" I know that head"

We made a quick trip to the store and I brought Mr. Blue Eyes.  We had just grabbed some orange juice when a lady came up to him and said,

" I know that head, I have had one!" 

This stranger talked to him told him how strong and cute he was she hugged him twice and rubbed his head.  They shared there types of cancers and we said goodbye.  As we walked away Mr. Blue Eyes said " Mom do we know that lady."  I said no but she knows something about you." 

As we were checking out I ran into her again.  I shared with her that she was incredibly sweet and it meant a lot to us for he to visit with him.  She shared that 10 years ago when she was fighting cancer she was in an airport and a stranger hugged her and did the same thing that she had just done to Mr. Blue Eyes.   She said that the hug and support had meant so much she always hugs those special bald heads now.  She hugged me and said "stay strong everything's going to be ok."  I said "yes I know (my eyes brimming with tears)  I am just still a little raw from everything." "It just takes time...." she said.....

Touched! LOVED! Supported by a stranger! AMAZING!  A lesson on not being afraid or living in fear of what is in front of you.  What if she had not said nothing...... it is uncomfortable to know what to say for a lot of people but big smiles and conversations offer so much.... a reminder to be strong enough to get uncomfortable and reach out to others especially to the bald heads.

To the Dermotologist at City Of Hope

 

 

Above is the final scare
Below are the pictures May through Sept. of the wound.

(Click photo to view larger)
This was a special apt.  Mr. Blue eyes started with Dr. Jung in July with his first apt.  She is the doctor that took the Biopsies on his side.  She told him that she tells adults about how brave this 8 year old boy was getting his biopsy's done.  She told us to that if this scare were elsewhere we would do surgery but since it is located discretely that we will just leave it alone.  Mr.Blue Eyes was happy about that! 

INSPIRING VIDEO AND STORY!!!

My sweet cousin sent me this link.  I was so touched by the story and video. It is a must see!  I love these brave kids and awesome care givers.
Video Of Staff, Patients At Minnesota Children's Hospital Goes Viral | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky

Talented Mr. Blue Eyes

Everyday I have Mr.Blue eyes work on some homework.  Not his favorite activity.  Today I caught him writing on his cursive sheet with his foot instead of his hand.  It is so fun to be reminded everyday of the joys of BOYS.  It was a good laugh and I then I am just trying not to Yodel really loud at him  or  LOOOOOSE my mind.  Getting homework done is such a chore.  He will not focus....... MAYBE THE CHEMO ATE HIS BRAIN.... 

We are truly not to worried but grateful to have him grateful he is in remission. 

Life is full of fun and loosing our minds even without cancer.

Being BRAVE because of you

My little Mr. Blue Eyes has made me be a stronger person.  He has helped me build courage and have more vigor and passion in my life.

I think that is why often our life experiences are our greatest teachers.

I am not the same and never will be.   I was not going to share this but I am documenting his journey.  He has reminded me several times how he has helped me to be brave with this particular thing.  I shared it with him after the first procedure.  I told him that after all we have been though with him this seemed smaller than it used to be. 

Prior to cancer becoming a high priority I had booked three necessary  procedures for Edovascular Laser/ Phlebectomy's.  It  would total eight hours of procedures on my legs in 4 weeks time.  The recovery from the last is 3-4 weeks after the last procedure. To my surprise as it approached I was not worried or stressed.  I had my hubster dump me off at the curb and a friend pick me up when it was over. 

 Yes I am a little crazy for doing this at this time but I am of the mind set to just

get all of it over with at once.  

So I did and it has been hard to be a gimp and living with pain. 

However I am OK and will be much better when i don't look like someone beat me. 

So I lay in the sun grateful for a little boy who taught me I can do hard things to be 

braver today than yesterday.

So though I am a gimpasaurus I am glad I had this little brave child of mine and a 

loving Heavenly father who touch my soul and let me grow.

Why

I am sure as time goes on we will truly understand what this quote says and means to our family.  

The dust is settling from the storm we are feeling a bit of the sun on our backs again, we are finding our new normal! 

It has been a hard journey one that has changed us and strengthened us in many ways.

Last Friday I found out that a dear friend has breast cancer, another is getting a divorce another lost her baby at almost 19 weeks along in her pregnancy.  My heart is already raw and now is so sad.  How could so many things be happening all at once to all these great people.   I found great strength in a comment a sweet friend had left on this blog.

 "God reveals Himself and His way to us in such unexpected ways..You are so loved. Rest in Him knowing that He NEVER leaves you or forsakes you no matter what it looks or feels like. Rest and let Him heal you! "And we know that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." 

So we offer faith, support, friendship , prayers & love....

Catching you

 

Over the weekend Mr.Blue Eyes little brother was trying to learn to skate.  Maybe we should say trying not to kill himself.  He was saved by his older brother several time! LOL!  These two are sweet buddies!

Supported

 

 

 

At the  end of his treatment this is what his bedroom door looked like.  I hung his cards and anything he got from friends or primary kids from church.  
Lot's of love here.
He also recently got a poster from his school and a giant whale card from his class along with some school gear.  Very touching and sweet!  He goes to the dermatologist  about his scar next Friday.   I will request a blood draw to see his numbers before we make concrete plans to go back to school.  He currently does not want to go back. I know he is not ready but the time is coming.   He does not want to go until he has hair.
Sweet boy that cute bald head of yours is not getting hair that soon! 

Faith

This weekend we noticed 5 little fuzzes on Mr. Blue Eyes head.
Time for  a shave!!!!  
I told him we will shave it until we see lots of fuzzes growing up.  This weekend was a wonderful church Conference that we watched with the kids on the Internet from Salt Lake City.  His favorite talk was by President Thomas S. Monson. If you would like to read it it just press on the name.  It is  about  Our Heavenly Father(God) and how he knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass.
I highlighted this for him so when he looks back someday on this journey and new challenges he will face he can always draw strength from these words of wisdom.

Time with a bald head

We are not seeing any signs of the Return of the Hair.  That does not stop us from having a little fun.  This sticker was from the face of a digital clock.  So awesome! I am thinking by the date on Mr. Blue eyes head he will have some good fuzz.
He seems to be feeling a little better. We have still been very careful about outings and exposure to others.  We are just keeping him home. We will consider school in the next couple of weeks. Hoping his blood count is climbing back up.

Prayers of Thank You

It has been profound for us to discover how many people have known of Mr. Blue Eyes' journey. Many people have said they have prayed for him every day. That has touched our hearts so deeply, that others have prayed for his healing. I have never felt such a sense of pure gratitude for the hearts and love and thoughts of others. My prayer for each of you is that God will bless you with all you need. Thank you for being selfless and praying for our Mr. Blue Eyes.
Life can be hard, and one of the best ways to handle that for us has always been through prayer. Something profound happens when you pray. We have learned that prayers bring love, healing, strength, comfort and, when God wills it, miracles. We got to pray last year for a baby named Liam who could not walk, and now he does. We have also prayed for Darrin McCleve and Cousin Karl, who had cancer. Cousin Karl is looking as healthy as ever, and Darrin joined the ranks in heaven last December, he will be missed.
It was a great teaching tool for our children and a blessing to all of us.
Thank you!

Amazing Teacher

This is one amazing teacher!  She was Mr. Blue Eyes first grade teacher three years ago.  When she found out, she stopped by everyday once school started, she would bring him papers and get his school work when she could.  Then to our great surprise she volunteered and wanted(fought) to be his teacher for after school tutoring.  She has been great with Mr. Blue Eyes.  She is made of pure sweetness and goodness.  She has been more than a teacher she has become a part of our family.  She holds her faith in her heart she is always genuine.  She has been a great blessing to our Mr. Blue Eyes and to me.   She had a sick child for  many years. It has been this very experience that blessed us with how she has loved us and cared for us today.
 

The Lime Green for Lymphoma

 

Mr. Blue Eyes wanted his lime green ribbon hung on our door.  It came on a wonderful package of cookies someone shared.  So I sewed it and we hung it. I am sure most don't know what it means but for us it holds great meaning!

Picc Line Up Close

There isn't much that's not "close and personal" about a picc line since it goes through your vein to your heart. It is an amazing little device for chemo. The doctor made a joke when he pulled it out that "mom would want to keep it for her scrap book." (I must be transparent! But I am not going to put it in a book. I will put it in a box of the treasures from his time with cancer.) LOL!

We were really glad when the results came back Cancer Free because the entire week before Corban had had a rash all around his arm near the picc line. It is slowly healing now, but as Mr. Blue Eyes reports it is still a little itchy. We are very happy not to have to be FLUSHING it out everyday with Heparin. WOO HOO!  I am mostly just enjoying watching him be a little more cancer free every day. He has been really low on energy today, but his energy waxes and wanes.
Tonight we talked to him about how blessed he is to have come through this cancer free in the end. At nine, I am not sure he can really understand how precious and fragile life is. Blessed for sure.... It is a huge blessing that he is young with a strong body and spirit.

Past and Present Pictures

Mr. Blue Eyes will remain on the antibiotic for the next six months. He will take it every weekend four times. We see the doctor on October 29th. He said we will have to check to see if Corban will need all of his booster shots again, because chemo can wipe them out.
 It is almost scary not going in to see the doctor next week. YIKES!   Although we will be going to see the dermatologist in the next couple weeks so she can look at his scar on his side. Interesting stats: Corban weighed 86 pounds when he started chemo. He now weighs 94 pounds. He has a little more girth to him from the steroids. For that matter, so do I, but it is from stress not steroids. LOL!
   Last night was nice for Mr. Blue Eyes; we celebrated kid style. He got to have a friend over and his brothers had friends over (after we checked to make sure that no friends we invited were sick).  They played and played, had tacos, and then watched a movie.
These pictures were taken in front of the hospital by the fountain almost exactly two month apart. It seems like much longer than that. Maybe because so much has happened since then. WOW!  He is amazing and strong!
 

 

Lower than a Snake' s Belly

One Exhausted Mom: I think for myself, I am still in shock that the cancer is gone. I wish today that knowledge had brought me more comfort. I feel like we fought a battle and won, but somehow, the war is not over. I have felt like I have had to hold it together — to fight, to not stop looking up, so as to not completely loose it. (Though I have lost it on many occasions.) I am no longer holding it together. I am officially going down, tears, fears and all!!! That roller coaster ride I was on has officially crashed.
I have been in a completely different mode of life. I have been a nurse, a counselor, a mom and companion to my Mr. Blue Eyes, along with taking care of everyone else in the family. I have had very little time to process these events, I have mostly had to just push through. I have been living at a heightened level for months now. It has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I did not have a choice whether I could do it or not, I just did it. To be completely honest, this stinks. I hurt everywhere. My heart is raw. The let down from living this way is immense, and I am sure it is just going to take longer than I thought to find our new normal. I wish I were jumping up and down, but the fact is that I have a kid with a compromised immune system, and I am scared to death of his reentry into the world. It makes me feel sick to think about it. Cancer is gone, but not the unease of knowing it could come back. There is a lot to adjust to. I also feel guilty after seeing all the other moms at the hospital taking care of the cancer-ridden kids, and mine is going to be OK and theirs are not yet. Fourteen percent of them will not even make it. That breaks my heart. This is a war that must be won. I will never stop fighting for it.

Someone dear to me said that I seem so strong from what she has read on the blog. I assured her I am not. Anyone with this battle ahead would do what I did. I am just a normal mom that tried to help my son fight in his battle with cancer. I have recorded it for him, for my family and friends, and for any mom out there who may be in my shoes. (Follow the link to a post I wrote mid-journey that I just got brave enough to publish.)   So to be real with her, and anyone else who is reading this, I am not going to hide the extent and cost of this journey, and how I feel on this dark night. This has been unbelievably hard. I am just a normal person falling apart, or as my Aunt says, feeling "LOWER THAN A SNAKES BELLY."  I'm not sure how this will go, but I will feel it, grieve it, and eventually I will get myself together again.  So this will be my quote to hold onto tonight. I am sure in the morning a new day will look brighter.

BLESSED

 

Cancer free = Blessed.
 Could not be any happier!
  So thankful for answered prayers.
It feels a little surreal at this point and I keep tearing up.
Thank you for all your prayers, support, and love. 
For the next year we will see the doctor every month and have blood draws. We will be in his care until he is 18.  Mr. Blue Eyes will likely have more Pet Scans over this next year also. His blood counts are low so we are going to hold off on going back to school. He needs to build his immune system back up.
We will continue to update this blog for the next five years, which will bring us to October of  2018 when Mr.Blue Eyes is 14 years old.

 We feel so blessed to have this amazing doctor! We prayed to get a doctor like Dr.Armenian, and we will forever be grateful for his knowledge, humor, and abundance that he brings to his practice. He hugged us today to congratulate us. I could have just burst into tears and soaked his nice white coat.
He cured our Mr. Blue Eyes! Forever grateful!

Pet Scan

 

 

 

Up at 4:30 a.m. for the Pet Scan.  He was a trooper.  

We are all gearing up for the scan tomorrow.  Holding our breath,crossing our fingers and toes!!! (We really hold our breath when we look at this picture up close seeing all the FLAMING HOT CHEETOS and residue in Mr. Blue Eyes Teeth from gorging on them.)  Mr. Blue Eyes comments that "he does not want to do it and the part of that that he does not want to do is the whole thing.  I just wish they could just tell without it."  I wish they could to but until then 
Mr.Blue Eyes is going Radioactive
tomorrow.

Notes from Mom.  Tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for that tells us what kind of work the chemo has done.  The odds are good so we are hope full.   I tend to be of the mind set that if it is not gone we will fight harder and longer.  We know more about what it means to go through treatment. I am not afraid anymore to fight.  I hope with all my heart he will not have to do this again however  I will do anything for my Mr. Blue Eyes.   This experience has changed me.  Mostly for the better though I have never been through anything harder.  I will advocate for children's cancers and never forget how this experience has touched our hearts so closely. 
 I wrote in one of the first post and later found it quoted in a talk.  I read it over and over again.: 
Orson F. Whitney said: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. … All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.”⁵

Recently a nine-year-old boy was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. The doctor explained the diagnosis and the treatment, which included months of chemotherapy and major surgery. He said it would be a very difficult time for the boy and his family but then added, “People ask me, ‘Will I be the same after this is over?’ I tell them, ‘No, you won’t be the same. You will be so much stronger. You will be awesome!’”

Mr. Blue Eyes will be stronger,  stronger in spirit and as his body recovers that will be stronger too. God is forever my strength, prayer continues to be my rock.  So glad God has this in his hands.  We trust that Mr.Blue Eyes will live the life God intended.

Top Ten and a little nervous

When I spoke with Mr. Blue Eyes about the upcoming scan on Friday at 6 a.m. he said. "I am excited about finding out if I don't have cancer. I am not excited about the scan. I don't like that I have to have a special diet before I go." Mr. Blue Eye says he is a little bit nervous.

When we were talking the other night, he said that he is going to keep his head bald.
Top Ten Reasons Mr. Blue Eyes Is Thinking of Staying Bald.
1. It is easy to take care of.
2. It is easy to shampoo.
3. It does not itch.
4. All we do to make it look really good is shave my 5 hairs with shaving cream and dads razor.
5. Everyone likes to touch my head, and I like that it feels good when they do.
6. I especially like that you rub my head, Mom.
7. It helps me not feel so hot.
8. I like that blankets feel cozy when I rub them one my head.
9. Everyone says I have a good shaped head.
10. Bald really is Beautiful.  LOL!

Tapatio

This made Mr. Blue Eyes' day on Friday.
 Look what a dear friend dropped off. That is truly a reflection of him — especially since he has been in treatment. He is saving the poster for his college dorm room.
It has been amazing to see moments and glimmers of hope for our NEW NORMAL. Mr.Blue Eyes went outside and kicked a soccer ball; he played with his sister and fought with her; he wrestled with his brothers.  We have not seen any of this since treatment started. Then at night he crashed into stomach pain and became an emotional mess. It got so bad I called the on-call doctor at City of Hope. We drugged him up, and he was OK.
One day at a time is how we have to roll. It is a bigger adjustment to trying to get to the NEW NORMAL than I ever thought it could be. 

Listen to your heart...

Little sister got to come to chemo today, and so did our Meema, the kids' great aunt who is visiting from

Washington. She is wonderful!

Today was a blood draw and check up. Next Friday is the BIG DAY. Mr. Blue Eyes gets his Pet SCAN that day. He is doing well enough, back down to a 2.2 on the white blood cell count. It is low, but holding.  Our doctor said that we will likely make it though this without a blood transfusion. Awesome!
We had nurse Kim today. She is great with Mr. Blue Eyes! He loves to help peel the tape from the pick line that has to be changed weekly. She is so patient with him and lets him peel it all off! Little sister was lively and talkative, as always. She told the strangers in the elevator  that she had ponies, and she told the nurses that she had gotten a bite on her leg. They asked how she got it, and she said with a little spunk, "from a pidder" (spider). I asked Mr. Blue Eyes how he liked taking little sister. He said it was "OK and not OK." He thinks she is a little crazy sometimes.
The doctor came out to the waiting room to get us. He was looking for Mr. Blue Eyes in the fish tank, and being very humorous in the waiting room. Mr. Blue Eyes grinned and  turned pink. Then we went into the exam room to check on the little trooper. He checked out OK, even his heart. Then little sister got to have her little heart listen to by both Doctor Armanian and Corban, then the doctor gave her a prize. I am sure if anyone listened to our doctor's heart it would be full of kindness, knowledge, goodness, and of course some belly laughs. His heart and all the nurses have truly made this experience more positive and bearable. God could not have blessed us more in this area.     

 

We were in and out in an hour. WOW! It was so nice and really fun to have Meema with us...

Taking care of the soul

This is the quote that is in the rose garden area of the hospital. It is the one I attempted to quote some time ago on this blog. I love it! I did not even notice that there was a garden there. I have been so in the "getting my boy to chemo" mode that i did not notice it. That is very unlike me.
Today was the first time in months that my soul has felt lighter. We went to the doctor and had no chemo and possibly never will again. This has been one of the longest summers of my life. Mr. Blue Eyes has said it has sure been a longgggggg summer vacation for me. I marvel that he can still call it a vacation. WOW!

Last night we officially finished the last component of chemo; the Prednisone is over!
WHOOOO HOOOOOO!
He is so happy and so is his Mom. Mr. Blue Eyes is acting a little more human today, but is still low on energy. He did not need any nausea meds until tonight. He did get a very strange hacky cough that lasted just a day, but he seems to be fine now. He jumped in our bed to sleep and put his cozy hat on because he said his head was cold. This morning he got to hang out with his uncle and play the game LIFE. Then, this afternoon, the veins of life left us just hanging out with our feet up letting the day go by. We watched some Harry Potter and embraced a day of being low key.  

 

Awareness

I have had little awareness of CHILDREN'S CANCERS until I started the journey with Mr. Blue Eyes.  September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Its ribbon is Gold.
So today I share to bring awareness.
This link is important to read. 
It is alarming, but enlightening for all of us.
Mr. Blue Eyes' ribbon color is lime green. I did not even know before he got lymphoma. In fact, I only thought pink ribbons existed. There are many. We are rocking the
lime GREEN (press the green to see more)

 

Mr. Blue Eyes is getting by today, low energy, still feeling a lot of stomach pain. We are still on the meds to help get him through. He did play Phase 10 with his dad and brothers today!

ANYTHING

Anything for YOU...

This is a harder post to actually get out there, because it echoes the sentiments of the heart. Not just any heart, but the heart of the mother of a very special nine-year-old, Mr. Blue Eyes who is fighting the battle with cancer. This journey has been hard, heartbreaking, and, at times, unbearable. I have wanted to hide from the world for fear I will just cry and fall apart. I have lost sleep. I have fought depression and anxiety. I have, on some days, felt I would lose my mind and all my strength.
God is aware of us and all that we need, just keep looking up. I am....(at least most of the time).

One of the many reasons I am keeping a blog of this experience is for you, the mother reading this who has found out that your child has cancer. First of all, I am sorry that you are here. But know that you are not alone. You will get through this. You will find you are stronger and braver than you ever thought you were.  Why?  Because you have to be. You have a little person depending on you for their hope, recovery, and strength.  You can do this...

I would never have thought this experience could give me gifts, but it has:

~I know now more than ever that God has always been there. My rock, my strength.

~I have been given a greater capacity to love. I love my kids more today than I did yesterday. Life is fragile; it must be cherished. Is it perfect? NO! But being aware of how we love is important. It is important to love..... to stretch.... to not give up on those we love....

~Time with my Mr. Blue Eyes. Time together everyday and night. He has been sleeping in our bed and is rarely far from my side. I have been given a gift of time; time I will never get back. We are very close, and I cherish that, in this hard time, he is my gift. To know him is to love him. It makes me smile to see his tender heart, funny sense of humor, acceptance of life, and his strength.

~I have come to see just how much people love me and my family. A good friend said to me, "I will do anything for you." With tears welling in my eyes, I said quietly, "I will need anything." It has been hard to accept help, kindness, and Anything. However, we have needed it. It has helped. It is amazing to truly feel the love of others. I cannot say that before this happened I had any idea how loved I was. I had no idea that my family was loved this much by others. It is in these times that we see the true depth of another's soul — the very best of them. My people in particular have been, well... Amazing.

~I have felt the power and strength of being prayed for and fasted for. I have been comforted, strengthened and lifted.

~I have come to not hate the word "cancer." I used to, because it stole my dad from me when he was only 30. Now that I have a cute little nine-year-old with it, I cannot hate it, that would give it more power.  I just wish it to leave my little guy's body. I hope that someday no one will ever have to hurt from it again or be in this situation. Hate is gone, and healing is the only way.

~Family, what would I do without them? I am thankful for their planned trips here just to help, for their constantly checking on us, texting, and leaving comments on the blog. I have thought everyday, "I will do this on my own." Guess what... I can't!

~I have learned that to grow is to be refined in a the fires of life. I am still in them, but I see the growth...

~It is humbling to realize that motherhood presents us with a chance to see what we would do for our children. The answer for me is, "Anything." I am more of the person I would like to be because I have had to set aside my needs for Corban and for my other children — talk about perspective and realizing what is most important. WOW! That has been a gift. Motherhood has always been a gift that just keeps giving. This experience has only made that gift more powerful.

~I have spent a good part of my life learning to give back: to donate quilts, school supplies, etc. http://mormon.org/values/humanitarian-aid.  I have sometimes wondered if it really made a difference.  WELL it does... I have seen the hospital care for our son with these special toys and blankets, even birthday gifts the day he had testing done on his birthday. It made all the difference. Why? Because when you're down, you need lifting. You need love. I once heard a saying that went something like this: "It is important to keep the soul happy, or there would be no point of treatment." What we do and how we give back matters.  I will be an advocate for children's cancer forever now. I will give with more conviction, knowing that it does matter. We can make a difference.

~I am in awe of those who have forged the path before me, for those who have loved through, endured, and even lost to cancer. They have created things like beads of courage, programs for families who have need of support, etc. We are not alone!

My advice on what to do: take breaks; you're going to need them. Pray and fill yourself with good, spiritually uplifting music and reading material. I am still learning the art of this. When I actually get out, I usually turn to a puddle of tears as I drive. You cannot be low around your little warrior, so I have really crashed when I have gotten out.  Accept all the help anyone offers. Basically Anything! (I know this is hard, but you will see you need it.) Let people love you and pray for your family. Talk about it, so it does not eat your soul. Be positive, especially to your little one.
                                                                               NEVER LOSE HOPE!!!!!

Throwing up

He woke up and got moving around and became sick quickly. Straight for the bathroom for a personal look into the toilet bowl and some expelling. I might note that while he made it until morning without throwing up the dog threw up four time through out the night. What a nice dog to feel so bad for his owner that he will barf allllllll over the place.  So nice! LOL!  The dog I just through out to the house and cleaned the mess.  For Mr. Blue Eyes we loaded the drugs on, and he has been a couch potato most of the day. He is not hungry and not wanting to eat or drink. This is normal for him at this stage. We see the Doctor next week, and then the big scan is on Friday the 27th. We are anxious to get that done for sure!

This is a picture of him in June before this all began. 

The DRUG line up.....

This is a picture of Mr. Blue Eyes when he was four. I thought it was fitting for the drug line up. The first time I read it, I felt like the picture looooks.  

The CHEMO drugs: Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), Doxorubicin (Adriamycin), Vincristine (Oncovin): destroy cancer cells by interfering with the cell growth cycle. These three will be given together three times, twenty-one days apart. Then there will be seven weeks straight of Vincristine. Every Thursday has been our day. It is called "nine weeks" of chemo, however, it is really seven weeks of chemo.

Other Meds:
Prednisone: an anti-inflammatory drug that may be used to fight many of the body's negative responses to chemotherapy. Taken for the first 28 days, then 14 days off, and then 5 days on again.This can alter your moods and it did do this to him a bit.  We called it getting on his Mr. Cranky Paints.(it made him defiant, moody and more emotional) The doctor warned us and said "good luck with that" with a smile on his face.
Zofran (ondansetron): helps with vomiting and nausea during chemo.
Clotrimazole: 10 mg.
Lorazepam (Ativan): helps with vomiting and nausea during chemo. (We found this also helps with anxiety. We love it for him.)
Sulfameth-trimeth antibiotic: We use it every weekend.
Heparin to flush his to lines from the picc. We do this everyday.
Famotidine (Pepcid): to help the stomach while taking Prednisone.
Biotene: mouth wash twice a day
Clotrimazole: antifungal medicine to help treat fungal infections. Given three times a day as a Troche.
The Transderm Scopolamine Patch for nausea. We did this one for the last two big chemos, and it made a huge difference.

BiG DaY

Mr. Blue Eyes is short one parent this week because his dad had business out of town. We were lucky enough to have the company of Todd's sister Wendy, who lives in Alaska and just happened to be in Cali this week for a wedding. She extended her trip to help us. HUGE HELP! She came with an adorable shirt and hat for Mr. Blue Eyes and his big day. She has been so great, taking care of everything at home with the kids. 

 

 

During the middle of the day the staff came in singing and waving a Shaker and gave Corban a metal around his neck with a pillowcase filled with prizes. It was the end-of-treatment celebration! I could have cried when they left. The doctor even took a picture of Mr. Blue Eyes and me. Then I snapped one of them. Seriously, they are just amazing. 

 

  We are home after 12 hours, and Corban has hovered over the bucket, but has not gone into full-on hurling. We are just wiped out and tired!
Mr. Blue Eyes had his last chemo today. It makes my eyes well with tears to type this.
  WOW!
Did it go fast? NO
not for mom.
Feeling blessed and feeling the prayers? YES
Is Mr. Blue Eyes excited? UH UH!

Today the Doc told Mr. Blue Eyes he was going to call the pharmacy to get him a special chemo off the back shelf. He was pretending to talk to them on the phone. He went on and on making him squirm and laugh. Mr. Blue Eyes could not tell if he was kidding or not.
Then during his exam, Mr. Blue Eyes told the doctor that he had stayed up really late. The doctor asked what he was doing????? "Watching some shows," replied Mr. Blue Eyes. He had a sheepish grin, not wanting to tell him what he watched. "What show?????" the Doc asked. Mr. Blue Eyes tells me not to tell him. The doctor guesses one, which was wrong, and then says, "was it 'My Little Pony'?" He goes on to say he likes that show, and that he is a Brony, and that there are Brony conventions for men who like My Little Pony. I have to say, I can never tell if he is serious, and I am gullible. So I googled it. LOOOKY HERE there really is! So the word is out: he is a cool doc and a Brony.
So are all my boys because baby sister likes My Little Pony. LOL!

 Before the chemo started, all Corban's anti nausea meds were loaded into the IV chemo, and then came a ton of hydration. This is essential so that you do not have damage to the kidneys from the chemo. Corban watched shows and played on the Ipad. I snuggled in the bed with him, and we watched the Dragon Pearl.  I dosed off a little. He felt fine until about 6:00, and then the pains in his stomach started. Soon he grabbed for the bowl and was hovering over it. We got more meds on board and headed home.... What a long day, but we liked it better than an overnight in the hospital!