Dear Family and Friends:
Thank you once again for your continued prayers and support.
We were in the hospital from Monday through Friday Jan. 10 - 15 because of stomach pains and inability to eat. Cody is doing better and better each day. Monday was his last day of radiation! Yeah! Yippee! Wahoo!! Also his last day of chemo for a month. this time off will give him/us time to recover from this last phase of treatment and prepare him mentally and physically for the next phase of chemo.
This last go around in the hospital was traumatic for him (us too). He was really stopped up and the ordinary remedies were not working. He had a choice of drinking a liquid concoction every hour on the hour for 24 hours or a hose down his nose to his stomach with a 24 hour drip. He chose the hose because he does not like being woke up in the middle of the night. When the hose was inserted, he had a panic attack and checked out mentally and really wished he had made a different decision. He felt short of breath and very uncomfortable. His eyes glazed over and his body slumped in submission. He didn't want to eat or engage in anything...just sleep. It was very scary to see him in that state. So for all of us, it was a long 24 hours. Once the tube was taken out, his whole attitude changed immediately. He has been a trooper through this whole thing. Can't say I would do as well as he has.
On February 14, he gets admitted to the hospital to start his next phase of chemo. He will have to stay in the hospital a day or two as he will be on an IV drip with this chemo treatment. He will get this every 6 weeks x 2, 4 weeks X 1, another 6 weeks X 2, another 4 weeks X 1, another 6 weeks X 2, another 4 weeks X 1. During this time, in addition, he will receive the same chemo he has had during the first phase of treatment once a week, 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off. So according to my calculations, we should be complete by 1/15/07.
As each day passes, his appetite is increasing. Our plan is to fatten him up in this next month with Chocolate malts for breakfast loaded with protein powder, fruit smoothies and anything else we can encourage him to get down. We let him eat whatever and whenever he wants. A lot of it is hit and miss. Needless to say, I have gained weight, eating what he hasn't.
We are looking forward to this time off from treatment. He will be having an MRI on February 9th to see the results of radiation. Please pray the tumor and all of it's relatives are all gone and not a trace.
Dave seems to be "over" his stones as he has not been in pain for about a week now. (Thanks for your prayers for him too). He will be doing some follow up doctor visits this coming week.
Thank you again for your continued prayers,
Dallas
Friday, January 20, 2006
Monday, January 09, 2006
"Mom, People stare at me" Ouch...
Dear Family and Friends:
We are all in good spirits and doing as well, if not better than can be expected, considering..
Cody was doing fine but started sliding downwards on about Friday..one week after getting home from our last stay. Saturday he didn't feel well, Sunday he felt a little better so we went ahead and went to his baseball tryouts. He had been looking forward to this day for quite a while. It wore him out, but he loved every moment. He/we had fun and it was good to see some of his school buddies he has not seen for a couple of months. He was a little conscientious about his hair, or lack of it. He had to make sure he had his baseball cap on at all times. I quizzed him about it, he just said "mom, people stare at me when I don't have a cap on," ouch...I knew the answer but wanted it out in the light for discussion.
In this last handful of days he hasn't had much of an appetite. I could not sleep at all last night worried about his health. I called Oncology this morning to have them take a look at him. We all thought the best thing for him right now, under the circumstances, was to have him readmitted so he could at least get nutrition and reduce his pain....again.
Please keep us lifted up in your prayers... I am on my way back to the hospital to stay with Cody. Dave is there right now. Oh! Dave is feeling better...stones not passed but feeling better.
Thank you again for your continued prayers.
Dallas, Dave and Cody
We are all in good spirits and doing as well, if not better than can be expected, considering..
Cody was doing fine but started sliding downwards on about Friday..one week after getting home from our last stay. Saturday he didn't feel well, Sunday he felt a little better so we went ahead and went to his baseball tryouts. He had been looking forward to this day for quite a while. It wore him out, but he loved every moment. He/we had fun and it was good to see some of his school buddies he has not seen for a couple of months. He was a little conscientious about his hair, or lack of it. He had to make sure he had his baseball cap on at all times. I quizzed him about it, he just said "mom, people stare at me when I don't have a cap on," ouch...I knew the answer but wanted it out in the light for discussion.
In this last handful of days he hasn't had much of an appetite. I could not sleep at all last night worried about his health. I called Oncology this morning to have them take a look at him. We all thought the best thing for him right now, under the circumstances, was to have him readmitted so he could at least get nutrition and reduce his pain....again.
Please keep us lifted up in your prayers... I am on my way back to the hospital to stay with Cody. Dave is there right now. Oh! Dave is feeling better...stones not passed but feeling better.
Thank you again for your continued prayers.
Dallas, Dave and Cody
Friday, January 06, 2006
"The Hospital is more fun than this"
Dear Family and Friends:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It was a long 2 weeks at CHOC, but we are all home now. Cody and I were living at the hospital, Dave was out of the country for a few days, then laid up (still is) from kidney stones. We checked out of the hospital 12/30 late in the afternoon. Cody is now eating, off pain medication and feels great.
Cody has been on a lighter dose of radiation as of 12/19. They are now only radiating the tumor area of his brain rather than the spine and brain. In addition to lots of prayer, I am sure the lower radiation has helped his recovery. When the spine is radiated, it can also affect internal organs. In Cody's case his stomach. Radiation basically paralyzed his stomach to a point that his stomach was not doing it's job...so nothing was going down or out, just up. It was very painful for him.
While waiting for paper work to check out of the hospital, we went to the play room to kill some time. We ran into another family who's son had the exact same cancer and surgery as Cody. This boy took 8 months just to recover from surgery. He had to have a lot of physical therapy to relearn eating, walking and talking. We were reminded once again of the power of prayer and God's grace for Cody. So HUGE! thank you!
It is so very humbling to hang out at the cancer ward of CHOC. All of these brave children and parents. Talking, hugging and sharing the pain with parents that have just been given the "news" and parents that have been at the hospital, it seems, more than at their own homes for months and years. Huge, gratefully given sacrifices for their children while they recover. Some do not... and that is a reality that all cancer parents face. It is rarely spoken as to not hinder total recovery. It is a different world. Not a bad world, just your life forever changes, your priorities change. Life is deeper.
On a lighter note: In addition to his very picky pallet because of treatment, he absolutely "disliked very much" the hospital food. So every time they served his food, it went uneaten. Truth being told, I ate some of it. (it was bad) I can't believe hospital food is not more palatable. One would think the food served should encourage eating. I knew things were at a turning point though, when he asked for pizza at 10:00 PM on 12/29. I gladly cruised the area to find a late night pizza for him. Anything to get him to eat.
On the way home from the hospital, Dave drove himself back to ER (the third time in 10 days) because his kidney stones were really bothering him. The medication he was given a few days earlier wasn't doing the job. He has seen a urologist and was told he has 2 more stones. They are pretty far down so the doctor felt it best that he just drink lots of water to help them pass. If things don't improve soon, the doctors will try to help "them" out. But, in the mean time, he is pretty miserable.
Today was a great day. We got to celebrate Christmas and open gifts. Cody had a couple buddies over to play and check out his gifts. To Cody's complete disappointment (and our joy) after a morning of playing (in the house) and running around as if he had not spent the last 2 weeks, racked with pain, in bed with an IV pole filled with nutrition, pain medication, etc., we had to tell him to relax a bit, take it slow and his friends would have to go home for a while. He pouted and stammered and finally indignantly said "the hospital is more fun than this!" So I very calmly told him he should pack his bag. He looked at me shocked and surprised. "Well, you said the hospital was more fun, so you should pack a bag, I'll gladly take you there, we'll come and visit." Amazingly, a bit later he said he was glad he had to relax because it was probably a good idea. H-e-e's b-a-a-a-ck! Praise God!
Please pray that these stones pass quickly for Dave, continued peace for both Dave and I, and total recovery for Cody. Thank you again for your prayers.
Blessings to you and your family,
Dallas and Dave
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It was a long 2 weeks at CHOC, but we are all home now. Cody and I were living at the hospital, Dave was out of the country for a few days, then laid up (still is) from kidney stones. We checked out of the hospital 12/30 late in the afternoon. Cody is now eating, off pain medication and feels great.
Cody has been on a lighter dose of radiation as of 12/19. They are now only radiating the tumor area of his brain rather than the spine and brain. In addition to lots of prayer, I am sure the lower radiation has helped his recovery. When the spine is radiated, it can also affect internal organs. In Cody's case his stomach. Radiation basically paralyzed his stomach to a point that his stomach was not doing it's job...so nothing was going down or out, just up. It was very painful for him.
While waiting for paper work to check out of the hospital, we went to the play room to kill some time. We ran into another family who's son had the exact same cancer and surgery as Cody. This boy took 8 months just to recover from surgery. He had to have a lot of physical therapy to relearn eating, walking and talking. We were reminded once again of the power of prayer and God's grace for Cody. So HUGE! thank you!
It is so very humbling to hang out at the cancer ward of CHOC. All of these brave children and parents. Talking, hugging and sharing the pain with parents that have just been given the "news" and parents that have been at the hospital, it seems, more than at their own homes for months and years. Huge, gratefully given sacrifices for their children while they recover. Some do not... and that is a reality that all cancer parents face. It is rarely spoken as to not hinder total recovery. It is a different world. Not a bad world, just your life forever changes, your priorities change. Life is deeper.
On a lighter note: In addition to his very picky pallet because of treatment, he absolutely "disliked very much" the hospital food. So every time they served his food, it went uneaten. Truth being told, I ate some of it. (it was bad) I can't believe hospital food is not more palatable. One would think the food served should encourage eating. I knew things were at a turning point though, when he asked for pizza at 10:00 PM on 12/29. I gladly cruised the area to find a late night pizza for him. Anything to get him to eat.
On the way home from the hospital, Dave drove himself back to ER (the third time in 10 days) because his kidney stones were really bothering him. The medication he was given a few days earlier wasn't doing the job. He has seen a urologist and was told he has 2 more stones. They are pretty far down so the doctor felt it best that he just drink lots of water to help them pass. If things don't improve soon, the doctors will try to help "them" out. But, in the mean time, he is pretty miserable.
Today was a great day. We got to celebrate Christmas and open gifts. Cody had a couple buddies over to play and check out his gifts. To Cody's complete disappointment (and our joy) after a morning of playing (in the house) and running around as if he had not spent the last 2 weeks, racked with pain, in bed with an IV pole filled with nutrition, pain medication, etc., we had to tell him to relax a bit, take it slow and his friends would have to go home for a while. He pouted and stammered and finally indignantly said "the hospital is more fun than this!" So I very calmly told him he should pack his bag. He looked at me shocked and surprised. "Well, you said the hospital was more fun, so you should pack a bag, I'll gladly take you there, we'll come and visit." Amazingly, a bit later he said he was glad he had to relax because it was probably a good idea. H-e-e's b-a-a-a-ck! Praise God!
Please pray that these stones pass quickly for Dave, continued peace for both Dave and I, and total recovery for Cody. Thank you again for your prayers.
Blessings to you and your family,
Dallas and Dave
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