Hello absolutely everyone! I just can’t feel that we are on the cusp of Labor Day and summer months coming to a shut. The past five to 6 months have been a whole blur and this summertime, in certain, has flown by. There is been hospitals (chemo, stem mobile harvest, surgery), clinic appointments, and driving again and forth to New York.
But, one particular foot in entrance of the other and a person working day at a time, we are grateful to be heading into a new year with a strong boy and hearts whole of hope.
Dominic experienced a fast paced 1st couple months of August…
🔍 First, he had a new established of scans (MRI + MIBG) plus yet another bone marrow biopsy. The scans even now display disorder through his bones but most of the spots are “dimmer” than before, and the bone marrow involvement lowered by over 50%.
So, there is even now operate to do, but there is an enhancement. And! Dominic did both equally of the scans with no anesthesia (he has been sedated beforehand mainly because you have to lay entirely continue to and the MIBG is about 2 hrs). He’s a rock star.
🏥 Subsequent, he had his initial round of immunotherapy. The antibody he’s given targets the protein of neuroblastoma cells and given that they generally sit on nerve cells, there is important nerve ache accompanying the remedy. The infusion is brief (45 minutes) but rigorous.
There is a ton of pre-treatment and ache administration through and after, and he would fundamentally slumber the whole rest of the day afterward. But, the remedies are outpatient so no hospital stays, and they really do not impact counts like chemotherapy, so no neutropenia or blood or platelet transfusions.
🦸♂️ Then, he crossed off another massive hurdle… radiation. He did this awake with no anesthesia as well… 2 times a day for five days, he was strapped down making use of a unique mask that was molded to his head and upper human body to hold his head and neck in the correct identical posture every single time (his clavicle was radiated owing to the cluster of diseased lymph nodes that were there, as well as the tumor bed in his abdomen). An astounding girl who will work there has the young children choose what they want their masks to be and then custom paints them… Dominic chose Iron Guy. There are some extremely distinctive folks in this entire world.
He could also pick what ever new music he needed to be piped in each individual time and selected Christmas music each day 💕🌲 He completely rocked it and the folks operating there have been unquestionably phenomenal.
➡️ Next… we get to be house for a pair of weeks, then it’s again to NY for a different round of immunotherapy, a new set of scans, and another bone marrow biopsy.
📘 In the meantime, he begun kindergarten this week! He’ll be signing up for course almost until eventually his oncologist gives him the go-ahead to attend in man or woman, which we’re hoping will be late September.
💈 His eyebrows, eyelashes, AND hair have all started off escalating back! He’s experienced a ton of electricity, has acquired again all of the bodyweight he shed after operation and that previous spherical of chemo and is in any other case executing really, definitely properly.
❤️ Thank you all for your continued prayers, it implies so significantly to our household.
In other information, I am organizing to get some emails scheduled out heading into the tumble and holiday year to refresh some site articles. So, you can glance forward to me popping into your inbox additional consistently in the coming months 🎉
