
This blog documents Caroline's cancer journey. November 2017: Diagnosed with Stage IV, High-Risk Neuroblastoma...April 2019: Completed treatment protocol and declared to have no evidence of disease; enrolled in DFMO Clinical Trial...April 2021: Completed DFMO clinical trial...April 2022: Neuroblastoma Relapsed...June 2023: Completed treatment protocol and declared to have no evidence of disease; enrolled in “compassionate use” high-dose DFMO clinical trial.
Friday, June 30, 2023
DFMO Clinical Trial
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
A Message from Caroline: Scan Results!
Saturday, June 17, 2023
SEVENTEEN Cycles: Complete!
HOME from the last cycle. CYCLE SEVENTEEN. In 14+ months, Caroline has been inpatient for 106 nights at Vanderbilt, while getting:
- 85 doses of Irinotecan Chemotherapy
- 85 doses of Temodar Chemotherapy
- 68 doses of Dinutuximab Immunotherapy
- 119 Leukine Shots to boost her immune system
- countless scans, tests, biopsies, x-rays, labs, etc.
She missed 74 days of school, but still averaged STRAIGHT As for the entire year! The 3rd Grade superlative selected for her was "Future President," which seems very fitting!
Monday, June 12, 2023
Cycle 17: "Sad, Excited, Scared..."
Last night, we asked Caroline how she was feeling about the end of treatment. Her exact words were: “sad, excited and scared…sad because I won’t get to see all of my inpatient nurses, excited for treatment to be over, and scared that my cancer will come back.” We told her that we feel the exact same way.
We’re praying for an uneventful week going forward, and hope to be discharged on Saturday. We'll update the blog when we're home and have "next steps."
Thank you for the continued love and support,
The Lantz Family
Monday, May 29, 2023
Home Sweet Home from Cycle 16
We are so grateful for the amazing care team at Vanderbilt - they did a great job this week addressing all of Caroline’s struggles with chemo side effects; her nausea was particularly rough this stay.
Also, much appreciation, honor and respect for the American men and women who have served and given all for this great country; we know that Freedom isn't free...thank you for your service.
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Cycle 16
She tested positive for rhino/enterovirus (aka the common cold), so we'll be on isolation while she's here. We're hoping she doesn’t have any additional issues with oxygen, etc. with all the sinus drainage.
If all goes well, we are hoping Caroline can come home Saturday.
Thank you for the continued prayers and support!
The Lantz Family
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Treatment Schedule Update / Next Steps
In other news, we had a call this week with our Vanderbilt Oncology team and the Oncology team from Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, NC, to discuss post-treatment “next steps.” Assuming all goes well with Cycles 16 and 17, her bone marrow is clear, and her scans remain clear after treatment, we will be enrolling Caroline in a high-dose DFMO clinical trial at Levine Children’s Hospital. This drug (DFMO) is one of the only available maintenance treatments for Neuroblastoma in the world. We are grateful that Caroline will be able to take something to hopefully/potentially prevent another relapse. We will keep you posted as we get closer, but we are very appreciative of Dr. Smith’s and Dr. Sholler’s teams working together - not only help minimize travel, but most importantly, give Caroline access to the best possible chance of surviving this awful disease. More to come…
Thank you for all the prayers and continued support (especially the Ubereats cards for the hospital)!
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Cycle 15
Thank you for the continued support and prayers!
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Progress Scans Results
CT scan: No new findings to suggest recurrent or metastatic disease.
PET Scan: No definitive evidence of malignancy.
We are obviously thrilled that Caroline is continuing to beat this disease (again), and it's giving us some renewed energy and hope as we continue onward with this long and exhausting treatment plan.
Assuming nothing unexpected happens and her counts are ok, Caroline's next admission is scheduled for May 1st...Cycle 15 (of 17) of chemotherapy and antibody.
As always, thank you so much to our Vanderbilt medical team, family, friends, and the entire community of prayer warriors - we're beyond grateful for the continued love and support!
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
Saturday, April 8, 2023
Relapse-iversary / Cycle 14 Complete
Today also marks the one year anniversary of Caroline's relapse, so we thought we'd share a review of the last 365 days in numbers...
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Cycle 14 / Life Lately
Thank you for your continued support,
The Lantz Family
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Cycle 13 Complete / Clip in 4 the Cure
Caroline was discharged from Vanderbilt on Saturday and is now home resting. Other than the "normal" nausea and belly pain, the week was relatively uneventful. She will get daily Leukine shots for the next week to help bring up her neutrophils (immune system). We're hoping she recovers well at home, and is able to enjoy the next two weeks of "track out break" from school.
This coming Saturday (3/25), Caroline will be speaking as an ambassador for the hospital at the "Clip !n 4 the Cure" event, which raises funds for cancer research to find cures. If you’d like to support the event by participating or donating to the cause, click here for the link.Thank you for the continued prayers - they mean so much.
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf
Monday, March 13, 2023
Cycle 13 on 3/13
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Unplanned Hospital Stay
Caroline will continue on the antibiotic for this rest of the week, and is back to eating and drinking normally again. We're hoping THIS week we can really catch a much needed break, and get her back to school and some routine. It's been a very tough week for all four of us.
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Cycle 12 and Life Update
Monday, January 23, 2023
Cycle 11 - Complete
We're hopeful she can get a few good weeks of school and fun in before having to return to Vanderbilt for Cycle 12 mid-February.
Thank you for all the prayers, Uber Eats meal cards and the other well wishes that were delivered to her hospital room this week. We appreciate every single one of you!
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Scan Results - Cycle 11 Admission
Todays scan results:
CT scan: No new findings to suggest recurrent or metastatic disease.
PET Scan: No evidence of malignancy.
We are obviously thrilled that Caroline is still beating this disease (again), and it gives us all a little bit of energy and hope as we continue onward with this long and exhausting treatment plan.
Assuming her counts are ok, Caroline will be admitted tomorrow (Wednesday) for Cycle 11 (of 17) of chemotherapy and antibody. The next 6 days will be rough, but we are just glad that she can continue with her treatment.
Thank you so much to our Vanderbilt medical team, family, friends, and the entire community of prayer warriors - we're beyond grateful for the love and support!
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
Friday, January 6, 2023
Delayed Cycle 11 and Christmas Magic
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Rough Cycle 10 Complete
On Wednesday, Caroline woke up out of her sleep crying in pain - the worst pain we’ve seen her in since she was admitted to the ICU in 2018. Nerve pain is an unfortunate (but expected) side effect of the antibody therapy that can come and go at any point. She’s always experienced nerve pain during each cycle, but it's been manageable with her continuous Dilaudid infusion. However, this "extra" nerve pain was extreme and came out of nowhere…literally waking her up in the middle of the night. Her team worked quickly and diligently to get the pain under control, but it took a while to get her comfortable. It was beyond excruciating to witness her agony without being able to do anything, and we can only imagine the pain she felt.
Besides the physical pain, Caroline was in true emotional pain this week. This cycle came on the heels of her two additional inpatient stays for Sapovirus and RSV. She didn’t really get a chance to recharge and do “normal” things in between the two cycles, which really took a toll on her mental health. One major difference between Caroline going through treatment this time around vs. the first time, is her awareness of what she's "missing out on" socially. This is such a fun time of year for kids, and missing so many Christmas parties and events had her crying A LOT. Knowing her friends were having fun at school while she was at the hospital laying in pain had her asking some un-answerable questions: “why is this happening again?;” “why isn’t life fair?.” Her spirit was broken this cycle, and we’re praying she gets some solace in the days ahead, even though we can’t go back in time to let her experience all the missed Christmas fun things, or answer her hard questions. This is one cycle we will all be processing long after.
Caroline's next cycle is scheduled for 1/3/22, so barring anything happening in between, we’re hoping to be able to spend the next 2 weeks at home creating some Christmas magic for our family.
Thank you to everyone who sent us UberEats gift cards…they are a huge help because Caroline won’t eat any of the hospital food, and we still aren't allowed visitors.
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Admitted for Cycle 10
Monday, December 5, 2022
Unexpected Admission for RSV / Scan Results Update
The past couple months have been a roller coaster, to say the least...delayed chemo treatments, multiple ER visits, unexpected inpatient admissions for Sapovirus and RSV, as well as delayed progress scans.
Here are the results of her bone marrow and scans from the last week:
- Bone Marrow Biopsy - No Evidence of Neuroblastoma Cells
- CT Scan - Inconclusive because of the RSV thickness in her chest
- PET Scan - Inconclusive because of the RSV thickness in her chest
Caroline is scheduled to be admitted Monday (12/12) for cycle 10 of chemo and immunotherapy.
We are all beyond exhausted, but so thankful for your prayers and support!
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf
Thursday, November 24, 2022
5 Year Cancer-versary
Mark: It’s been a rough 5 years for our family in so many ways. I think we’ve shared much of this over the journey, so no reason for me to re-hash it all today. On this Thanksgiving, and 5 year anniversary of her diagnosis, I’d like to focus on what we do have: we have each other, we still have our daughter and we have hope that our future will be long and bright, and much less exhausting in the years to come. I am thankful for the Vanderbilt medical team that has helped us beat this once, and is now helping Caroline beat it again after her April relapse. I’m thankful for research groups like Beat Childhood Cancer, for continuing to fight for these amazing warriors. I’m thankful for our extended family, co-workers, friends, neighbors, prayer warriors, and community of many, that have lifted us up over the last 5 years. I’m thankful for Margaret’s ability to process all the care and treatment requirements on a daily basis. I’m very proud of how Andrew has handled all of this to date. He has seen much more than any kid his age should. And my rock star, Caroline - the treatment for pediatric cancers are very outdated and extremely harsh. I really have no idea how she has survived all this and maintained such an amazing attitude and outlook…on the other hand, I have never doubted her. She’s my hero!
Margaret: My heart shattered on 11/24/17, when we were informed that Caroline had Stage IV cancer. My heart was obliterated on 4/8/22, when my biggest fear of her cancer coming back became a reality. I am broken in an irreparable way, yet stronger for it. Being a “cancer mom” is the penultimate life of dichotomies. It’s paralyzing to constantly feel two things at once: overwhelming sadness coupled with overwhelming relief that Caroline is alive; perpetual fear of her dying, but also survivor’s guilt knowing so many kids who have passed; breaking down, but also being strong beyond belief; wanting to be with both of my kids, but having to choose…a steady stream of anxiety, exhaustion, frustration and disconnection, yet a calmness about not being in control, and closeness to Mark that is rock-solid. Most of what we see and hear Caroline go through…the questions she and Andrew need answered…realities that need to be explained…so much innocence lost, and for so long now. It’s all just too much: too scary, too gross, too heartbreaking, and definitely too much to share on the blog. As we hit the 5 year milestone, it’s hard to believe Caroline has lived with cancer longer than she hasn’t, yet she remains the brightest of lights, and the reason I keep going.
Andrew: “after 5 years, cancer life feels normal…things that didn’t feel normal in the beginning, feel regular now. When she got cancer again, things that might have seemed like a big deal before, aren’t really that big of a deal because we already went through this. It doesn’t feel good to be the brother of someone that has cancer because my mom is gone all the time and I don’t get to see my sister. Also, it’s not good that I can’t go to the hospital this time around because of COVID rules - it makes me feel really sad. I always have my dad, but I don’t always have my mom. Stuff always gets canceled - like we were supposed to go to Florida for Thanksgiving, but then Caroline got a virus. I understand why things get canceled though, and it’s ok. I don’t feel scared that she’s going to die because I know that Vanderbilt is going to save her life. When I found out she relapsed, I thought it was just going to be the same kind of stuff as last time, and it basically is the same, other than the fact that I can’t go to the hospital this time. When Caroline gets gifts, or gets to do cool stuff without me, I feel left out, but mostly I feel fine. That’s all.”
Caroline: “hey guys, it’s Caroline here. I just wanted to tell you thank you for all the prayers and to my Vanderbilt people for giving me encouragement to get through this in one piece. It’s been rough the past few weeks, but I’ve powered through thanks to everybody out there. I was sad when I relapsed, and it was really hard for me to tell everyone - I just wanted to be a normal kid and it’s really sad. I’m really thankful for my family, friends and my dog, Hank.”
Wishing you and yours a truly blessed Thanksgiving!
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Unexpected Inpatient / Hockey Fights Cancer
After an unusually rough cycle, Caroline had an even harder time recovering at home and ended up being re-admitted inpatient. Her lab work showed she was fighting off a strong intestinal virus, in addition to her chemo side effects. After a few days of fluids, anti-medics and supportive care, she was feeling much better and able to come home.
Luckily she was feeling well enough to participate in the Nashville Predators' "Hockey Fights Cancer" night on Saturday. Caroline got to high-five the players as they came out of the locker room, wave rally towels on the band stage to hype the crowd with Scott Hamilton, sit in the 365 Foundation Suite, and ride on the Zamboni when they cleared the ice before the game - she absolutely loved it! It's always such an honor to be asked to represent the hospital that has worked so hard to save her life...enjoy the pics!
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Rough Cycle 9 - Complete
Her next appointment is on Friday (11/18) for a wellness check, followed by progress scans the week after Thanksgiving.
Thanks for the continued support!
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Cycle 9 Admission
Please continue to pray for Caroline, specifically for overall comfort and alleviation of her nausea.
We’re so grateful for all the support!
Team Lantz
#carolinestrong
#ftgf