Back into the Routine

01/10/2012: 9:52 AM

It has been pretty uneventful here. Thank goodness. 

Since Davis' ANC (immune system) was high on Friday, we continued our normal routine over the weekend. It seems that we have adjusted to our school routine quite quickly, and evenings are already consumed with supper, homework or reading, and showers before bed. Just thinking about how normal it all is makes me smile.

Davis met with a new psychologist yesterday. I am confident that we have found a good fit for Davis. Davis needs help overcoming his anxiety of swallowing pills. And I know to most of us pill swallowing seems like nothing, but not to Davis. It seems we have tried everything: pill glide, sprinkles, ice chips, flooding the mouth with water, throwing a pill in with food ready to be swallowed . . . He just can't or won't do it. The doctors have made it clear that Davis will be on medication for quite some time, so the sooner he gets used to swallowing pills, the better. And those of you who have or ever worked with children know that fears and worries that seem so trivial to us are very real and life-impacting in their eyes.

We just feel so blessed that Davis is doing so well. We know that this first 6 1/2 months of chemo are the hardest, and we know that every family has their share of ups and downs, but I feel that we have had more ups than downs. We know of children who spend more time in the hospital than out of it; we know of children who are tutored or home-schooled because they are not well enough to go or the school doesn't accommodate them to go (in terms of keeping them healthy). We know of families that long after diagnosis are still awaiting answers - still frustrated because treatment isn't going as planned. We are thankful, grateful, blessed.

yucky steroids. i took this picture to show how much
hair growth he had in the three weeks he had off from chemo.

Davis will have chemo on Friday. It will be an easy day in clinic because the two chemo meds he is scheduled to get take about thirty minutes total to receive. He will also have to start the Dexamethasone steroid again. With that steroid, he is on one week, off the next, on again. But it appears that this should be the last week for this steroid for now. Davis has struggled with the steroids. They cause a great deal of nausea, acid reflux, and irritability/mood swings. He has additional medicine he can take for the nausea and acid reflux, which he hates taking, but there is nothing that can be done for the mood swings. I often remind myself that this too shall pass, because there are times that the whole family is miserable from the steroids.

We continue to pray for Davis' complete healing. Each day is one day closer to being clinically healed. We thank you always for your positive thoughts and prayers. You truly are the best support group around. We are surrounded by the most devoted and compassionate family and friends in the most thoughtful community.

As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit. Emmanuel

We will keep you posted.