Scan Update: All Clear!

We just finished our clinic appointment with Greta's oncologist. Everything looks great with Greta's scans and lab work! We are officially done with scans! Wow!

Major Milestone :)

Miss G's 5 Year "Birthday"!

Today is Greta's 5 year transplant birthday! 5 years ago today, Greta was in the hospital receiving her first infusion of stem cells. This is a milestone we had thought about for such a long time and now it is here. We are very excited!

Tomorrow we go back to the hospital to have Greta's 5 year scans. She'll have a bone scan and a CT scan. We hope to have the results in a couple days so as soon as we know we will post them.

Otherwise, things are good at the Betz house. Greta celebrated her 7th birthday and is enjoying 1st grade. She tells me she's kind of famous, which I thought she meant because she had been on TV a couple times. But no, she says she's famous because a lot of people at school know who she is. I'm sure they do, she tends to make her presence known!

We had a great Christmas with our families. The kids also got a visitor from their own Elf on the Shelf this year. We finally gave in and asked Santa to send one, so Henry came for a visit. Greta's Christmas was a very One Direction Christmas, with her favorite gift a ticket to see them in concert this August. I will be packing my ear plugs (does that make me sound old?).

Gavin is 10 1/2 and getting so tall. He's starting to look like a young man rather than a little boy. I am still taller than he is, but that day is coming too soon.

Please keep Greta in your prayers tomorrow!
We hope that everyone has a blessed 2014!

The Betz Family

Madame Ambassador :)

Kristi posted the following on Greta's CarePage:
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals have an annual celebration and they select 1 child from each state, DC, Puerto Rico and several from Canada to represent their home hospitals. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital nominated Greta to represent them and she was selected by CMNH to be the 2013 Michigan Champion! I wanted to share our experience with you but also document the trip before I forget everything!

We were flown to Orlando earlier this month to participate in the Celebration. We stayed in a Disney resort and had several scheduled events during the trip, but also we were able to spend some free time in the Disney parks. The trip was amazing. We arrived to the Orlando airport and Delta had a red carpet greeting for Greta and the other Champions as we exited the plane. We then arrived at the resort for more red carpet treatment. Greta couldn't go anywhere without a crowd cheering her arrival. She was bashful at first, but quickly got into it.

The next day, Wednesday, was the Celebration day. We had some free time in the morning so we went to Hollywood Disney. That night all the Champions were announced on stage by Nick Cannon, Zendaya (a Disney actress) and Miss America. They also each received a medal. It was quite the party.

Thursday we spent the day at the Magic Kingdom. The CMN Hospitals Champions were announced later that morning at a street party in front of the castle, and again later as the grand marshals of the afternoon parade.

Friday morning, Randy and Greta went back to the Magic Kingdom to participate in a satellite TV interview with the Fox news affiliate in Detroit with Miss America. In the afternoon, the Champions participated in a pin exchange with the sponsors and corporate partners. The kids stamped their autographs on CMNH books for the sponsors and they gave the kids pins. We later kicked back at the resort pool, which I think was the kids' favorite activity of the whole trip.

Saturday we spent at Downtown Disney. We went bowling, had lunch at T-Rex and then checked out the Lego store. The US families were then taken to the airport to board "Champions 1", the official Delta Air Lines charter flight to DC. We received a water salute as we taxied away. We had a late flight, and by the time we arrived in our hotel rooms it was after 1am. It was a very late night for some already tired kids!

Sunday we slept in and then set out to find some breakfast and to tour our nation's capital. We made our way to the Ford Theatre where Lincoln was shot, the Capitol Building and the Supreme Court. This was during the government shutdown, so most of the buildings were barricaded or closed to visitors.

Monday we all went to Arlington National Cemetery where we participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That evening we joined many of the other families with a pizza and pool party. Again, one of the kids' favorite nights!

Tuesday we had our pictures taken in front of the Capitol Building as a group, and then we all went to a luncheon at Union Station. Later that night we were taken to a dinner cruise on the Potomac River for a closing party.

Wednesday was originally supposed to be our travel home day, but we were told if we could stay an extra day, the White House would be able to have us come and meet with President Obama. So we both contacted our employers and the kids' school, and made arrangements to stay an extra day. We all gathered on the lawn of the White House. President Obama joined us for a quick Q&A with the kids, where Greta asked him where his hot tub was. In case you're wondering, there isn't one. He took a group photo with us, and then had to excuse himself. This was also the day that the agreement was reached to end the government shutdown, so we were thankful for any time he was willing to give us. The rest of the day we joined two other families and toured the WWII memorial, the Vietnam Wall and the Lincoln Memorial.

Thursday we packed up and headed home. It was a very busy, tiring trip, but it was an amazing time. We met lots of amazing, brave kids and their families. We got to celebrate our miracle children and help promote the hospitals that helped save their lives. We were very honored to have been selected to represent HDVCH and Michigan for the 2013 CMN Hospitals' Celebration.

A quick Greta update, she is doing very well. She started 1st grade in August and played soccer again this fall. In three weeks she will be celebrating her 7th birthday! She will have her 5 year post transplant scan in January. Hopefully this will be her very last one too!

Five years ago today. Five years.

We had taken Greta to the ER the night before and were admitted to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital with a biopsy scheduled for the next day.

Five years ago today, April 28, we heard the words "it's cancer". Our beautiful 17 month old baby girl had cancer, and it was devastating news. We were in a small meeting room with about 15 other family members and I remember trying to stay focused on what the surgeon was telling us while the world was crashing down around us. Five years ago today we sat with our oncologist, Dr. Fahner, who explained to us what the plan was to save our daughter's life. There was little to go by for this type of cancer in a child as young as Greta. Chemo would begin immediately and continue every couple weeks for the next 9 months. Followed by a stem cell transplant that would require a 27 day stay in a small hospital room. And after the year of treatments was over, we got to take our daughter home, cancer free.

2008 was a very long year. One that I still relive and sometimes keeps me awake at night. I remember at that time, during her stays in the hospital, thinking how great it would be to skip ahead to today and be five years removed from all of it. Five years means her odds of a relaspse goes way down and I just wanted to be there and not have to worry so much. Which I now know will never go away no matter what the odds say. I worry every time she has fever, every time she says she has a headache, and every time she complains that her legs hurt. I worry every time she has a cold that lasts just a little too long. I worry when she sleeps in longer than usual. And most of all, I worry when the time comes for the yearly scan and I may have to hear those dreaded words again.

I was right though, being at the 5 year mark feels amazing! What a miracle we made it to this point! How blessed we are to get to enjoy her silliness, her giggles, her attitude, her sassiness, her snuggles, her laughter, her playfulness, her kisses and hugs, her athleticism and her pure joy of life. So today we celebrate the past 5 years we weren't sure we would get to have with her and look forward to the many more fun and exciting days that her life is sure to bring us.

So yes, 5 years! Really! Praise God!
The Betz Family

Four years ago, Greta went to the ER, where we all learned the heart wrenching news that she had cancer. After a year of chemo treatments and a stem cell transplant, we were celebrating the end of her treatments. Now, four years later, Kristi, Randy and Greta were lucky enough to be invited to the Make A Wish Ball last night, here in Grand Rapids, where they were able to honor Greta's amazing oncologist, Dr. Fahner. We are so thankful to have him as her doctor and for the great care he took in her treatments. We are so blessed!

3 Year Scans Tomorrow!

Time for scans again...

Thursday we'll be spending the day at DeVos Children's Hospital again. Greta is going in for her 6 month scans. She'll be having a CT Scan, Bone Scan, EKG and EEG, then we'll be back on Friday hopefully for results and a check up with her doctor. This scan marks her 3 year post transplant. Wow 3 years already!

Greta was 17 months old when she first started treatment and just celebrated her 5th birthday in November. She also started going to Young 5's this past fall. She absolutely loves it. She loves her teacher and has already made many friends.

Greta has an amazing joie de vie. She throws herself into everything she does. She started playing soccer this fall and when she isn't running for the ball, she is organzing team hugs. Both Greta and Gavin took swim lessons this winter and love being in the water. Greta's also enjoying her second year of ballet and this year added tap dance. We'll be adding T-Ball to the mix this Spring at her request.

She's doing great, but we're, as always, a little anxious when it comes to scan time. It seems the further and further away we get from her last treatment, the more anxiety we have over the fear of something showing up. So we're asking that you keep us in your prayers this week, prayers that Greta continues to be a healthy little girl and that our concerns are eased!

Thank you!
The Betz Family

Results are In!

Posted 17 hours ago on Carepages.com.....

Greta's doctor just called with the good news that her scans all came back normal and there is no sign of tumor or cancer activity. What a relief! We'll be back at clinic on Friday for an EKG, Echo and lab work, but otherwise we're all set for probably 6 more months!

We had a fun time yesterday checking out the new hospital. It was a lot of fun and we had so much to do that the day just flew by. I'll post some pictures of Greta at story time with a local morning show yesterday.

In more good news, we are leaving for Disney for our Make A Wish trip next month. We are all very excited to go and so thankful for MAW allowing Greta to have a wish. We'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

2 Years?!?

Yesterday marks two years from when Greta was admited to the hospital to begin her chemo and stem cell rescue. In some ways it feels like a very long time ago, and others not quite long enough. Two days ago the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital opened. It looks like its a beautiful new facility and when Gavin saw pictures of it he said it looks like a fun place to go. We're so excited that the kids and staff have such a fun place to be for treatment and to work. It looks amazing. We just hope we never have to sleep there!

We will be getting a chance to see if first hand in two week two weeks when Greta goes in for her bone and CT scans. Luckily, we will only be there for the day. This will be her first scan in 6 months, the longest span between scans yet. It's a nice break, but it's a little nice to have the reassurance more often that she is still healthy. So please keep us in your prayers that we get good results once again. This will be her first scan that whe won't have to fast for, now that we know she can handle sitting still without sedation. So we'll be able to check out the new cafeteria too.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. We had a great holiday and the kids both said it was the best one ever. We are mindful of all the families for whom this may have been a very hard Christmas and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers. We are also asking for prayers for Greta's Great Grandpa Ray who is in a lot of discomfort due to his cancer, we ask that you pray for his pain to lessen and for him to have peace.

Thank you,
The Betz Family

Happy 4th Birthday!

The below was published to CarePages.com on November 17 at 4:36pm. Kristi asked me to re-post it here, sorry that it is a little belated! - Kari

Greta turns 4 today. We can hardly believe she is already 4! We're celebrating tonight by going to the mall to ride the merry go round as she reqeusted. We're having a family party this weekend where Greta requested everyone wear princess dresses.

Greta had her regular clinic visit last week. She once again looked great and her counts were all normal. She gave a bit of a fight for her flu shot. It took two nurses, mom, one child life specialist and her doctor to get it done and a whole lot of screaming, but once it was over she quickly went back to playing and laughing agin.

While at clinic, her doctor talked about her next scan taking place in January. Which would also be her two year post transplant anniversary. It is amazing to me that its already been two years since then. What a busy two years it has been!

We'll update again in January when we're back in for scans. Until then, we wish you all a happy Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!

With love,

The Betz Family

Clinic Appt and Other Happenings...

Greta was back at DeVos last week for her check up and for some lab work. Everything is still looking good for Greta and the doctors are very happy with her counts. The great news now is that we are only going to the clinic every two months and her scans are every 6 months! We of course have mixed feelings about that. It was nice to have that reassurance that the cancer had not returned every 3 months so waiting for 6 months will probably make Randy and I worry a little more when she gets the next one. But it will be nice not to put her through the full day of scans as often.

Greta was also due for another vaccination while we were there and later that night she complained that her leg hurt and she woke up several times that night crying in pain. The pain continued for the next day and when we were getting her ready for bed we noticed that her leg was pretty swollen from her thigh down to her knee and when she walked she just dragged the leg behind her. We called the doctor and they reassured us that this was pretty common and could last 3-5 days. Unfortunately it made for a pretty miserable weekend for Greta.

Greta did start preschool this month and her ballet classes. She was very excited for both and much to my surprise (and very unlike her brother) she jumped right into both classes without so much as a second glance back at mom. She loves her preschool very much, but I think she would like her ballet class to happen every day!

We'd also like to request you keep another one of our DeVos friends in your prayers. Max who is 7 years old is fighting a brain tumor and just found out that the chemo and radiation treatments haven't stopped the cancer. Please pray for the miracle his family is so desperately needing.

Thanks for continuing to follow Greta's progress!
The Betz Family

Greta is Good!

We got the good news today, Greta is cancer free. The scans showed some inflammation in her chest, her doctor joked that this was an expensive test to show that Greta has a cold!

Now we're at the cottage for a week of sun, swimming and boating. The kids are very excited to have Grammy, Opa, Mom and Dad for nine days.

Thanks again for all your continued support and prayers!
The Betz Family

Scans Wednesday

Greta has her clinic appointment tomorrow for her pre-scan check up. Then her CT and Bone scan Wednesday. Please send some prayers our way for good results and for her parents to not get too overwhelmed with worry!

We hopefully will get results back before we leave for our vacation on Friday. As always we'll post as soon as we hear!

Big News for Greta

Greta is finally potty trained! And the great news about that is she can now go back to playing in the play room while we are waiting at clinic instead of being isolated in an exam room! We took advantage of that at her June clinic visit. Her counts and her blood work all looked great. So we are off again until July when she'll have another clinic visit and her CT and Bone scans. Hopefully if the scans all come back good, we'll be able to space the clinic appointments out more than a month apart.

We did have some excitement a couple weekends ago for Greta. She got a big cut in her foot from someone opening a door right into her foot as we were entering a restaurant. She ended up with about 7 stitches in the top of her foot. She did a lot of screaming for the stitches and when the doctor came in she said "No Doctor!!" I think she's seen enough of them in her 3 1/2 years!

Otherwise, she's doing wonderfully! We've been able to go swimming a lot so far this summer and go for rides in the boat. She loves the water and loves for daddy to "go fast" in the boat. We're hoping for some great 4th of July weather to spend on the lake.

We hope that you'll keep Greta and our family in your prayers. Especially Greta's great aunt Lynda and Great Grandpa Ray as they are both fighting their own battles with cancer.
Thank you,
The Betz Family

Two Years Ago...

Two years ago today, we got the news that Greta had cancer. The next day I sent out this email to everyone in my contacts:

We are in need of a miracle. Some of you may know, some may not, but we need some prayers for our little Greta. She is currently in the hospital with a cancerous tumor. The tumor is outside her left lung and has caused it to collapse. Greta will be starting a chemo treatment tomorrow afternoon so the next 3-7 days are critical as to how she responds to the chemo. The doctors have told us that this is a treatable cancer, but with her age, it could require 6 months to a year of to treat. Please, please include our family in your prayers.
The Betz Family.

We got our miracle! Thank you to all who followed our story and prayed for Greta's healing. We are truly blessed and we are so thankful for every day we have to share with both of our kids. We've been privileged to meet many families during the past two years that are fighting cancer. We've unfortunately have met many kids that lost that battle and were taken from their families too soon. We hope that you will continue to pray for those families too.

This is the time of year that many communities hold a Relay for Life campaign to raise money for cancer research. We know without this funded research, we may be telling a different story today. We need to continue to fund that research so we can help the families that are getting the unfortunate news today that we received two years ago.

Greta's grandparents are taking part in the RFL in Clarkston, MI and are taking donations. Please go to the website below and donate if you are able. We are also planning on participating in the RFL in Rockford, MI where we hope Greta will be in the survivor lap.

Thank you again for your prayers, for celebrating with us and for your support!

The Betz Family

The American Cancer Society - 2010 Relay For Life of Clarkston MI:

Sorry for neglecting to update the blog, I had updated the carepage and forgot to paste it onto here as well. Our apoligies for leaving you hanging for so long! Here is the post from March 18th:

Miss Greta's scans came back great. She is still cancer free and we are relieved again! She was so brave yesterday and such a good girl and did both her CT and Bone Scans without sedation. She was amazing. The good news now is she won't have to go all day without food or drink for her tests.
A thank you to the child life staff at the hospital who go out of their way to make sure Greta always has a good time at the hospital and made sure she was comfortable with and during her scans. They are amazing people who don't just make the hospital time tolerable, they make it fun. So much that Greta asked to go back today

Scans Tomorrow

We're heading back tomorrow for our day of scans at the hospital. We go in at 8 am so Greta can get an IV set and an injection for the bone scan. Then we have to keep her entertained and without food or drink until 1pm when she'll get her bone scan and her CT scan. The good news is that she is due for some vaccinations tomorrow so they can give them to her while she is sedated for her scans.

Please pray for Greta tomorrow that her scans come back normal!

Thank you!

The Betz Family

Happy "Birthday" Greta!

Today marks the ONE YEAR anniversary of Greta's stem cell infusion, when she got a fresh start after beating Ewing's Sarcoma.

She is a very different girl from the one who came home from the hospital last year!

Lots of honey blonde hair is coming in, and Greta gets more talkative and animated every day. She has the greatest sense of humor, and is an absolute joy to be around. She is going to give her brother a run for his money :)

Thanks for all of the continued prayers, love and support - we are counting our blessings by the truckload for our healthy baby girl.

Much Love,

Kari

Busy, busy, busy...

Things are getting so busy these days, I sometimes forget to update on Greta's progress! We had Greta's monthly clinic last week and everything checked out great. She'll go back again mid-January at which point she'll be about one year post transplant. What a great milestone! I can't believe it's already here. Last year at this time we were all anxious and apprehensive about the transplant and here we are already a year gone by! Unfortunately for Greta that means she'll be ready to start getting her vaccinations again. But it also means that her clinic visits could be 3 months apart rather than every month. Amazing!

Greta is also very busy, busy, busy! She does not ever stop going and she does not ever seem to stop smiling. She takes joy in every little thing she does. It's a trait I hope to learn to pick up myself. She and Gavin are very excited for the upcoming Christmas celebration. They are counting down the days until Santa comes to visit!

We hope everyone has a wonderful, blessed and safe Christmas holiday and New Year!
Love, The Betz Family

And the Results are Good!

Greta's scans came back and she is still cancer free. So we are worry free for 3 more months until the next tests. Thanks so much for all the positive thoughts and the prayers!

We hope everyone enjoys Thanksgiving, we sure will!

Scan Day

Today was Greta's 3 month CT and bone scan. Once again it was a long day at the hospital, started at 8:30 and home at 3:30. Greta did great though and is probably the best 3 year old at entertaining herself in a small closet sized room that I know! Now it's the waiting game for results. Which means anxious days at the Betz house.

In other news, Greta celebrated her 3rd birthday yesterday. What a great milestone for all of us. It was over 18 months ago that Greta started treatment. In those days I sometimes questioned whether this was a birthday we'd ever get to celebrate. I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind as quickly as they came in. They mostly came in moments when I'd be shopping and pick out something for Greta for the next season, or the next size up and wonder if I should even buy something she may never wear. But I shook those thoughts and filled her closet with clothes for the next year or two in advance.

We had two celebrations, a family party on Friday and on her birthday we took Aunt Kari and Aidan to Chuck E Cheese, something she wasn't allowed to do while she was under going treatment. She had a great time and I'm sure we'll hear the pleas to go back a lot!

We are thankful for the prayers for good test results and we'll report back as soon as we get them.

Love,
The Betz Family