Clinic

Hello,
We are all well here. Nick is feeling much better and back to himself this week. On the way into clinic today Nick asked me when he was going to finished getting his medicine. I told we are scheduled to be finished in November and then he said: "So I do not have to go to clinic after that". I told, no, we will still go for updates and see our favorite nurses, right? He said: "Yeah, I will miss them if I do not see them." It is amazing how the people at clinic have become like family to us or maybe our security blanket is a better way to put it. So, yes, I have stated Nick's scheduled end date above but Greg & I do not really look that far out. The thought of it is exciting but scary at the same time. We are not ready to take the step into 'Life after Cancer yet', which is okay as long as Nick is doing well.

Everything went well with clinic. Counts are good:
WBC: 3.3
RBC: 10.0
APC: 2,600

He received his methotrexate and will start another cycle next week. I think I am organized with Nick's schedule but I just learned today that I am not. I write down the start of his cycyle's and when we expect his LP (spinal) to be performed. Well, I just found out I missed a week in his cycle and had to re-do my calendar. (No big deal, right). Well, it turns out that we will now be going on Nick's Make A Wish Trip at the start of his cycle and not at the end of it. We know how the start of it goes and how Nick feels by the end of the week. I can not believe I did this. We will still make the best of it and have a blast. It is just a bump we'll get over. Karen

Back to the Usual

Steroid week is over and Nick is back to himself again. We had a wonderful time at the Red Sox game and the Picnic in the Park after. We decided to take the T into Boston and Colby was very scared to ride the train but once we got moving, he was okay. We did not get to the game until the 5th inning because we knew we were staying late. Nick was great up until the picnic. He was having a lot of pain from the steroids. We brought his codeine and morphine with us but ended up going through all of it by 7pm. We received blankets for the picnic and you can see Nick took advantage of them. Colby was running all over the field and really enjoyed seeing Blue Man Group play. We really wish Nick could of enjoyed the experience as much as Colby but we are thankful for the opportunity to go. (You just have to make the best of the situation).

I took Nick and Colby to clinic on Monday. The place was very busy and we there for about 3 hours. Nick's counts are good and he recieved his Methotrexate.

Good Week for Nick

Nick completed his round of steroids for this cycle. He was pretty good this week, only a few meltdowns and lots of french fries to curve his appetite. One morning he cried for an hour b/c he wanted ice cream for breakfast and I told him to eat something healthy first and then he can have ice cream. It is amazing to see him turn into a different child when the meltdowns occur. You know he will snap out of it and forget all about it but watching him can be sad. He ended up having a sleepover at Papa's (Boston) house with his cousin Megan. They both had a great time and I believe getting him away from our house is good for him.
I received a call yesterday from the Make A Wish Foundation and they were given 4 tickets to the Red Sox on Sunday and the Picnic in the Park charity event after the game and she offered it all to us. We are very excited and the weather should good. We have never been on the field before and we are even thinking of bringing Tom. You might be wondering why they called us and I have not actually blogged about Nick's Make A Wish Trip. For us, it is to far out to think about. We are making plans, have our plane flight and know were we are going but I try not to get to excited until the date gets closer. Of course it is Disney World and we are staying at Give Kids the World. Check it out. I have heard some many wonderful stories about this place. We are still humbled by the generosity people give to help kids. There are our family, friends and the many foundations that have given so much to our family. We thank all of you who continue to support us through our journey.

Great Vacation

We are back from vacation and had a great time. The weather was perfect and only rained one night. The week was very eventful and Camp Sunshine was filled with volunteers and loads of activities. At the beginning of the week we had NESN come and sponsor Camp Sunshine. Click on NESN for the quick show. Yes, you can see Greg & I walking around in the background. I was going to give an interview but decided the kayaks were calling instead. The boys had a great time. Nick was very tired in the beginning and ended up with a fever by Tuesday. I took him to the Portland ER where he received an antibiotic and we were able to go back to camp. Tom had blast when he was with us as a family. He had a tough time transitioning in the 'tot lot' but opened up by the end of the week. We believe the person who made the most of camp was Colby. He made friends and tackled some of his fears. He went on paddle boats, kayaks and bass pro fishing boat. In the evenings there were talent shows, masquerade parties and a dinner for the parents. Greg & I were able to relax and peek in our kids having fun.
I took Nick to clinic yesterday and everything was fine. I explained to the doctor how concerned we about these fevers that keep popping up. She said his counts were good and it was likely a virus so we are continuing the same dose as previous cycle. He received Vincristine, Methotrexate, 6MP and steroids.
I hope to post some pictures this week. Take Care. Karen

Camp Sunshine Here We Come

We will be leaving in Sunday for our family vacation to Camp Sunshine. Greg took Nick to clinic yesterday for his 'Monday' chemo. It was only Methotrexate and his counts were good. He will now have a 10 day break (instead of 7) from his chemo. He was hesitant to go yesterday because where his port is located, the area is really sore for him. I guess between going to the ER and clinic over the past 1.5 wks does leave a good black/blue mark on the spot. He is back to himself today and the boys are playing with Michael. I am excited to take a break from blogging, work, and everyday chores for a little bit and just focus on the family time. Take Care. Karen

Back to clinic today

Just when Karen writes that all is cool. Not so much! Nick woke up in the middle of the night and threw up. He had a low grade fever 99.4. He stayed in bed with me and Karen went to the couch. Nick then threw up again at 4am and his fever spiked to 100.3. Nick went back to sleep only to awaken at 5:30 and do it all over again. By 7am he threw up a fourth time and then his temp went to 101. Karen got dressed and brought him to clinic. Thankfully his counts were good. I don't know all of them as Karen just stated that his APC was 6900. He got some antibiotics and two bags of bolus to help make sure he does not become dehydrated and back home they came. Hopefully he gets through this quick and can keep on track so that he can enjoy his vacation next week.
Greg

Everything is Cool

Tuesday, July 13, 2010Everything is Cool
It is actually very hot here in MA and we are in need of some rain. I do say cool because Nick is great. He finished his steroids on Sunday morning. He started complaining of a headache, his throat hurting on Saturday afternoon but we believe this is from his 6 yr old molars growing in. His dentist appt. was on Monday and they confirmed that a couple of them are starting to pop through his gums. I am sure it is sensitive and we were able to give him some Tylenol for it. He had a very busy weekend with the Wykoff family in town and the family sleeping at our house for the weekend. We enjoyed the friends coming over to join us on sat. night. All the kids had 4 wheeler rides on Sat. and Sunday.

I took Nick to clinic on Monday. It was very uneventful and the place was quiet. He recieved his Methotrexate and I booked him an appt. for this Friday. We are leaving for Camp Sunshine on Sunday and Nick needed to recieve his next weeks's chemo (Methotrexate only) before we go. On Friday they will access his port, check his counts and if everything is okay give him his dose. He does not mind because he knows we will be able to go on vacation as scheduled and not a day late.