Another Friday - And Spinal - Down

8/27/2011:  8:30 AM


waiting and waiting



We made the familiar jog down to St. Louis yesterday. Davis received his IV chemo, which took all of five minutes. The real downer was that when the nurse accessed his port (stuck the nail in his chest), she didn't get a blood return, meaning she didn't have it in right, so she had to remove it and re-stick him. Poor thing.

We then met with his oncologist. She recommended that we, Davis, and everyone who is in considerable contact with him receive this year's flu shot. (Health officials actually recommend it for all children under 18 years of age.)This will lessen the chance that he will pick up one of the expected strains. Unfortunately, Annakate can not receive a flu shot because of her egg allergy; she can't have the flu mist either because of her asthma. We will just watch her like crazy, encourage good hand washing/hygiene, and pray sickness off of her.

At 11:00 AM, Davis received another LP (lumbar puncture, AKA spinal tap) where more chemo was inserted into his spinal fluid to protect his central nervous system. The nurse also administered the PEG shots while he was out. After he came to, we were off to the orthopedics office to pick up his chest guard. While waiting at the orthopedics office, we were encouraging Davis and reminding him of how brave he is.  He responded, "All of this (treatments, LPs, shots, etc) is wearing down my toughness."  I can't even imagine.  Still the bravest kid ever in my book.

ready for kickball

Davis had some adjustments made to his chest guard. This guard will allow him to play at school, at friends', etc. He could barely move when he was being fitted, and I noticed that when he tried it on at home, it didn't fit quite right, so I might have to make some final adjustments myself. But he is excited. He can't wait to be able to play at recess and participate in some PE.

Wade said he never gets his picture
taken not facing the camera :)

The 3rd Annual Kenneth Coffey, Sr. Memorial Race was last night. Annakate and Kyle, along with a bunch of other people, ran in it. Sadly enough, I didn't get a picture of either of them crossing the finish line. Davis's best buds and their little brothers were wearing shirts in honor of Davis.Team Davis shirts. Davis had planned to run or walk in the race, but wasn't feeling up to it. (Funny how two legs shots and a LP can slow you down.) Thank you, Jill.  Those shirts totally made his night.

Today, Davis feels much better. He is actually wielding his light saber in the living room as I type.

still managed to place
despite not consistently
training

Annakate is so funny. I keep meaning to blog about all of the funny stuff she does everyday, but it slips my mind. Well, Annakate has nightmares about hobos. Yep, hobos. That in itself makes me chuckle, because what seven-year-old knows about or even thinks about hobos? Kyle capitalized on her new fear and told her some tall tale about an Ashmore hobo that hides in the trees.  Now, she is always on the look-out for the Ashmore hobo.  Hopefully, her fears of clowns and people in costumes have subsided in lieu of her new fear of hobos. Update:  We just made it home from the Ashmore Day Parade.  Annakate still has a fear of clowns.

Kyle has been handling all of the insurance paperwork. What a headache. I am glad he is doing that. He can spend hours cross-referencing bills, highlighting key information, photocopying, making phone calls. He is amazing. And the cost this treatment - wow!  Davis's PEG shots are over $9,000. Can you believe that?  I am so thankful for insurance and cancer insurance and Kyle's dedication to number crunching. One less thing to worry over.

I am finding that our new routine is anything but. We have to take everything one day at a time, and the planner with the master calendar in me is really struggling. I still very much miss my school.  I think I am homesick for it. I miss its smell. (Yes, weird sounding when I type it out.) There is a comfort -a familiar comfort- that wraps around me when I am immersed in the smell of my school. And a few days ago when I was helping out at Davis's school, I glanced into a classroom and was for sure that I saw one of my former students, Grace, sitting in the second row. Homesickness. When you start seeing the faces of the familiar in strangers, you know you are homesick.  So again, the phrase I often tell Davis, I must swallow myself, "This too shall pass."

I missed the season opener at Oakland (my school) last night. I can only describe missing it in one word: sad. To make up for it, Annakate and I snuggled in bed and watched the last quarter of the Colts game.  Quite exciting, but not half as exciting as Titan football.  I was glad to see that the boys had won when I read the paper this morning. Good. They deserve it. I wish them all the best. I already told Davis that he is going to have to stay well so I can catch a game or two.  He bettered my demand by saying that he would go with me to the next one.  I am keeping my fingers crossed. 

We continue to be so thankful to God for Davis doing so well with his treatment. There are times that I actually forget he has/had cancer. We are truly blessed. I am reminded of this every time we go to the pediatric oncology clinic. My heart breaks all over again the minute I walk into that chemo lounge. Everything about that space is wrong and unnatural. But I know that this treatment Davis is going through is a means to an end, and end to cancer and the beginning to the rest of his long, lovely life.

Davis starts radiation on Monday. He will continue radiation into the next week. On Friday, he will receive yet another LP (spinal) and more IV chemo. Our prayers are still the same. We ask God to protect his little body from short term and long term side effects, and we ask God for healing and a CURE.  We also pray for the his health and the health of his friends and the children with whom he goes to school and church, and we do the same for Annakate and the children in her class. We never grow tired of praying the same prayers, for we know the good that is coming from them. I feel we must not grow weary, because there is a little life dependent upon it - upon us. We thank you for praying with us, for sharing our burden.

Here's to a great week.  We will keep you posted.