Ok, so we met with Dr. Friedmann today. She was patient with me as I flipped though my eight pages of questions, and spent an hour talking with us about Liam, Rhabdomyosarcoma, treatments, etc… This is another reason we like her (also see Boston Herald story below).
The good news is that we have a change in the chemo plan… 24 weeks. Still weekly, all weeks will include the doses of vincristine and dactinomycin. The cyclophosphamide will be administered tomorrow, and every third week for the first half of the treatments (i.e.… we should only have three more overnights after we get through this weekend.).
I spent this evening reading the 27 page consent form. All the chemo drugs have three categories of side effects… “Likely”, “Less Likely” and “Rare but Serious”. I think we can live with the “likely” and “less likely”…the “rare but serious” I don’t even want to think about.
So... by tomorrow at this time we should have had the 1st dose of chemotherapy complete. Keep your fingers crossed. We’ll also get the bone marrow results sometime the end of next week. That’s the final factor into “Staging” Liam’s cancer… right now we are a Stage II, but anything in the bone marrow puts us into a stage IV and a more aggressive treatment plan.
Owen and Jack will be making the rounds between various relatives over the next few days. The dogs will be boarding over at Kozy Kennel. Tootsie and Dennis are on their own. Hopefully we’ll all be home for New Year’s.
One final note on my pictured uploaded for today.. This is a horse figurine I picked up in the airport on one of my trips to Texas last month. At the time I purchased it, I did not know it’s meaning, but have since found out… It’s a painted pony replica, and this one in particular is known as “Blue Medicine”. Blue Medicine is meant to represent an expression of healing and support for those in need in our community. The pony is decorated with prints of families and children… seems pretty fitting.
I’ll try to post in the brief hours I’ll spend away from the hospital in the next few days.. but definitely by Monday night sometime.
Happy New Year.. Let’s hope we start out on a good note in 2007.
The good news is that we have a change in the chemo plan… 24 weeks. Still weekly, all weeks will include the doses of vincristine and dactinomycin. The cyclophosphamide will be administered tomorrow, and every third week for the first half of the treatments (i.e.… we should only have three more overnights after we get through this weekend.).
I spent this evening reading the 27 page consent form. All the chemo drugs have three categories of side effects… “Likely”, “Less Likely” and “Rare but Serious”. I think we can live with the “likely” and “less likely”…the “rare but serious” I don’t even want to think about.
So... by tomorrow at this time we should have had the 1st dose of chemotherapy complete. Keep your fingers crossed. We’ll also get the bone marrow results sometime the end of next week. That’s the final factor into “Staging” Liam’s cancer… right now we are a Stage II, but anything in the bone marrow puts us into a stage IV and a more aggressive treatment plan.
Owen and Jack will be making the rounds between various relatives over the next few days. The dogs will be boarding over at Kozy Kennel. Tootsie and Dennis are on their own. Hopefully we’ll all be home for New Year’s.
One final note on my pictured uploaded for today.. This is a horse figurine I picked up in the airport on one of my trips to Texas last month. At the time I purchased it, I did not know it’s meaning, but have since found out… It’s a painted pony replica, and this one in particular is known as “Blue Medicine”. Blue Medicine is meant to represent an expression of healing and support for those in need in our community. The pony is decorated with prints of families and children… seems pretty fitting.
I’ll try to post in the brief hours I’ll spend away from the hospital in the next few days.. but definitely by Monday night sometime.
Happy New Year.. Let’s hope we start out on a good note in 2007.
3 comments:
Hi Liam
Just wanted to let you know we are thinking of you. Uncle Bob has his "snow hat" on today (ask your mommy about the hat).
We love you.
Uncle Bob, Auntie Mimi, and kids
Hi Liam!
Your Walpole relatives are all praying for you.
Love,
Uncle Eddie, Aunt Nancy, Matt, Tommy, and Meg
Hey all.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys. Glad to hear the first day went well.
Love,
Jon, Gretchen, Paige, Trevor & Lucy
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