Hello all people! I can not imagine that we are on the cusp of Labor Day and summer coming to a close. The last five to six months have been a whole blur and this summer season, in specific, has flown by. There is been hospitals (chemo, stem cell harvest, surgical procedures), clinic appointments, and driving back again and forth to New York.
But, 1 foot in entrance of the other and a person day at a time, we are grateful to be heading into a new period with a robust boy and hearts whole of hope.
Dominic had a fast paced to start with number of weeks of August…
🔍 Initially, he experienced a new set of scans (MRI + MIBG) in addition another bone marrow biopsy. The scans still clearly show ailment throughout his bones but most of the spots are “dimmer” than before, and the bone marrow involvement reduced by about 50%.
So, there is continue to get the job done to do, but there is an improvement. And! Dominic did both equally of the scans with no anesthesia (he has been sedated formerly since you have to lay totally continue to and the MIBG is in excess of 2 hrs). He’s a rock star.
🏥 Up coming, he had his very first round of immunotherapy. The antibody he’s supplied targets the protein of neuroblastoma cells and since they ordinarily sit on nerve cells, there is important nerve suffering accompanying the cure. The infusion is quick (45 minutes) but intense.
There is a great deal of pre-medicine and ache administration all through and immediately after, and he would essentially rest the whole rest of the day afterward. But, the treatment options are outpatient so no healthcare facility stays, and they really do not impression counts like chemotherapy, so no neutropenia or blood or platelet transfusions.
🦸♂️ Then, he crossed off a different huge hurdle… radiation. He did this awake with no anesthesia as well… two times a working day for 5 times, he was strapped down applying a distinctive mask that was molded to his head and higher human body to keep his head and neck in the exact similar placement every time (his clavicle was radiated thanks to the cluster of diseased lymph nodes that had been there, as nicely as the tumor mattress in his abdomen). An amazing woman who functions there has the kids choose what they want their masks to be and then custom made paints them… Dominic chose Iron Person. There are some amazingly distinctive people today in this entire world.
He could also decide on what ever tunes he required to be piped in just about every time and chose Christmas music just about every day 💕🌲 He absolutely rocked it and the people today functioning there had been certainly phenomenal.
➡️ Next… we get to be residence for a pair of weeks, then it is again to NY for yet another round of immunotherapy, a new set of scans, and yet another bone marrow biopsy.
📘 In the meantime, he began kindergarten this 7 days! He’ll be signing up for class just about right until his oncologist gives him the go-forward to attend in individual, which we’re hoping will be late September.
💈 His eyebrows, eyelashes, AND hair have all commenced increasing back! He’s experienced a ton of power, has gained again all of the excess weight he dropped soon after surgical procedure and that last round of chemo and is in any other case doing definitely, really perfectly.
❤️ Thank you all for your continued prayers, it usually means so considerably to our relatives.
In other news, I am setting up to get some email messages scheduled out heading into the drop and getaway season to refresh some internet site information. So, you can glance ahead to me popping into your inbox extra routinely in the coming months 🎉
