Life After Cancer

Yesterday Jason and I were talking about the future. Not necessarily way in the future but things like, "this fall I would like to move some plants around." "Maybe I can start school again in January." Stuff like that that we haven't talked about in any kind of detail until now. Before I couldn't even think about the kids starting school this fall. Everything was on a needs basis. I would think about it if I really needed to. But not until then. Now there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. We are making plans for the future. There is life after cancer. And it is a future with 3 healthy children in it! Maybe its the time at home that has made us so optimistic or maybe it is the thought of only 2 treatments left. Whatever it is we are excited to see a bright light growing brighter every day.

I love this picture of Critter because it is so typical. When we are at the hospital he is surrounded by buckets of toys. He plays with the oxygen. He has figured out how to clog it with his hand and make different pitch sounds with it. Last time we brought shake and go cars. He learned how to turn on and off the blood pressure cuff. At home he finds the thermometer. He will try his ear and then try his toes and laugh because he knows its a big joke to take your toes temperature. He is so strong and healthy. We are so blessed with such a strong kid. Sometimes he will even sit still and hold his arms up when I put the cover over his line so he can bathe. We go back in on Thursday. ECHO at 9, clinic at 12 and RTU at 1:30 for his bone marrow and Lp and then they give us a room. The worst part is he is NPO, nothing by mouth until he gets his LP. So I will spend half the day at the hospital with a starving kid. Oh well maybe we can scrounge up some new toys to play with while we wait. The good thing about that hospital is there are people called child life specialist who wander around bringing toys to kids who are waiting. They make it as comfortable as possible. Wish us luck! Round 4 here we come!