I apologize. I only have a few minutes, so I will try to give my best to give a detailed abbreviated version.
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| another long day of chemo |
I did not go to chemo on Friday. Davis, Kyle, and my mom set out at 5:00 AM for the long day. I stayed home and ran some errands, attended a parent/teacher conference, and spent some quality time with Annakate. To our surprise, Davis weighed 55 pounds! 55! He has lost nearly 25 pounds and weighs less than his seven-year-old sister. The doctors don't seem to be as worried as we are, so I guess that is a good thing. Davis did well without me being there. He sailed through his chemo.When it was time for the Peg shots, Kyle called me and put me on speaker phone, so that I was there to cheer and comfort Davis. Davis took the shots well. He cried, but I think anyone would. They were able to leave the hospital around 4:30, and they made it home between 7:30 and 8:00 PM. A very long day.
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| tent's looking a little crowded |
Annakate and I enjoyed our time together. I ate lunch with her at school, and when I picked her up afterwards, I let her decide what we were going to do. Shopping? Manicures? Go out to supper? Nope. She chose pie baking. We had a blast making a huge mess. She did it all, and I, of course, was her assistant. She really enjoyed making the crust and peeling the apples, and we hurried to get it finished before Davis made it home. It was to be his surprise. I giggle a bit at the irony that Annakate doesn't like apple pie and won't eat any of it. I guess the joy is in the baking. And by the way, it's delicious. I posted some cute pictures below.
The doctors have started taking metabolic panels to keep an eye on Davis's liver function. Many of the different types of chemo can cause potential problems with the liver and kidneys. The CMP test will measure the drug toxicity in his body. Kyle brought home the first report, and there are a great deal of levels that are out of whack. I plan to call the clinic tomorrow just to hear a professional reassure me that this is normal and there is no long-term liver damage going on.
This morning we went to church as a family. It was the first time in a long time. When Davis is sick or his counts are low, one of us stays home (we rotate) with him, and one of us takes Annakate. We are aware that his counts will start to drop because of the recent chemo (usually takes a few days), so we took advantage of the opportunity.
Davis still continues to sleep a lot. He just can't find the energy to sustain himself for long periods of time. Provided that his class is well -- there were many sick last week -- he is planning on trying to go to school tomorrow. I am not sure if he will make it a full day; he many not have the energy to complete a whole day. School does help him keep his mind off not feeling well, and he is far more productive at school than he is at home.
I want to take a minute to thank the Oakland school and community. I was able to stop in on Friday for a visit. Some of the teachers and students made Davis a giant poster with well wishes on it. He loves it. It is hanging in his room. The Oakland community also collected nearly 200 new hats for a "Hats Off for Cancer" drive. Davis will be donating them to the Children's Hospital on their behalf. We continue to feel such love and support, and we are so grateful for it. We appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts, because that is what is getting us through this.
Hoping and praying for good health and a productive week.
We will keep you posted.
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