Maybe, Just Maybe

Good news.

The itchy scalp and skin is settling down a bit

and we've all agreed his face is looking a bit better.

Ladies and gentlemen... I think we are turning a corner.

Finally.

Phew.

Dodge Ball

Phew.

We dodged the bullet big time this morning.

Kean had another one of "those" episodes.

He had a very rough night, woke up completely lethargic,

 wouldn't eat or drink and whimpering.

Plus, get this, his temperature was a low 96.2.

I have to admit, I was totally confused

in that he ate a great dinner last night

(it seems to always happen after he eats poorly).

He wouldn't drink much yesterday though... so maybe

that's the missing puzzle piece.

Either way, we finally see a specialist about

this on Monday (an Endocrinologist).

Kean's cancer doc had me watch him for a while

instead of rushing him to the E.R.

Good thing.  About 40 minutes after getting him to drink

some Orange Juice, he perked right up.

Last way I want to spend my Saturday is in the E.R.

Instead, it was a low key, snuggle and watch

movies kind of day.

Yes, we watched Tangled

and then tonight it was Bolt.

He totally gets into the motorcycle

chase scene at the beginning of the movie.

I know-- shocking.

The Summit

Today marks a huge day for the Barker's.

Are you sitting down?

We are, as of today, half way through Kean's Chemotherapy.

Part of me wants to jump for joy at this huge milestone--

but to be honest the bigger part of me is having to suppress

totally losing it at that realization that we still have such a long road ahead.

I mean, really, it is hard to believe we are only half way through.

If you want my honest opinion, I'd swear up and down that we've been in this

battle for at least ten years.

September 13, 2015 can't come soon enough.

To mark this auspicious occasion, instead of a cake

the girls and I made orange rolls-- rolls we have christened

"summit rolls".
And let me tell ya, I drowned my sorrows in them!

Meanwhile, tonight is the night we had to keep Keanut up two hours

past his bedtime.  

And I have to get him up two hours early in the morning.

He has his big neurology testing tomorrow and the instructions they

gave me called for one sleep deprived child, with a full tummy,

no naps and clean hair.

Pray the force is with me tomorrow and I can

withstand the wrath of an overly tired toddler

and not end up drooling on myself in the corner of a dark room somewhere.

How Low Can You Go...

We spent the morning at the Cancer clinic. 

No Chemo... but blood work and a Doctor's appointment.

He's been having such a hard time recovering from last week's Chemo,

it came as no surprise to me that Kean's numbers are quite low.

Once again, he's Neutropenic-- which means his immune system is quite non-existent.

We've been ordered to step up the germ patrol and keep visitors to a bare minimum.

We are set to go in again next Thursday.  And if his counts are in a safe enough zone,

they'll start the dreaded Phase IV with a Spinal Tap and to top it off, a heavy dose

of a type of Chemo he has yet to try.

Part of me wants to run away, take Kean and hide.

The other, more rational side (that will win out) wants to get this going so we can get this over with!

We also had a doctor's appointment yesterday-- a visit to his Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to check his ears.

Kean had to wear one of his spiffy Mickey Mouse masks.

But for once, the Cancer curse worked to our benefit.

Usually, the ENT's office is packed and we always wait what seems like forever.

Yesterday, they had to put us into an examining room away from the crowds.

I'm sure since we were hogging one of the rooms, they got us in and out in record time.

It was beautiful.

One of his tubes has come out in his ears.  He's already

had tube surgery three times.  But since he is in the throes of Chemo,

we have to wait four months and then check his ears again.

Then they'll decide whether or not to put another set of tubes in.

Dodged that bullet for now, eh?