Mmm. Where to begin. It feels like we've lived a lifetime over the course of the past 2 weeks. Chemotherapy for Derek has begun (he seems to responding well so far), Zachary got his 2 month shots and was declared the size of an almost 4 month old (just shy of 15lb and 25in long), and Benjamin continues to be the Energizer Bunny (I oughtta do speed workouts with that kid- I'd get my running speed back super quick).
We have been overwhelmed with gifts, help, prayers, etc. Kind people from my work, friends, family, and people we don't even know have demonstrated their generosity. My children have a load of new toys, coloring books, etc. We've received discounts on yard materials as we work towards making our backyard more child-with-leukemia friendly (Derek can no longer play in the dirt and our yard is, well.... a diamond in the rough?, maybe). And, with lots of stray cats in the neighborhood that seem to infest our yard, we don't want him getting sick from all the microscopic nasties they carry (I really don't like cats anyways), we're going to finally fence in the yard.
This past Thursday evening a group of strong, burly men in the neighborhood helped tear down an old, dilapidated, wasp-infested shed in our backyard. Lo and behold a skunk was discovered living beneath it (yes, you read that right, a skunk). Thankfully no oatmeal baths were needed. The varment wandered off quietly.
Derek's medication makes him emotionally volatile, gives him a few girth units, promotes strange food cravings, and increases appetite. So, it's kinda like dealing with a pregnant woman, but it's a 5 year old boy. For breakfast this morning he ate:
1. 4 pancakes (2 with peanut butter and syrup)
2. 2 scrambled eggs
3. smoothie
4. a few glasses of milk
By 11am he was asking if it was lunch time yet. No! I'm not your slave in the kitchen!
His cravings as of late are potato chips, cottage cheese with salsa and chips, milk, and eggs. We've gone through a gallon and a half of milk in 3 days. Thankfully the particular med that has these wacky side effects is only to be taken every day during this 1st month.
We sincerely appreciate all the prayers, well wishes, gifts, service, offers for help, babysitting, etc. And if you've done something for us I didn't list, we thank you just the same. We're looking to make life as normal as possible. Mission Impossible, essentially.
Forward Ho!
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Kansas City, Leukemia, and the Elusive Milkshake
Yes, I have slacked off and not posted in a ridiculously long time. I'm going to use the "pregnancy brain" excuse. It's legit, so there.
Speaking of pregnancy, I hate it even more than ever before. I had heartburn almost the entire 9 months! Let me just tell you how much fun that wasn't. Getting enough calories was a serious challenge given that eating was painful most of the time. Evening stomach pain became routine. Ugh.
Zachary James Canova arrived 2 days before his due date on 20 May, 2015 at 8 lbs, 12.2 oz and 22 in long, with blonde hair. He first 5 or 6 weeks of his life were a blur. Lots of fussiness, me trying to figure out why, Derek and Benjamin and Daddy adjusting.
We all flew to Kansas City end of June for a Canova family reunion. Tyler's brother lives there so we all met there. We had a grand time getting a tour of the Sporting Kansas City stadium, visiting a few Church history sites, swimming, and more. Our flight home included delayed flights (into late-night and early-morning hours), a sleeping Benjamin peeing on Daddy in the Denver airport, a kind Southwest employee finding our bags for a change of clothes, and Derek having to wake up and walk through airports half asleep. But, we made it!
A few days after coming home, we celebrated Independence Day (we love you America!) by going on a hike with some cousins. Derek complained a lot that he was tired and then couldn't make it to the destination (he'd been complaining of fatigue and cold sensitivity a lot over the past 6 weeks-ish). This is HIGHLY unusual for him. He was white as a ghost and when he sat down at the furthest point he hiked to his lips were even white. This kid had been doing cannon balls into the pool 3 days earlier and just finished running around like mad during Spring soccer end of May! Something was wrong. Tyler carried him back to the car.
Derek already had an appointment with the pediatrician in conjunction with Zac's 2 month check up 2 weeks from that point, but we knew he needed to be seen earlier. We got him an appointment the following business day (July 6). One look from the dr. and she knew Derek was severely anemic, but needed labs drawn to figure out why. A few hours later we knew that his platelets were at 15,000 (normal range 150,000-400,000), and hematocrit at 12 (normal is above 35). We were sent to Primary Children's Hospital and Derek was admitted immediately. By the end of the day the doctors were almost 100% sure little Derek had leukemia. They even let me look at the blood smear- it did NOT look good.
Our lives drastically changed faster than a peregrine falcon spots, catches, and devours its prey (or so it seemed).
The next day we got the official diagnosis of B cell ALL (over a 90% cure rate), then they put a central line in, took a bone marrow aspirate, and put a little chemotherapy into his spinal fluid. So it was 3 procedures with 1 sedation (that's 3 birds with one stone folks- they throw stones like hobbits around here!). And in the course of all that Derek was transfused with 1 pack of platelets and 3 units of blood. He spiked a fever and was put on big-gun antibiotics. Crazy to think of how much his little 5 year old frame can handle!
The next day (today) the 1st round of chemotherapy was administered, some favorite friends came to visit, and our brains began to process this whole shenanigan a little more. Our hope is to go home after 4 or 5 days from admission. The 1st month of treatment will be pretty intense including daily pills at home and weekly outpatient chemotherapy appointments. Then we will be on treatment cycles with their own time tables (I'll figure out what they are when they're closer). The grand total for treatments will be 3 years and 3 months.
The cute kid loves chocolate milk shakes and has ordered one almost every meal. Each time he either is asleep, busy being poked, prodded, the like, or not up to eating. Another sits untouched as I sit here now. He's sleeping.
Tyler and I are grateful for such a great support system! There are so many who want to help and be a part of what's going on. Prayers are more powerful than I think we give them credit. We have witnessed countless miracles already and can feel extra help and buoyancy from the Lord's grace.
Let the crazy roller coaster ride begin, even though we didn't know we were in line for it!
Speaking of pregnancy, I hate it even more than ever before. I had heartburn almost the entire 9 months! Let me just tell you how much fun that wasn't. Getting enough calories was a serious challenge given that eating was painful most of the time. Evening stomach pain became routine. Ugh.
Zachary James Canova arrived 2 days before his due date on 20 May, 2015 at 8 lbs, 12.2 oz and 22 in long, with blonde hair. He first 5 or 6 weeks of his life were a blur. Lots of fussiness, me trying to figure out why, Derek and Benjamin and Daddy adjusting.
We all flew to Kansas City end of June for a Canova family reunion. Tyler's brother lives there so we all met there. We had a grand time getting a tour of the Sporting Kansas City stadium, visiting a few Church history sites, swimming, and more. Our flight home included delayed flights (into late-night and early-morning hours), a sleeping Benjamin peeing on Daddy in the Denver airport, a kind Southwest employee finding our bags for a change of clothes, and Derek having to wake up and walk through airports half asleep. But, we made it!
A few days after coming home, we celebrated Independence Day (we love you America!) by going on a hike with some cousins. Derek complained a lot that he was tired and then couldn't make it to the destination (he'd been complaining of fatigue and cold sensitivity a lot over the past 6 weeks-ish). This is HIGHLY unusual for him. He was white as a ghost and when he sat down at the furthest point he hiked to his lips were even white. This kid had been doing cannon balls into the pool 3 days earlier and just finished running around like mad during Spring soccer end of May! Something was wrong. Tyler carried him back to the car.
Derek already had an appointment with the pediatrician in conjunction with Zac's 2 month check up 2 weeks from that point, but we knew he needed to be seen earlier. We got him an appointment the following business day (July 6). One look from the dr. and she knew Derek was severely anemic, but needed labs drawn to figure out why. A few hours later we knew that his platelets were at 15,000 (normal range 150,000-400,000), and hematocrit at 12 (normal is above 35). We were sent to Primary Children's Hospital and Derek was admitted immediately. By the end of the day the doctors were almost 100% sure little Derek had leukemia. They even let me look at the blood smear- it did NOT look good.
Our lives drastically changed faster than a peregrine falcon spots, catches, and devours its prey (or so it seemed).
The next day we got the official diagnosis of B cell ALL (over a 90% cure rate), then they put a central line in, took a bone marrow aspirate, and put a little chemotherapy into his spinal fluid. So it was 3 procedures with 1 sedation (that's 3 birds with one stone folks- they throw stones like hobbits around here!). And in the course of all that Derek was transfused with 1 pack of platelets and 3 units of blood. He spiked a fever and was put on big-gun antibiotics. Crazy to think of how much his little 5 year old frame can handle!
The next day (today) the 1st round of chemotherapy was administered, some favorite friends came to visit, and our brains began to process this whole shenanigan a little more. Our hope is to go home after 4 or 5 days from admission. The 1st month of treatment will be pretty intense including daily pills at home and weekly outpatient chemotherapy appointments. Then we will be on treatment cycles with their own time tables (I'll figure out what they are when they're closer). The grand total for treatments will be 3 years and 3 months.
The cute kid loves chocolate milk shakes and has ordered one almost every meal. Each time he either is asleep, busy being poked, prodded, the like, or not up to eating. Another sits untouched as I sit here now. He's sleeping.
Tyler and I are grateful for such a great support system! There are so many who want to help and be a part of what's going on. Prayers are more powerful than I think we give them credit. We have witnessed countless miracles already and can feel extra help and buoyancy from the Lord's grace.
Let the crazy roller coaster ride begin, even though we didn't know we were in line for it!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Pumpkin, Frozen Running Face, and Everyone-Forgets-How-To-Drive-Like-A-Human-Being
Thanksgiving is in 2 days and the holiday craziness is well under way, well at least people are driving like it. We've cooked a whole pumpkin (my goodness did that yield A LOT!), pulled out winter coats, had a few snowfalls, and basically said farewell to any warm air from the outdoors. Sigh.
Derek and Benjamin LOVE "Horsy Rides" from Daddy from the couch after scriptures to their beds. They giggle hysterically all the way, especially as Daddy makes them fall. Derek continues to LOVE school and is learning to read more words every day. Mindy gets to volunteer at the school sometimes, which has helped the adjustment of having a child in school.
Benjamin has started potty training and well, like every other big transition, he's treating it like running a marathon at a 10 or 11 minute mile. Quite slow, but steady. Thankfully we still have a good solid 6 months til child #3 arrives.
Tyler has registered for classes at SLCC to start his PT school pre-requisites. It's gonna be a journey for sure, speaking of slow, steady races... Work at the prison is the same as usual, not-so-positive environment, but he handles it like a champ.
Mindy is roughly at mile 8 of the pregnancy marathon and feeling like the end of May is forever away. Her belly looks like she's been enjoying too much dessert. She's doing her best to own it like a boss. She secretly plays Christmas music while Tyler is gone, since he's so staunch about NOTHING Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Thankfully he still lets her rehearse her Christmas songs she's been asked to sing for the ward.
That's about it. Now if Mindy could figure out what to get Tyler for Christmas...
Derek and Benjamin LOVE "Horsy Rides" from Daddy from the couch after scriptures to their beds. They giggle hysterically all the way, especially as Daddy makes them fall. Derek continues to LOVE school and is learning to read more words every day. Mindy gets to volunteer at the school sometimes, which has helped the adjustment of having a child in school.
Benjamin has started potty training and well, like every other big transition, he's treating it like running a marathon at a 10 or 11 minute mile. Quite slow, but steady. Thankfully we still have a good solid 6 months til child #3 arrives.
Tyler has registered for classes at SLCC to start his PT school pre-requisites. It's gonna be a journey for sure, speaking of slow, steady races... Work at the prison is the same as usual, not-so-positive environment, but he handles it like a champ.
Mindy is roughly at mile 8 of the pregnancy marathon and feeling like the end of May is forever away. Her belly looks like she's been enjoying too much dessert. She's doing her best to own it like a boss. She secretly plays Christmas music while Tyler is gone, since he's so staunch about NOTHING Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Thankfully he still lets her rehearse her Christmas songs she's been asked to sing for the ward.
That's about it. Now if Mindy could figure out what to get Tyler for Christmas...
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