Day 7 of Chemotherapy

My poor husband, not only does he have to deal with a child with cancer, he has to put up with a pregnant wife. This morning I was crying because he was playing Wii with Madilyn first thing this morning and I wanted to have a productive day and didn't want to kick it off with feeding their addictions while turning their brains to mush. He had taken the garbage out, and turned the water on our spout. He was doing everything right and was just answering the plea of an attention-starved daughter. I am so thankful that he is quick to forgive.

We went in to the oncologist's office for his second dose of Vincristine - an injection into the PICC line. Definitely do-able, or so I thought. When we got there, and half way through his appointment, Greg was crying because his legs hurt. He soon forgot about the leg pains when the nurse was changing his dressing, which requires the removal of a sticky clear bandage that takes up the majority of his upper arm. Adhesive removal is his Achilles heel.

He weighed 19.1 kg (whatever that means - I thought we were in America) but it is similar to his weight in the hospital, so I guess I shouldn't be too worried. The doctor checked his throat and gave him a cough drop. They said a warm bath might help his leg pain. It is a side effect of one of the chemo drugs and should go away after he stops taking the pills.

The results of the bloodwork showed his white blood cell count was low (1.6, a normal range is 5.0-12.0). He said we'll be fine as long as he doesn't get a fever. Call immediately if he has a temperature of 100.

We stopped by Costco on the way home to get a few essentials. The man behind us at the checkstand was asking Greg about his PICC line. I explained that he had cancer. With tears in his eyes, he said he lost his wife to ovarian cancer. I shed a tear, too. He gave Greg a high five that made Greg smile and the cashier said she would say a prayer for him. I am thankful to have come in contact with other God-fearing, hope-bearing folks that are willing to offer support even if only with a high five or a silent prayer.

I am astounded at the number of people who have turned their hearts to God, offering prayers on behalf of my son and our little family. One friend recounted that the prayers of her children have had more meaning since they've started praying for their friend, Gregory. She was thankful for this blessing. I am learning that if we let them, our trials not only bring us closer to God, but also all of our family and friends.

Grandma visited with goodies for all the kids and we talked her ear off about Greg' care. Will's brother had Leukemia when he was only a few years old, so she can empathize with what we are going through.

It was eight o'clock in the evening and Greg was whimpering while he was sleeping because of his leg pain. We took his temperature. My heart was racing as the digits kept raising and finally stopped at 100.2 degrees. Of course, my mind jumps to the worst possible conclusion. The doctor had said he'll be fine as long as he doesn't get a fever and now just hours later, he has a fever. Great. I called the doctor who said to just watch him for a few hours (because his ability to fight infections was high according to his bloodwork done that day), but call if it reached over 101. We took his temperature every half hour. It peaked at 100.6, just .4 degrees away from an ER visit. Will gave him a Priesthood Blessing, reminding him that this life is a time to learn how to do things that are hard to do, but are right. We did a brief family home evening, which included reciting the Articles of Faith. I heard Greg through his crying, reciting the Articles of Faith along with everyone else. He is such a good kid. There were a few crazy moments that Greg needed something, William was in the shower, Madilyn was having hard poop, and who knows what Bella was up to. Things calmed down as they always do. At 10:30, his temperature was back down to 100.2. The doctor repeated the advice and said to call the office in the morning. I couldn't sleep. We took his temp every few hours. His legs were hurting and we gave him Morphine. His temperature had gone down a few degrees by morning. Phew.