My Rear View Mirror

Don't know about you... but I'm thrilled 2013 is over as of tonight.

I look at it as another year closer to Kean's final Chemo date of September 13, 2015.

And today was a doozey.

One of my closest girlfriend's Mary K was our Chemo date for the day.

Thank goodness.

I needed someone to keep me calm and talking through today's roller coaster.

 We started off the morning with a zinger.

Kean's port refused to give up a drop of blood.

The poor vampire  nurse tried just about everything-- doing the Hokey Pokey dance and even

having Kean flop down on his back.

They finally ordered TPA (I think it breaks up blood clots) from the hospital

pharmacy.  We waited.  And then we waited another half hour to let the drug 

do it's trick.

And trick it did.  We finally got some blood.

But dang, that blood showed an abnormally high level of phosphate or phosphorus 

(silly mom, I didn't retain which one it was).

Anyway, that meant for more blood work while he was under.

Yep, he went under again today-- for the ol' Spinal Tap to put

Chemo into his brain and spine.

 Ah, but that wasn't the end of the fun and games for the day.

He finally got that Ultrasound on his testicles (notice I didn't take a picture

showing his privates-- wouldn't want to humiliate him any more than he already was today).

His doctors have been concerned for many, many months that one of his testicles

had ascended.  Come to find out both have.

If they aren't brought back down into place, get this, he is at a high risk

for testicular cancer.  Just what we need.

 So now he will have to have surgery to have them moved into place.

We don't know when-- we have to see a Pediatric Urologist

and then she will decide (along with his Primary Oncologist) if

they should do the surgery now or if they dare wait until he is through with all of his Chemo in 2015.

 I asked Dr. Camilo (Kean's Oncologist) if this surgery will be a big deal.

He looked at me and said "Lonni, after all he's already been through

this won't be a big deal."

Which when you think about it-- if we hadn't already been down the

cancer road and I was facing surgery for my son to prevent Testicular cancer-- I'd

be one freaked out mum.

But because of where we've been, my attitude is dang, he has to have another surgery.

So I guess that's progress.

p.s.  Dr. Camilo called me on the way home from the hospital

to let me know the second blood test showed everything was fine.

Just must've been a fluke-- or an evil trick by some lab tech to stress

out an already stressed out mom.

Again, glad 2013 is in the rear view mirror.