22 December 2012

Merry Christmas! Yes, you could say that!

The last couple days have definately been challenging. The drugs have been affecting his mood quite drastic. He has been very angry, constantly complaining, or crying about things he wouldn't have ever given a second thought to. Though this is one of the side effects and we have seen levels of this reaction in the past, this is definately not as we were expecting. Our little guy is still there and he definately shows heart and love, even though he's having a difficult time handling all of this. I'm so very lucky that he still loves his cuddles - it's definately alot harder holding him 'like a baby' with this weight gain this past week! Yes, this is one of the very best things with this Dex - his increased appetite. This last 4 days all he talks about is food - one day he wanted a hot dog so badly that he cried throughout the day - "this is the worst day of my life!" And yes, he said this because we said he had to wait until the next day to have another hot dog. I'm over the moon happy to announce that he has gained close to 7 lbs this last week!

Last night wasn't very kind to our boy. When he was washing up for bed, he kept complaining that his leg was sore. When I put him to bed, he asked for me to prop it on a pillow and kept moaning. He woke up at 2:30, while not only in pain, he was incredibly emotional and moody all at once - this is extremely hard to see. Unfortunately, the few hours of rest that he got didn't seem to help, as he woke up crying saying it hurt to even walk. Our dilemma is that we aren't able to give him Tylenol, as it masks a fever and we're not able to give him Advil, as it affects his platelets. When he was initially diagnosed back in July, he was on Prednisone, which did give him some joint pain, but since Dexamethasone is much more potent, it's seemingly affecting his bones and joints to a more extreme level.

Though today started off rough for all of us, by mid morning the day started to take a turn for the better. Keian's sailed through his lumbar puncture and handled his treatment like the champ that he is. Today, he had 3 chemotherapy drugs administered intrathecally during his LP. He also had 2 administed through IV and 2 administered orally. He's been quite tired most of the week, but he hasn't been nauseated once. His counts are still critical, which limits alot of what we can do. The good thing is that with Christmas coming, he prefers to stay close to home!

Back in November, Keian spent some time with a good friend of ours and as they were talking about his hospital stay, he mentioned to her that he felt bad for all the kids that had to stay in the hospital for Christmas and wouldn't be able to be at home with their family and said he wished he could do something for them - combine a little boys wish, with a beautiful, giving photographer and her amazing clients and you have alot of happiness all around. After Keian's treatment, he left with a wagon that was filled to the brim with gifts for, in his own words, "kids that are going through just what I am" and headed up to the Oncology ward. He was soooo proud, but we were the ones beaming with pride. He kept repeating; "I feel so happy that I'm doing this, I just know that the kids are going to have huge smiles on their faces. I'm so happy!". I have always felt the true meaning of Christmas, but today, my own little boy made by heart grow more than I knew possible. This is what Christmas is all about.

Well, though it may not seem possible after he helped Santa in a big way, our day did get better again - much better infact! Once a lumbar puncture has been done, it is sent to lab, where they do a smear to conduct their initial assessment of the spinal fluid. It is here where they are able to see the leukemia cells. Once the smear is examined, they must delve further to determine which cells are "normal" and which are blasts (leukemia cells). After reaching a final count, results are forwarded to his Oncologist, who then conveys that result to us.

Our phone rang and of course we were on the edge of our seat..."Keian is all clear, he is in remission again! Merry Christmas!" Yes, you heard me right...our boy has fought his way through not one, but two Leukemia attacks on his body! This will not change his course of treatment or the necessary transplant, but what this does mean is that his body is still very sensitive to the chemo, which is the best news EVER! The very best Christmas gift that we could ever receive! I have always known that we have raised a beautiful, strong, amazing little boy, but he continues to find ways to make me fall more in love with him on a daily basis.

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles" - you my beautiful Keian are just that, my hero. Keian, my son, always remember - What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. You inspire me every second of every day. I love you!

3 comments:

  1. In tears! What amazing news to hear. I am so happy for you guys. :)

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  2. What Wonderful** Wonderful** good news!!! Ella & I pray to Jesus EVERY night that Keian has a good night and wakes up with strength to endure what lies ahead of him the coming day. We also pray that God heals his little body and keeps it strong. We also pray for mom & dad that they stay strong and that they feel the loving arms of God wrap them up in their time of need. Thank you for sharing Keian's story. We continue to stay posted and positive that in God's time he will completely heal his little body back to perfect strength again! :) Don't worry about the future.... God's one step ahead!

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  3. Thank you God for this little man. Keian, I am wishing you and your wonderful family the very best Christmas ever and know that I pray for all of you often. You are a shining star in my every day and I am honoured and feel so blessed to know you.

    Much love and Merry Christmas to you and your family and to all the other families you have blessed.

    Love from
    Grandma Sheila (Fedoruk)

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