Last Post

Im terribly sorry for not keeping you updated the last couple months. If you have not found out yet I finished my treatment on October 19th. The feeling was unexplainable and very emotional for me(in a good way). Ever since I started treatment I dreamed about that day. Some days it seemed like I would not make. Other days it felt like it was just around the corner. Well I am proud to say that I AM A CANCER SURVIVOR. I went back to school the next day and have been back to my life, friends, family, and school ever since.

Life back has been so much different then life before cancer. I am a very emotional person now. Everyday I try my best to live it to the fullest because we are never promised tomorrow. I have been spending lots of time with my friends and back to being an teenager. School is school and it is going well. Life also is a lot harder then before. Everyday I think about all the kids up at Children's Hospital who are suffering. That by far has been the hardest part. I just can't get those kids off my mind and knowing what there going through it kills me. I try to keep myself busy because when I don't I start thinking about all those things I went through and knowing kids are going through that as a speak hurts. Life around me has really changed while I was away. My leg is doing as well as it can and hopefully I will be off crutches in January but I constantly need the prayers for full healing and to stay healthy.

I am so glad to be back to my life. I don't think I can put into words how much I owe everyone who has stood by my side through this all and helped out my family and I. I am so grateful for the people in my life and I feel so blessed. On Sunday I went back to church for the first time since I have started treatment and it felt so good to be back in the house of God. I know I am not perfect and I am a teenager who does stupid things all the time. But I know when it comes down to it I owe Jesus my life. I would not be here today if it were not for God and all you guys who have prayed for me constantly. This will be my last post as I am back to being Garrett and living life to the fullest. Thank you soo much for everything. Always remember though as I am writing this there is a child who is being told they have cancer. I remember waking up from my surgery that day and being told that. PRAY PRAY PRAY AND ALWAYS HAVE HOPE. I am at the top of the mountain now. I have a lot to do in this world and I am so glad I get a chance to live it. If you have learned anything from me through this all is faith can move mountains and to live life to the fullest everyday. THANK YOU!!!

LOVE,

Garrett Light

Last 24 Hours!!!

The last 24 hours have pretty awesome. I had a great weekend out at my beach place and I am having my last 8 hour chemo today then I have two weeks off then my last 5 day chemo. The last 24 hours have been indescribable. I found out yesterday afternoon that I will be done with treatment on October 19 if everything goes as planned. That was great news to finally have a end day in mind. I am glad it is the 19th because I told one of My best friends Brendan 2 months ago that I wanted to be done by his birthday and his birthday is the 19th so I was happy to tell him about that. After my appointment I went to golf practice like I have been doing when I am not in the hospital and feeling up to it to go support my team. I forgot that Auburn Younglife was having their annual golf tournament at Auburn while we were practicing. When I went down to practice I saw people from Younglife I was asked by Kim Olson (head of yl) if I would share my testimony at the dinner after the tournament. I wasn't sure if I should since I had never shared it before and had no time to prepare. But God was moving in my heart and I got up that night and gave my testimony for the first time infront of people. I talked about my father dying of cancer, dedicating my life to Christ in 7th grade, ect, and of course talking about how much God has changed my life and been by my side through through all this treatment. It was pretty awesome and I also got to hear my good friend Makenzie testimony too which was awesome. I got up this morning for my outpatient chemo and Devon came and said goodbye as he has just got his port out and was officailly done with treatment and headed back to Yakima. I was sooo happy for him and neither of us could stop smiling cause he was done. I am sooo glad I met Devon ever since we met back in April we have been close friends and got along very well hanging out both in the hospital and outside the hospital. I was sooo blessed to have him come into my life during such a hard time and have someone around my age that actually knows what I am going through and has the same feelings about things as I do. I am going to miss Devon very much but I made sure to tell him that I never wanted to see him at Childerns again. I can't wait for us to be able to hangout when we are both better and walking and back to our normal lifes. I will for sure be making trips over to Yakima. So as you can see these last 24 hours have been pretty incredible. I am fighting hard and feeling good and I need your prayers more then ever this next month for me to stay healthy and strong and to keep fighting. Thank you all for everything!!!

Love,

Garrett

This Guy is my hero!!!!

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4528111

Know he is playing FOOTBALL!!!!

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5523273

Sisters, Starbucks and Card playing

Hello readers,

Garrett is on his last full day of a five-day chemo treatment. This 5-day has been different for one main reason... mom took the weekend off and the sisters have been in charge! Since it is the safest for mom to be out of cellular service while Garrett is in the hospital, she and our step-dad decided to take the opportunity and go camping for the weekend. Megan and Lindsy have been switching off staying with Garrett at the hospital. He went in on Friday morning and will be discharged at 4 AM Tuesday morning.

Garrett's daily routine to help the time pass has been to sleep in until 10:30ish, have some breakfast, go down to the amazing and huge new Starbucks and play cards/ drink smoothies, come back up to his room and take a shower, then start a movie at about 7 after some dinner.

Another reason why this session of chemo has been different is because there is pretty much NO ONE on the chemo floor! It has been quiet and Garrett has been blessed with a large room and no roommate. He did have a roommate Friday night... Devon. Devon and Garrett got to spend Devon's last night in the hospital together. He has finished chemo and if all stays well... go back to his real home on the 14th. Please pray for continuos healing for his ankle and a great transition back to his life at home with family and friends.

Thank you to aunt Sandy, Kahlen, Mckenzie, cousin Maria and Grandma for coming to visit Garrett during this 5-day stay. Garrett will have an 8-hour transfusion as his next chemo treatment in a few weeks and then one more 5-day stay... then if all stays well he'll be done mid-October : ). The few weeks that Garrett has after 8-hour transfusions are the best because his counts seem to stay high enough that he can do whatever he wants. This last time he spent as much time as possible with his AMHS Golf team... riding along at practice in a golf cart.

As always... thank you for the continuous prayers. Physical Therapy is going well and Garrett is working on getting his ankle stretched out and tilted the way that it should be.

We'll post again soon!

- Lindsy

Getting around

Last time I posted I was in the middle of my 3 day chemo. I made it through that pretty easily. That night I got pretty sick and ended up in the ER, but they gave me some fluids and sent me home and I was fine. I ended up going to my beach place the next day and seeing a bunch of family which was really well needed. I spent the next week visiting with friends and doing physical therapy. That Saturday I went with my family to the drive-ins to see Inception. Sunday I went out to my beach place for the day again. Wednesday I went in for my 5 day chemo. My 5 day chemo was pretty rough and seemed like it lasted forever. But once again I made it through. The following week was good but slow and I got really tired and had a blood transfusion on Saturday. I now know that the 5 day chemo kicks my butt and makes all my counts go low and hard to recover. I was suppose to have my first 8 hour chemo today instead of 3 days but my platelets were not high enough and I have to wait until friday to have my 8 hour. After this 8 hour I will have 3 chemos left; two 5 days and one more 8 hour chemo. I found out today that my friend Devon will be all done with treatment and get to go back to Yakima for good on September 14. I am sooo happy for him and it also makes me think that I am only about a month behind him. I am getting around well on my crutches, but yet super sore when I spend time walking on them. Things are moving along and I just need to stay as healthy as possible and on schedule so I can finish this treatment up these next couple months. I am past tired and frustrated with treatment and really worn down but I know I am gonna make it. Thank you for soo much great support.

Love,

Garrett

Reality Brings Saddness

About 2 months I spent one of my 5 day chemos rooming with a really cool 23 year old boy from New Mexico. His name is Logan and he was living in New Mexico and got Leukemia. The Leukemia ended up going away and he was cancer free. A couple years later the Leukemia returned and his family and him came up to Seattle Childerns to get a donor. The plan was for Logan to get some of his brother's bone marrow because they thought it would match Logan's. It ended up not being the right match. Logan has been in the hospital since the middle of may without leaving getting sick with viruses and not being able to find a donor. Today my mom came in and told me she has just got done talking to his parents and Logan is only getting sicker and is starting to have heart failure. It brought tears to my eyes hearing that. There is really nothing left they can do for him and the are sending him back to home which is New Mexico. It is very heart hurting seeing people and rooming with kids here at Childerns all the time who don't have that light at the end but still are fighting and have a smile on their face. I look around at this world and everyone is always complaining at small things like having a cold, or breaking up with their bf or gf that they went out with for a month, or just daily things that get us down because we let it. But before you start complaining about what you had for dinner remember there are kids I see everday just fighting for their lives before that even get a chance to live life. Logon needs our prayers more then ever. I'm hoping to get up from bed and get a chance to go talk to him today and pray and wish him the best.

6 Weeks

I know it has been forever since I have personally written in my blog. Times have been hard for me these past 6 weeks. 6 weeks ago I went in for my surgery to remove the cancer (which is all goneJ), but at the same time pretty much get a new leg. Personally I didn’t know having such a major thing done to your body would be so hard. I ended up getting bedsores from not being moved and that itself was super hard. When I first got the sores itself was more of a problem at the beginning then my leg while I was in the hospital. I spent 8 days in the hospital recovering from my surgery moving 3 rooms, changing 3 beds (all in the middle of the night), using a CPM machine for my leg 2 hours on 2 hours off and having nurses, doctors, ect bugging me all the time. It was a hard time both for my mom and I. We were glad when we got to go home. When I got home I had a setup in our computer room downstairs that consisted of a bed with lots of padding for my sores, a trapeze so I could move myself around, and lots of pillows. We got home on a Thursday and on Tuesday they said I would be having chemo the next day. I wasn’t very happy to hear that as I was still trying to get over my surgery, as I hadn’t even been home for a week. I went in for my 3 day chemo then came home. My free time at home has been as simple as just hanging around my downstairs moving from my family room to computer room and doing physical thearapy. Not walking is the hardest thing I have gone through. I feel so limited even though I am improving everyday, but can’t really do anything for myself. It is hard relying on everyone around you to do everything for you. I can personally say I have no personal space anymore. I know things can only get better for me and my leg and I have never been more determined in my life. The physical therapist today told me my movement is great and she has never seen someone work so hard to get back on their feet. She says there is no doubt if I keep working hard and doing what I need to do that I am going to have myself a good leg. Also my surgeon wants to get a golf simulator for him and I at the hospitalJ. I am a long way away from walking but I am making progress. I can now get around the house on my crutches and make it upstairs to take a shower. I have been through a lot these past 6 weeks with surgery, two chemos, and just getting out of the hospital yesterday after spending it in the hospital because of a fever. I don’t know how I do it. I am not the perfect person and lately there have been times were I have been angry with life and God. I sometimes have to ask WHY?, when I am at my lowest and don’t feel like I am going to make it. But then God always shows up in some way to make it bearable and I move on in this journey. Tomorrow I go in for more chemo knowing this is my last 3 day and I won’t ever have to put up with the red poison again. I have been through Hell and I am still in it, but it feels good to know that there is a light at the end of this tunnel with only 5 chemos left after this 3 day. I miss hearing from everyone and seeing people as people are busy and summer is in full throttle and hope with this post I can get a little feed back on how everyone is doing and tell how I have been doing too. Hope everyone is having a good summer so far and God Bless.

Garrett