Plodding along

Well, Scott finished getting his massive dose of chemo early this morning. He's just on IV fluid at this point. He's very bored. Bloodwork this morning looked fine and they will start the antidote to the methotrexate this afternoon at 2:55 p.m. He's complaining about his eyes feeling odd, and having to squint to focus. Doctor doesn't seem too worried about that, but is going to have an eye doctor stop by and double-check Scott just for good measure.

I'll see if Steph will give me the camera today. There are some pictures of Scott on it that aren't here on the home PC just yet. I'll most likely get them and put them on our Photobucket site and put a link here to it.

Derry missed hockey practice this morning, as I didn't wake up until almost 10, and he is still asleep. Just as good, as he has an "assessment" skate tomorrow afternoon to see if he's placed on one of the spring league teams at the ice forum. He's doing well with all of this change. It has to be tough on him, as his down time here at the house has decreased drastically with all of our running about. Especially the days Scott has been in the hospital. He asks his questions a few at a time. He does know everything that is happening to Scott.

Stephanie has been quite tired during these hospital trips, as I can't get her to come home for a night and just let me stay there with Scott. Not that I would expect anything else, but she sleeps in bits and pieces (just like Scott does in there). At home she's chasing us all around with either hand sanitzer or bleach. It is a big change to be focused on germs as much as we must now.

People ask about how Stephanie and I are doing. We've found it is very hard to explain to anyone who hasn't been in the situation before. I now know I had no clue what is involved prior to 3 weeks ago. It is quite good therapy it seems to talk with the other parents of kids there at the hospital. We all say the same thing, about not being able to truly understand what goes through one's head until you been dealt the misfortune of having to face the issue head on.

It is a massive, instant lifechange. Not to sound cliche, but this disease does not discriminate. It does not care who you are, what financial, social or ethnic group you may be from. It effects people literally from all walks of life. One of the people at the hospital told us early on we'll find a "new normal". Nothing could be more true. It changes every aspect of how you look at the day and plan that day.

But it does do one thing very well - it forces you to build a realistic perspective scale which all things are measured against. The normal things we tend to worry about (like everyone in life), become massively less important. They are still there and attended to, but their true importance seems almost trivial in comparison. It almost embarrasses me to think how much some things bothered me before Scott got sick.

We all are doing well considering the situation. I'd be lying if I was to say it is "easy", but once in the situation you just deal with the situation. There are no options, other than to face everything full force and head on. The "shock" of finding out a child has cancer fades amazingly fast. Both Stephanie and I have commented about that to people. You realize in a matter of a day or two it is there and you must deal with it as necessary. And you realize using the word "leukemia" seems much easier than using the word "cancer".

All that said, no child deserves to be dealt such a hand.

But if you want to see some of the most amazing people you'll ever meet, just find the closest Pediatric Cancer center near you. Make a visit and just see how the kids themselves handle this disease.

You'll be shocked, and realize they just may be a lot tougher than all us grownups.