Wednesday, June 20, 2012

I made it!

Posted by: Mommy It has been a crazy couple of months, but good news overall. CJ had his last chemo treatment at the end of April. Then mid May he got to finish his chemo pills. It was so strange not having to go through the nightly routine of getting cut off from eating and drinking by a certain time so he can take his medicine on time. We don’t have to plan everything we do around treatment and medicine. Plus no more steroids and no more “Roid Rage” would have to be my favorite part. Ever since treatment ended CJ’s check ups have surprised me. First month after treatment was over I was expecting his ANC to shoot way up over 2000. He has been so steady with his counts for almost a year having them land between 1700 and 1900. He gets his blood test and to everyone’s shock his ANC was 700, yet no one was worried. This was a completely different world than what I am used to. Before 700 meant we were home bound until they came up, now they said he could still go to school. He still has most of his precautions for at least six months after he stops treatment. He also has to take antibiotics for the first six months as part of the precautions. The doctors said his counts could be so low because he could be fighting something off. Luckily nothing became full blown, and he didn’t get sick. Since he did have such low counts getting his port taken out got put off. He went back the next week to get his counts checked to be on the safe side. His ANC went up 1100, which was good. We went back this past Tuesday for a check up and his ANC went up to 2300. That is what we need to expect. Since his counts recovered he was cleared to have his port taken out. Now I sit and wait for the phone call on when the surgery date is. I was told they would call me very soon and it would probably be next week. I guess the hospital’s idea of very soon and mine are two different things. I don’t think they realize I am a planner and need to know now instead of last minute. We waited this long I can suck it up a little loner. I think I might be more excited about the whole than CJ. On the personal side CJ has done baseball the last few months, with his team being the league champs for the rookie boys. If he keeps this up CJ will need his own personally trophy room by the time he gets out of high school. CJ also participated in Medals 4 Mettles program this year, which has medical students run in a marathon or mini-marathon and then they give their medals to the cancer patients as a way to encourage them through their treatment. It is a great experience and I am glad CJ got the chance to do it. CJ also had a party at school the day after his last treatment. I sent a cake (sports theme of course), and they celebrated his treatment finally being over. Now it is time to start our new normal for about the hundredth time in the last three and a half years, but now I can say CJ is not long a cancer patient, he is a cancer survivor.