Howdy good friends!
I hope that your summertime has been totally superb ☀️
I’m popping in nowadays to supply an update on Dominic so several of you have published and asked how he is doing, and how the operation went, and I thank you for your endurance!
Initial, a Thank You
The outpouring of wonderful playing cards, postcards, and presents that have been sent to my PO box has been so heartwarming. Our loved ones is fully and completely humbled by your thoughtfulness, and we thank you from the base of our hearts for taking time out of your day to do a thing that would provide a smile to Dominic’s encounter ❤️ THANK YOU!
Operation Update
Dominic experienced his tumor resection surgical procedure on Monday, June 20th at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. He went into the running room at 9:30am and arrived in his place in the pediatric ICU about 6:45pm. Leaving him in that working area was intestine-wrenching, but an OR nurse was equipped to provide updates on a normal foundation through the day, which made all of the ready significantly a lot less agonizing. The surgeon was equipped to get rid of his full tumor, as properly as all of the diseased lymph nodes that have been determined in his neck, stomach, and pelvis. He was secure all over the overall procedure, missing incredibly little blood, and only stayed in the ICU for two times.
The surgical treatment merely could not have long gone any greater and we are just so grateful to the surgeon and for all of the prayers that were being despatched up for Dominic and the surgical workforce that day. There is one particular rogue lymph node underneath his left clavicle that the surgeon understood heading in was not able to be achieved from both the neck or the thoracoabdominal incision. It will be re-scanned and both taken off by using a scope process or if it has shrunk plenty of, radiated.
Restoration was pretty gradual going the to start with handful of times using just a couple techniques was really hard for Dominic and it was so tough to see him battling and getting exhausted by such simple actions. He had a upper body tube and catheter for 4 days post-surgery, and an stomach drain for a week, which did not enable! But it was also amazing to see what a change just a pair of days could make. Operating with PT and OT was wonderful and within a week he was walking back again and forth to the playroom in the hospital.
A few of days just after operation, they learned a chylous leak (in essence, fats leaking by the lymphatic procedure), which we have been told beforehand would be a risk due to the fact so a lot of lymph nodes would be eliminated. It was the only serious complication article-medical procedures they dealt with it with medication and a low-fats diet program for about 5 days and it fixed.
A week just after surgical procedures, Dominic commenced his fourth spherical of chemo. This a single strike him the toughest, very likely mainly because he was even now recovering from surgery, he shed his hunger for a quantity of days, had some nausea, and was much more worn out than typical. We were being able to head again dwelling following that cycle of chemo was finish, 11 times just after his surgical treatment.
Back again Household
The surgeon indicated that whole restoration will choose about two months, but that strolling and light workout is good for him, so he started off by strolling our driveway and cul de sac and got back on his pedal kart bicycle (bike using was health care provider-authorised) for some uncomplicated rides. He has little by little regained a great deal of vitality, as properly as selection of motion, and is driving his bicycle more quickly and is up and participating in like typical.
1 of our most important hurdles considering that obtaining home is that he just was not again to himself for rather some time, which we experienced been instructed was wholly typical. He was lethargic, not talkative, not interested in actively playing, and we all missed our Dominic!
Aspect of the difficulty is that it took him a good deal extended to rebound from this previous spherical of chemo than any of the prior rounds that he had. His white counts sat bottomed out at or in the vicinity of zero for two complete months, and he needed 3 platelet transfusions and two blood transfusions inside of a 7 days. We logged some Prolonged times at clinic the week following we bought again.
The other problem is that he had extended loss of hunger following chemo and experienced continued to shed excess weight (and he was little to start with!). As a end result, the doctors started out him on an hunger stimulant a week ago and it appears to be to have kicked in about the final few of days since he’s been eating so a lot much better and obtained a very little about a 50 % pound because his clinic appointment past 7 days.
All of his counts started coming back up in the last couple of days and he has not essential any transfusions because early last week. We’re so grateful he’s having back again to his old self, slowly but surely but undoubtedly!
Up coming Steps…
Next 7 days, Dominic will undergo a battery of scans and a bone marrow biopsy to see the exact standing of the illness publish-medical procedures and following completion of chemo.
Shortly thereafter, he’ll start out his to start with round of immunotherapy antibody therapies, and then have radiation. The extended-time period program is that he will have at minimum 5 rounds of immunotherapy remedies, spaced out about a thirty day period apart. Scans will be accomplished right after each individual two rounds to see how matters are seeking. Inquiring for a lot of prayers that we get thoroughly clean scans as shortly as attainable 🙏🏻
Thank you all so a lot once more, for reaching out and inquiring about Dominic, for keeping him in your prayers, for showering him with playing cards, and for continuing to like on us as a loved ones. We feel you, and your kindness and prayers carry us up and give us power.
I’ll share yet another update following we get through our upcoming methods! In the meantime, we’re soaking up each and every single working day that we can all expend time with each other beneath 1 roof ❤️
