A return to "normal"

Yesterday, Alex returned to his more "normal" self. While he is still more tired than he used to be, his funny personality returned.

He was bowling and golfing with some of his Grandparents (on his new Wii game system, given to us by our wonderful neighbors), and laughing. While we have to struggle to get the medication in him, he is slowly "giving in" to the fact that we have to do it.

He is so strong - he helps us flush his PICC line, and talks about how sometimes the icky medicine makes him "spit up", but not other times...

My Grandmother told me recently that it is easier for the person in the hospital, than it is for their family and friends. In this case, I definitely agree. Alex is rolling with the punches. He doesn't always like it, but "it's just life", and "these things happen". Eric and I, and all of you have to deal with the reality of what is happening, and our concern for him is filtered through our life experience. We can't look at this cancer, without reviewing our own experiences with this terrible disease, and coloring our outlook on it. We all know someone who has had cancer, or has had a family or friend fight it. Some of those experiences were positive, some had very sad outcomes.

I am trying to look at Alex's cancer as it's own experience, without looking through a filter. He is a strong young boy, who has been diagnosed with a cancer very rarely found in children. The good news is that it is a very curable cancer (approx 80% first treatment cure rate), and we'll beat it - there is no other option.

Today we did "normal" things: We put up our Christmas lights on the house, and put "Frank" on the roof (for those who don't know us, we have a life-sized dummy that we put in precarious positions on our house each year, trying to hang up our Christmas lights - I'll have to post a picture...). We watched a movie, and did "nap time" too.

Tessa-Lynn is running a slight fever today, and is spitting up a lot. Here is our first test of how well we can keep Alex from getting a cold. We will be doing lots, and lots of hand washing, and not letting Alex "hug" his sister, which he just loves to do!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving - we sure enjoyed having so much family around!