Ethan was discharged from this hospital a few hours ago. We nearly lost our handle on some of the chemotherapy side effects, so stayed an extra day to keep them in check. Overall, though, it definitely went better than either of the previous 2 cycles. His Doctors used one of their bone marrow transplant tricks and dripped Benadryl and Ativan continuously through an IV throughout the duration of his treatment. This, along with the other standard anti-medic treatments, seemed to help A LOT. We still had some issues, but we've already got our game plan formulated for cycle 4 with some interventions that should help even more.
We've got to keep him on an IV pump at home for the next 4 days and then we'll see how he's doing when he checks in Monday morning for his appointment. The IV pump is in an adult sized backpack and he wears it like a badge of honor. I'm not entirely sure, but it may have something to do with me telling him it was a little bit like the oxygen tanks that the firemen use! Anyway, when its full its quite heavy and that little guy will wake up in the middle of the night, drag it to the "potty", then drag it back to bed. He's just so self-sufficient sometimes, I forget that he's just 3.
Other good news: Prior to his admission, we had his hearing checked again to measure the effects of the Cisplatin. So far, so good! His hearing has not yet been impaired and we hope it continues to remain unaffected.
On a different subject, I read an interesting book while in the hospital. It was Fireflies by David Morrell. All of my family really enjoys David Morrell's novels. A few years ago, my mom gave me 2 new ones and said, "This one is not like his others". Because I enjoyed the others so much, I shelved it (shhhh! - Don't tell my Mom) without even looking too closely at the cover. When I was packing the night before our hospital stay, I went into the office looking for some reading material. I was excited to see a David Morrell book that I had not yet read. Then I took a closer look and saw that it was a mostly-factual account of his life while his son had cancer. I wasn't sure I was ready to read something that hit so close to home. On the other hand, I felt that I had an obligation to share this man's experience, as a show of respect. I'm glad I read it, but it was very painful at times. Its truly an up-close-and-personal account of what its like as a parent to shepherd your child through this battle. I don't recommend it for everyone, but for those of you who feel emotionally up for the read, it will give you some insight into our lives. And no, I don't get any kickbacks!
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. They seem to have helped so far!
Regards,
Kim.