Ladies and Gentlemen, we have engraftment.  No more transfusions! Casey was released from the day hospital and they are looking at removing his central line sometime soon.  At this point all he needs to do  is go up to Hershey to see his doctor once a week and watch out for graft vs. host disease.  Casey is back to coaching almost full time.  His appetite is back, but he still tires pretty easily.  Life is good! 
On Saturday afternoon we are going to the fight on foundation golf tournament at Manor Golf course.  Gary and Big Bob are playing in the tournament.  Casey and I are just going for dinner.  Casey is not quite up to playing 18 holes, and nobody really wants to play with me.  Last year for my birthday a friend gave me a golf hat the says "Tiger Wutz",  I think you might have to be PA dutch to get that one.  The fight on foundation was started by Mindy Dull in honor of her husband, Derrick. Derrick was a great guy, who lost his battle with leukemia on December 6, 2008 at the age of 24.  The foundation was started to financially help adults going through cancer treatments.  There are many hours of missed wages, but the monthly bills are still due.  This foundation allows patients to concentrate on getting better without the financial worries looming over them.  Mindy offered to help Casey, but you guys did the swim for Casey, so he has been fine.  Casey has been so fortunate to have the support of all of you!  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!
Peggy

Casey had another great check-up today.  He does not have to go back up to Hershey until his appointment with Dr. Ehmann on Tuesday.  He got the results of his chimerism test (which, I think, is basically a cell count).  The test revealed he is now 89% young stud, 11% duke baby, 0% french baby, and 0% Casey Coble.  It really is kind of freaky what they are able to do. I am all for it, as long as it makes him healthy again.  After his appointment, he spent the afternoon with his friend, Matt, who is laid up from a bicycle accident. Matt has been a really good friend to Casey through his ordeal.  He has stepped in to help coach at LAC and had his 4th graders make cards for Casey that were so entertaining.  Casey took Matt for xrays and then out to lunch.  What a team, I call them Cancer and Crash.
Enjoy your weekend.
Peggy

Sorry it has been so long since I posted.  I have just been lazy.  Quick recap of what has been going on with Casey's counts.  In one weeks time his white blood count went from .1 on May 30th - 3.2 on June 5th, with the help of neulasta shots.  His count went down to 2.0 on June 7th and kept going down for a week, but 1.7 was as low as it got.  On Sunday his count went up to 2.0 and today was 3.2.  He has not had to have any transfusions for close to a week.  I am feeling pretty excited, but Casey is not letting his hopes get too high before his appointment with Dr. Ehmann next Tuesday.  I guess he has had too many disappointments to feel too confident.  Casey has been back on the pool deck part time, and he only has to go to Hershey every other day.  Life is starting to somewhat get back to normal....These puppies are still far from normal.  Life is never boring.
Peggy

Casey had another great check up today.  His white count is up to 2.3!  Stevie had the night off, so the four of us were able to go out to eat.  It's been 4 months, and I finally had a night off of cooking!  It sure was worth the wait.  I must admit, I did not have to cook this past weekend.  Casey's Aunt Debbie babysat and fed him on Saturday and Sunday so Gary and I could go to the beach.  Anyone who knows Debbie will realize it was Dwayne, and not her, who did the cooking.  Certainly no one was complaining.  I can't thank them enough for taking such good care of him.  Debbie took him up to Hershey on a day when he needed blood and magnesium, which was a 6 hour wait.  The next day was not nearly as long, but that is when he had the back pain.  Debbie and Dwayne took care of everything along the way, while I was on the boat in the bay.  Something seems wrong with that picture.  On Monday night, the doctor on call advised Casey to take 4 Motrim in addition to 2 doses of morphine, which made him throw up and his nose bleed (his platelets went down to 5).  At least he saved that for me!
Peggy

Casey has been getting shots of neupogen daily to boost his counts.  Sunday his white blood count was .1, Monday .2, Tuesday .5 and today 1.0.  He is not neutropenic for the first time in over 3 months!  He is eating strawberries and loving it.  He had a salad for lunch today and if I know Casey, he will eat a hoagie tomorrow.  I am afraid to get too excited, after the last transplant his count was 1.0 for 3 days and then they started falling off again.  Today was his last shot of neupogen, so let's hope his counts hold.  On Monday, Casey was having severe back pain which morphine could not control.  I am hoping that was his bone marrow engrafting and growing some cells.....again, I can't let myself get too excited, but I can be hopeful.  Meanwhile, Casey will enjoy the foods he was not able to eat for a long time.  Maybe he will even get permission to go out to eat and I won't have to cook!
Peggy