Boogers at the Zoo

First visit to the dentist

TV's on the roof ! Excellent!

It has been a long time since I have written a blog. I feel very unfocused, tired, unenergetic and spent. I honestly can’t even tell you what we have been doing these past few weeks. I said to Chris yesterday I feel like we wake up in the morning and we just beginning spinning like the Tasmanian devil – only this is no cartoon. We forget to give Christian his medicine, miss appointments, forget dates and the house never seems to stay tidy. Our whole house is or has been sick in the past few days so we are full of Tylenol bottles, snotty Kleenex and thermometers. On edge, waiting for Christian to get sick. I guess better now than in three weeks time when his high dose therapy will start.

Work it!

Working the dance moves at the Zoo

I need a break, sleep, healthy food and some exercise. Chris and I collectively decided that we each need to take individual mental and physical ‘breaks’ before Christian’s high dose megathon begins. Wednesday I am going on a road trip to Vancouver and Seattle to sleep, run and decompress. I felt so guilty tonight at the thought of leaving my family and Chris with three sick kids but I am on the brink of a breakdown. So Wednesday am I am officially off duty for four days while Chris mans the cave. (God give him strength!!!!) I can hear the water’s edge calling my name for a run and I am sure there is also a faint calling of my name by Target! Yahoo.

Enjoying the World Juniors with Daddy

There have been many fun days this past week and we are really trying to embrace the most we can of each day before our huge hospital expedition. We had a hot tub party at uncle Peder’s house yesterday, trips to the park, going to a World Junior hockey game and today, an outing to the zoo. What an unbelievable blessing this fall/spring weather has been and I am so thankful we are able to get outside. Christian has been thriving with his NG tube (tube that goes down his nose into his stomach for feeding and giving daily medicines) and he has finally developed a little bit of chub on his cheeks (both top and bottom!)

At last we have the plan in place for Christian’s high dose therapy. He is currently completing his final round of ‘regular’ chemotherapy which will be finished on January 31^st. He will be admitted to hospital in the days following that last dose in order for him to complete the final tests to ensure he is healthy and has no cancer in his body. He will have a bone scan, kidney function, bone marrow testing, MRI and CT scan. Once the testing is completed and it is determined he is healthy and ‘cancer free’ (sounds silly I know) they will move forward with his high dose therapy. Which will consist of 7 days of extremely high dose chemotherapy (10 times stronger than any dose he has received so far). Then on the 8^th or 9^th day he will receive his stem cell transplant (his own cells that have already been harvested) which are given just like a blood transfusion. Then the waiting begins. It is estimated that he will get very very sick, with lots of mouth sores, body pains, nausea and vomiting and inability to eat. Our prayer is that this part of the treatment goes quickly and with the least amout of horrible side effects as possible. Our oncologist estimates that he will need a minimum of three weeks to recover but it could take months. Christian has been such an amazing fighter with God given strength and I believe he will smash the doctor’s expectations and recover with a speed they have never seen before.

Evan loves the animals. She wanted to go in and "pet the
kitty"a at the cougar exhibit!

Our prayer request for the next few weeks is that his tests come back free and clear of cancer and that he continues to gain weight and strength. We had a little episode today at the Zoo when Ryan decided it would be interesting to pull out Christian’s NG tube. So tomorrow he will have to have it replace (and most likely not under sedation this time) which Christian is pretty sad about but resigned to his obligations. This past NG tube was so great for him – he even threw up multiple times and it stayed down in his tummy which is a minor miracle in itself! So prayers for a positive outcome for that procedure tomorrow.

After my mini break I will blog again with more incite, a fresh outlook and more hope than my heart has room for.

Today I am thankful for:

1.Christian’s chubby rosy cheeks

2. Evelyn telling me, “I am a little sick with a cough”

3. Ryan’s new words, “Peppa” (pizza), “Bath”, “Hockey”, “Puppy”(which applies to any animal with fur)

Ryan feeling a little under the weather

Poor Ryan