Logan E.
Diagnosis: Anaplastic Large Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Logan has been doing very well with his treatments. A few days ago he began Cycle 13, out of 16 cycles. His last cycle will begin at the very end of October, and we have no reason to believe that he will have any new problems with any of the future treatments. He still has problems with his stomach and problems with headaches, but those are minor problems compared to what he has been through.
His last scans a couple months ago showed no signs of cancer, so we continue to be blessed. He will have to repeat those scans in two weeks, but again, we are not expecting any problems.
Logan has all of a sudden gotten pitted finger nails. According to Dr. Rytting, this is a sign of a form of arthritis, but since Logan has not experienced any joint pain, this could just be due to all of the chemicals affecting his autoimmune system. He has also possibly developed a condition called alopecia. The second or third day of school, he noticed that his hair was coming out. We were surprised since we were told that he would not lose his hair with this drug. As the last two weeks have passed, his hair began falling out more rapidly everyday. We were eager to talk to the doctors about this, but we weren’t expecting to hear what he said. If it is the condition known as alopecia, Logan may never have hair again. The doctor thinks that all of the chemos over the past 4 years have killed his hair follicles. Dr. Rytting has had several patients develop this condition. One has permanently lost every hair on his body, and another just has patches of baldness. Right now, Logan has several spots of baldness, but at this point his remaining hair helps conceal those areas. Although, with his hair constantly coming out and getting everywhere, he is ready to shave his head.
You know what a great attitude he has had about all of this over these past 4 years. Well, he became very quiet when the doctor told him that his hair may never come back. The look on his face was one of shock. As the doctor kept discussing other things, Logan really didn’t say much. When we were leaving the doctor’s office, Dr. Rytting apologized to Logan about his hair, and at that moment, my little Superman bounced back. He looked at Dr. Rytting and said, “Don’t worry about a little hair. I make a SEXY bald guy!!!!” Oh my goodness… He is only 15, but he is constantly teaching me how to handle life’s little setbacks with such a positive attitude!
Again, I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers. God continues to bless our family in every way! We are all hoping and praying that Logan will be finished with all treatments by November, but we know that God is in control… Whatever our future holds, we know that God will get us through it!
Amy (Logan’s mom)
