Day Minus 6

Hip Hip Hooray! Alex's nose swab came back negative for the Rhino virus, so we were told "you are now free to move about the ward".

Alex was a champ with radiation both times today. It is amazing to see how high-tech all the equipment is, only to then watch them use a wood dowel, brass plates, and masking tape to calibrate the radiation.

I kid you not.

With lasers shining lights everywhere, they use the wood dowel (with sharpie pen markings)to line him up parallel to the linear accelerator (LINAC). Then, they turn off the lights, and use making tape to stick brass plates to the LINAC itself to shield part of the beam, in order to keep the radiation level the same for all areas of his body.

Just like yesterday, he sat perfectly still, watching his movie (Space Balls today). After about 10 minutes, the vault door opened, and we went in while they turned him around.

After his morning chemo, he ate eggs and bacon, and got ready for school. We went to the classroom, where he worked on a diorama of the earth surfaces (lakes, rivers, planes, islands, mountains). I am so grateful for the school here. There is another little boy who is also in first grade, and is currently fighting T-Cell Lymphoma, *and* is left handed. When his Dad asked what Alex was here for, I cringed telling him that Alex was cured of his T-Cell Lymphoma, but then that cure caused the Pre-B Cell Leukemia. I sure hope that his little boy doesn't have the same thing happen to him.

Alex enjoyed school, and I really think it will be a great consistent stabilizing force through the next few months.



His Chemo Pal came by in time for BINGO, and Alex got a Porsche model car. Pokemon card games ensued, and laughter filled our room.

After his second radiation treatment, we came back to the room, and did some "homework".

After afternoon radiation, Eric headed home to celebrate his birthday with our daughter, and our parents.

Alex ate quite a bit of pizza for dinner, which is good, since he probably won't want to eat much, if at all, soon.

At bedtime, he said his jaw hurt (which is common for TBI - the salivary glands are especially sensitive to the radiation), so we got some medicine, and some ice packs, and drifted off to sleep.

Tomorrow, we get up, and do it all again...