Posted by: Mommy
We had a big day on our last chemo day. First we had CJ’s normal chemo, and then his sleepy test, (spinal tap). First at clinic CJ’s counts were 3500. This may seem good, but not for the maintenance stage. During maintenance the goal is to keep CJ’s ANC between 1000 and 2000. This is ideal because it is high enough that the risk of infection is not extremely high, but it is low enough that the doctors know the chemo is working. If CJ’s counts stay high for a couple of months in a row they will increase his chemo. CJ did well at his chemo and sleepy test, no big fits were thrown. We had to share the big room at OCO this time, and I think the fact that CJ knew another little boy was on the other side of a curtain getting ready for the same thing made him want to be brave. We had a week of steroids after the chemo, which is usually a bad week, but this month wasn’t as bad as usual. I know CJ does better the more he gets to get out of the house and now it is getting warmer he gets to play outside more.
Another reason that this was a big week was because March 6th was the one year anniversary of CJ’s diagnoses. It is hard to believe that it has been a year since that awful night that changed our lives forever. It is also amazing how far CJ has come since that long night. You look at him now and he doesn’t seem sick most of the time. Just looking at him from that bald heading little boy with the cubby checks, to his now still the tallest kid in his class, with his thin frame and full head of hair, he looks perfectly normal. We don’t have people see him and ask what is wrong. We did our best this entire time to treat him as much like a normal little boy as possible. We knew that one day he is going to get over this illness and be a normal boy just like everyone else, and we didn’t want him to feel any other way. CJ is strong and brave and he is my hero for being so tough. I know it has been hard on him, it has been hard on the entire family. But now the rough part is over. We made it through. Now he is playing t-ball with all the other little boys and girls his age, and I feel so happy to know that he is winning his fight.
