Colin Loves Tractors » neutropenia

No Mo’ Chemo!

Mom — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:46:17 +0000

The last chemo precaution sign. This indicates the time of the administration and how long we need to properly dispose of diapers and so forth (48 hours after the drug has finished being administered).

Well, it’s official: Colin’s I.V. chemo is done. He received a dose of vincristine Thursday afternoon at 3:22 pm. Chemotherapy will continue [...]

This Tuna’s Not Going to Japan

Mom — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:10:29 +0000

Many years ago (well in excess of a decade), there was a magazine article about tuna fishing and the process of selecting the premium fish caught here in the North Atlantic that would fly to Japan. It is possibly “Those Wild Tuna Guys” by Anthony Tillett in Harper’s Magazine, published in 1987. However, I am [...]

Boomerang Boy

Mom — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:08:48 +0000

After days of struggling with the aftermath of chemo, Colin started to perk up a bit, so he emerged from the hospital after 25 days. Of course, he has very happily been out of the hospital during that time, yet not technically an outpatient.

The whole process was a little confusing, as Dr. DeWire told us she [...]

Chemoed Out

Mom — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:35:38 +0000

Colin is officially chemoed out. After blazing through Tuesday’s drugs, he sagged on Wednesday, and the latter half of the day through early Thursday he spent either sleeping or very green around the gills.

Despite talk of a possible discharge, Colin’s queasiness made that impossible, though we are still entertaining the idea for Friday. We welcome [...]

Normal, Redefined

Mom — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:56:53 +0000

On Tuesday, only one day late, Colin is back on track with chemo. He enjoyed an unexpected afternoon day pass on Monday and a further delay of several hours on Tuesday morning for fundraising purposes.

Despite the recalcitrant fungal infection, Colin has (so far) been kicking a** and taking names in this round of chemo. Methotrexate [...]

Breakdown Lane

Mom — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:10:32 +0000

St. Jude is a superhighway of cancer care for children. Colin ends up in the breakdown lane, much to the chagrin of his team (including his family). He is a patient who constantly challenges the staff and the system, ignoring all of the assumptions and common pathways.

On Monday morning, Colin went in for surgery to [...]

TPN at 10 P.M.

Mom — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:01:58 +0000

Friday was an eventful day for the whole family. For one thing, it marked the arrival of Kiyoshi and Perry from Connecticut! Aidan got to play hookie and greet them at the airport with Dad, which was a much needed boost for everybody.

Back at the hospital, Colin had a very busy day, kicking things off [...]

Putting the “P” in PT

Mom — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:03:49 +0000

Colin’s trip back to the hospital has been longer than we had hoped, though not for dramatic reasons. First off, his ANC has not yet bounced back. His ANC was zero on Sunday and Monday, then 100 on Tuesday and Wednesday, not enough of a gain to buy him a ticket out of here. Also, [...]

Nadir Time

Mom — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:47:01 +0000

Colin enjoyed two nights at home, playing with toys and relaxing in the Target House. It was exhausting (but satisfying) for Mom and Dad, who took shifts to stay up and take care of him through the night. The boys loved being together, and it was important to remind them both that our family is [...]

Home Again

Mom — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:45:51 +0000

Tomorrow, we plan on bringing Colin home again. After much planning and deliberation, St. Jude found another home health care agency to provide nighttime nursing. We met with three of the staff, including one of the nurses who would be taking care of Colin.

Following chemo, he was especially weak and tired, but every day he [...]