Radiation: Two Weeks Down...

..four to go. James will get his first opportunity in two solid weeks to not see the inside of a hospital. The good Lord willin’ we shall not return until Monday.

Last I posted, James was getting his antibiotics and clearing up his infection in the hospital. Since then he’s returned home (Monday afternoon) but is still on IV antibiotics for a few more days. On JT’s first full day home a visiting nurse came and educated Jenn in the fine art of IV administration. Now mind you, James is still accessed via his port, so there aren’t any needle pricks for this. But nonetheless, Jenn has taken on the roll of Clara Barton and is mastering the S.A.S.H. – (S)aline, (A)ntibiotics, (S)aline, (H)eparin - process. Bless her heart. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard a derivative of the phrase “bet you didn’t think you’d be nurse by the end of this, did you?” We’re quickly learning the stark truth to this notion. If our house was bugged, at times, the listener might think that we were re-enacting an ER episode. Drug names, procedures and conditions roll off our tongues as if we’d completed medical school. So, if anyone is interested in discussing the administration of the InterMate Infusion System...Jenn’s available most evenings.

As for JT, he says that he’s feeling well. So for the most part, we take his word for it. He’s perky when he’s doing what he wants and a cranky crab when he isn’t. Lately most of his ‘negative’ feelings are Daddy induced. When I tell him ‘No’ or that, in fact, he does have to eat something for dinner before he can play his Wii, he’ll get pouty. Probably a little bit more than a normal 6 year-old….but, really, just the same.

Last night, though, JT did mention that his head hurt and we’ve begun to see some hair on the bed in the morning. Yet another reminder that while we’ve been blessed to see plenty of healing and improvement (emotional or otherwise), the physical changes – such as hair loss and weakness – have yet to fully arrive. Jenn inquired about JT’s soreness and one nurse told her that it’s reported that during hair loss the scalp gets a “funny” feeling to it. Something JT may be communicating to us as “hurting”. Suffice to say, we’re going to do our best to throw some fun diversions at Jack and James this weekend before we wake up on Monday and climb back on this wild ride.

Thanks for reading and be safe out there,
dct