A Simple Surgery

Today was the first day we experienced same day surgery.  Highly recommend it over the inpatient, prolonged-stay version of surgery.  Expectations are important in allowing it to be a satisfactory experience.

Brief Update and One of Many Thank-Yous

Tomorrow is finally surgery.  Wahoo!  This surgery is for work on the kidney stones that have been sitting quietly waiting for this moment.  Right now J has a stent in his ureter connecting the kidney to the bladder.  When people have pain from kidney stones, it is usually when the stones leave the safe reservoir of the kidney collecting system and travel the narrow tube to the bladder, the ureter.  A stent opens the passageway so that the ureter can't get blocked.  Tomorrow they will take out the stent, put a small scope in the ureter and try and pull out any stones that are still lurking.  They may leave a smaller stent that has an easy removal system.  This should be pretty straight forward, but J may try to change that.

More Labs, Less Pokes

We returned for labs today.  J was a bit glum for the labs, some sort of clothing issue and little brothers refusing to be personal slaves.  Kind of foggy on the details.  Other than his mood, things couldn't have gone better.  When it was time to meet J at the door of the hospital, I grabbed a number for his labs.  Patient number 82, and they had just called 78.  Shortest waiting time ever!  J slowly warmed up to the phlebotomist, and started telling him the next thing he needed to do.  If he wasn't impressed, at least the phlebotomist realized J has been through this at least 1,000 times and counting.  After the sample was obtained, the bleeding stopped right away.  Good, the platelets were going to be more normalish than Monday. He was still a little glum and didn't want to walk all the way back to the car, but he still managed a good distance.  Counting the whole experience as a victory!

Getting Stronger

J has been doing great.  Tonight he made a trip with me to the hospital to pick up something left at the  hospital.  It's not a short walk from the parking lot, and I don't take a very slow pace.  He did a good job keeping up.  I don't think he has walked so far and in such good spirits since before this began.  He is getting tired of staying home all day.  He is ready to get back to school.

Inpatient vs. Outpatient

When we began the last cycle of chemotherapy last week we talked with the attending oncologist about when we would go home.  We opted to go home Sunday night after the last dose of chemotherapy finished.   They started treatment about 7:45 pm, which meant ideally he would be done at 7:45 pm.  Great, not too late in the evening. We confirmed that we would take him home Sunday night as we headed into the weekend.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel and a Little Sympathy

No, not that light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Chemotherapy Making Its Gains

Chemotherapy seems to be catching up to J today.  Appetite is going down.  He's still eating, but it takes much longer to decide on something that sounds good.  A throw-up bowl has become his bedside companion.  He has requested more medication for nausea.  They give Zofran as a scheduled medicine, meaning they give a regular dose at certain times of the day.  If he feels nausea on top of that he can have Ativan or Benadryl as needed.  He has taken a liking to Ativan.

Top 10 Things to Pass the Time While In the Hospital

This is a list of the top 10 things to help J pass time in the hospital.  (This list is his, editorial comments are mine.)

Cinco de Mayo

Today's excitement included yet another trip to pediatric sedation to get a very good short nap while long needles are jabbed into the back.  I think this is the 7th time he has had intrathecal chemotherapy (chemotherapy injected through a spinal tap).  He's an old pro.  He listened to Rockelbel's Canon by Piano Guys over and over on my phone while he was waiting to be put to sleep.  If you have never heard this, check it out here.  J was actively involved in the idle conversation in the procedure room as we waited for all the players to arrive.  So nice to see him so happy.  As soon as they put him to sleep, we are dismissed from the room, and we decided to go get lunch and meet him in his hospital room after the very short procedure.  When he arrived he wanted two things.  Food and the pulse oximeter removed from his finger.  He received both.  He had pizza on a piece of naan.  One piece wasn't enough.  He ate two.

May the Fourth Be With You

All good things seem to come to an end, like vacations from treatment.  J has returned to the hospital.  Would have been better if he it was tomorrow, The Return of the Fifth.

The Last Night

It has been a nice break in between treatment.  J was able to attend school on Friday.  This is the first time he has been to school since February 11.  Grandpa took him to school.  They were having a Harry Potter Day.  This would be the first year at Hogwarts given that he is 11.  Crazy, he could be learning spells and flying broomsticks.  Makes going through chemotherapy seem kind of dull and boring.  His class was happy to see him.  Apparently when Grandpa dropped him off, someone in the class yelled 'Jonathan is here" and in a moment the class was surrounding him.  He then told Grandpa he could go.  Mom was worried the whole time that he would be tired or feeling unwell, and I had to hold her back from checking in with the teacher to make sure he was OK.  He lasted the whole day.  One of the teachers thought he had shaved his head just for the event.  He was dressed up as Voldemort.  Maybe someone has pictures that will make it to us, and I can post.

He took his medications without complaint for the last several days.  He had a friend visit today.  He ate bone-in pork chops and enjoyed eating the meat straight from the bone.  He took a walk with the family around our neighborhood tonight and I noticed just how scrawny his arms have become.  He's in bed now, hopefully asleep.  This is last night to sleep without somebody coming in to his room and waking him.  This is his last night to sleep without getting so many IV fluids that he makes a trip to the bathroom every hour.