Stuck in a Hospital Room

I woke up this morning in a hospital room with my son. My husband and daughter woke up at home without us.

CANCER SUCKS.

Alex received a blood transfusion last night in order to keep enough blood pumping through his veins to continue this battle.

GO TO HELL CANCER.

Alex's fever is low (99.6), but still too high to start the clock for us to go home (48 hours fever-free, and counts on the rise)

WE WILL FIGHT YOU CANCER.

The doctor's have told us we will be here until at least Sunday, robbing us of any chance to have a nice summer weekend as a family.

WE WILL WIN THIS BATTLE, CANCER.

Alex started to cry when I told him that I would go home to be with Tessa-Lynn tonight, and only Daddy would be here to sleep with him. He wants us both to be here with him.

HE IS STRONGER THAN YOU, CANCER.

Because of Alex's counts, fever, and cough, we are stuck in a room the size of a one car garage. There are only so many movies, books, and games to keep an active, smart 4 year old engaged. Boredom should begin in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...there it is!

ALEX WILL SURVIVE, AND OUR FAMILY WILL BE STRONGER IN SPITE OF YOU, CANCER.

I haven't heard yet what his counts are this morning - I'll post again when I know more.

CANCER SUCKS.

Murphy's Law

I knew I shouldn't have written that last post. Whether it was Murphy's Law, superstition, bad luck, or coincidence, we are here at the Emergency Department, getting Alex admitted for a fever with neutropenia (ANC=100) tonight.

So, while cancer didn't invade our home life yesterday, it was waiting for the right moment to pounce, and rear it's ugly head.

The frustrating part is that Alex is in a relatively good mood, and doesn't seem as "sick" as he did last week.

It's 9:45pm, and the doctors are now trying to coordinate with the Oncologists to see what bed to put him in tonight.

Tomorrow is scheduled for Alex's last Chemo in this phase before he starts Maintenance - I think that they will continue with the Chemo if his fever isn't too bad - but I can't say for sure.

I would think that I would get used to these admissions, but I don't - riding in a wheelchair with my son in my arms to the place where this all began is the last thing I want to do. Alex isn't too happy about it either...

A Normal Day

Today was good. The household was acting like a normal home with a 4 year old boy and 17 month old girl. That means: "Alex, stop tackling your sister...Alex, that's a little rough...Alex, give that toy back...Tessa-Lynn, don't hit your brother...Mommmm, look what your daughter did (my new personal favorite)..., and LOOK, LOOK (said at a high pitched 17 month old squeal)".

It is also filled with "Alex, that was very sweet...Tessa, kisses for Mommy?...Nice hugs...Thank You...Please...Your Welcome!"

The really, really nice part? Cancer didn't invade our home today. No medicine, no pokes, no aches, no nausea, no intestinal issues, no exhaustion, no fevers, no crying, no worries.

A really good day...

The Last PEG Shots!!!

Today, Alex just received his last two PEG Shots - EVER! There were some tears as the nurses readied the needles, and plunged them into his thighs. Afterwards, Alex bounced right back and went to the playroom to play while we wait the hour to see if he has an allergic reaction to the shots.

That's where he is now. Playing with other kids who are afflicted with a cancer or blood disorder. It's a pretty small club - we have seen many of these faces before. There is a certain kinship they all share, a bravery that comes from within, and a strength I will never be able to master.

When the nurses checked his counts today, his ANC was 300...yes 300... it was 5,100 on Tuesday afternoon. His counts have plummeted as expected - which means the chemo is doing it's job. His counts were just high enough to not need a transfusion this week, so the likelihood of a transfusion next week is pretty high.

I am so very proud of my boy today, and every day. We are only one treatment away from the Maintenance stage - a huge milestone in his cancer treatment!

No Fever!

Alex woke up without a fever today! He is playing "Star Wars" with his sister and his Gampa Pat and Gammma Carol.

It's a really good day!