Alex - a face of childhood cancer

Alex's picture is on page 52 of the new National Childhood Cancer Directory Resource, the Kid's Cancer Pages!

He is also now the "thank you" face for the American Red Cross here in the Pacific Northwest!

School

Alex is back at school!

This was the first week, and he was exhausted. The combination of afternoon school, no nap, and his daily chemo is quite tiring. Yesterday, he actually fell asleep in the car on the way home from school (which is just 1 mile from our house).

We are trying an earlier bed-time to combat the exhaustion. I hope it works...

Twilight Zone

This week is a steroid week. I actually fooled myself into thinking "this week isn't too bad..."

I was wrong.

Today, in the middle of Fred Meyer, my normally decently behaved 4 year old decided that "I NEVER GET ANY TOYS...never, Never, NEVER!" And just in case someone over in the produce section didn't hear him, he repeated this proclamation every 20 seconds or so for the duration of our time in the checkout line.

My daughter, who never wants to be left out of the fun, decided that she could squeal louder than Alex could lament, causing the ground beneath my feet to quake. I quickly looked around to make sure we were not going to be hit by glass shards if the windows shattered under the pitch of my daughter's delight.

I held strong, I held true. I did not give in and buy the source of all this drama - a $1.00 matchbox car.

The checkout guy wouldn't even make eye contact with me. I know I saw him roll his eyes as I returned my credit card to the well worn spot in my wallet.

Now that Alex looks like he has a real short buzz cut, instead of looking like a cancer patient, the reason for his behaviour is no longer obvious to the judgemental shoppers burning scornful holes in the back of my head.

I just wanted to scream: "My son is battling cancer - and he is acting out due to the medicine he takes to save his life. PLEASE give me and my kids a break! I AM a good mother, I DO discipline my children, I DO set limits - which is why we are all subjected to this symphony of wailing to begin with!"

Once I rolled the shopping cart out of the store, I felt this calm rush over me, and I looked at my two kids and they were calm.

Did I imagine the whole thing?

Alex was smiling, and Tessa-Lynn was quietly watching the cars through the parking lot. I would love to get my hands on the security tape for that moment. I want to see the demon that possessed my son, leave his body and return to the toy aisle, where it will wait for the next Mommy to stumble into the Twilight Zone.

Cautiously Relieved...

Good news! The mom with the child scheduled to get the FluMist decided to have him get the Flu Shot instead! So, as of this moment, I do not know of anyone at Alex's preschool who will be getting the FluMist *after* 9/7/09. That means Alex should be able to attend the first week of school!!!!

While I am relieved, I also know that this will be an ongoing issue for the flu season - and Alex could get taken out of class at anytime because of complications from some aspect of his cancer treatment.

Crushed

Alex will have to miss the first week of preschool, because a child in his class is getting the flu mist on September 11th - only 3 days before school, and unfortunately, Alex cannot be around *anyone* who has had the flu mist vaccine for 7 days.

As a mother of an immunosuppressed child, I am frustrated, and terrified about this coming flu season.

Even though Alex will be getting the H1N1 flu shot, it isn't ready yet, so until then, Alex is so vulnerable to the flu - both the standard strain, and the H1N1.

I cannot find ANY documentation to show me that the flu mist is better than a shot - in fact, it seems like just a gimmick to me. Since kids already get "shots" in order to be enrolled in school, what is one more?!?! How many doctors ASK the parents if their child will be around an immuno-suppressed person, before they administer the flu mist?

I am crushed that Alex will have to miss his first week of school - something he has been looking forward to for a month now - I'm so mad that yet again, cancer is interfering with our lives.