Thursday, February 16, 2012

DONE


Trying to sleep off the pain

Lift up your voice in praise and thanks – we are finished with Christian’s treatment! He soldiered through his second and last stem cell transplant this morning.  He was quite sick (mostly from the preservatives that the stem cells are stored in) and it feels pretty horrible when the preservative gets excreted from his lungs(so the nurses tell us). But tonight he lays here in his bed – done. We have no more work to do but to help him heal and get strong. He is very uncomfortable and spends most of his time lying on his side with his face in a towel so he doesn’t have to swallow any spit. He is suffering from a lot of nausea, vomiting and sores in his mouth and throat. He is on a base rate of morphine and also has a pump to push when he is in too much pain. I am told the apex of his pain will come around day plus five so I pray that this day comes quickly and in between we can distract his pain and help him to have some hope that he won’t be like this forever. My prayer is that we get out of her by day +14 – a small miracle I am told.

Waiting for the days to get better
He lay in his hospital bed this afternoon and my heart broke into a million pieces, he looked so horribly defeated and broken. I tried to explain to him that things are going to get better – I promised he would feel good soon and we would go someplace fun. I broke into tears and he immediately put his skinny little arms around my neck to console me. Can I express anymore how much of a hero this little boy is to me? As I write he opens his mouth and whispers, “mommy – can I have a sucker?” He immediately falls back into his drug induced sleep. I feel so much better when he is sleeping as he seems calm and comfortable and I am hoping he doesn’t feel any pain, perhaps he is even dreaming of something great. When he is awake he finds some reprieve by looking on EBay to try and find Star Wars guys he doesn’t already have (an impossible feat!) and downloading movies and music from ITunes.

I am perpetually grateful for the children’s hospital and the oncology unit, the doctors who attend to Christian’s medical needs and the nurses who do it all. I am so thankful we can joke and laugh and make the best effort to enjoy our days here on unit 1. Theses people have become our family and I will truly miss them when our days are no longer all consumed by cancer. The nurses continue to amaze me (as I may have previously mentioned!!!) and I missed a few nurses the other day when I publicly acknowledged them – nurse Leslie, Lane (aka…how does this tube work?), Kathryn, Jen, Marsha and Sherry. It takes a special person to come into work everyday and care about each and every child on the unit. Thanks for reading.
He is happy to see Ryan - just doesn' t show it!!!!!


Today I am thankful for:
1. Red heart shaped suckers
2. DS game consoles
3. ITunes cards won at bingo

10 comments:

  1. I realized as i read your post that you had just finished writing it. (you are three hours behind me) Oh how i pray that you will continually be strengthened for the last leg of your journey. Hang on to all that He has promised.
    Donna

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  2. Amen to that Donna. " He who began a good work in you, is able to complete it " We can expect the very best of things from our heavenly Dad. Love is just who He is, and I know how much He loves the Crowell's of Airdrie.

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  3. Oh Megan, what a gift you have given to all of us by including us in your journey. I am so very glad that it's over now. Peace, strength and health to you all. Holy Cow!!
    With love, Tracey, Kevin, Sydney and Grace xoxo

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  4. Congratulations on being done! I pray for a quick recovery and pain free! Jesus is a healer, and we declare in his name that Christian is healed and that the sores and left over pains leave his body right now! Christian and family your Father loves you so so much! ~Michelle

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  5. Just rest Christian. Let your poor ravaged body heal itself. I look to a day where your family does normal things Megan. Walks and movies and having all the kids climb in bed with you on a Saturday morning to watch TV and snuggle. I hope for that for you. Thank you for keeping us in your loop. :)

    Lise Wendt.

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  6. Amen! Let Christian know he has an army of Storm Troopers behind him pushing him through his battle!
    ~Crystal

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  7. You don't know us but I had to comment on what a truly amazing little hero you do have there! Our thoughts have been with you throughout this journey as we have heard of your story through mutual friends. I pray that the road to recovery is a quick one and that your little boy can be cancer free and have a childhood like most others both pain and worry free!
    I also think you not only have a hero in your son but you and your husband also are heros to be able to stay strong and help your son through each and every day of his journey! May you all be able to enjoy each other and begin a life of fun and laughter with your children!
    You all are truly amazing!
    Still praying, best of luck
    Willie & Kathy MacDonald

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  8. Dear Little Family, You have turned the corner....congratulations. We'll pray the next two weeks go quickly and uneventfully. Always on our minds with love, M & B

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  9. Megan, Chris and family Wehave waited so long to hear this news I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face with prayers of thanks in my heart. I hope that the next couple of weeks go by quickly and you can start to get your lives back. love and hugs Edna

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  10. How wonderful it must have felt to write DONE. I hope the next couple of weeks go quickly and that soon, very soon, you are all together living a normal life, enjoying the little things.

    Bless all of you and thank you for sharing this journey with us Megan.

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