Rising to the Top

"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."- Walter Bagehot

Hello all,

Well I am not going to beat around the bush the big news is that I am CANCER FREE! :] Although I cannot say that I am "Cancer free" because it could come back at any time I can say I am not doing treatment. I go in for MRI's every 3 months to get check ups and make sure that my tumor will not come back.

With that said, I need to fill in where I last wrote.

Last year I got to finish my few classes I was doing at home. I passed my english class both semesters and passed my math class for the one semester. I was very happy because that let me say I am a junior even though I might have to stay behind a semester or two. Over the summer I did many different things. I was trying to get back into hockey shape so I tried to get on the ice and work out just about every day.

I was able to do this so it took up much of my time. Mid July I got to do my Make A Wish which was to go to Sweden and play hockey with this incredible team. What an amazing experience. I truly will never forget it. I got to play some of the best hockey of my life, make some amazing friends (both from my team and the Swedish teams), and tour the beautiful town of Kunsbacka, where the tournament was. Here are some of the pictures. I took around 400 pictures but I can't put all of them up, Email me or my mom if you want a disk of all of the pictures that I took.




Limo Ride from Make a Wish to Airport

At the Rink with Jersey on
Soccer Girls from Sweden.
With Mom at the Beach (It was very Cold so thats why we are dressed heavily)

Warming up one of the goalies from Sweden
With some of the Swedish hockey players

With the team on the last night.

Again, Like I said It was so unbelievable. It's a trip I will never forget. That was a little over a week. When I got back it took a few days to adjust to the time again and I slept quite a bit. The rest of my summer was getting ready for hockey and enjoying my last few days of summer. The last few days of summer I was able to go see my Aunt Jen in California.

In California my Aunt Jen and I went clothes shopping for school. It was so much fun she really is the greatest Aunt ever. :] I got to clothes shop, go to In and Out Burger, watch Gabreals football practices, help Molly with homework and give her countless piggy back rides, and hang out with McClean.

As you can See I had a fantastic summer. I am so grateful for everyday I was able to live during summer after such a life threatening illness.

Currently now, I am play hockey for Arapahoe Minor AA, playing lacrosse for my school, and doing very well in school. I am very happy where I am right now and hope to keep pushing myself forward.

Thanks to all,

Keep looking for blogs throughout the year I will try to do one every month!

I would like to think of my life as pretty amazing right now.

I would like to close with a song thats been stuck in my head. Although I do not like this artist's attitude these lyrics speak to me.

"It's amazing, I'm the reason Everybody fired up this evening I'm exhausted, barely breathing Holding on to what I believe in No matter what you'll never take that from me My reign is as far as your eyes can see It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin 'It's amazin'"- Kanye West.

Thanks,

Tristan Close

The Up's and Downs

Hi everyone!!

Sorry I have been horrible about blogging recently. I have been quite up and down for the past couple months. The important this is that I now as of May 7th, 2009 am feeling great!

Lets first start off with where I left off. My ski trip in Aspen with shining stars. This trip was truly an amazing experience. I loved it so much. I pretty much told my side effects from radiation that they weren't going to affect me this week and I was going to ski like a mad man. Which I did. Up on the beautiful mountain of buttermilk I skied about 3-5 hours a day. I had so much fun and I had an awesome ski instructor named Marilyn. We all up there had our own ski instructors and I definitely would say mine was the best! I met some kids up there that were really awesome and still keep in touch with them to this day. I had so much fun up there with all these kids and the Ski'ing was truly amazing. Here are a few pictures from the camp.

Yeah it was pretty awesome. Unfortunately we lost one of my friends when she came back home after her surgery. My friend Saret who is in the first two pictures with the purple jacket on. She was really amazing and I'm glad i got to know her. That night my roommate who is also a really amazing kid had a little party in our room (remember this is a bunch of cancer kids so there was no alchohal or anything). And that night I got to know Saret really well and we had alot of fun for a little hotel room party. We stayed up till like 1 or 2!! It was awesome. Unfortunately the last few hours of the party I started to get really tired and sick. That next day we left for Denver and that same night i was in the Emergency room.

I somehow found a way to spike a 104 temperature and I really didn't feel great. My mom and I spent most of that night in the ER and I eventually got better with IV fluids and resting. Unfortunately they have me this stupid steroid a few times in this time frame that has made me gain a ton of weight. It really has been awful and at that time I was "puffier" than ever.

It took me a while to get back to normal and get back to regulating hormones and steroids and all my medicines. But for a few weeks now I have really been feeling great. I have had energy and even have been out to practice for hockey a few times!!

I am working out regularly and things are starting to look up finally. My hair is even growing back!! Well a little :].

I am now hoping to finish up with a few classes for school and move on to summer school and hockey this summer instead of spending it in the hospital! :]

Thanks for all your support and prayers

I am so lucky to have so many great friends and a great family

-Tristan Close

Just another step on the long path

I apologize for not blogging in a really long time. I have been extremely busy between hospital visits and wrapping up my hockey season.

Last time a blogged was the night before my last radiation. I have not had to do anymore treatments since then. We are waiting for me to do this MRI to determine if i need more treatment or not.

It was fun on the last day of treatment the nurses had this cake and sang a song I had alot of fun with it. It was awesome to smile and think hopefully I am done with everything.

During my long break (still going on) I decided to try and finish up my hockey season. I practiced with them pretty hard and unfortunatley we fell just short in our first game of playoffs knocking us out. I did play a few shifts but obviously wasn't completely back.

The past week or so I haven't been feeling good at all. Last week I spent the week in infusion at childrens getting IV fluids. I have had no energy at all and have been feeling extremely loopy.

February 24th, was my birthday so that was fun. This past Friday we had a small get together of family friends and a few of my own hockey friends. To my surprise I my mom arranged Ian laperriere to come to this party and make it over the top amazing. I truly enjoyed this and it was awesome to end the week like this. It even made 9 news!!\

http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=111299

Truly was amazing. Lappy is an amazing leader and I truly look up to him in all aspects.

My next big event is a cancer ski trip up in Aspen. About 20-25 kids with cancer from around the country are going to be going and I am really looking forward to this. I am especially looking forward to hopefully feeling well enough to learn how to snowboard for a week!

Thats all for now. I am hoping to at least blog at the end of the ski trip letting everyone know how great it was!


Thanks for all your support and prayers!

Will blog again soon!!

-Tristan Close

Finally almost over!!!

Tomorrow is my last day of radiation therapy. I am really excited and happy at the same time. About a week ago I ended the tumor fluid radiation which was 3 weeks. About last tuesday I started a radiation that was more focused on the tumor. The tumor fluid radiation was tiring but I think the direct tumor radiation kicked my butt alot more. Sometimes it made me a bit naseated and I definently had no energy at times but eventually (could be up to a year unfortunatley) my energy will come back.

I dressed out this weekend for my hockey games. That really got my spirits up too. We had two huge games against the two rival teams Littleton black and Littleton red. I dressed and had two decent warm ups and in the second game against Littleton red i got about a 20 second shift. Although I would not consider this a comeback I was happy I still got to dress. My goal is to try to be back into the rotation by next weekend against DU. This is perfect timing for playoffs coming up too.

My hair is starting to grow back kinda but you can still see my pale head but you can definently tell its starting to come back.

I am hoping to blog soon about all the test I have coming up and FINALLY DONE WITH CANCER TREATMENTS!!!

I will try to blog tomorrow about the last day of radiation.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support

I am so lucky to have so many great friends!

Thanks,
Tristan

Photo Updates

On November 29th I was given the opportunity to skate with the Colorado Avalanche during the national anthem. This was truly an amazing opportunity. I had a lot of fun out there. Thanks also to my team and other friends who came and watched me. I had so much fun. It was an amazing night. (information blog is below this one. Read that one as well)
-December 29th

First coming onto the ice at Pepsi center

On the blue line for national Anthem

Standing next to Ryan Smyth on blue line

Getting off the Ice

Thanks,
Tristan Close

The Start of the End

Today, (Monday, December 9th) was the start of my radiation. Last week we went and got a few blood tests done, a few MRI's and we were determining if i needed to do another round of chemo therapy or if I could move onto radiation. The MRI's looked great, as the tumor was shrunk enough to begin radiation. Last week on Tuesday I had a spinal tap as one of the test's as well. This came back good as well. On that same day they drew blood to make sure my counts were doing okay. My platelets unfortunately had dropped over 300 (that's bad) and they wanted to do a blood test again before I started radiation. Today I got my blood drawn and my counts were good. So therefore i started radiation. For those of you who don't know what radiation is, it is a nothing like chemo. Unlike being injected with chemo this one is more like being hit with a beam. You are lying down on a table and they put a mask over your head and face. You then lie there as the beam hits you. You don't really feel anything. Basing off of my first day I have felt pretty good just really tired.

Here are a few pictures from when they were forming the mask to do radiation. Its kinda creepy but somewhat cool at the same time:

My activity has been pretty normal. I am working towards playing with my team hopefully soon. I am trying my best to work out and work on things my team has been doing when I am not tired. My new goal is to try and be fit and ready to play the weekend we play our two toughest teams in our league, both Littleton teams. My team now is in Arizona kicking butt. I am hoping to get the phone call soon that we made it to the championship.

My Christmas was really awesome too. I got some really amazing gifts and had a great time.

We are hoping to have an all picture blog with all the pictures from people shaving there head all the way back to the avalanche game.
These should be up hopefully by today or tomorrow.


I hope everyone had a happy holidays and have a happy new year!!!

Thanks for all your prayers and support!!!

Thanks,
Tristan Close

End of chemo?

I am finally feeling somewhat decent from chemo. A lot of ups and downs have happened but I have made it through most of the downs. My appetite has been getting a lot better as well. I have been going on with my regular tutoring with my two classes of math and English. That has been getting better as I try to get back on top of things at school. I had an MRI on Friday afternoon. This was a big test depending on if I have another round of chemo or not. If it is good then I get to move onto radiation on the 24th. On the 23rd I have a spinal tap that also depends on if I move on from radiation.

My Dad and brother have been attending this class at our health club called boot camp. On one of the mornings they made a donation to help me get a Colorado Avalanche jersey. They actually raised over $700.00. The instructor Linda also arranged for my whole family to attend a game and have access to the Avs locker room after the game so I could get the Jersey signed by the whole Team. I would like to also take this time to thank them a lot. They really made my night perfect and I am very grate full to have so many good friends like them.

The picture turned out really good of the jersey:





Thanks very much and I will try my best to blog right after we know about the next round of chemo or radiation.

Thanks,
Tristan