Parker’s Medical Marathon

As we started our week, Parker and I began to joke that we were ready to take on “Parker’s Medical Marathon”….He had 7 medical appointments at Shands UF Health.  Last week was totally exhausting with some good news and some not so good news.  We are processing everything and Parker has a lot more appointments in the future.  The glorious news is there is no tethering on his spinal cord; so there's no urgent surgery needed, and he can go to the JA Conference.   We really needed this small miracle.  He does have some spinal damage (35% curvature with scoliosis), swelling with ligaments/tendons, and herniation in thoracic spine (that was a surprise because he has pain in lower spine and neck, not this area). 

Next steps, we must deal with his scoliosis, the numbness in his limbs, his disfunctioning bladder and his bowel issues (pain in left quadrant and a bit of again).  All these issue could be related.  So the docs collectively feel we need to see the head of pediatric orthopedics, since she is a scoliosis specialist and scoliosis is a pediatric issue.  We have also been referred to neurology and they will team together to try and figure things out.  

In addition, we have scheduled a colonoscopy to see if Parker's motility issues have progressed and to hopefully figure out the source of the lower left belly pain. There are also issues with his bladder/urine...but still need more info.

Rheumatology was an intense visit. His biggest complaints are his neck and shoulders.  He is going to try massage therapy in this area.  His newest biologic shot doesn't seem to be working.  We are giving it 2 more months, but then she doesn't know what to put him on because he has exhausted all the biologics, except one (and not so sure that it will work with what is going on).  They also scheduled an ultrasound of multiple joints.  When scanning his left ankle and foot, there was a gasp...it does not look normal at all and bones could be crumbling; and there is something else going on because it looks like there is blood flow on the ultrasound where blood flow shouldn't be happening.  This could indicate inflammation.  So, now we are scheduling an MRI of that foot and ankle, too.  And then, we discovered his papilledema (swelling behind eyes) is back.  I cannot even begin to tell you how my heart sank in that moment.  His vision is blacking out again with change is positions.  So we go back to neuro-ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer.

His tibia breaks are healing but not fully healed yet.  He is pretty ticked off that the doc is making him use the wheelchair at conference, to get to and from locations, but then he can get up and walk, no more than 1,000 steps this week and then 2,000 next.  Each week he can add 1,000, until he hits 5,000, when we go back to doc.  He will start PT in 2 weeks.  He is excited about getting back to PT and hopefully ditching the wheelchair.

We are all trying hard to focus on the good...that his spinal cord is ok...but Parker and I are really exhausted and feel so defeated with all the other news.  We know that Parker’s Medical Marathon is not done and we are pacing ourselves.  I guess this is why they call it “chronic illness”.  This morning I saw a quote that spoke to me…”The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.”  This journey has been really difficult this summer. Although the path is not one we would have chosen, we are hopeful it is taking us where we need to go.

OUR Purple Playas Foundation is Up and Running!

For our "non-Facebook friends", we are so very excited to announce that our family has started a non-profit: Purple Playas Foundation!  And we have a website!  Wahoo!  Go check it out at:  https://purpleplayasfoundation.org/

The mission of the Purple Playas is to provide support and resources in the area of pediatric chronic illness and to gift smiles to children and their families.
Our 3 Goals:

1. Provide social-emotional resources and information on coping with medical trauma to support families and children impacted by chronic illness. 
2. Provide funding and resources to providers/families of children with chronic illness to bring smiles to children’s faces. For example: funding to camps that support children with chronic/complex illness, food/gas cards to get to treatment, gaming systems for hospitals, durable/medical equipment not funded by another means, family fun days to connect families, etc. 
3. Support fellowships/scholarships in high need pediatric care with a critical shortage, beginning with pediatric rheumatology. 

We also have our first fundraising event scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2019!  We are hosting our very first annual Purple Playas Charity Golf Tournament, preceded by a “Pairings Party”. Our Pairings Party is sure to be loads of fun with our engaging host, yummy appetizers, and auction items. And we will auction-off some local celebrities to the highest bidders to join your golf teams the next day.  Tickets to the Pairings Party are $25 and anyone is welcome.  And if you are interested in attending, golfing, sponsoring, and/or donating for our auction, please contact us on our website and we would be happy to send you the information.

You can also visit us on Facebook or Pinterest.  Just search Purple Playas Foundation and we will pop up with our logo.  

A Day at the Doctor’s Office, by Parker

So we went to the doctor Tuesday and well it didn't go well. First, I saw the doctor and she told me that there isn't one drug out there that will do what we need it to do for me. She said in order for me to feel better, I need to be on two biologics. The preferred ones being Ilaris and Cosentyx. The main problem now is insurance. One, they won't approve more than one biologic for me even if that makes me better. Two, I'm currently on Simponi and the insurance usually won't switch drugs until I get 2 more doses of Simponi.

This creates even more problems. One being that this drug is taken every other month, meaning it would be 4 months before I can stop taking it. Another problem with this is that the Simponi just straight up doesn't work for me. Also my doctor told the two month span between infusions is tough on many kids. She said she could try to get the insurance to move my dosing to once a month so I can be done sooner, but that’s still 2 months before I would stop taking it. So she is likely going to take me off of it all together since my systemic issues are returning and those issues are more dangerous.

I was also told that my SI joints are doing very bad. She said that even if the nerve ablations work and the SI joints don’t hurt, they are very inflamed. Now normally I don’t care what my joints look like as long as they feel good, but this time is different. My nurse told me that if we don’t treat it soon (meaning switch to a med that WORKS) they could be permanently fused and I would walk hunched over for the rest of my life. I know my doctors are doing the best they can but I can’t help but feel hopeless.

We even talked about the NIH (national institute for health) and my doc is willing to try to get me in.  But she felt that because I am such a rare situation and there aren't many like me with these overlapping conditions that there isn't enough of a sample size to do a study.  That was hard to hear.

My doc told me she prefers to take me off the Simponi and fight to get back on Ilaris. Ilaris is an IL-1 blocker and that is what is needed for my systemic issues with fevers, rashes, and internal organs.  However, I really also need a TNF blocker due to my ankylosing spondylitis, which is inflaming my SI joints and causing my back and neck issues.  I just hate insurance right now and I feel hopeless. And I was finally feeling like I was #strongerthanja.

I Did What I Thought was Impossible with Much Gratitude in My Heart...by Parker

On May 7^th 2016 I did what I thought was impossible. I walked the full mile at this year’s Walk To Cure Arthritis. But it wasn’t just me; it was US! Whether you were at the walk or not all of you were there walking with me in spirit. This year our team raised more money than we ever had before; we raised over $27,000. And I couldn’t of done it without each and every one of you. But there are a couple of special people that helped me do the impossible, and those people know who they are. Through out that walk these people stayed with me walking at “Parker speed”. And it was their and all of you guys’ support that got me through that. Thanks, all of you, for supporting me.

Enjoy Pictures and Video Below...

Video Crossing Finish Line

Time Lapse of Entire Walk with GoPro

Speech I Gave About Belle, the Local Youth Honoree

Have Fun Scrolling through Walk Pics

Our Strong Kid is WALKING!

We are a little overdue for an update.  There has just been so much going on.  I finally have a brief moment to share.  We have INCREDIBLE news for those of you who have not heard yet.  Parker's right foot is stable and he doesn't need the fusion surgery on that side too.  Everything that the docs at the other hospital had concerns about were related to his previous reconstructive surgery.  The heal concern was where the surgeon had rebuilt his heal structure and the place they thought was disintegrating was where a pin had been removed and left an open space (still healing).  This is a huge relief to all of us and especially Parker.

Our Jiffy Popcorn head going into surgery.

Also, last Wednesday, Parker had the spinal nerve stimulator trial surgery.  The surgery went well.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be helping his pain, so we will continue onward.   The doc will remove it this week.  We know that Parker is completely disappointed, as he had hoped that this would be his ticket to get off narcotics.  But patience has definitely become a virtue he possesses and is applying once again.  We will continue to hunt for a pain solution.

Working hard at PT.

In the meantime, we are revving up for the big walk.  Parker is planning on "walking the walk"...this is huge.  He has worked so hard to get those feet, ankles, and legs working again.  He is going to stand tall as the National Walk Honoree this year!  His focus and determination has been remarkable to witness.  And we cannot wait to see all of you who can join us on May 7th and walk beside our kiddo.  There is still time to sign up for our team:  Click here to link to our walk page

And thank you to all who have donated to our team!  We are blown away by the support and it is heartwarming to see such love surrounding us.

Finally, we are counting down the days until Logan comes home for the summer.  He has completed his first year at UF and we are so very proud of his accomplishment.  His JA was a little mean to him in the beginning and with a little med adjustment and balancing of physical activity, he has been doing great!   We can't wait to have both our boys home for the summer.

Parker left this little bit of HOPE in my garden to surprise me!

Right Foot, Left Foot..No Good Feet

We have this kid who never gives up no matter what…Parker’s body doesn’t seem to have the same drive as his spirit does.  All my hopes and prayers are for his continued strength and healing.  For the past three weeks it seems that he has been having more and more increased pain in his back, neck, and jaws.  We have adjusted meds but it is not helping.

Tomorrow we are going up to Shands Hospital.  He has a late set of MRIs for his jaw and SI-joints in his lower back.  Back in November his SI joint MRI revealed huge amounts of swelling.  He had them injected with cortisone and has been taking meds that target this area, but the pain is intensifying.  I can’t remember the last time he hasn’t woken in the middle of the night due to pain.

And back in 2011, he had jaw issues and there were some issues on that MRI but the jaw has been fairly quiet until now.  So his doc is concerned that one of his overlapping conditions might be contributing to these flares since it is not common to have SI involvement in kiddos with systemic JA.  I actually giggle when I hear “not common”…like a nervous laugh…because nothing seems common with Parker.

Today a dear friend shared with me that her heart broke seeing Parker struggle through the family walk kick-off last weekend.  He came in his wheelchair and rested his head on the table as he slept through the entire event. Then, he asked to leave without even lunch nor going through the museum.  She said she always sees Parker smiling but he wasn’t last Saturday…and it so choked me up.  He wants to be present and a part of social interactions but he just cannot seem to maintain. 

He had a friend over this past weekend to play video games (a great pain distraction by the way) and after less than an hour he came out and said he just can’t do it anymore and needed to rest.  It is clear to Michael and I that something is not right and we are so fearful of what the labs and MRI will show.  The doc has said to pack our bags because she will likely need to admit him on Friday. 

The last few rounds of PT have been literally torture for him…and yet he doesn’t give up as tears stream out the corners of his eyes.  The PT checked his right foot (the one that he didn’t have this last surgery on) and he was manipulating it in a way it should not move and then advised me to call the doc because it could mean that the cadaver bone that was put in his foot back in March 2015 may have also been rejected and absorbed into the body because it was feeling like it wasn’t’ there.  It just breaks my heart beyond words at the thought that Parker might have to get his right foot/ankle fused too.  So we asked the doc to also set up an x-ray for tomorrow since we will be at radiology anyway. 

I am literally choking back tears for my kiddo.  I pray for understanding where there is no way I can comprehend what is happening over and over to my sweet kid.  This disease has literally taken his childhood from him and he knows it.  And yet, somehow he carries himself around each day on those horrible feet and ankles sharing his smile with the world and comforting others.

We will continue to fight with all our might for him and for funding for a cure.  We must because it is the one positive thing we can do.  Please know that we so appreciate every text, the sweet cards of encouragement many of you send to Parker, and every single penny donated to his walk team.  There are so many kids that need all of our support.

I will continue to update on Facebook as I can this weekend.  And I will try to update the blog too to keep everyone up to speed.  Just please continue to shower us with prayers, love, hope, and strength.

 And if you want to help, just click on the “want to help” tab at the top of our blog.  Much gratitude and love.

Hoping Ilaris Will be Parker’s Miracle…

Well, the mean JA beast is continuing to attack.  As Parker shared in his last blog, the biggest sign that the rilonacept (the study biologic he has been on for 3 years) is no longer working well was because his knee blew up huge.  Since he wrote the last blog, he has continued to have low grade fevers, rashes, swelling, and increase pain.  We have made the difficult decision to move on to the next biologic, Ilaris.  It too is an IL-1 drug and for us that is promising.  But the scary part is, it is the last one to try.

Yesterday, Parker was admitted into the hospital to try to control his pain and swelling a little better but also to run tests.  Labs were taken last night and this morning.  Ultrasounds of his joints will happen soon and later today he is scheduled for a 4 hour MRI of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine along with SI joints and hips/pelvis with contrast.  The new doc in partnership with his pediatric rheumatologist is experienced with ultrasounds in pediatrics and joint injections and will be doing those tests.

While working on getting the insurance to process the Ilaris, Novartis Pharmaceutical has agreed to provide the first dose for free and it is being shipped here.  This is pretty incredible news because as the doc says, “this is like liquid gold at $30,000 a shot”.  We will cherish it and hope it does a fabulous job at helping Parker.  I literally just got news, thank God, that the insurance has approved the Ilaris for two years.  Incredible news.

And today I met the office manager that processes all these medical needs.  She came to Parker’s room herself to deliver the good news of a two year approval.  What a beautiful angel on earth.  There are so many people working behind the scenes for our son and I am eternally grateful.

My prayers have been constant.  I am praying, of course, for our son’s health to be restored.  I am also praying for his school to remain constant in supporting him.  I am most concerned about school and I know we shouldn’t worry because his health is most important, but I firmly believe that school is part of his health…his social emotional health…his opportunity to feel part of his community; his chance to connect with friends; and of course an education for his future.   This school year started off great and still to this day he has not used his wheelchair at school.  He has pushed through some tough days with remarkable strength and drive.  I also have been watching him grow in his relationships and his outlook of his future has been more optimistic.  These are all huge blessings.  So of course, I hope for this to remain possible.

I will write more later once we have more results.  We thank all of you for your support and care.

Much love.

So Close to Death and Life Wins

We have always carried in our hearts the knowledge that systemic JA is very complex and can be dangerous.  Sometimes this weight is too much to bare. So, as parents, Michael and I focus hard on the things in our lives that we can celebrate.  Our two most joyful celebrations we cherish are our two boys, Logan and Parker.  We have been so very blessed with all they bring to our lives.  As most parents, we wouldn’t trade them for anything in the whole wide world.  And because we adore them with every ounce of our beings, we also can feel such devastation when medical issues arise.

During the final week of school, we were painfully reminded how very fragile Parker’s health can be.  We know this to be true with our “minds”, but oh how we pray with our hearts for protection from this fact. 

For several months, Parker has had heart issues and is seeing a new pediatric cardiologist.  The cardiologist, and several of his other docs, feel that his heart issues are stemming from his autonomic system dysfuctioning.  This was firmly confirmed during his last hospital stay by the team of docs that surrounded the care of our dear child.  What makes this so incredible is that another young lady, whom we are very close to, is also experiencing autonomic dysfunction and it has been much more severe and she has been hospitalized for nearly 4 months (at two prestigious hospitals).  Her mom and I are close and much of the initial onset, lab results, and treatments were all the same for Parker.  Seeing her struggle is heart wrenching and makes us wonder “what’s to come…”.

Although this has complicated things for Parker, this is NOT what landed Parker in the hospital this month.  Very suddenly, Parker got incredibly sick with nausea and an uncontrollable gastro-intestinal virus.  Being nearly 16, I am sure he wants some privacy around this; so I will spare many of the details, but he did pass out and somehow made it back to his room after coming to.  I took his temp and he was running 104.9 degrees F; and he was completely delirious.  After calling his pediatric rheumatologist and leaving a message, I started packing because I already knew I was going to have to take him to the hospital.

Parker is on several immune suppressant drugs and one of them is a biologic, rilonacept (arcylist), that is specifically used for systemic JA because it is to keep fevers down.  In fact, it is also used for something called “periodic fever syndrome”.  One of its main purposes of this shot is fever suppression. We were advised, when he started the study on this drug, that if he ever ran more than 101 fever that we were to take him to the ER. 

After packing, I called the doc’s office back and by that time, Parker could hardly be awakened and was even more delirious.  I somehow got him into the wheelchair and into the car.  As we drove to the hospital, he was completely out of it and when we arrived he was starting to turn blue.  I was completely running through motions…pulling up to the ER entrance, pulling him into his wheel chair with the valet guy’s help, handing over my keys and rushing inside. 

A young man in the waiting room looked at him and said, “Mam, is he ok?” as Parker was sweating horribly, blue, and slumped over.  All I could squeak out was “yes, thank-you”…knowing full well he was not.  As they were handing me the form to fill out, a nurse rounded the corner and just took him from me and said follow me, pushing his wheelchair into triage.  She put the pulse ox on him and his oxygen was low.  And again she pushed him in his chair and said follow me.  As she entered the ER room, I was only steps behind her…and in front of me about 8 people swarmed the room leaving me to stand in the backdrop staring at my blue child, praying, and not knowing what to do.  They were hooking him up to all kinds of things, starting his port with IV bags AND digging for second access point to start another IV line, in his collapsed veins.  After 4 pokes and a second nurse trying, they finally got the second line started in his hand.  Parker never woke.

The lead doc asked me all kinds of questions and thank God I have all his diagnoses, surgeries, docs, treatments, and allergies all typed out on a list in my purse because I honestly was in shock.  All I could think to do was to give him the rheumatologist’s cell number …because I knew she would be able to explain his complexity and what labs to run.  There is something about seeing your child laying lifelessly on a gurney and his clothes being cut off him and him never waking up through all this. In that moment, I was so incredibly thankful that Parker’s sweet, caring, brilliant doctor had actually given me her cell number because even during this I felt like I was intruding on her personal life but I knew this was realllllly bad; and she held many key pieces of information that the ER staff needed.  She had saved his life before.

I was in the moment I have feared most with this disease…he was literally near death…I think closer than he has ever been.  As I type this I can’t stop my tears…I have literally dreaded sharing this in writing because typing this out makes it all too real and I am reliving it.  So I apologize to the many who don’t use Facebook and you are just now finding out that he was admitted into the pediatric ICU on June 3.

As they pushed multiple bags of multiple medications through him, and they finally seemed to begin stabilizing him and calming themselves, I called Michael.  Once again, here we were in crisis and he was out of town.  Of course, he drove straight to the hospital.  I then called Logan, as I knew he came home to an empty house.  I let him know that Parker was in good hands and to pray. 

See, Parker’s body couldn’t handle getting this virus on top of his systemic JA and his immune deficiency. Remember, he was already in autonomic dysfunction (dysautonomia has several forms) and on top of all this, his body was going into adrenal crisis.  Just that, on its own, is dangerous.  I didn’t realize until later in the PICU that this was also going on.  

That night was a very long sleepless night.  I couldn’t sleep, I could only stare at my child and the monitors and pray.  They had to move and shift him many times in that bed and he never ever woke.  I kept telling myself his body is healing…that is all his body can do right now…it is healing…I could not lose my child.  Not now…

Many specialists surrounded our son’s care that next day:  neurology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastrology, pulmonology, and pediatric critical chronic complex care specialists (who we actually have been trying to transfer him to for the past month because his primary doctor felt he is too complex for her to continue to treat him).    It was very surreal…many of these docs were partners to the docs he actually sees at the hospital and to hear their take on all this just made me take slower and deeper breaths.

The first two days in the hospital were quite a blur for me…for Parker they don’t even exist in his memory.  He can’t remember anything.  But I think that is probably a huge blessing for him.  With each day that followed there were more and more labs and tests. On the 5^th and final day, he had an endoscopy that showed gastritis (which he has had for years now) and the doc shared pictures of where his pills hit the atrium wall of the stomach and there are tons of burn marks and blisters. So his meds have been adjusted some. They also took 5 biopsies that all came back negative.  Best news ever.

Parker was so thrilled to come home.  Due to all this, it has impacted school and he still has one final exam to make up but amazingly he passed to 10^th grade.  This is truly a gift and was so needed after all he endured.  He had follow-up appointments with almost all his docs and mostly things are looking better.  He is our miracle kid.  He still has to still see a specialist for the dysautonomia.  We are setting that up, but in the meantime, the cardiologist has ordered weekly infusions of sodium chloride at home…this is one of the least invasion treatments for this, so we are proceeding with that.

For now, we are putting off his 2 minor surgeries but are still trying to get them done for prior to school starting.  In the meantime, the doc will do an MRI and get it all lined up for the neck nerve ablations and the nerve stimulator trial in his spine.  Parker still wants to have them done.  I just can’t imagine living in so much daily pain.

Parker is now enjoying the start of summer, resting a lot during the day, counting down the days for Camp Boggy Creek and anticipating the National Juvenile Arthritis Conference where he is an Ambassador of Hope.  Last night he went to the AF awards ceremony where he and Logan got an award for being the top family fundraising team.  Michael and I have all of you to thank for that amazing moment of pride.  It is because of all of you that our gratitude overflows.  You make it possible for our boys to go to conference and camp.  You make it possible for studies to be funded to push us closer and closer to a cure…and you instill HOPE in our children, so that they can continue to say YES to all the possibilities life has to offer.  Our family loves life a little more fully, a little more deeply, and lot more happily knowing that Parker pushed through this scary time, reminding us how precious life is.  Please hug and love on your children and family and keep on HOPING.

The Life of Parker: VIDEO Blog

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO THAT PARKER MADE TO TRY AND EXPLAIN WHAT HE GOES THROUGH WITH SYSTEMIC ON-SET JUVENILE ARTHRITIS

Click below on video picture or on this link: The Life of Parker