It's like vacation...almost

It's been such a great few weeks with The Boy. His last inpatient stay and this inpatient stay have been (mostly) uneventful, thank goodness. This stay and the next stay are shorter stays, so it's almost like a reprieve from the last two.

I have been in contact with another family whose daughter is on the same treatment, but much further along, and I was told what to watch out for with this medicine as opposed to the last one (which is probably some of the more horrible stuff out there). We'll definitely be giving Zofran (anti-nausea meds) for a few days after his treatment in order that we keep the pukiness down to a minimum, as they said that the nauseating effects of the Carboplatin can be delayed. They also said that, with regards to neutropenic fevers, there's just no way to tell when they'll happen. They just will. Carboplatin will have more of an effect on his platelet count, for longer. So he may not need a full transfusion, only platelets, or he may need more blood anyway. Whatever--anything for The Boy.

Any time that we get that is similar to the past 3 or 4 weeks with The Boy is a blessing, and it's like a vacation from the other times, when it could be all sickness all day. Even though we still spend plenty of times going to the doctor/hospital, if he is "well" otherwise, the daytime visits are quick. If he requires something that takes longer, like blood, the daytime visits are at least comfortable.

Today was a fine day. Musical Daddy and I slept a little later and went out to breakfast. We met The Boy and Grandma at the hospital in the mid-morning, to find them snuggling and napping. Lots of playing after he woke up, some unfortunate port trouble that made The Boy rather angry, and then I took Grandma out for a break. We went to the dollar store, to Kmart, and then for a nice leisurely lunch. I had onion rings with my lunch. Haven't had those in AGES!! There's just something about steakhouse onion rings--DEEElicious.

Musical Daddy reported that The Boy had eaten roughly half his weight in chicken.

We returned to the hospital and brought The Boy some coloring books, crayons, and stickers. And some potato chips, so that Grandma could hear him asking for "ips" as he saw them. Good idea: coloring in the high chair so that children get used to sitting at a table to color. Bad idea: coloring and eating chips at the same time--you end up with children trying to eat crayons. Overall, the coloring and stickers were a success. The Boy can hold a crayon and draw some lines and scribbles, and he can pick up stickers and put them on things. He doesn't do it often, so he has not yet developed the enthusiasm for it that I'm sure he will.

More playing, including Mommy building towers of stacking cups and The Boy knocking them over. I say "Oh no!" and he puts his hands on his head. It's adorable.

We are now home, because the weather isn't great, and Grandma figured that it was better that we leave while it was a little easier to get home. Besides, she says that she took that class at the Y...