The Final Stretch

We headed to the clinic today....early. Carson was due for a spinal tap if his ANC was high enough and he hadn't been able to eat or drink anything since he woke up. If you'd like to experience 'roid rage at its finest, just tell a 4 year old that is taking them that he can't eat. Then, stand back and prepare for various objects to come hurling your way.

'Roid Boy partakes of a mid-morning snack...after scarfing down a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, toast, jello, and macaroni and cheese...to name a few.

So anyway, we trekked to the clinic, expecting Carson not to make counts and fully expecting that he could eat and go home. It never happens the way I intend...you would think I'd learn after this long. Carson DID make counts and thus began Day 29 or our latest treatment cycle.

It was a long day at the clinic, but SO much better than being at the hospital. Carson had his spinal tap and chemo flush, some pre-chemo hydration, a 1 hour or so of IV chemo, some more hydration and then another IV push of chemo. We got home about 5:00 this evening and decided that Papa John's pizza was in order. That suited Carson just fine since one of his fixations since chemo began back in the summer has been "Pizza John's" cheesesticks.

Tomorrow and Wednesday we have chemo that I will attempt to administer here at home. (Yes, we're back to praying that "tubey" will work again and we can at least go a few days without going back to the clinic.) Thursday we're scheduled for another IV push and a possible blood transfusion.

"The Czar" visits Francesca's school and, after much negotiation, provides a brief smile that was miraculously captured in this photograph with Mr. Lands.

In other news.....we managed to have some fun last week and over the weekend.

• Wednesday, help arrived in the form of Nona
  
• We took lunch to Mr. Lands at Francesca's school.
• Carson spent part of Saturday and Sunday out riding the hog
• Francesca and I took Shade to visit her foster parents and to meet their latest foster dog "Taz".

Look for more updates in the coming days as we once again take on the task of administering chemo treatments here at home!

-Jennifer