MRI Results

We received Emmett's MRI results on Wednesday morning while driving to Michigan.  The preliminary read was that there's been no significant change since his last MRI in October.  This mean's that there's still tumor there, but that it isn't growing right now.  Our doctors now must come to agreement on the best path forward for Emmett.

We'll continue fighting, searching, and working to find the path that's best for Emmett.

We're so thankful for each good day we get with Emmett.  Thankful for a chance to see my family in Michigan for a few days.  So glad Emmett is happy and active right now.  With such an aggressive cancer, we're so happy it has not grown nor spread. We're so thankful for the sustaining power of the prayers of so many.  So grateful that God has blessed us with stewardship over one of his most precious children.  We're thankful for the many eternal lessons Emmett teaches us every day.

It's paradoxical that we come into this world so innocent, so Christlike, so believing...and then we grow into adulthood and find so many reasons to doubt and question.  And then we spend the rest of our lives working to reacquire all the qualities that made us so Christlike in our childhood.

So grateful for each lesson Emmett teaches us.  Pray we can learn from every one.

MRI Tomorrow

We don't really have too much new info to share, but wanted to provide a brief update.  After coming out of induction chemotherapy (the first five months) with residual tumor, our oncologists wanted to remove the remaining tumor and sacrifice nerves in Emmett's left shoulder in the process.  The surgeon wasn't so anxious, and after a month of indecision the oncologist and surgeon agreed to do two more rounds of chemotherapy to see if the tumor responds before deciding how to proceed.  If the tumor responds, it strengthens the case that it can be controlled and that drastic surgery is justified.  If it doesn't respond, we're left looking for other options.

Katy, Emmett, and I, meanwhile, are looking for something more miraculous -- what if Emmett's immune system has attacked and destroyed the tumor, or what if a new surgery/treatment is pioneered which preserves function in his arm while removing the tumor?  With God all things are possible.

Emmett's MRI is tomorrow, 11/20/12.  We're hoping and praying for the best.  And we appreciate the many many people who are praying with us.

Shoes

Emmett loves shoes; truthfully, he really likes clothes in general. Even months ago, I'd hold out 2 shirts and let him pick which one he wanted to wear and he would really look back and forth between the 2 and decide. He really has opinions on what he wears. It's pretty funny. We found some flip flops for him this summer and he wouldn't take them off. The sandals and his feet both stank like a teenage boy's feet. He'd sleep with them on. If he wasn't wearing them, he'd ask for them. Even in the halls at the hospital or out on a walk random people would comment on his flip flops.

The other night....or since I'm so slow at posting, last month is probably more like it, Emmett took a nap and his pants are wet, so we took them off as he was falling asleep.  When he woke up, all he wanted to do was go downstairs (our bedroom is upstairs and all the fun and toys and people are always downstairs) and was very opposed to taking a second to put pants on.  However, he still wanted to put shoes on and was willing to take a minute to do that.  So he hung out like this for the night.  He makes me laugh!

Here he is with his very stylish cousin, Tyson!

easy breezy bathtime

Emmett had his Central Line taken out a few months ago now, when there was an infection. The intent was to put in a temporary PICC Line and replace the CVL in a few weeks. However, that was in the middle of not really knowing what they were doing to do next. When they decided to essentially buy some time with 2 more rounds of chemo, they just left the PICC line in since they could do the chemo through that. No need to go to the OR for a new CVL until they decided he needed one again. A CVL is a permanent IV essentially that comes out of his chest and has a dressing around it that has to stay clean to keep the site sterile. When he bathed, I'd have to wrap his whole chest up and try to keep it dry. Needless to say, it is MUCH easier to just have to wrap his arm where the PICC line is and he begs for baths now!

Fire Time

One of my early memories of Grandpa T was being taught how to build fires in the wood stove.  One time he even let me hold the match, and as it started to burn close to my fingers he told me to hold the tip of the match up so it wouldn't burn me.  Unfortunately I tipped it the wrong way and burned myself good!  Needless to say I've never forgotten the experience of that day.

Grandpa always challenged my brother and me to build "single-match fires" -- a demonstration of skill.   Funny how he preferred to use the blow torch.

I enjoyed seeing the tradition of grandfathers teaching grandsons how to build fires continued this year.  And I'm happy to report there were no casualties!

YAY for fires and hot chocolate and snuggly soft blankets!  (And yes, he does try to blow this fire out, too.)

The Parked Truck

Turns out the Kenton Landscape/Masonry, who are the ones that actually dropped the trucks off in our yard for Emmett a few weeks/months?!? ago, are not that far away. So sometimes we head down there and Emmett visits his old friend, who has been parked on the lot most days. And finds that same button that makes the beeping sound. Cousin Tyson came, too, last time!

Meet Destiny

On October 5th Emmett began his 7th round of chemotherapy after having about six weeks off. It was a Friday afternoon and we started in the Jimmy Fund Clinic where they began Emmett's pre-hydration (you have to be pretty hydrated before they'll start dripping chemo into your veins).  This round included a three-day infusion so later in the day we were admitted to the hospital.  It was apparently a very busy on 9 North (our usual home) so they sent us down to the 6th floor, argh! (6North is the general oncology floor, where they are obviously know all about chemo, etc...., but we just don't know any of the staff personally.  We have stayed on a floor before that was for organ transplants-kind of cool-but they aren't familiar with his meds or any of that stuff.  We were glad he wasn't getting chemo during that stay!)  This had only happened once before, and we were only there for a night or two before we were able to move back up to 9N where we know and love all the staff.

We were a little sad to be away from our usual friends, but one bonus was that Emmett was new to this place, so he didn't know where the elevators were and didn't know his way around, which means he was happy to play in the play room (which is actually a little bigger than the one on 9N and has an amazing view) and wasn't trying to run around the whole hospital, like usual.

On Saturday, when Emmett was in the playroom, this pretty 11 year old girl came in and started painting and Emmett showed a liking to it, so she gave him the Halloween pumpkin she made (and later painted him a pink car...Emmett's color choice ;). And from then on, she just adored Emmett and has been so nice to him! She's here from Alabama with her mom...for a full month! That's a long time to be in the hospital away from the rest of your family! They did bring us back to 9N, but when we left Tuesday morning, we made sure to go down and say goodbye to Destiny, too! She is the sweetest girl we've ever met I think! We're happy for our short stay on 6N so we could meet her. 

(Lately, its been harder and harder to get Emmett to smile for the camera, Little Stinker!)

Here's her handiwork: