Christmas Chemo Time!

This week the Taylors find ourselves in back in Barbara Bush Children's Hospital (the infamous room 636) for James' last inpatient chemo treatment of 2008. JT checked into the big house at about 9am today and we hope to be heading back home on Christmas Eve Day.

This evening, little did James know but Santa got clearance to use the hospital's helicopter pad to pay a special visit. He waved to many kids but tonight - by special invitation- Santa's only stop was room 636 to see James and Jack. He brought only two presents with him. One for James and one for Jack. James can't figure out how the man in red knew he was even here. All of James' letters came from our home address! When I asked him if, maybe, he secretly wished that Santa would come visit him in the hospital he said "Yes". Needless to say, after a day of being sort of "down" because the playroom is closed (read: No xBox 360/Legos Star Wars game) James is still in shock....more pictures later....The beauty of this one is how Jack is oblivious to Santa's presence once his present is opened.

Only two more shopping days left! I better get started, eh?!?
dct

Snowy Sunday....

So, the boys are resting (JT is getting very fatigued lately) and Old Man Winter is bearing down on us for the third time in under two weeks. I love the new blanket of snow because it covers all the leaves that I didn't have time to rake! But, damn, don't I hate cleaning up after the storms. I'm pretty sure that we can safely assume that we're in for a white Christmas here in Portland.

Anyhow, I'm hanging out flipping through iTunes and photos and figured that I'd post a few random shots for no other good reason than because I can. So here you are.

Hope you all are safe, warm and well.

dct

Not unlike a manager's line up card. Just keeping it all straight, at times, can be mindboggling.

Dinner's "appetizers". Thanks to the medication Gods JT takes everything well.

...and so it does.

For whatever reason a few years ago I began sawing off a little wafer of our Christmas trees. Not sure if it's the recession hitting our little house or just my poor tree selection abilities - but the trunk diameter is on disturbingly downward path. Gonna have to fix that in '09.

Happy Holidays

Hey there folks....

The Taylors are doing well and getting ready for Christmas. James is holding steady. We've noticed that lately he's been becoming more and more fatigued. I suspect that his treatments, all the season's excitement and a nice coating of snow to play in is catching up with him. So, we watch him carefully and are trying to get him to bed early and take naps when he wants.

I just want to take a moment to thank you all for your lovely cards, calls and emails. It's wonderful to know that we have such amazing family, friends and co-workers. Each and everyone of you has helped us cope with a pretty turbulent 2008. I raise my glass to each of you and toast to a happy, healthy and healing 2009.

I promise more of an update (with photos) in the very,very near future. James goes into the hospital on Monday (12/22) and is slated for discharge Christmas Eve. This particular chemo cycle is only four weeks so we'll find ourselves back in January. While more of a break away would be nice we're comforted in the fact that the middle of January will have two milestones. First is that JT will eclipse the half way point in his total treatments (radiation and chemo). The second is that JT will be done the first main cycle of chemo treatments - or better put he'll be 1/3 of the way done with chemo!

For now though we'll concentrate on the short term goals of getting into the hospital, getting out of the hospital and watching for Rudolph's red nose!

Take care and love to you all.

dct

2 Down, 7 To Go

So while Don takes a break tonight (and yes for the past month too) from the blog, I'll fill you in on the last week. James had round 2 of chemo on Monday, Nov. 10th into Tuesday the 11th. No major differences from the last go around except that the chemo started 4 hours earlier this time, which meant James got to sleep just a wee bit more overnight, and that he got to play more Star Wars Legos on the XBox.

No major differences also means...so far...no puking. Mom & Dad & the nurses are thrilled.

Speaking of that, I'll go back just a bit and cover the last month briefly. James handled the chemo like a champ. There was no explicitly chemo-related puking...always good, especially since there can be a delayed nausea effect with 1 of the 3 drugs he received. His blood counts stayed up high enough on all levels to keep us out of the clinic for the 3 week break in between chemo rounds. Also, knock on wood, no infections. So he's been going to school, keeping his OT & PT appointments and trying to keep busy with some of the normal busy life stuff of a 6 year old.

There was apple-picking, scarecrow-making, leaf-raking, playing with friends, Halloween, and a cousin's birthday party. Of course, he was Darth Vader for Halloween (thank you DeeDee), and collected his fair share of candy which he has unknowingly shared with his mother.

James is thrilled that one of his favorite nurses, Kristen, gave him an early Christmas present. Her kids had outgrown them, so James is now the happy inheritor of over 1,500 Pokemon cards. (Ada, Tate & Bella...we've told him to share!) "It's like Christmas for me today," he said. "Remember that on Dec. 25th," I thought to myself as he's also been busy making up "wish lists" out of the numerous unsolicited toy catalogs that seem to be flowing into this house daily.

James went to school for most of the remainder of the week, but a phone call came from the school nurse Friday after lunch. Turns out all the chemo meds & side effects were not his biggest problem this week. The kid can beat all that...apparently, it's a double ear infection he couldn't escape this week! Throw another medicine into the mix; what's one more, right?!

Truly, he's been a trooper through all of it so far. There are things he definitely does not like, but he gets through it in his own ways and then moves on to the next thing a 6 year old boy might care about.

Thank you to all who have continued to ask about how James is doing, and those of you who have kept him and us in your thoughts and prayers. I know it's still almost a couple of weeks away, but we realize we have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and will have you all in our thoughts as well. - Jenn

Sorry for the Silence

I know, I know.....it has been awhile. Just so you know everything is cool with JT. He's doing very well - except we'd like him to eat more. His blood counts are good. Thank you everyone for asking.

Dad's just a slacker. Everyday life has sort of gotten in the way. I'll be certain to post an update very soon! Hang tight!

dct

Snap Shots....

Here are a few pictures from today and one from yesterday...

Pill swallowing practice. He did amazing.

Lego building just after admitting.

Needle accessed in his new medi-port. Ready for fluids!

Nintendo DS coma.

Here comes a chemo drug - Vincristine.

Warning.

Update: Meds tonight...

JT's chemotherapy will begin in earnest tonight. He's currently still getting IV liquids to get his bladder filled to the brim. At 4pm he'll be taking four pills of Lomustine followed by more IV liquids mixed with some anti-nausea meds. At 7pm he gets the Vincristine and a six-hour Cisplatin IV will begin.

Over night he'll be awoken every few hours to pee.

I'll check in with you later!
dct