Check this out: Okay, so maybe you can’t see it that well but trust me, there is hair all over that head. Starts as a swirl in the back, moving outward in concentric circles of dark hopeful fuzz. I know, who describes hair as “hopeful,” right? But trust me again, this boy’s hair definitely conveys […]
We have a bird’s nest on our front door. It sits atop a wreath that’s been hanging there since we moved in. The babies have just been born and now the parents are more vigilant than ever, swooping through and nearly attacking anyone who dares to set foot on our front porch. I know the […]
Oh, you know I’m gonna keep on writing … just because the PICC line is out doesn’t mean we’re that done! Not like the first time when Austin’s Broviac was removed and I wrote that fantastic (in my humble opinion) ending on the Carepage, which became the last page of the book, and then stopped […]
WordPress just added a “Like” button to their posts. And there couldn’t have been a better time. We’ve learned to celebrate small victories along this journey. Because sometimes small victories are all we’ve got. But today was a pretty big victory. The removal of that PICC line signifies the end of cancer treatment. The end […]
Today is not PICC-removing day after all. There was some confusion about whether or not Austin actually needed blood and it’s now all been moved to tomorrow. His hemoglobin is not low enough to require a transfusion right now but it’s steadily declining so his oncologist said we could either keep the PICC in and […]
I could get used to this. Days that feel long and lazy like the middle of August. Barbeques and family cookouts and marshmallows roasting over the open fire. Hospital visits that happen only once a week. Reserving rooms for actual weekends away and getting pool passes that will actually be used. Yeah, I could get […]
We visited the hemodialysis unit at the hospital yesterday. It was both better and worse than I expected. I mean, it wasn’t horrific, not some miserable torture chamber with sickly sad faces peering out from under the blankets. But it was very subdued, much more so than the lively cancer areas. I know that sounds […]
Today was Austin’s last day of school, an end to his first year of preschool that feels light years away from its beginning. I am so proud of him and he is so proud of himself, convinced that today’s ice cream party proves he has accomplished something great. And he has: he continued going, with […]
Yes, you read that right. We are wavering. Not about chemo. We feel certain and confident in our decision to stop. But about the kidney. I was wrong when I said last week that there was nothing we could do to push Austin’s chance of survival up over 50%. There is something we could do: […]
I want to echo the words my mom expressed in her comment yesterday: Thank you all so much for your thoughtful consideration of our situation and for caring about us all so deeply. It is powerful and moving to know you’re out there rooting for us, hoping for us, feeling worried and saddened and relieved […]