The Big. Long. Day.

That's it! Chemo officially DONE! He had his leg needle this morning at 9 a.m., and that concluded Lyric's chemo.

Shortly after, Lyric was in the OR, getting his tube out. Things went well.. they have placed a peripheral line in his hand until Tuesday, when they can put a Pick line in his arm. So we're stuck here all weekend. boo!

He's been chalked full of drugs today.. chemo, several anti nauseants, Tylenol, anaesthesia, antibiotics... so when he finally was able to eat at 3, he wanted McDonalds.. hesitantly I got it for him.. but when he got up to go pee, the room was spinning and out came everything.. including all the natural meds I just gave him. Damn!

His hand is hurting, from the Magnesium in the IV.. so he keeps complaining, but they can't do anything about it. He just has to let his vein harden.

He's well otherwise.. and we are so glad the chemo is done. Now, we focus on getting him healthy again.

Infection update..

Lyric still has this infection. The cultures were still coming back positive, which means the antibiotics aren't working as effective as they would like.

They have decided to pull out his Hickman catheter, which is where the infection is originating. This will take place tomorrow. Then, they will start him on another round of antibiotics. Tuesday, they will insert a Pick Line into his arm... his chemo is officially done tomorrow, but he will need transfusions shortly, so they want him to have something.

He is doing well, no fevers, not much of an appetite. Little bugger is so picky and temperamental.. he wanted pizza last night, but ONLY pizza from this great place int he falls.. but I couldn't obviously get it, so I went out and got something similar. He took one bite and refused to eat it. Then said he wanted Butter Chicken.. he loves Indian. So Paul went out to get it, and an hour later he was satisfied.

This has been the situation everyday! The kitchen is closed here, due to this VRE bug, so I have too buy food out most of the time, which is killing me financially, and physically.. ick! He's been so picky I have had to go at great lengths to get him his cravings. It's the chemo.. changes their tastes so drastically, and the nausea.. it's normal. But, i will do whatever it takes, because there is no way they are shoving an NG tube down his nose and force feed him with liquid supplements.

We are almost done!! If he is well by Tuesday when his pick line goes in they will send us home with home care. He will need his IV antibiotic every 12 hours.. so it will be better than just sitting here!!

I had a great birthday.. was able to get home and hang with my dearest friends...it was wonderful! The nurses spoiled me at the hospital with the birthday song, a beautiful cake, and lots of wonderful, thoughtful gifts. I was so surprised! It was nice that they recognized that it was a day for me. I usually don't celebrate my birthday. But this year it was nice to focus some time on me. It's been a tough year!

Avery is doing very well.. she's happy and healthy.. I have signed them both up at the YMCA again, free memberships!! So for now I will enroll Ave back into swimming and other activities..

TSN & Infection

Lyric was apparently on TSN today, they had an opening to the Olympics and he was on it! I havn't seen it yet but I'm searching!

It's also been confirmed Lyric has an infection, and they are treating him here for 14 days. I am so frustrated with this.. i just want my life back to normal, it's so close I can taste it. I hate making plans and having to break them.. it's tough.

There is always something..

So we are done the first half of his chemo.. things have gone really well. He was sick yesterday, but got through it with Atavan. He was as high as a kite... even had the munchies. But it's better than him feeling like he's going to die.

So yesterday he started a slight fever, they thought maybe it was from the chemo... but to be safe they took a culture from his hickman. He's maintained a slight fever, but they haven't treated with tylenol at all. The culture came back positive. So they are repeating the culture to see if it's not a mistake. He's also got a sore area on his neck, his left side if his face is bit puffy.. sheesh!! I thought we were free and clear! damn it!

So now they are deciding which antibiotic to give him.. and for how long.. it will all depend on his reaction to it and what they find in the cultures.

I am sharing a room with a woman and child.. he's 4 today. And a brat. She hits him, they curse at eachother.. he throws fits like you wouldn't believe.. and through the night she keeps the tv on, and doesn't ring the bell when her machine is beeping. So I have to get up and do it. The phone doesn't stop ringing.. and there is constant drama. She has 6 kids, one got suspended from school yesterday. This kid here has a rare form of cancer. They've been here for awhile.

Anyways I'm having Avery for the weekend at the Ronald McDonald house. I'll keep you all posted!

And we're off!!

We've been at home so long now.. it's been wonderful. I took a mini trip to Montreal to visit my surrodaughter as I don't know when I will have the opportunity again. It was wonderful, I love that city. And if I were french I would move there in a flash. So full of culture.. character.

So back to reality today..

His counts are finally ready. I am not just waiting for a phone call to confirm a bed. There are no beds available so we are hoping on some discharges. What gets me is this ward in primarly oncology patients. But they also have a handful of anorexics that take up beds for months. I'm sorry, but these kids who have a life threatening illness, who chose NOT to have this have to wait for those who have a mental illness who choose to harm themselves. There is a mental ward at the hospital... so that is where they should be. err... don't even get me started.

So this is it. Final round. One step closer to normalcy for all of us. We are anxious to get to Hawaii so I'm hoping all goes well.

There is lots of sadness at the hospital.. 3 little ones I know who are not doing well at all. So it's going to be a hard stay.

Back to Mac

Tomorrow we are back at Mac, we were sent home again on Monday his counts weren't quite there yet. So here's hoping to tomorrow. If his counts are up, we're staying for a couple days to finish this bloody chemo!

Aside from that things have been great. We've all been happy and healthy at home. I've taken the house down from being sold, as I have a wonderful friend who has offered to move in with her son. So she gave her 60 days notice. We are very good friends so I'm sure it will be ok. I'm excited, and so are the kids.

That's about it... nothing else too exciting!