Liam has completed his first of 5 rounds of chemo. He has opted to spend most of his day in a large red wagon versus his hospital bed and likes to be pulled around the ward, so needless to say we are getting plenty of exercise. Liam decided yesterday that he wanted to spend his time in the comfort of the playrooms sitting area. A video player (so he can watch the Wiggles) has been placed in the room and today he was camped out on the floor of the sitting room on a blanket surrounded by his “puppies”. It appears that he no longer likes the confined rather sterile environment of his room. He has shown a bit of an appetite over the last 3 days and for that we are grateful.
Liam had a blood transfusion over the weekend to increase his red blood count and at the moment he is considered Neutropenic. It is the point after chemo when the white blood cell count drops to zero. It lasts a little over a week and it is during this time that he is most susceptible to bacterial and viral infections because he has no white blood cells to defend him. Liam has made it over the first of several mountains he must scale and is doing as well as can be expected. Gretchen and I are holding up if only because Liam needs our smiles and appearance of strength and control. I must say that we are truly amazed at what Liam has been able to endure and the strength and courage that he displays on a daily basis. Not to end on a sad note but Liam told us something yesterday that literally broke our hearts while Gretchen was reading one of his favorite books to him last night. The book is about good dinosaurs, bad dinosaurs, happy dinosaurs and sad dinosaurs. Liam looked at Gretchen and told her that he was a sad dinosaur……something a mother never imagines she will hear her child say to her. He is very aware that something is not right, he is not in his home, he is not with his sister and his dogs, but somewhere where he does not want to be. We pick ourselves up, swallow hard, and keep going.
Time 2:00 pm Monday …Ok… so I will not end on a sad not but on one that is encouraging and a testament to his strength….Liam has pushed a shopping cart filled with 3 containers of glitter around the ward for a distance of over a half a mile. Even his doctor is amazed at his resilience.
