We finally reached our first milestone, the end of induction chemotherapy. Cameron was admitted on the 3rd of January to have his g-tube removed and have his final chemotherapy treatment. The g-tube site cleared up remarkably quickly and we had a much happier boy as a result.Whilst we will miss the utility of the tube, the infection risk of keeping it was too high, especially as he goes into transplant.
The final chemotherapy was administered as planned and after Cameron was discharged last Saturday, we slipped out of Scottish Rite for the last time (or so we thought). Last week Cameron seemed in high spirits and was enjoying being home with Mom, Jamie and Grandma.After a routine blood test on Thursday he was scheduled for a transfusion at the outpatient clinic on Friday. In the interim his temperature was on the rise and after his transfusion he was admitted straight from the clinic back into the familiar wards of Scottish Rite. Tests came back positive for RSV, a highly contagious respiratory virus, which Cameron of course caught as his immune system is at it lowest.
We were quickly moved from the cancer ward to a more isolated room on the third floor for the sake of the other kids. So here we sit, burning through yet more episodes of Blues Clues and Olivia interspersed with games and drawing.I guess the tedium is good practice for when we are in isolation after the transplant. Cameron has become a master at navigating through Moms iPad to find his favorite apps, it is amazing to see him develop skills in ways we never dreamed of as kids. He still has a bit to learn about sharing,I'm afraid that he is getting close to figuring out Angry Birds in which case I may never see the iPad again.
James is showing the strain of Cameron being away and his little life being disrupted. It is tough enough as an adult to grasp all that is happening, through the eyes of a child who does not have the capacity to see beyond his immediate situation, everything is completely overwhelming. Whenever Cameron is admitted James sees only one parent for an hour or two each day during the week, we try as much as possible to interact with him on the weekends but even that will decrease as Dad starts to work Saturdays. His anxiety is expressed through crying when we leave the room and more tantrums. Mom had to collect him from school after an hour this week because his teachers could not console him. Thankfully we have Granma staying with us and she has brought a crucial element of stability to his life.We are determined to do everything in our power to maintain as stable and loving environment as possible.
The immediate future is as busy as it is daunting. Over the next few weeks Cameron will have a battery of tests as an outpatient, after which Mom will be as adept at project management as any professional. These must all be completed and submitted for insurance review before he begins the bone marrow transplant which must begin in the next 5 to 7 weeks. Once he is admitted he will have a high dose of chemotherapy designed to destroy any remaining cancer, wait for a period of time and then have the stem cells that were harvested last year reintroduced to his body. The idea is that these cells will make their way to his bones to form bone marrow. What follows will be weeks of recovery in a sterile environment under constant medical care.
We say thank you again to the wonderful nurses, techs, doctors and support staff on the Aflac ward at CHOA Scottish Rite whose vocation is a true calling and who do their work with genuine compassion. Our gratitude also goes to family, friends and neighbors who's practical help and support has not waned and has sustained our family through chemotherapy to this first milestone.
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