It's late. I hope I don't ramble too much.
Thanksgiving has never been my favorite holiday. I see cooking as a necessary evil and don't particularly enjoy it, and it is the pinnacle reminder that Christmas is coming, and I don't particularly enjoy the hustle and bustle often associated with the season. However, the simplistic idea of giving thanks has humbled me. I have so many reasons to give thanks. Reasons that so many take for granted, like life. I am not sure I have ever truly appreciated the love of family and togetherness until now. I think I came pretty close last year when I lost my grandpa the day before Thanksgiving, but somehow my heart grows more thankful every day. My family has truly been blessed beyond measure, and as odd as this may sound, we are thankful for the trials and tough times before us, because it is with the struggles that we gain our strength.
Last weekend was uneventful which is exactly how we love it. Davis and I headed down to chemo after we dropped Annakate off to school on Monday. Despite eating a ton last week, Davis is still at 54 pounds. His protein level improved, but his calcium levels have not. In clinic, he received a couple of different chemo meds through his port, and then we headed downstairs for his spinal. The APC (Ambulatory Procedure Center) was behind, so Davis' procedure was pushed back by almost an hour. He was pretty patient though. I stayed with him in the procedure room until the propofol worked its magic. About thirty minutes later, I was reunited with him. The APC hands you a beeper similar to what you hold on to at the Olive Garden. When your child is stable enough to be seen, the beeper flashes red lights and makes a loud beeping noise. Davis was to stay flat for one hour to cut down on migraines. He often gets headaches when coming out of the anesthesia. To prevent this, the docs give him a bag of fluids and require him to hold still for an hour after the procedure. When the hour passed, Davis was cleared to go home. He was still quite groggy and his back was pretty sore, so I wheeled him to the car pick-up. He slept nearly all of the way home.
Luckily, Tuesday was a pretty easy day for him at school. Even though he was quite nauseous from the chemo the day before, he still went. It is crazy to think that Davis' schedule consists of chemo and spinal one day, school the next. It is yet another blessing that Davis is still able to attend school in for nearly the whole month of November. The kids in his class have remained remarkably healthy, and Davis seems to be holding his own in terms of ANC (absolute neutrophil count or immune system).
We were able to visit Grandpa and Grandma Fanello in Tennessee for Thanksgiving. The trip has been pleasant and enjoyable, but the drive is far too long. Davis has spent a great deal of time in his pajamas in front of the TV. His Uncle Andy brought a gazillion Wii games and movies galore. Davis is content. We have been doing our best to keep him out of crowded areas, and at this time of year, it seems everywhere is crowded.
Well, it is back to school on Monday. I have never been so appreciative of routine in my life. On Wednesday, Davis is scheduled for another CBC (complete blood count) and CMP (complete metabolic panel). If his counts are good, we will head down for chemo on Thursday. It will be the last chemo treatment on this 57-day roadmap. We will start the next roadmap (scheduled chemo phase) two weeks later. He will get two weeks off from treatment right before Christmas. The next roadmap appears more complicated than the one we are about to finish. The chemo treatments are more frequent, there are more oral medications, and there are a few chemo meds that Davis hasn't taken before. We will be watching for reactions and side effects to new meds and even to the ones he is used to taking as his body is wearing down from the treatments.
We continue to ask for your prayers for Davis. His mouth is full of mouth sores caused by the increased dosage of methotrexate, one of his chemo drugs. He is miserable. Chemo is very drying, and in addition to his mouth sores, his lips crack and bleed. I fear that the mouth sores and cracked lips will lead to weight loss, which we can't afford. Please pray that the next roadmap isn't as tough on his little body as it appears it is going to be. My stomach turns just thinking about all of the medications that will be pumped into him. And yes, there are more Peg shots to come. Please help us pray for our continued good health and for those with whom we come into contact. We need wisdom to keep our son safe and happy. We are finding it difficult to keep the holiday events and activities (get-togethers, shopping, upcoming Christmases, etc) "normal", and still keep the health of Davis front-and-center. We are constantly compromising, and Davis already feels robbed of so many experiences and activities.
And in the spirit of Thanksgiving, thank you for your support, encouragement, and prayers. They are things that we have grown dependent upon.
We will keep you posted.
I am trying out a different format. I have attached some pictures from this week.
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| Annakate gathered food to donate for her birthday. Here she is dropping off some of the goods to the food pantry in Ashmore. It was such a great experience for her. |
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| My neice, Faith, did Annakate's hair for church. She looked beautiful and far too mature. It hurts my heart a little to see her less and less as a little girl and more and more like a young lady. |
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| While I was completing paperwork at the Admittance Office at Children's on Monday, Davis patiently waited. |
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| Davis is getting ready to receive anesthesia for his procedure in the procedure room (appropriately named). |
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| The procedure is over, and Davis is groggy and sore. |
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| A surprise came in the mail this week. The quilting care group of a church in Estes Park, CO sent Davis this awesome blanket and pillow. They also sent him some great words of encouragement as well. This is perfect for the car rides to and from St. Louis. |
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| Annakate, with her cousin Shane, are awaiting the Thanksgiving festivities at school on Tuesday. |
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| In my opinion, this is a wonderful way to pass some of the 5 1/2 hour trip to Tennessee. Annakate thinks of everything. Not only did she remember to pack herself a light-blocking mask, she even managed to put one on her monkey. |
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| Thanksgiving Lupper (somewhere between lunch and supper) is nearly ready. The kids are ready for sure. |
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| My kids have been coming to this park for years. It is quite impressive. This picture doesn't capture it all. |
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| The kids jut in and out of places. They pop their heads up every now and again. We catch glimpses of them before they disappear again. Davis held still long enough for me to snap this. |
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| Grandpa Fanello and Annakate are playing in this pic. |
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| Davis didn't last as long as his sister and cousins did. Here he is resting. He wears gloves to cut down on the transmission on germs. We can't possibly clean everywhere he touches on a playground, so gloves, at times, are the only sensible solution in addition to good hand washing. |
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