February 16, 2009

Good afternoon,

If we had any doubts Dane's blog is being read by many and checked frequently for updates, the phone calls and emails the past couple of days by people just "checking in" have confirmed the value of this written journal. We apologize that it has been several days since our last entry, however it's been a busy week and we've also been experiencing computer problems that prevented me from posting the entry as early as I had hoped. So, today's update will cover the period from last Wednesday (February 11) until today.

Dane had his spinal tap procedure first thing Wednesday morning and it went off without a hitch. He did not flinch when the IV was inserted into his hand and he woke up from the sedation much more cheerful than the previous week (thank goodness). After the procedure he was admitted to ward CK5 so a new chemo drug could be administered under the watchful eye of the doctors and nurses. He was given IV fluids for 18 hours following this drug, as without proper hydration, the medicine can affect his bladder and kidneys. He also received two additional new chemo drugs that day and he did not experience any significant side effects from any of the medications. We were released from the hospital by about noon on Thursday and spent the rest of the day recuperating from the complete lack of sleep from Wednesday night. Dane was up every two hours to go to the bathroom and I was "unpleasantly" reminded of what life will be like in a few short months with a newborn.

As we had planned, Dane returned to school on Friday afternoon and the timing could not have been better. He attended a wonderful musical assembly and then participated in his class Valentine's party. It was evident the children in his grade and older classes were very pleased to see him again. Although he was a bit anxious about returning, the 2.5 hours he spent there went very well. I was with him nearly the entire afternoon and that helped the transition. This week we plan for him to be at school tomorrow afternoon and Thursday. There was no school today because of Louis Riel Day, Wednesday he has another sedation procedure and Friday is an in-service.

Dirk and I "escaped" from the kids for a few hours on Friday night (courtesy of Ashley and Dane's favorite babysitter) and celebrated Valentine's Day early. It was good for both of us to get out for a bit and I particularly appreciated the change in scenery. The kids really enjoyed their time with Emily but by bedtime Dane was definitely pooped. It was a full day for everyone.

Ashley had a ringette game in Portage la Prairie on Saturday so that round-trip consumed much of our day. Dane ventured out for a bit with us in the afternoon to watch the girls in his class play and we understand there was a bit of excitement in the dressing room before the game and chants of "Dane is here to watch!" Although we didn't have any big plans for Saturday evening, our night was disrupted as I experienced mild contractions for a few hours that required a brief trip to Women's Hospital. The contractions stopped on their own and my check-up indicated they were a "false alarm" and everything is fine. This is coincidentally the same week in my pregnancy when I was hospitalized for similar complications with Dane so the irony of the timing was not lost on Dirk or I. I'm much more relaxed about the situation today and have been feeling great the past couple of days.

The steroids have definitely left Dane's system and between last Wednesday and Thursday, he went from eating everything in sight to barely wanting to eat. The doctors warned us this would be the case, as the cocktail of drugs he is on most often result in fatigue, headaches and lack of appetite. We are encouraging him to eat and drink whenever we can, however he really has lost his taste for food the past few days. In general he is more tired and doesn't have a lot of zip, but we are encouraging him to stay active. He attended Ashley's ringette practice yesterday and skated off and on for about 45 minutes. The Wii that the kids received for x-mas from Grandma and Grandpa is definitely getting a workout lately.

We are back at the Cancer Clinic tomorrow for blood work and chemotherapy. I don't anticipate he is going to need a transfusion at this stage, however his various blood levels are expected to take a hit during this intensive Consolidation phase. Wednesday he has a spinal tap and chemo and Thursday and Friday a nurse visits us at home to give him chemo injections.

During this journey Dane has made many statements worth recording, some of which have made us cry and others break out into laughter. Here are a couple of recent ones I thought you would find "entertaining" ...

- In the hospital Wednesday night when we were discussing his impending return to school and his request that I go along with him, Dane commented very cutely that "if you haven't noticed mom, I'm getting used to spending a lot of time with you." Dirk and I both started to laugh and I told him that yes, I had kind of noticed!

- When he was in the middle of his steroid "food" crazy mode, Dane told me his favorite store was Safeway. He couldn't wait to get there and pick out all the foods he wanted to eat. Yesterday we had to go there after ringette and when we pulled into the parking lot he said he wanted to stay in the car. We told him we couldn't leave him alone and he said "so you're going to punish me and MAKE me come in there with you!" My, what a difference a week makes.

As always, thank you for your continued comments, emails and phone calls. All four of us continue to have our moments, however thankfully most often we experience them at different times.

Take care - Janie and Dirk