Logan awoke this morning feeling great! The dramas of yesterday were over (for now), and he was able to enjoy the sunshine that flooded our little twin room. Daddy arrived on the ward at 10am (after Logan had eaten his breakfast) to shower Logan and remove the toxins from his skin, that last nights chemo was exuding. He will have to shower several times a day over the next couple of days to avoid 'Michael Jackson' scarring on his skin. After his shower, and while still wet, he has to apply a liberal coat of aqueous cream ALL over his body... to try to prevent the damage between showers. He was due another shower after lunch, but as Nana and Grandad were visiting from Te Awamutu, he managed to dodge the bullet, then doze off to sleep when my back was turned... I can see this teenage boy showering thing is going to be a battle of wits! I plan to catch him when he wakes. His blood counts have begun to drop today, as needed, but as his red blood cells are down to 68, they are giving him 2 units of blood. They gave him one after lunch (they take about 3 hours), then they hung his last chemo which will last till about 8pm, then they will hang the last blood... These are probably two of many transfusions that he will have over the next few months, and they cause no discomfort or reaction. The dose of chemo that he is having at present, will be his last. It is called Etoposide and originally he was to have 3120 mg, but they have capped it and are now giving him 2400 mg. This is 12 times the amount that he has had previously in Hamilton, and will be given over 4 hours. It will well and truly wipe his cells out and probably his sanity as well.
Tomorrow he will start the anti-rejection drug that he will be taking over the next months or possibly longer.
At some point, Logan will begin to develop mucositis... if you dont know what it is, google it. It's not for the faint hearted. People get it to varying degrees. Like everything else it has grades... which go something like this - GR 1 - mild but able to eat (take no action), GR 2 - moderate - sore, but able to eat soft food and fluids, GR 3 - severe - restricted to fluids and using a nasal gastric tube to feed, GR 4 - acute - unable to take anything via the mouth, using nasal gastric only and possibly other sustenance thru iv from dietician. But not going to talk about that any more cause it's depressing. They can give pain killers and drugs to help, but like puberty, there is usually no avoiding it!
Evan has gone to Hamilton today as it is my baby's actual 21st birthday... and I miss him dearly
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAD
Evan will return here tomorrow morning. Charlotte and Dan drove up today, with Nana and Grandad following behind so they would know the way. They are staying at Ronald McDonald House tonight and Charlotte will report to her ward at 10am tomorrow morning to be admitted. Nana drove home with Grandad at around half 2. Charlotte's surgery is scheduled for 7.30am Monday morning and before she even wakes, Logan will have received her gift.
OK... enough for now... I'm obviously bored... have sent Charlee and Dan to get groceries so we can have some dinner. Logan hates the food up here so we have to cook for him as well. However, he has grown to like the sultana bran they serve for breakfast... so that's a positive....
Happy days to all and hope your holidays are relaxing... the road may be rocky from now on, but I will try my best to blog every day. Should there be a post that is significant or urgent, please let others know who might be interested, or in need of the information, especially family without internet (like Nana and Grandad and Aunty Sharon).
Hugs and love
Tracy
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