Pretty relaxing day in 917A. The doctors decided against doing the portacath today pending the results; therefore, Davis did not require a blood transfusion today. Davis managed to get out a little more today. We have really pushed him to go to the cafeteria to eat meals because it gets him out of the room, and it takes his mind off of all of the medical stuff that surrounds him.
 |
| watching scary shark movie |
We moseyed to the Ronald McDonald floor, where we parked it on a super comfy couch in front of a super huge TV. I won't be surprised if Davis has bad dreams all night after watching part of "Deep Blue Sea" this afternoon. We also watched "Batman Begins". Wow. One and a half movies in one day.
Davis had some company, for which we were grateful. Grandpa and Grandma Arnold were here, and his babysitter and friend Rachel stopped in as well.
Mr. Finn, a teacher with whom I work, stopped by for a chat. His daughter has been here for a new heart, and tonight is the first night in a couple of months that they as a family are able to leave the hospital and stay in a hotel. One step closer to home. I couldn't be happier for them.
 |
| davis and rachel |
Visitors give Davis something to look forward to and distracts him from . . . well, the hospital. Davis is extremely homesick, and as much of home as we can get here, the better. I know that many have expressed interest in coming to visit, and we want you to know that you are welcome.
So that was the day, and then 5:30 came. The pathology reports concluded that Davis has leukemia. We won't know until tomorrow which type of leukemia Davis has. The treatment will depend upon the type of cancer.
Tomorrow, at least for now, Davis will have a blood transfusion if necessary to stablilize him for procedures to insert a portacath (a catheter in his chest to receive his chemo) and a spinal tap to determine if the cancer is in his spinal fluid. Depending on how things go tomorrow, treatment will start on Saturday. We are looking at a minimum of seven days of treatment. Davis will not be dismissed until his immune system is strong enough to fight infection.
Davis is in need of prayer for a calm spirit. As I am sure you can imagine, he is scared, and he longs for home. He searches for answers that we don't have and can't provide: "Why did this happen to me?", "Why can't I just go home; I feel perfectly fine.", "How much longer do I have to be here?" We reassure him that we are by his side, and we are in it for the long haul - however long that might be, but that brings little comfort to a nine-year-old.
Speaking of which . . .
Davis is so terribly saddened that he will be celebrating his golden birthday - his tenth birthday - on Sunday, here in the hospital. We have every intention of making it as special as possible, but I anticipate a potentially difficult day. Kyle explained to him that one unpleasant birthday is helping to guarantee future birthdays, but he struggles to grasp that. We will need extra prayer on Sunday, as if everyone hasn't been praying their guts out for us already.
We are so amazed by the continuous support back home. It uplifts us so much. We ask that you continue to pray because the road ahead is long and weary. We serve a healing God, and we know we are not alone. We will continue to praise Him through this storm.
Tonight, we are having movie marathon. Three movies, a bag of popcorn, peanuts, pretzels, and all the fruit punch cups a little boy could want.
Keep you posted.
I wish I could whisk his turmoil away. I often find myself asking the same questions to God that Davis is asking of you. How could my nephew, just a precious little boy, have such a life changing disease? Though I am not there, all that are around me feel the pain of what you are going through. The days of seeing me cry on and off because I want to be closer to my family, to the caring aspects of worried faces in my friends, praying for you. I love the updates through this blog (bad and good), but to read your words on paper, is like hearing your voice in my heart. I pray harder than I have ever prayed, talked to God more than I think I ever have and even found a church to go to. Keep the pictures coming, I love to see his smiling face. Love you and miss you deeply. CoCo Bean.
ReplyDeleteI am praying daily for Davis' healing and strength for the whole family. It is hard for us, as adults, to understand what is going on, so I am sure it is even harder for Davis to comprehend. I also know there will be something good that God will use from this horrible experience! I love to see your faith not faltering in the blogs. I have called in all the prayer warriors I know to pray for Davis! Stay strong and remember God has promised us He will never leave or forsake us!
ReplyDeleteTell Davis hi for me.
I have been in your shoes and am here to tell you, it WILL get better! My 4 year old grandson Nate went to the doctor for a rash and was diagnosed with leukemia a year and a half ago. It knocked the socks right off of us all! Treatments have not been fun, his hair disappeared, but came right back, and we have had to adjust to a life with different priorities, but we have faith that he is in good hands and I know Davis is, too. Nate's leukemia was identified as ALL. He experiences leg pains & lack of energy, just like Davis. His appetite is sporadic and he favors salty foods (which was a surprise to us all), but at this point, we are happy to give Nate whatever he wants. He also had numerous transfusions due to low counts earlier in his treatments, but has not had one for several months. He also has a port just under the skin on his chest and it has been a godsend. Please have Gary or Marylee give you our phone number if you EVER want to talk. God will see you through this! Our prayers will be with you!
ReplyDeleteJudy Saxton Rader
loving you and thinking about you guys this am
ReplyDelete