Last bag of chemo for this round

Ethan will get his last bag of chemotherapy, for this round, in about an hour. It will run for 24 hours, so it will end around this time tomorrow afternoon. Afterwards, we'll probably stay one more day to observe him for side effects, but then we'll be released to go back home.

Last night was a rough night. They gave him a stronger pain medication and that worked great and put him right to sleep. In the middle of the night he woke up crying and again wouldn't eat. I wanted to avoid the pain meds until I could determine that it wasn't just gas or something. But the crying and screaming continued. The nurse brought the pain medication (the name of it is Dilaudid - same concept of morphine, but just a different kind of similar medication), he was screaming as she pushed the medication through his tubes. Then slowly, he quieted and calmed right down into sleep. I have to admit I had very mixed feelings after the whole experience. To see your baby go from extreme crying to a coma like sleep in a matter of a minute is a bit unnerving. But I just said a prayer over Ethan's body and tried to go back to sleep myself. The pain medication allowed both of us some much needed sleep (we both slept until 9:30! that NEVER happens!) and so far, he's had a better day today than yesterday.

He's still throwing up, but it's probably nausea from the chemo. He gets an anti-nausea medication, but as soon as it wears off the vomit comes! He was also vomiting earlier in the week from the antibiotic I mentioned before, so tomorrow he starts a new antibiotic. Be in prayer that it works with his system better. And pray that the vomiting subsides.

He does have a little ulcer type of growth at the roof of his mouth that we think has been causing him the pain, and it's possible that there may be more in his GI tract. However, there are no other visible sores on his tongue or other areas of his mouth. His bottom actually looks better, too. His eyes are slightly puffy, but not too much of a concern right now... we just keep watching to see if they get more swollen before starting any steroid drops. I'm just so happy he's calm today and has had a better appetite. Be in prayer that all goes well as we prepare to go home in a couple of days. Pray that once the chemo stops, we start to see his spleen shrink and that he doesn't need the same amount of transfusions he needed the last time we went home. We need his white cells to stay low in number and his red cells and platelets to stay high in number.

Also be in prayer that we have some kind of good news when I hear from Boston on Friday. I realize it could be too early to tell anything since it's only been a week since I found out they had 12 preliminary matches, but who's to say they couldn't have found something out already!

Thank you for praying for Ethan and for me and Adam. Every single one of your prayers mean so very much. More than you know.


Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.