Lumbar Punctures

Tuesday, the seventh day after discovering the mass, we returned to the hospital to be admitted and initiate treatment.  The first part of the treatment was an intrathecal injection.  Intrathecal refers to being in the CSF space surrounding the brain and spinal cord (similar to epidural, but a little deeper).  Lymphoma can make it's way into this space, but the chemotherapy given intravenously can't cross well into this space.  Over the course of treatment, J will get poked in the back about 9 times to inject medication.  

He was pretty funny with his first one.  This is done under sedation.  They used propofol, which makes you fall asleep fast.  From the start of this ordeal, J has been pretty quiet, focusing on TV or games, responding in one word answers, or not at all.  Not super surprising for an 11-year-old, but still different from normal.   He decided that he would try to fight off the medicine from putting him to sleep.  We assured him the medicine would win.  He was skeptical.  The injection was begun and shortly afterward, Jonathan handed me the game he was playing, saying he was sleepy.  Then he was out.  Not even a competition.  

When he woke up from the procedure, he exclaimed "I don't think the medicine has worked yet!"  He returned to his room bubbly.  He was asking questions.  He jumped from the stretcher into his bed.  He wouldn't stop talking.  It was finally a brief glimpse of the boy we love.  It was refreshing to see.