Hello everyone! I just cannot think that we are on the cusp of Labor Working day and summer time coming to a near. The last 5 to 6 months have been a whole blur and this summertime, in certain, has flown by. There’s been hospitals (chemo, stem mobile harvest, surgical treatment), clinic appointments, and driving back and forth to New York.
But, 1 foot in entrance of the other and a single working day at a time, we are grateful to be heading into a new year with a robust boy and hearts entire of hope.
Dominic experienced a fast paced very first number of months of August…
🔍 Initial, he experienced a new set of scans (MRI + MIBG) furthermore a further bone marrow biopsy. The scans still display sickness during his bones but most of the spots are “dimmer” than before, and the bone marrow involvement lowered by in excess of 50%.
So, there is nonetheless do the job to do, but there is an advancement. And! Dominic did the two of the scans devoid of anesthesia (he has been sedated formerly since you have to lay absolutely however and the MIBG is about 2 several hours). He’s a rock star.
🏥 Next, he experienced his 1st spherical of immunotherapy. The antibody he’s specified targets the protein of neuroblastoma cells and since they normally sit on nerve cells, there is important nerve agony accompanying the procedure. The infusion is quick (45 minutes) but rigorous.
There is a great deal of pre-medication and discomfort management for the duration of and right after, and he would generally snooze the complete rest of the working day afterward. But, the remedies are outpatient so no medical center stays, and they never impact counts like chemotherapy, so no neutropenia or blood or platelet transfusions.
🦸♂️ Then, he crossed off yet another large hurdle… radiation. He did this awake with no anesthesia as well… twice a day for five times, he was strapped down making use of a specific mask that was molded to his head and upper physique to preserve his head and neck in the precise very same situation each and every time (his clavicle was radiated owing to the cluster of diseased lymph nodes that have been there, as properly as the tumor mattress in his stomach). An incredible woman who will work there has the kids select what they want their masks to be and then tailor made paints them… Dominic chose Iron Man. There are some incredibly particular people today in this planet.
He could also decide regardless of what new music he wanted to be piped in every time and selected Xmas new music each individual working day 💕🌲 He completely rocked it and the people functioning there have been absolutely phenomenal.
➡️ Next… we get to be house for a pair of weeks, then it is again to NY for a different round of immunotherapy, a new set of scans, and another bone marrow biopsy.
📘 In the meantime, he begun kindergarten this week! He’ll be signing up for class just about until finally his oncologist provides him the go-forward to show up at in individual, which we’re hoping will be late September.
💈 His eyebrows, eyelashes, AND hair have all started out rising back! He’s had a ton of electricity, has attained back again all of the weight he shed following surgery and that last spherical of chemo and is usually carrying out actually, actually well.
❤️ Thank you all for your continued prayers, it means so significantly to our household.
In other news, I am preparing to get some e-mail scheduled out heading into the drop and getaway time to refresh some site information. So, you can seem ahead to me popping into your inbox much more often in the coming months 🎉
