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

It's not whether you get knocked down...

"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up."-Vince Lombardi

This quote has been running through my mind many times through out chemo. The getting knocked down part i thought was how towards the end of every chemo I seem to feel somewhat fine. I get to the hospital for chemo and the chemo just slams me down and then i don't feel great. I love to think of this quote as motivation to get better and make that little extra effort to feeling better.

Sunday night I was fortunate enough to get the chance to get an Avs jersey signed by all the players after their game against Vancouver in the locker room. This was awesome. I got to meet all the really nice players and re-visit my buddy Ian Laperriere. These guys were really great again and most of them signed my jersey. I went into chemo with this great excitement.

This last round of chemo has really been difficult. We had the same thing as last time. On the first day I stayed there for about six hours. The next two days are generally about one to two hours. What could be expected I felt awful during these three days of chemo and threw up constantly. I am still not feeling great and usually I am atleast a bit recovered by now. I have broken my own record for throwing up so much during chemo. I am still throwing up even today. My stomach has been wierd and I have felt very very weak and dizzy.

On Thursday I went in to get my port de-accesed and get this other shot I have to get after every chemo. I still didnt feel great that day but something brought my spirits up a little bit. We ran into the Avs this time they were visiting the hospital. It was really cool how i was sitting there in my wheel chair waiting to get out of there and all these amazing players were there still remembering my name! All the guys were still great. I really noticed a few that stood out and talked to me. My buddy Ian Laperriere was there and we were able to talk about how I was doing. Through all these Avalanche things I have been doing it has really occured to me how awsome of a player, guy, and leader he is. Ben Guite was also a really nice and awesome guy as well. All of them were really great and I really look up to all of them not only as hockey players but leaders as well.

Last night I went to my hockey team's game. I still felt really crummy still so I sat up in the bleachers with my dad clutching my puke bucket.

Clearly this chemo has been the hardest chemo but I am also hopeful that this is the last one.

If this is the last chemo I get to start radiation therapy on December 29th.

I am now looking forward to skating a bit with my team this week, Christmas, and hopefully the phone call from one of my teamates that we have won the Phoenix tournament.

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts.

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

Thanks,
Tristan

What an amazing week!

Wow! What a great week I have had since the last week of chemo. It started about monday when I practiced with my team. Unfortunately by the end of practice that night my stomach started to get really wierd and I threw up in the car on the way home. The next day we went into the Dr. for my regular blood tests and my blood counts were fine which was awesome! However I didnt get cleared to play in my tournament this weekend. Tuesday night I went and practiced with my team again. This time I felt much better after and didn't throw up. This already was a great start to my week knowing i went through two practices with my team.

Wednesday night we started our tournament. We played a pretty decent game and came away with a win 2-0 against the Jr. Eagles. I was glad my parents still let me go and cheer/lead my team to victory. Wednesday night I found out from my parents that Saturday night I would get to go out during the Avalanche game and stand on the blue line during the national anthem with the starting line up. When my Dad finally got done describing this to me I was completely speachless. I was in so much shock and I was so excited I got the chance to do this.

Thursday (Thanksgiving), we spent with our good friends the Soichers. This was really fun because they have been there so much for me and there a great family to be around. I was also glad that I had most of my appetite back from chemo and was able to eat decent food! After our big meal my mom took me to my friend Christian's hockey game. This was really fun because its AAA hockey and I know alot of kids on the team. These guys have also been there for me and it has been really great to get to know some of these kids closer.

Friday, we spent most of our day running back and forth between Denver and Westminister for my hockey games. In our morning game we lost a close game to Ft. Collins 2-1. Our next game we came out hard against Foothills and beat them 3-0. I really would of thought after all that I would of been really tired and not feel to great by the end of the day but overall i felt great for all that I did that day.

Saturday, was a huge day. Saturday morning we had a game against Casper up in Westminister, where the tournament was. We came out pretty hard again and had another win 3-0. Because of our loss we were waiting on other games to be played and what not to see where we ended up with points to make it to the championship. Between the game that morning and the big avs game that night I was busy with friends coming over to get rides and friends hanging out.

That night I rode to the pepsi center with my Mom and my hockey friends. This was really exciting. When we finally got there it took us a bit to sort out where my team was seating and where my other friends were sitting and it took us a while to get me into get my stuff on. Finally we got every one in.

When I finally got dressed I waited in this hall way for the players to come out into this tunnel thing so they could go onto the ice. At this point I was pretty nervous but it was still amazing. As they came out I gave each of them high fives onto the ice and then I followed right in front of Ian Laperreire (assistant captain). When I got out there i felt like I was on top of the world. I took one short lap around them turned around on the blue line towards the opposite side and looked all around me. Then I turned around to the flags. Ryan Smyth talked to me for a bit out there which i found really really cool. They sang the national anthem then I got off. This was truly the experience of a life time and I had a great time it was so great!

I then went up and watched the game with my teamates and friends. About half way through the game I got a text from my team (I wasn't sitting with them then) saying, "WERE GOING TO THE SHIP!!" (championship). This was really the icing on the cake having a great night with my friends, and family!


The next day we drove up to Westminister for the championship game against Littleton. Our two teams were really even they beat us once and we beat them. It was a great game and we battled to the end. At first we went up 1-0 then they tied it. Then we went up 2-1 then they tied 2-2. Then the last 6 seconds of the game they scored. Truly a heart breaking loss but we played really well. Its a tournament and we already beat them in league where it really counts!


Thanks to everyone who made Saturday night possible it was really amazing!

Thanks to my hockey team for being there for me Saturday and for having a great tournament!


Thanks to everyone else for your prayers and thoughts!


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

Thanks,
Tristan Close

(P.S. pictures of saturday should be coming soon!)