennet does tomorrow when I hear from Beth.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Friday, July 16, 2010
Little Update
So from what Beth told me today or maybe last night, Bennet will have more blood work done next Thursday to again check his counts. If they look good like they did yesterday, they will do another round of chemo. I guess they're just planning on doing a big dose on Thursday and calling that good for this round. So Benny would be in the hospital for a few hours and then he'd get to go home. We aren't sure why they've dropped it to one day. I for one am not going to question it. We also don't know the plan beyond that as far as the chemo goes at this point. If for some reason Ben's counts have gone down, there is a possibility they could do a blood transfusion instead of the chemo. But we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. For now we'll think chemo thoughts instead of transfusion thoughts.
I just saw on Jenny's facebook page that someone that doesn't know Bennet made him a quilt. I think that's awesome. So if whoever did that is out there reading this, thank you from all of us for thinking about Benny, Jenny, and Dave and for taking time out of your life to make him something so special. From where I'm sitting, I can say that I've been amazed by the willingness of people who don't know Bennet, Jenny, or Dave to help out. Its really cool and I'm glad Bennet, Jenny, and Dave have people in their lives that have friends with such big hearts. Thank you to all of you.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
I just saw on Jenny's facebook page that someone that doesn't know Bennet made him a quilt. I think that's awesome. So if whoever did that is out there reading this, thank you from all of us for thinking about Benny, Jenny, and Dave and for taking time out of your life to make him something so special. From where I'm sitting, I can say that I've been amazed by the willingness of people who don't know Bennet, Jenny, or Dave to help out. Its really cool and I'm glad Bennet, Jenny, and Dave have people in their lives that have friends with such big hearts. Thank you to all of you.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Thursday, July 15, 2010
No Transfusion, Woohoo!
Just like the title says, Bennet did not have to have the blood transfusion that was planned for today. They did some blood work to check his counts again and his red blood cell count is back up on its own and no transfusion was needed today. This is good news in that it again looks like Benny will be able to do the next round of chemo at RVMC and he, Jenny, and Dave will not need to make the trip to Portland for it. They may still have to go back up to Portland for an appointment and the third round of chemo, but from what Collin told me they should be able to do at least this next round at home. Obviously, the good thoughts and prayers continue to work. So keep them up and I'll let you know when there's more news.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sorry for the Slacking
Hi everybody. I want to apologize for the lack of updates lately. I drove up to Medford last Friday to welcome everyone home from Portland and have been catching up a little since getting home. I actually beat everyone to Medford, but only got to see Beth, Collin, their girls, and Connie on Friday. Dave and Jenny were asked to keep Bennet away from other people for the most part until they had a chance to see the oncologist Monday in Ashland. This was because they weren't sure of Ben' white blood cell count and didn't want him around people who may be sick. We did however get to see Jenny, Dave, and Ben on Saturday. We went by their house and then walked to Lithia Park and had a picnic lunch. It was the first time I had seen any of them since the day Ben was admitted to the hospital back in June. It was great to see Benny happy and smiling still. Dave show be the x-ray of the tumor and I was amazed at how big it was. Dave also showed me where Ben's port is and other various things leftover from the various procedures. It was really good to just talk to them and hear all of what has been going on. Even if it was a short visit and I had to keep my distance from Bennet, it was worth the drive up.
Now for the update from yesterday's visit to the oncologist in Ashland. They did some blood work on Benny and his white blood cell numbers were back up which is good. Unfortunately, his red blood cell count is now down and it looks like he'll be getting a blood transfusion on Thursday. If I'm not mistaken both Dave and Ben's uncle Collin share his blood type, so one of them should be able to donate blood for the transfusion. It also looks like Bennet, Jenny, and Dave are going to have to go back up to Portland for some appointments, the next round of chemo, and possibly another MRI to check on the tumor. They aren't sure when this will be yet as they have to make an appointment with the surgeon (I don't know why). It could be sometime next week, but we'll know for sure when they make the appointment. I think that's it for now on the updates.
Now for a piece of my mind. I've been hearing from the family that some people are finding the "F*ck cancer!" shirts to be offensive. Like I've said before, I'm sorry if they offend you, but its what we're thinking at this point. There are other options for those that find them to be offensive. Personally, I don't find them offensive. My grandfather passed away when I was 7 years old, 11 days after he was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. I also have a number of family and close friends who have lost loved ones to cancer. As such, I bought one of these shirts for myself and wore it proudly on Saturday when we went to see Bennet, Jenny, and Dave. Beth and I were both amazed at the reception the shirt received. Walking around Ashland four people commented on the shirt all in positive ways. Throughout the rest of the day at the family pub in Medford and out at Southern Oregon Speedway, the shirt received at least four more positive comments, though it was more like 6. No one told me they were offended by the shirt. I think this has to do with the idea that almost all of us have been touched by cancer in some way, shape, or form in our lives. No one likes the disease. We all share the sentiment the shirt expresses, just not all of us are willing to admit it. So I'll continue to wear my shirt proudly for my grandfather and Bennet, and those of us out there unwilling to do so. But please do us a favor, if you find the shirt offensive, we don't need to hear about it. Buy another shirt or don't, either is fine, but this is how we feel.
That's all. Sorry for the rant. I'll be back soon when I have more news.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Guess Who Gets To Go Home!
That's right folks, Baby Bennet, Jenny, and Dave get to go home to Ashland tomorrow! So here's what Beth told me today. Ben was under for his radioactive dye test and they took his catheter out at the same time. They told them not to get his hopes up as he may not pee on his own still. Well, from what Beth said his diaper was full within five minutes of the catheter removal. This means that the tumor has already shrunk enough to relieve the pressure it was putting on his bladder and the chemo is working! From what Beth said, the happy three could have gone home today had they wanted too, but they decided to stay in Portland for one more night to celebrate. Also, as understand it, Ben is done with Portland except for a check up which will happen down the road a little. His chemo will now be administered at RVMC. It will require an overnight stay, but the treatments will be dropped to two days instead of three. And right now it sounds like there will be two more rounds of chemo. Obviously, this is all great news. Benny will be seeing an oncologist in Ashland (I think that's what Beth said). Obviously, this fight isn't over yet, but it is definitely headed in the right direction. I'm gonna go celebrate with a beer. Yay Benny!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-A very happy Uncle Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-A very happy Uncle Jake
Today
I just wanted to post a quick update to let you all know what was happening in the world of Ben today. Little Bennet will have what Beth and I are calling a pee test (don't know if that's what its actually called) to see if the tumor has shrunk enough to relieve the pressure on his bladder allowing him to pee on his own again. They will also be injecting radioactive dye into his system so the doctors can track the effects of the chemo on the cancer. They won't get the results of that test until tomorrow afternoon I think. But if everything looks good, Bennet, Jenny, and Dave should be allowed to go home for a little while before chemo starts up again. So think good thoughts and I'll talk to you all later.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A New Way to Donate
Hi all. Like the title says, there's a new way you can donate to Ride With Clyde and help Bennet, Jenny, and Dave with costs that stem from his treatment that are not covered by insurance. I'll give you a quick rundown as it seems a little bit complicated.
So, US Bank have some thing they call an Internal Donation Site. Because Ride With Clyde's bank account is set up as a donation account/fund it is included on this Internal Donation Site. What does this mean right? What it means is that if you don't want to donate via PayPal because you're wary of putting your information on the internet or you don't want to send a check, you can still donate. All you have to do is walk into any US Bank branch in the United States and follow these steps:
1. Walk up to an available teller. From what I was told you're probably going to need them to call a supervisor because most tellers don't know that the Internal Donation Site exists, so you might want to tell them to go ahead and grab a supervisor.
2. Tell them that you'd like to make a donation to an account/fund on the Internal Donation Site.
3. I believe they will then ask you some questions and the information you'll need is as follows:
A. The account was opened or established in California.
B. The account was opened or established in June of 2010.
C. The keyword for the account is Ride.
D. The contact for the account is me, Jacob Levi.
4. I think that's it. You can then make a donation in the bank either with cash or a check and possibly even by transferring money if you yourself have a US Bank account.
If you have any problems you can ask the branch you're at to contact the Half Moon Bay, CA branch. Or if they can't figure it out, shoot me an email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com letting me know what the problem is and I'll see if I can get you an answer.
Also, remember you can donate two other ways. You can click on the donate button on the left of the blog to donate online via PayPal. Or you can send a check made payable to Ride With Clyde to 1116 Hamilton Lane, Burlingame, CA 94010.
Something I haven't mentioned before but probably should have is that donating to Ride With Clyde is not tax deductible. This is due to the fact that the IRS would not grant me tax exempt status because right now Ride With Clyde is only benefiting a single family in Bennet, Jenny, and Dave. Sorry if this screws any of you up, I should've posted it before.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
So, US Bank have some thing they call an Internal Donation Site. Because Ride With Clyde's bank account is set up as a donation account/fund it is included on this Internal Donation Site. What does this mean right? What it means is that if you don't want to donate via PayPal because you're wary of putting your information on the internet or you don't want to send a check, you can still donate. All you have to do is walk into any US Bank branch in the United States and follow these steps:
1. Walk up to an available teller. From what I was told you're probably going to need them to call a supervisor because most tellers don't know that the Internal Donation Site exists, so you might want to tell them to go ahead and grab a supervisor.
2. Tell them that you'd like to make a donation to an account/fund on the Internal Donation Site.
3. I believe they will then ask you some questions and the information you'll need is as follows:
A. The account was opened or established in California.
B. The account was opened or established in June of 2010.
C. The keyword for the account is Ride.
D. The contact for the account is me, Jacob Levi.
4. I think that's it. You can then make a donation in the bank either with cash or a check and possibly even by transferring money if you yourself have a US Bank account.
If you have any problems you can ask the branch you're at to contact the Half Moon Bay, CA branch. Or if they can't figure it out, shoot me an email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com letting me know what the problem is and I'll see if I can get you an answer.
Also, remember you can donate two other ways. You can click on the donate button on the left of the blog to donate online via PayPal. Or you can send a check made payable to Ride With Clyde to 1116 Hamilton Lane, Burlingame, CA 94010.
Something I haven't mentioned before but probably should have is that donating to Ride With Clyde is not tax deductible. This is due to the fact that the IRS would not grant me tax exempt status because right now Ride With Clyde is only benefiting a single family in Bennet, Jenny, and Dave. Sorry if this screws any of you up, I should've posted it before.
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Quick Update
So Ben is still doing good. From what Beth said he still isn't having much in the way of side effects from the chemo. He was constipated last night and was up all night along with Jenny and Dave. Beth went over and took the little man on a walk down to the river so Jenny and Dave could take a nap. Bennet has a pee test tomorrow to see if the tumor has shrunk enough to relieve the pressure its been putting on his bladder enough to let him pee on his own again. That's pretty much it for tonight. We're still looking ahead to Thursday to see what the docs say about how the tumor is reacting to the chemo and whether or not our brave little trio gets to go home for a little while.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Some Stuff From Me
So I haven't gotten a Benny update yet today. I'm thinking I will, and I will obviously share it when I do, but for now I wanted to address some stuff that I've been thinking about or that has been brought to my attention.
First off, one of Dave and Jenny's friends Tracey sent me a message on Facebook today saying she was thinking about setting up a local bank account through US Bank today. She thought it would be easier for people to donate if they didn't want to donate over the internet. It seems to be, as I've been asked a couple of times now, that people are missing the fact that you can donate without donating online. On the left side of this blog above the "DONATE" button there are instructions on how to do so. Also, apparently, because the Ride With Clyde account is set up through US Bank as a donation fund/account, there is a way any of you can walk into any US Bank branch and donate directly to the account. I'm trying to figure out how we do this and as soon as I know I'll post it here. I'm not doing this to try to deter anyone's fundraising efforts. I think the more people out there helping out the better. I do however think that keeping the donated money all in one place makes the most sense and will cut down on the confusion. Plus, the way I've set this up makes it so no one can get in trouble. There is a paper trail with the bank of all the donations made. Ok, enough of my rambling on that.
Now for some fun stuff. As I mentioned when I first set this blog up, I'm planning on shaving my head to support Ben/show my solidarity with him/hopefully raise some more money for his care. He hasn't lost his hair yet but Beth thinks he will in a few weeks. So, this means I need help on two counts. One, I need ideas on how we can do this. I have an idea that I'm still waiting to hear back from Beth about, but other ideas would be good. I'm willing to either come up to Medford so multiple people can attend some sort of fundraising event, or just taken pictures and video of the head shaving. I need ideas on how to get people to donate and how we should do the actual shaving. The second thing I need is just kind of odd. If you can think of celebrities with shaved/bald heads and beards, let me know. I'm trying to keep my beard but not look completely goofy doing so with a shaved head. The only person I've come up with so far is Common, and I'm no Common.
Lastly, t-shit orders have slowed down a bit so I thought I'd post the links for all the shirts again. Here they are:
http://www.cafepress.com/L
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/C
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/F
http://www.cafepress.com/H
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/W
Thanks again to those of you already doing your part to help out. It really has blown me away.
I should be back later with an update, but until then...
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
First off, one of Dave and Jenny's friends Tracey sent me a message on Facebook today saying she was thinking about setting up a local bank account through US Bank today. She thought it would be easier for people to donate if they didn't want to donate over the internet. It seems to be, as I've been asked a couple of times now, that people are missing the fact that you can donate without donating online. On the left side of this blog above the "DONATE" button there are instructions on how to do so. Also, apparently, because the Ride With Clyde account is set up through US Bank as a donation fund/account, there is a way any of you can walk into any US Bank branch and donate directly to the account. I'm trying to figure out how we do this and as soon as I know I'll post it here. I'm not doing this to try to deter anyone's fundraising efforts. I think the more people out there helping out the better. I do however think that keeping the donated money all in one place makes the most sense and will cut down on the confusion. Plus, the way I've set this up makes it so no one can get in trouble. There is a paper trail with the bank of all the donations made. Ok, enough of my rambling on that.
Now for some fun stuff. As I mentioned when I first set this blog up, I'm planning on shaving my head to support Ben/show my solidarity with him/hopefully raise some more money for his care. He hasn't lost his hair yet but Beth thinks he will in a few weeks. So, this means I need help on two counts. One, I need ideas on how we can do this. I have an idea that I'm still waiting to hear back from Beth about, but other ideas would be good. I'm willing to either come up to Medford so multiple people can attend some sort of fundraising event, or just taken pictures and video of the head shaving. I need ideas on how to get people to donate and how we should do the actual shaving. The second thing I need is just kind of odd. If you can think of celebrities with shaved/bald heads and beards, let me know. I'm trying to keep my beard but not look completely goofy doing so with a shaved head. The only person I've come up with so far is Common, and I'm no Common.
Lastly, t-shit orders have slowed down a bit so I thought I'd post the links for all the shirts again. Here they are:
http://www.cafepress.com/L
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/C
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/F
http://www.cafepress.com/H
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/T
http://www.cafepress.com/W
Thanks again to those of you already doing your part to help out. It really has blown me away.
I should be back later with an update, but until then...
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Monday, July 5, 2010
Another Move
Hi all. So, as it turns out, Bennet, Jenny, and Dave have moved for the second time in two days. From what Jenny and Beth have told me, the Ronald McDonald house was not the nicest place. Apparently there were some um, "urban" members of the community there rapping. And there were little kids running around getting in Ben's face and touching him. This doesn't sound like the best environment for a 6 month old undergoing cancer treatment, and Jenny and Dave agreed with that sentiment. They are now residing in a Marriott in downtown Portland and are excited to be in a nice clean place of their own. Benny's doctors are good with this as long as they are close to the hospital. Ben ate some bananas last night which is good. Also, Dave was able to give Ben his first white blood cell shot today and our brave little guy barely winced. That helped Jenny and Dave both feel a lot better and helped their confidence. I think Jenny's going to try giving the shot tomorrow, but I'm not sure. Not surprisingly if you've seen pictures of him throughout this ordeal, but Bennet continues to be the happy smiley baby that we all love. That's it for tonight. Collin and Beth are back in Portland with their girls, so my updates should be more detailed now as I'm ok with bugging Beth for updates and she seems happy to oblige. Keep spreading the word about the blog and t-shirts. Keep up those good thoughts and prayers for Bennet, Jenny, and Dave. And if you have the means, feel free to send donations to help with costs that Jenny and Dave may incur during Benny's treatment.
Until tomorrow, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Until tomorrow, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The Past Two Days
Hi all. First off, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. I hope everyone has had a fun and safe holiday.
Our little man Bennet had his last chemo treatment of this first round yesterday. He had kind of a rough day yesterday and didn't eat a whole lot. Overall though, for the first three days of chemo, that was the only side effect, so he didn't pretty darn good. Beth said the doctors have gotten his electrolyte levels back in check. That means that today, Ben, Jenny, and Dave actually got to leave the hospital and head to the Ronald McDonald house. As Beth said, they'll be staying with Ronnie until next Friday. On Thursday they'll be doing that radioactive dye test and if everything looks good with the tumor it sounds like Ben, Jenny, and Dave will get to go home for a week or so. As an added bonus, with it being America's birthday and all, the doctors told Jenny and Dave they could take Ben out of the hospital to watch fireworks. While it isn't quite the same as being at home in Medford lighting fireworks off with the family (always a good time), it is a little victory. My updates should be a little better here the next few days, assuming there is news to update you with as Collin and Beth are, I believe, headed back to Portland tomorrow.
On another subject, I just wanted to give everyone a heads up as far as the shirts go. I ordered four shirts all from different "shops" and was kind of bugged when they showed up and the designs on two of them were crooked. I went on cafepress.com and emailed their customer service department and told them what was going on and that I wanted the shirts replaced. In a couple hours I had a response that said they would be doing just that. So, if you run into any issues with the shirts and your orders, by all means contact their customer service department and see if they can get it straightened out. Since the shirt links have made their way off the bottom of the page, I'll repost them all here again tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. And remember...
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Our little man Bennet had his last chemo treatment of this first round yesterday. He had kind of a rough day yesterday and didn't eat a whole lot. Overall though, for the first three days of chemo, that was the only side effect, so he didn't pretty darn good. Beth said the doctors have gotten his electrolyte levels back in check. That means that today, Ben, Jenny, and Dave actually got to leave the hospital and head to the Ronald McDonald house. As Beth said, they'll be staying with Ronnie until next Friday. On Thursday they'll be doing that radioactive dye test and if everything looks good with the tumor it sounds like Ben, Jenny, and Dave will get to go home for a week or so. As an added bonus, with it being America's birthday and all, the doctors told Jenny and Dave they could take Ben out of the hospital to watch fireworks. While it isn't quite the same as being at home in Medford lighting fireworks off with the family (always a good time), it is a little victory. My updates should be a little better here the next few days, assuming there is news to update you with as Collin and Beth are, I believe, headed back to Portland tomorrow.
On another subject, I just wanted to give everyone a heads up as far as the shirts go. I ordered four shirts all from different "shops" and was kind of bugged when they showed up and the designs on two of them were crooked. I went on cafepress.com and emailed their customer service department and told them what was going on and that I wanted the shirts replaced. In a couple hours I had a response that said they would be doing just that. So, if you run into any issues with the shirts and your orders, by all means contact their customer service department and see if they can get it straightened out. Since the shirt links have made their way off the bottom of the page, I'll repost them all here again tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. And remember...
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Friday, July 2, 2010
Destroying Cancer, Day 2
Hi all. Sorry for the late update. I just talked to Beth and she said Bennet did well with his chemo again today. She did say he slept a bit more today, which could be a side effect of his treatments. Beth also said that apparently when a tumor is shrinking, it releases electrolytes into the body. He was tested for electrolytes today and already has an abundance of them in his system! So the good news is that the tumor is already shrinking. The bad news is that these extra electrolytes can be hard on his little body. They apparently affect his heart and liver, so they had to start Benny on some drugs to counter those things. Tomorrow will be the last chemo treatment of this round. Hopefully, on Sunday they'll be able to move down the street to the Ronald McDonald house for a few days away from the hospital. Jenny also had to learn how to give Bennet a shot today that help keeps his white blood cell count high. She has to do this everyday, and as I'm sure we can all imagine, it isn't going to be the easiest thing for her to do. I'm sure she'll be able to do it for that little man though.
That's it from me tonight. Its been a long week and I'm going to bed. I'll be back sometime tomorrow with another update.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
That's it from me tonight. Its been a long week and I'm going to bed. I'll be back sometime tomorrow with another update.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Just a Quick Update
From what Beth told me last night our little man did awesome with his first day of chemo. He had no side effects and it phased him so little that he slept through most of the treatment. Today is day two of destroying the tumor, keep up those good thoughts and prayers! I should have another update after work today.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Thursday, July 1, 2010
More Good News
Well the lab results of Bennet's scans that we were waiting for finally came back today. The neuroblastoma is stage 3 and there is no cancer in the bones or bone marrow! Benny started chemo today and from what Beth told me he was laughing and giggling all day today. Right now it looks like he'll have another one of the tests where they put radioactive dye in him to see what the tumor is doing on the 8th. If that looks good and he's doing well with the chemo, they should get to go home for a week before heading back up to Portland for the second round of chemo. That's all the baby Ben news for the day. Keep up the good thoughts and prayers, the fight has just begun.
That's it for now.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
That's it for now.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
With A New Month Comes New Hope
Ladies and Gentlemen, today is the day Baby Bennet begins to fight back. Today is the day chemo starts and we begin to destroy his tumor and his cancer. Today is the day we begin the path back to that healthy, happy, little man that we know. It isn't going to be an easy path. We can't pretend that Ben isn't sick and that the chemo is going to be easy. But we can come together, as we have over the past week, in our continued support of Bennet, Jenny, and Dave. They need us today. They need all our good thoughts. And though I do not consider myself a religious man, to those of you that prayer, I ask you do so for Benny today. Together we will all get through this, and we will be stronger people on the other side.
I want to leave you with a little bit of information that Collin gave me last night. If Bennet does well with this chemo, he, Jenny, and Dave will get to go home during the 3 weeks off chemo. There will be checkups at home, but they will be home in their own space as a family. So lets all hope the little man does well and that they get 3 weeks off at home before they have to go back to Doernbecher for round two of cancer destroying.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
I want to leave you with a little bit of information that Collin gave me last night. If Bennet does well with this chemo, he, Jenny, and Dave will get to go home during the 3 weeks off chemo. There will be checkups at home, but they will be home in their own space as a family. So lets all hope the little man does well and that they get 3 weeks off at home before they have to go back to Doernbecher for round two of cancer destroying.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Bennet Update Containing GREAT News!
First what I'm sure everyone is looking for. We still don't know what stage Ben's neuroblastoma is. We're still waiting for the lab results from the bone marrow scan and it looks like they aren't going to be back until tomorrow. From what Beth told me they also did another MRI and a bone scan today. The bone scan is different than the bone marrow scan as the cancer could be in the bones but not the bone marrow and vice versa. We aren't sure what the reasoning was behind the MRI today other than the doctors were trying to get a better angle of the tumor and Benny's spine.
Obviously, we all want to know what exactly we are fighting here, which the above didn't give us, but I do have some good news. I just talked to Beth's husband Collin. He said that whether or not we get the lab results back tomorrow, Bennet will be starting chemo. It looks like at this point they're going to do 4 or 5 days on and then 3 weeks off and then 4 or 5 days one and another 3 weeks off. At that point they do more test to see how the tumor is responding. There is a possibility at that point that if the tumor has shrunk enough and is no longer encroaching on certain nerves that they could perform surgery to remove it. Right now that isn't an option because of the nerves the tumor is encroaching on. The really good news that Collin shared is that from what the doctors are seeing right now, Bennet has a 90% survival rate. Even if the lab results show this to be stage 4 and the cancer is in the bone marrow or the bones, the survival rate remains at 90%. Those things would just mean additional cycles of chemo beyond the two cycles that I described above.
Like I said great news! That's it for news at this point. If I hear anything else tonight I will pass it on. Now, I just want to share with you the first picture I've received of someone rockin' one of the shirts they ordered. This is Angie Dieringer's 10 month old Chase rockin' his "Hey cancer, F*CK YOU!" onesie! Thanks for sending this along Angie!
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Obviously, we all want to know what exactly we are fighting here, which the above didn't give us, but I do have some good news. I just talked to Beth's husband Collin. He said that whether or not we get the lab results back tomorrow, Bennet will be starting chemo. It looks like at this point they're going to do 4 or 5 days on and then 3 weeks off and then 4 or 5 days one and another 3 weeks off. At that point they do more test to see how the tumor is responding. There is a possibility at that point that if the tumor has shrunk enough and is no longer encroaching on certain nerves that they could perform surgery to remove it. Right now that isn't an option because of the nerves the tumor is encroaching on. The really good news that Collin shared is that from what the doctors are seeing right now, Bennet has a 90% survival rate. Even if the lab results show this to be stage 4 and the cancer is in the bone marrow or the bones, the survival rate remains at 90%. Those things would just mean additional cycles of chemo beyond the two cycles that I described above.
Like I said great news! That's it for news at this point. If I hear anything else tonight I will pass it on. Now, I just want to share with you the first picture I've received of someone rockin' one of the shirts they ordered. This is Angie Dieringer's 10 month old Chase rockin' his "Hey cancer, F*CK YOU!" onesie! Thanks for sending this along Angie!
As always, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Thoughts of the Number 3
Hi everyone,
So today is the day that the bone marrow scan comes back and we should know what stage neuroblastoma Benny is dealing with. From what the doctors have said to this point it looks like its a stage 3, but I guess there is still a possibility of a stage 4. As such, I, and I hope all of you out there following along, will be thinking of the number 3 until we hear one way or the other. I have to head to work, but as soon as I get home this afternoon I will post what I hear about the results/stage.
Keep spreading the word about Benny's fight, the blog, the shirts, and donations. Keep the good thoughts and prayers coming.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
So today is the day that the bone marrow scan comes back and we should know what stage neuroblastoma Benny is dealing with. From what the doctors have said to this point it looks like its a stage 3, but I guess there is still a possibility of a stage 4. As such, I, and I hope all of you out there following along, will be thinking of the number 3 until we hear one way or the other. I have to head to work, but as soon as I get home this afternoon I will post what I hear about the results/stage.
Keep spreading the word about Benny's fight, the blog, the shirts, and donations. Keep the good thoughts and prayers coming.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
In Case You Missed It Try #2
So I realize that the first post I did with the link to the downloadable mp3 was kind of a pain. I am going to leave it up, just in case people want to download the mp3. Between work, looking for a new job, and trying to keep all these things up to date and come up with ideas, my brain is a wee bit tired. Luckily, someone else out there is thinking. Erin Lewallen, a cousin of Ben's uncle Collin, suggested I put the audio clip on Youtube. She also suggested I could add pictures and whatnot using Windows Movie maker so that's what I did. And here, thanks to Erin's great idea, is a much easier way to listen to Delilah's Shout Out to Baby Bennet, Jenny, and Dave. All of this was really made possible by our friend Matt Eriksen as he is the one who wrote the shout out and got it on the air in the first place. Thanks Matty!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
In Case You Missed It
Blogspot is making this a little harder on me than it should be. For some reason they won't let you post an actual audio file on your blog. This basically means that I had to put the mp3 that our friend Matt Eriksen was kind to send me on a file hosting site and then give all of you out there the link to the site. Its kind of a pain as you have to scroll down and then click on the link then wait for like 25 second and then click again to download the mp3, but its worth it.
I'd like to take the time out here just to thank Matt for putting this together not only for Baby Bennet, Jenny, and Dave, but for the rest of us as well. When I heard it last night it brought tears to my eyes, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So Matty, thanks for finally giving a sh*t about your job as you so eloquently put it.
Here's the link to Delilah's shout out to Baby Ben on the Delilah show on June 28, 2010:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b252bb0/n/Ben_on_the_Delilah_Show.mp3
I just realized that if its easier for people, I'm happy to just email the mp3 to you, just send me an email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com and let me know. And if that's what you want me to do, please be patient, you may not be the only one.
Oh, as far as I know nothing major happened today with Ben and his condition and treatment. It was most likely a lot of sitting and waiting around for the bone marrow scan results, which are due back tomorrow sometime. Remember to keep good thoughts for Benny in your head.
Until tomorrow, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
I'd like to take the time out here just to thank Matt for putting this together not only for Baby Bennet, Jenny, and Dave, but for the rest of us as well. When I heard it last night it brought tears to my eyes, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So Matty, thanks for finally giving a sh*t about your job as you so eloquently put it.
Here's the link to Delilah's shout out to Baby Ben on the Delilah show on June 28, 2010:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b252bb0/n/Ben_on_the_Delilah_Show.mp3
I just realized that if its easier for people, I'm happy to just email the mp3 to you, just send me an email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com and let me know. And if that's what you want me to do, please be patient, you may not be the only one.
Oh, as far as I know nothing major happened today with Ben and his condition and treatment. It was most likely a lot of sitting and waiting around for the bone marrow scan results, which are due back tomorrow sometime. Remember to keep good thoughts for Benny in your head.
Until tomorrow, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Jake
Tomorrow and an idea I forgot
I wanted to let everyone know that tomorrow is kind of a down day. I don't mean down in the emotional sense. What I mean is that there is nothing major planned as far as Ben and his treatment are concerned. Obviously, this could change. But for the most part tomorrow will be a hang out and wait kind of a day as we wait for the results of the bone marrow scan, which aren't due until Wednesday I believe. If I hear of something during the day, I'll let you all know when I get home from work, but as of right now, don't expect anything major.
Now my idea. This is for those of you that have ordered shirts to show your support for Baby Ben, Jenny, and Dave. I think it would be fun if they could actually see that support. What does that mean, right? Well, I think it would be cool if when you all get the shirts you ordered, wear them. But when you do, have someone take a picture of you and send it to me at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com. I will then post the pictures here on the blog and somewhere on facebook where people can see them. Not only is it a fun way for Jenny, Dave, and the family to see your support while they're up at Doernbecher's, but seeing you wearing your shirts may also inspire someone else to buy one.
If you missed Delilah's shout out to Bennet, Jenny, and Dave tonight on the Delilah Show, our awesome friend Matt Eriksen should be sending me an mp3 of it at some point tomorrow and I will make sure to post it here.
Until tomorrow, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Now my idea. This is for those of you that have ordered shirts to show your support for Baby Ben, Jenny, and Dave. I think it would be fun if they could actually see that support. What does that mean, right? Well, I think it would be cool if when you all get the shirts you ordered, wear them. But when you do, have someone take a picture of you and send it to me at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com. I will then post the pictures here on the blog and somewhere on facebook where people can see them. Not only is it a fun way for Jenny, Dave, and the family to see your support while they're up at Doernbecher's, but seeing you wearing your shirts may also inspire someone else to buy one.
If you missed Delilah's shout out to Bennet, Jenny, and Dave tonight on the Delilah Show, our awesome friend Matt Eriksen should be sending me an mp3 of it at some point tomorrow and I will make sure to post it here.
Until tomorrow, f*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Monday, June 28, 2010
Quick Shout Out Update
So Big Matt just posted an update. If you want to make sure you hear the shout out, tune in to your chosen station around 10:35. The shout out should be aired around 10:43. Apparently Matty tried to get a f*ck cancer out of Delilah, but the FCC frowns on that sort of thing.
So I'll leave you with our version of it.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
So I'll leave you with our version of it.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
The Day's Events, a Special Shout Out, and One More Shirt
So first off, I need to apologize to those of you follow the events of Ben's treatment here on the block. I meant to tell all of you that during the week, I work and don't have access to a computer. As such, I will try to update twice daily once either late a night or early in the morning to let people know what's scheduled for the day and then in the evening to let everyone know how the day's events went.
As I posted this morning Benny had a busy day today with both his chemo port surgery and the bone marrow scan. I wanted to explain real quick what a chemo port is for those of you who may not know. Basically, Ben had a tube surgically implanted into the left side of his chest below his collar bone. This tube has a cap on it and goes directly to a vein. Its kind of like an iv and the chemo is in a drip bag that hooks up to the port. They do it this way because the port can stay in for months at a time where the iv has to be changed every few days. From what Beth said the surgery went well. The bone marrow scan also went well and was done at the same time. They put Ben out, or under, or whatever term you want to do. We won't have the results of the scan for 48 hours (more like 42 at this point I think). When I talked to Collin he mentioned something about them drawing extra blood and marrow samples. No one confirmed this for me. Collin did say they were sending these to a national registry or lab. Again he didn't say why, but I can guess. I would assume this is a precautionary measure taken in case the cancer is found in the bone marrow. In that case, in sending the samples out now, finding a donor that is a match to our little man will be a quicker process. Like I said, this is just a guess on my part as I haven't heard for sure that they even did this. They are currently holding off on starting chemo until we get the results of the bone marrow scan. Other than that, everyone seems to be doing ok. Beth said today was king of a hard day for Jenny, so if you get a minute just send her a little extra love.
Now the special shout out part of this. We have a friend that lives in Seattle that goes by Big Matt. Big Matt is a writer for a radio show that is broadcast nation wide and on any given night has a following of about 8 million listeners. This is the Delilah Show. Today, Big Matt had Delilah record a special shout out to Ben basically just asking her listeners to say a quick prayer for our little man. The show is carried in Medford on KCMX 101.9 FM. Matt said that the shout out will be aired tonight between 10:40 and 10:50. For those of you not in the Medford area head to this address to see if there is a station in your area that carries the show: http://www.delilah.com/pages/stations.html. If you are following in the Chicago or Houston areas, your times are going to be different. Sorry. You can also finds stations that play audio online during the show if you are in an area that doesn't have a station that carries the show. Matt also mentioned that he would send me a link tomorrow that I can post here on the blog for those of you that aren't able to hear the show tonight.
Just in case there are more California Golden Bears out there that would like to be a part of Team Ben, I made a Team Ben shirt using the Bears colors. You can find it here: http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBENCGB
I think that's it from me for the moment. If I hear anything else tonight I'll let you know. I think we're kind of in a holding pattern again until we get the results of the bone marrow scan. Thanks again to those of you who have made donations or bought t-shirts!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
As I posted this morning Benny had a busy day today with both his chemo port surgery and the bone marrow scan. I wanted to explain real quick what a chemo port is for those of you who may not know. Basically, Ben had a tube surgically implanted into the left side of his chest below his collar bone. This tube has a cap on it and goes directly to a vein. Its kind of like an iv and the chemo is in a drip bag that hooks up to the port. They do it this way because the port can stay in for months at a time where the iv has to be changed every few days. From what Beth said the surgery went well. The bone marrow scan also went well and was done at the same time. They put Ben out, or under, or whatever term you want to do. We won't have the results of the scan for 48 hours (more like 42 at this point I think). When I talked to Collin he mentioned something about them drawing extra blood and marrow samples. No one confirmed this for me. Collin did say they were sending these to a national registry or lab. Again he didn't say why, but I can guess. I would assume this is a precautionary measure taken in case the cancer is found in the bone marrow. In that case, in sending the samples out now, finding a donor that is a match to our little man will be a quicker process. Like I said, this is just a guess on my part as I haven't heard for sure that they even did this. They are currently holding off on starting chemo until we get the results of the bone marrow scan. Other than that, everyone seems to be doing ok. Beth said today was king of a hard day for Jenny, so if you get a minute just send her a little extra love.
Now the special shout out part of this. We have a friend that lives in Seattle that goes by Big Matt. Big Matt is a writer for a radio show that is broadcast nation wide and on any given night has a following of about 8 million listeners. This is the Delilah Show. Today, Big Matt had Delilah record a special shout out to Ben basically just asking her listeners to say a quick prayer for our little man. The show is carried in Medford on KCMX 101.9 FM. Matt said that the shout out will be aired tonight between 10:40 and 10:50. For those of you not in the Medford area head to this address to see if there is a station in your area that carries the show: http://www.delilah.com/pages/stations.html. If you are following in the Chicago or Houston areas, your times are going to be different. Sorry. You can also finds stations that play audio online during the show if you are in an area that doesn't have a station that carries the show. Matt also mentioned that he would send me a link tomorrow that I can post here on the blog for those of you that aren't able to hear the show tonight.
Just in case there are more California Golden Bears out there that would like to be a part of Team Ben, I made a Team Ben shirt using the Bears colors. You can find it here: http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBENCGB
I think that's it from me for the moment. If I hear anything else tonight I'll let you know. I think we're kind of in a holding pattern again until we get the results of the bone marrow scan. Thanks again to those of you who have made donations or bought t-shirts!
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Quick Benny Update
I just wanted to give everyone a little heads up on what's happening with Benny today. From what I understand he's having a couple of things done and I think they're doing them at the same time. I believe he's having his port put in for the chemo and they are also doing the bone marrow scan. I know the bone marrow scan is pretty painful and I'm guessing the port might be too. As such, they'll be putting Ben under for the procedures. Keep good thoughts and prayers in you head for Ben, Jenny, and Dave. I don't think we know yet what stage the cancer is, but we should know in the next couple of days.
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
F*ck cancer, I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Sunday, June 27, 2010
2 More Shirt Designs
So I've actually gotten a couple shirt requests and I wanted to post the link to the result of one of those requests. I'm just gonna throw the links up and a quick description and you can all check them out.
Links:
http://www.cafepress.com/WrongBaby - This shirt reads "Cancer messed with the wrong Baby" and has three sets of hearts on the front, with I Ride With Clyde and a picture of Baby Ben on the back
http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBEN3 - Another variation of the TEAM BEN shirt with a single childhood cancer awareness ribbon behind the TEAM BEN on the front of the shirt
Just as an update, we've sold 13 shirts this far, which means the shirts have raised $65 for Ben, Jenny, and Dave. We've also had donations totaling $270 so far, which is awesome. Keep the orders, donations, good thoughts and prayers coming. Every little bit helps and is appreciated.
F*ck Cancer, I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Links:
http://www.cafepress.com/WrongBaby - This shirt reads "Cancer messed with the wrong Baby" and has three sets of hearts on the front, with I Ride With Clyde and a picture of Baby Ben on the back
http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBEN3 - Another variation of the TEAM BEN shirt with a single childhood cancer awareness ribbon behind the TEAM BEN on the front of the shirt
Just as an update, we've sold 13 shirts this far, which means the shirts have raised $65 for Ben, Jenny, and Dave. We've also had donations totaling $270 so far, which is awesome. Keep the orders, donations, good thoughts and prayers coming. Every little bit helps and is appreciated.
F*ck Cancer, I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
More Shirts
I've got a couple more shirt designs. These two are just simple "Team Ben" shirts. The TEAMBEN shop has We ride with Clyde on the back of the shirt while the TEAMBEN2 shop has a blank back. I'm working on a couple other designs that were requested and I'm hoping they be up by the end of the day. Oh, with these shirts, the ribbons have a white background, so if you get a shirt that isn't white you will see a white rectangular background around the childhood cancer ribbons. As always, $5 of every shirt purchase goes to Ride With Clyde to help Ben, Jenny, and Dave with any expenses related to Ben's treatment that may not be covered by insurance. Here are the links for the new shirts:
http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBEN
http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBEN2
And here are the links for all the other designs so far:
http://www.cafepress.com/LUYD - Lock Up Your Daughters with Jenny's current profile pic of Benny
http://www.cafepress.com/IKOBD - I'm Kind of a Big Deal with same pic
http://www.cafepress.com/BennyLK - Ladykiller with same pic
http://www.cafepress.com/CNMH - Cancer Is Not My Homeboy (on front) I Ride With Clyde! (on back)
http://www.cafepress.com/EffCancerWC - Original F*CK Cancer! with I Ride With Clyde! (on back)
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWCDeluxe - I Ride With Clyde Deluxe
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWCH - I Ride With Clyde Hearts
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWC - I Ride With Clyde Basic
http://www.cafepress.com/BBGD - Benny's Buddies Go Ducks!
http://www.cafepress.com/BennysBuddies - Benny's Buddies Basic
http://www.cafepress.com/BSFightsCancer - Blue Steel Fights Cancer
http://www.cafepress.com/BEBS - Baby Epps Blue Steel
http://www.cafepress.com/EffCancer1 - F*CK Cancer!
http://www.cafepress.com/FECKCancer - FECK Cancer!
http://www.cafepress.com/HCEffU - Hey Cancer, F*CK You!
As always, let me know if you have an idea for other designs let me know either in a comment here on the blog, via email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com, or find me (Jake Levi) on facebook. Thanks in advance for your purchases.
F*ck Cancer, I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBEN
http://www.cafepress.com/TEAMBEN2
And here are the links for all the other designs so far:
http://www.cafepress.com/L
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/C
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/F
http://www.cafepress.com/H
As always, let me know if you have an idea for other designs let me know either in a comment here on the blog, via email at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com, or find me (Jake Levi) on facebook. Thanks in advance for your purchases.
F*ck Cancer, I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
More News
I just got a text from Beth and wanted to pass on what she told me to everyone. Like I said before the cancer is a neuroblastoma. We won't know what stage it is until Monday or Tuesday. It looks like a stage 2 or stage 3. Obviously, we're all hoping for a stage 2. The doctor is very hopeful and says Ben has a great chance of survival. Because he is so young and under 18 months, his cells regenerate really quickly which will help him in fighting this. The doctor doesn't think any permanent nerve damage has been done yet so that's a good thing. They most likely are going to start chemo on Monday. This first round of chemo is apparently the most important because it gives us an idea of what the course of this cancer will be.
Now with all of that being said, the doctor also said that it will be a long hard fight. The doc also said not to kid ourselves that Benny won't be one sick little baby, but there is hope.
Beth also said Ben, Jenny, and Dave should be up in Portland for about 2 months for treatment.
That's what I've got for now. Please keep Ben, Jenny, and Dave in your thoughts and prayers.
F*ck Cancer! I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Now with all of that being said, the doctor also said that it will be a long hard fight. The doc also said not to kid ourselves that Benny won't be one sick little baby, but there is hope.
Beth also said Ben, Jenny, and Dave should be up in Portland for about 2 months for treatment.
That's what I've got for now. Please keep Ben, Jenny, and Dave in your thoughts and prayers.
F*ck Cancer! I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Nailing Down the Cancer
Jenny and Dave talked to the doctors again yesterday and they've nailed down the diagnosis. Ben has neuroblastoma. It is a cancer common in children under the age of 2. They are waiting to hear still what stage of the cancer he has and may find that out today. Either way, the treatment of Ben's cancer will start either Monday or Tuesday.
That's it for now. Keep those t-shirt orders and donations coming! For those of you who have already sent requests for other shirts, I will get to them. I'm moving a little slow today after attending a graduation party yesterday, so it may take me a little while. =)
F*ck Cancer! I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
That's it for now. Keep those t-shirt orders and donations coming! For those of you who have already sent requests for other shirts, I will get to them. I'm moving a little slow today after attending a graduation party yesterday, so it may take me a little while. =)
F*ck Cancer! I Ride With Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Saturday, June 26, 2010
New Shirts (and the Old Ones Too)
So, we've had some requests for some new t-shirt designs and I added a few of my own. I just wanted to let everybody know the new links and give you a quick description of the new shirts. Here are the new links:
http://www.cafepress.com/LUYD - Lock Up Your Daughters with Jenny's current profile pic of Benny
http://www.cafepress.com/IKOBD - I'm Kind of a Big Deal with same pic
http://www.cafepress.com/BennyLK - Ladykiller with same pic
http://www.cafepress.com/CNMH - Cancer Is Not My Homeboy (on front) I Ride With Clyde! (on back)
http://www.cafepress.com/EffCancerWC - Original F*CK Cancer! with I Ride With Clyde! (on back)
and the links to the original shirts:
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWCDeluxe - I Ride With Clyde Deluxe
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWCH - I Ride With Clyde Hearts
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWC - I Ride With Clyde Basic
http://www.cafepress.com/BBGD - Benny's Buddies Go Ducks!
http://www.cafepress.com/BennysBuddies - Benny's Buddies Basic
http://www.cafepress.com/BSFightsCancer - Blue Steel Fights Cancer
http://www.cafepress.com/BEBS - Baby Epps Blue Steel
http://www.cafepress.com/EffCancer1 - F*CK Cancer!
http://www.cafepress.com/FECKCancer - FECK Cancer!
http://www.cafepress.com/HCEffU - Hey Cancer, F*CK You!
Remember, you pay a base price that goes to cafepress.com and then the other $5.00 of each order goes to Ride With Clyde, a fund to help Ben, Jenny, and Dave with cost incurred during Benny's fight that may not be covered by insurance. I make no profit on these shirts. Also, please send any requests or suggestions to me (Jake Levi) on facebook, by commenting here on the blog, or to ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com.
http://www.cafepress.com/L
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/C
http://www.cafepress.com/E
and the links to the original shirts:
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/F
http://www.cafepress.com/H
Remember, you pay a base price that goes to cafepress.com and then the other $5.00 of each order goes to Ride With Clyde, a fund to help Ben, Jenny, and Dave with cost incurred during Benny's fight that may not be covered by insurance. I make no profit on these shirts. Also, please send any requests or suggestions to me (Jake Levi) on facebook, by commenting here on the blog, or to ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com.
Shirt Requests
Beth just asked me if I can make other shirts as people having been asking and requesting other shirt designs. I can make other shirts either with new designs or with different colors of the current designs (meaning font colors). All I need from you guys is what you actually want on the shirt. You can post requests or suggestions here on the blog in the comments, email them to me at ridewithclyde2010@hotmail.com, or find me, Jake Levi on facebook and ask there.
I wanted to say one other thing. If you want to make a donation but have limits funds, you should not feel obligated to donate money. If you have something else you think can help Baby Ben, Jenny, or Dave right now, by all means send it along. If they can't use it, I will make sure it gets to another cancer patient and their family that can use it.
As always you can send donations to:
Ride With Clyde
1116 Hamilton Lane
Burlingame, CA 94010
As always, f*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
I wanted to say one other thing. If you want to make a donation but have limits funds, you should not feel obligated to donate money. If you have something else you think can help Baby Ben, Jenny, or Dave right now, by all means send it along. If they can't use it, I will make sure it gets to another cancer patient and their family that can use it.
As always you can send donations to:
Ride With Clyde
1116 Hamilton Lane
Burlingame, CA 94010
As always, f*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Friday, June 25, 2010
Duh
I also forgot, if you are unable to help out in the fundraising realm don't worry. Keeping good thoughts in your head for Ben and the Family, or saying little prayers here and there the brave little guy, if that's more your thing, are more than enough. We appreciate every gesture no matter how big or small it is. The love and support being shown for Ben, Jenny, and Dave is truly awesome.
F*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
F*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
Heading Into the Weekend
From what Collin has told me via Beth, who I could hear in the background, we may have gotten a bit of a reprieve for the weekend. They met with an oncologist who from Collin's description was cautiously optimistic. While she didn't want to give a definitive diagnosis without the pathology report, which is due Tuesday, she did give the group some hope from the sounds of it. From what I got from the confusing conversation with Collin since he was talking to me in the phone and Beth and Kiwi on his end, the oncologist thinks it may be one of three things, which are all treatable. Apparently one goes away on its own without needing treatment. Obviously we're rooting for that one. From the MRIs (I think), she seems to think that the cancer hasn't spread beyond the tumor on Ben's spine. As such, she has decided not to do a bone scan for now. If the pathology report warrants one, then it will be done then. I think that all I've got for now. Like I said, a much needed reprieve heading into the weekend.
F*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
F*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Uncle Jake
My Efforts, So Far...
First some background:
My name is Jake. I know Ben, Jenny, and Dave through Beth and Collin, Ben's actual aunt and uncle. Collin and I were roommates for four years while attending Santa Clara University. I have known Ben since his birth. I was at Dave and Jenny's wedding. They are my family, and I am lucky enough to be considered part of their family as well. I am for all intents and purposes, Ben's uncle.
Some of you may be wondering where the name/motto "Ride With Clyde" comes from. This we owe to another of our friends, a young man by the name of Caleb. When Jenny was pregnant with Ben, but before Jenny and Dave knew they were having a boy, Caleb decided the baby was in fact a boy and named him Clyde. Many of us took to calling the baby Clyde and the nickname stuck after Ben's birth. So "Ride With Clyde" is our way of saying we support Ben and his family during his fight with cancer.
I live in California in the Bay Area. Because of obligations here this weekend, I am not currently able to be in Portland to help out. Instead, I'm finding ways to help from here. Today I spent the day on the phone with the IRS setting up a company to basically accept donations and profits from t-shirt sales (I'll get to that stuff shortly) and then at US Bank in Half Moon Bay setting up an account for said company. The company is named Ride With Clyde - Battling Cancer With Bennet Epperson. Its purpose is to raise funds to help cover costs incurred by Jenny and Dave during Bennet's fight that are not covered by health insurance. So far I have come up with a few ideas on how to raise these funds and will outline them now.
Fund raising efforts:
The first thing I came up with was the idea of t-shirts. So far I've come up with ten designs that in some way support Ben in his fight with cancer. Not only can you wear the shirts to show your support, but $5 of every purchase will go into the Ride With Clyde account. The rest of the purchase price covers the base price of the shirts on the cafepress.com's site. I make no profit off of these shirts. Each shirt has its own "shop" and the shops are as follows:
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWCDeluxe - I Ride With Clyde Deluxe
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWCH - I Ride With Clyde Hearts
http://www.cafepress.com/IRWC - I Ride With Clyde Basic
http://www.cafepress.com/BBGD - Benny's Buddies Go Ducks!
http://www.cafepress.com/BennysBuddies - Benny's Buddies Basic
http://www.cafepress.com/BSFightsCancer - Blue Steel Fights Cancer
http://www.cafepress.com/BEBS - Baby Epps Blue Steel
http://www.cafepress.com/EffCancer1 - F*CK Cancer!
http://www.cafepress.com/FECKCancer - FECK Cancer!
http://www.cafepress.com/HCEffU - Hey Cancer, F*CK You!
Please check them out, and if you like them, buy them. Your money will be going to a great cause. And if you have suggestions for other designs shoot them my way. If you want other color options of current designs let me know that as well. As Dave and Jenny are grads of UO, requests for Beaver colored items will be ignored. =)
The second idea I came up with was really this company and its accompanying bank account. I set it up so that people who want to can make straight donations to help support Ben, Jenny, and Dave. Information on how do make donations can be found to the left under Donate to Ride With Clyde! Donations of any amount are appreciated and accepted. Anything will help.
The third idea I had is an idea for an actual fundraiser and involves me personally. I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to pull it off, but I'll outline my idea and again accept suggestions as to how to fine tune it. So, I have been growing my hair out for over a year. It is fairly long. In fact Ben's cousin Reagan likes to tell me, "Uncle Jake, you look like a girl!" She may be right, though I don't know a lot of girls with beards. Anyway, my plan is to shave my head to show support and solidarity for my nephew during his fight with cancer. I was thinking people could make donations/bids and suggestions for various hairstyles I could get on my way to finally shaving my head. And when I say I'll be shaving my head I mean with shaving cream and a razor, not clippers. I can post not only pictures here on the blog, but also suggestions for hairstyles which people can then vote on. I'm thinking we may also have an auction of some sort with the winning bidder getting to do the actual final shaving of my head. Logistically this may cause some problem as I am in the Bay Area. But I am willing to travel to wherever Ben is for the head shaving. I ask that the winning bidder be willing to do the same or at least designate someone in the area to do the shaving. I may also let multiple people do the shaving if we have numerous people bidding for the privilege. I do have one added condition, my blood will cost you a little extra, but not a lot. Which means, if during the final shaving you make me bleed, you will be charged a penalty (of a couple dollars). I think that it for this idea at this point. I set up a fundraising site here: http://www.crowdrise.com/RideWithClyde. I'm having a hard time getting it to work though, so I think I may run the fundraiser through this blog. Lastly, if there are any of you out there that would like to join me in shaving my head, speak up! We'll find a way to add your head shaving to the fund raising efforts!
Oh, just a quick update on Benny and everyone else at this point. As far as I know we're kind of in a holding pattern until Tuesday. While we know the tumor on his spine is cancerous, we won't know what kind of cancer we're dealing with until the pathology report comes back on Tuesday. I believe Jenny and Dave met with an oncologist today, though I'm not positive. I believe the introduction of an oncologist brings with it new tests to be done in hopes of helping determining what kind of cancer it is and possible courses of treatment.
I guess that's it from me. F*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Ben's Uncle Jake
My name is Jake. I know Ben, Jenny, and Dave through Beth and Collin, Ben's actual aunt and uncle. Collin and I were roommates for four years while attending Santa Clara University. I have known Ben since his birth. I was at Dave and Jenny's wedding. They are my family, and I am lucky enough to be considered part of their family as well. I am for all intents and purposes, Ben's uncle.
Some of you may be wondering where the name/motto "Ride With Clyde" comes from. This we owe to another of our friends, a young man by the name of Caleb. When Jenny was pregnant with Ben, but before Jenny and Dave knew they were having a boy, Caleb decided the baby was in fact a boy and named him Clyde. Many of us took to calling the baby Clyde and the nickname stuck after Ben's birth. So "Ride With Clyde" is our way of saying we support Ben and his family during his fight with cancer.
I live in California in the Bay Area. Because of obligations here this weekend, I am not currently able to be in Portland to help out. Instead, I'm finding ways to help from here. Today I spent the day on the phone with the IRS setting up a company to basically accept donations and profits from t-shirt sales (I'll get to that stuff shortly) and then at US Bank in Half Moon Bay setting up an account for said company. The company is named Ride With Clyde - Battling Cancer With Bennet Epperson. Its purpose is to raise funds to help cover costs incurred by Jenny and Dave during Bennet's fight that are not covered by health insurance. So far I have come up with a few ideas on how to raise these funds and will outline them now.
Fund raising efforts:
The first thing I came up with was the idea of t-shirts. So far I've come up with ten designs that in some way support Ben in his fight with cancer. Not only can you wear the shirts to show your support, but $5 of every purchase will go into the Ride With Clyde account. The rest of the purchase price covers the base price of the shirts on the cafepress.com's site. I make no profit off of these shirts. Each shirt has its own "shop" and the shops are as follows:
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/I
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/B
http://www.cafepress.com/E
http://www.cafepress.com/F
http://www.cafepress.com/H
Please check them out, and if you like them, buy them. Your money will be going to a great cause. And if you have suggestions for other designs shoot them my way. If you want other color options of current designs let me know that as well. As Dave and Jenny are grads of UO, requests for Beaver colored items will be ignored. =)
The second idea I came up with was really this company and its accompanying bank account. I set it up so that people who want to can make straight donations to help support Ben, Jenny, and Dave. Information on how do make donations can be found to the left under Donate to Ride With Clyde! Donations of any amount are appreciated and accepted. Anything will help.
The third idea I had is an idea for an actual fundraiser and involves me personally. I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to pull it off, but I'll outline my idea and again accept suggestions as to how to fine tune it. So, I have been growing my hair out for over a year. It is fairly long. In fact Ben's cousin Reagan likes to tell me, "Uncle Jake, you look like a girl!" She may be right, though I don't know a lot of girls with beards. Anyway, my plan is to shave my head to show support and solidarity for my nephew during his fight with cancer. I was thinking people could make donations/bids and suggestions for various hairstyles I could get on my way to finally shaving my head. And when I say I'll be shaving my head I mean with shaving cream and a razor, not clippers. I can post not only pictures here on the blog, but also suggestions for hairstyles which people can then vote on. I'm thinking we may also have an auction of some sort with the winning bidder getting to do the actual final shaving of my head. Logistically this may cause some problem as I am in the Bay Area. But I am willing to travel to wherever Ben is for the head shaving. I ask that the winning bidder be willing to do the same or at least designate someone in the area to do the shaving. I may also let multiple people do the shaving if we have numerous people bidding for the privilege. I do have one added condition, my blood will cost you a little extra, but not a lot. Which means, if during the final shaving you make me bleed, you will be charged a penalty (of a couple dollars). I think that it for this idea at this point. I set up a fundraising site here: http://www.crowdrise.com/RideWithClyde. I'm having a hard time getting it to work though, so I think I may run the fundraiser through this blog. Lastly, if there are any of you out there that would like to join me in shaving my head, speak up! We'll find a way to add your head shaving to the fund raising efforts!
Oh, just a quick update on Benny and everyone else at this point. As far as I know we're kind of in a holding pattern until Tuesday. While we know the tumor on his spine is cancerous, we won't know what kind of cancer we're dealing with until the pathology report comes back on Tuesday. I believe Jenny and Dave met with an oncologist today, though I'm not positive. I believe the introduction of an oncologist brings with it new tests to be done in hopes of helping determining what kind of cancer it is and possible courses of treatment.
I guess that's it from me. F*ck cancer! I ride with Clyde!
-Ben's Uncle Jake
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