Sunday, December 2, 2012

Weary

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

To say that we are weary of this journey would be an understatement.  I especially feel weary tonight.  We are back at St. Jude after just being here last Sunday through Wednesday.  So we were home for 3 full days before we had to leave again.  I am weary of being away from home, I am weary of packing, I am weary of the 6 hour drive to Memphis, I am weary of leaving Wyatt behind, but most of all I am weary of the fact that my baby has been through so much.  I am sick of him being poked and prodded and put to sleep every other day. (literally)

We came here one week ago for him to have radiation simulation.  It is a procedure that they do to prepare for the actual radiation.  Most children have radiation for 6 weeks.  Reid is having something called brachytherapy.  If there is a silver lining, he will only have radiation for one week; however he will have it twice a day.  We received our schedule for tomorrow when we got here tonight.  We have to be at the hospital at 8:15 in the morning.  We are scheduled to get back to our hotel at 5:00 p.m.  Reid will be sedated twice a day for this whole week, and the kicker is that he can't eat until after the sedation.  This week is the week for him 2 weeks after chemo when his appetite comes back full swing.  So, now he won't get to eat until around 3:00 every afternoon.  I cannot imagine how this is going to work out.  Most of his sedations have been early morning, so we just tell him that he can eat or drink "in a little while".  But tomorrow when he wakes up from the first sedation, he will not be able to eat.  Please pray for this situation.  Pray that he will be okay, and that he won't be a total GRUMP and horrible to deal with between the first and second sedations.  Like I said, I am weary, and at times my patience is growing very thin.  Please pray for me to be patient.

Once the second sedation is complete on Friday, we will be admitted to the hospital for chemo #5!  It seems as if we just had chemo.  UGGH!  Weary once again at the thought of sleeping in the hospital for 3 nights.  Weary of Reid being hooked up to an IV for 4 full days.  Weary of the aftermath of chemo....no appetite, being in isolation at home for fear of others' germs, being anxious about him getting a fever and going into the hospital YET AGAIN.  Reid had his first chemo induced fever when we were here last Sunday night.  We went to the "medicine room" at St. Jude, and we were promptly admitted into the hospital.  We stayed there until Tuesday night.  We spent our Tuesday night back at the Grizzlies House, and then we left here on Wednesday morning at around 10:00. 

Here's a funny story about the Grizzlies House.  Memphis Grizzlies House is located on St. Jude's campus.  It is a short-term housing facility for St. Jude patients and their families who are undergoing treatment from one to seven days.  We have stayed here each and every time.  They have never moved us to the Ronald McDonald House except after Reid's surgery and only for 2 nights.  I was not a fan.  I just like it HERE at the Grizzlies House.  It is more like a hotel.  Ronald McDonald House reminds me of a dorm.  Anyway.....when you get here as a first-time patient you stay in a suite.  The suites have 2 separate rooms, a couch and 2 tvs.  We can be watching two separate tv shows at the same time, and we can be separated:)  SOMEHOW, we have gotten a suite two other times as well:  during the surgery stay, and TONIGHT we got another suite.  I don't know how it keeps happening, but I am so thankful!  It's the little things when you are WEARY, right?  (I have met a friend in Patient Services.  They set up patient families with rooms depending on the length of your stay.  Last week she told me we were going to Ronald McDonald House for this week's stay.  I begged her to let us stay here.  She called me later and told me we could stay at Grizzlies.  I then proceeded to buy her a gift card which I will be giving to her TOMORROW.  Maybe she is the little elf that keeps getting us the suites?!?!)

#6 chemo is scheduled to begin at OLOL on December 28.  There is another blessing in the fact that Reid will be feeling great for Christmas.  He is so excited about Christmas this year.  Friday night, he and Wyatt went to my mother-in-law's house for supper.  I came back home and decorated the tree with my friend.  Lance hid in our bedroom...LOL!  Lance went to go pick them up at around 9:00 p.m.  When they walked in the door and saw the tree they both had big smiles on their faces!  Saturday morning, another friend arranged for me to bring the boys to Parkview's Alumni breakfast with Santa before everyone else arrived.  My boys and I entered through the side door, and they took their pictures.  Then we left before the breakfast started.  I am so grateful that she thought of this for us.  God has blessed me with amazing friends!

Reid helped put on the final ornaments. He hung them all on the same branch!  LOL!
Because Reid went for 8 weeks with no chemo, his hair has started to grow back.  It looks like a VERY short buzz cut.  But it's there, and this momma knows how much she misses his hair now that I see it coming back.  But it is going to fall out again.  It took 2 1/2 weeks after the first chemo for it to fall out.  We are right at the 2 1/2 week mark after the last chemo.  So, I look for it to start falling out again any day.  Also, his eyelashes and eyebrows have fully grown back in.  Those will be falling out too.  Pray that I can deal with it again knowing that it will be back sooner rather than later.  His LAST chemo is scheduled for January 18th.  I don't know if that will be at home at OLOL or here at St. Jude. 

Please be in prayer for us this week:
  1. Pray that FIRST AND FOREMOST Reid will live the rest of his days CANCER FREE.  Pray that this surgery, radiation and chemo will do what it is meant to do.  Pray that from this day forward, Reid will live a long and healthy life with no thought of CANCER every entering his mind again.
  2. Pray that all three of us maintain our sanity with the twice a day sedations and no eating. 
  3. Pray that the radiation goes well.
  4. Pray that this weekend's chemo goes well and that Reid has minimal or no side effects (i.e. nausea/vomiting).
  5. Pray for Reid's anxiety.  I have noticed he is getting more anxious as the months go by.  I contribute it to the fact that he is getting older and more aware of what is going on.  Pray that God will still his little heart with the peace that passes all understanding.
  6. Pray that Reid DOES NOT get another fever after this chemo.  Pray we are able to stay at our house, in our beds from the time we get home this time until we go for the next chemo on December 28.

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