After completing his 12 week monitored home program, plus a few more weeks of evaluation with upped dosages and working out logistics, etc, Martin is finally scheduled for his second round of treatments at the hospital!
We got the call a few days ago while out running errands, and my heart raced a bunch in the linen aisle as our doctor confirmed that they could start Martin next week. The thing is, I won't be able to go with him this time because of having a little newborn, not to mention the four other little kiddos that are already trying to adjust to a different house and new schedules, etc. We've never been separated for this long before and it's going to be really hard, and we talked for the last few days trying to make it work somehow so we could all stay together, but there really is no way to work it out, and in the end he's going to be in great hands with an awesome friend who volunteered to be his wingman while I stay home with all the kiddos.
This time around will be much like his last trip, with a daily schedule consisting of different combinations of mostly injection therapy and IVs (through intravenous catheters), as well as some neat but more intensive procedures that heat his blood and so forth. It will be different though in that there will be no tumors removed, that they don't think his treatment will last as long this time, and that he'll be starting out with another round of contrast CT scans of his whole upper body and pelvis, as well as contrast MRIs of his brain, and lots of blood-work so they can compare with his last set. Overall the objective of the oncology team there is to supercharge his immune system once again with immunotherapies and build up his strength so he can continue to battle the cancer cells on his own, with the aid of his home program of medication and injections, etc, once he leaves the hospital. It's pretty amazing stuff, and we're so glad that we made the personal choice for Martin to start with this route.
So! You can see how it's kinda hard to answer briefly when people ask how he's doing, not only because he has better days and worse days, or because the more concentrated his treatment and the more it's helping him the worse he feels, but because as with most cancer victims, up until his tumor under his arm there was no outer indication or reflection of what was going on inside his body, so most of the time we don't really know how he's doing, not in-between scans, if that makes sense? Most days though, he is doing good:) That's what I usually say:) So thank you for checking on him, and on me, for caring, for being part of my tribe, and for your many sweet prayers and thoughts, because we have indeed seen miracles, and every new day is a gift for every one of us.
And moving forward, normally I only share so many details about his treatments and therapies with those that email asking for friends or family, etc, mostly because it's my least favorite topic as you can imagine, because this isn't a cancer blog, and because we've plain been so dang busy that I haven't updated it much at all anyways as 'm sure you've noticed.haha A few of you have sweetly requested that I share more on my blog in the future however, and since we've gotten more used to talking about it, and as of yesterday we finally have working internet at the new house(!), I'm happy to say that I see no issues in my keeping up regular updates of every kind including about Martin. So if that all sounds good or bad to you for any reason please let me know. :)
Well in-between our first trip to the Mexico Hospital in May and today, our sweet little Evelyn joined our family, we celebrated a few holidays, a birthday, moved house, started our oldest in Kindergarten, had some of the hardest days and some of the longest nights, but we've been grateful for every distraction as you can imagine, and overall we've made many happy memories and are excited and nervous to be back full circle for another round:)
Thanks so much for reading today,
This time around will be much like his last trip, with a daily schedule consisting of different combinations of mostly injection therapy and IVs (through intravenous catheters), as well as some neat but more intensive procedures that heat his blood and so forth. It will be different though in that there will be no tumors removed, that they don't think his treatment will last as long this time, and that he'll be starting out with another round of contrast CT scans of his whole upper body and pelvis, as well as contrast MRIs of his brain, and lots of blood-work so they can compare with his last set. Overall the objective of the oncology team there is to supercharge his immune system once again with immunotherapies and build up his strength so he can continue to battle the cancer cells on his own, with the aid of his home program of medication and injections, etc, once he leaves the hospital. It's pretty amazing stuff, and we're so glad that we made the personal choice for Martin to start with this route.
So! You can see how it's kinda hard to answer briefly when people ask how he's doing, not only because he has better days and worse days, or because the more concentrated his treatment and the more it's helping him the worse he feels, but because as with most cancer victims, up until his tumor under his arm there was no outer indication or reflection of what was going on inside his body, so most of the time we don't really know how he's doing, not in-between scans, if that makes sense? Most days though, he is doing good:) That's what I usually say:) So thank you for checking on him, and on me, for caring, for being part of my tribe, and for your many sweet prayers and thoughts, because we have indeed seen miracles, and every new day is a gift for every one of us.
And moving forward, normally I only share so many details about his treatments and therapies with those that email asking for friends or family, etc, mostly because it's my least favorite topic as you can imagine, because this isn't a cancer blog, and because we've plain been so dang busy that I haven't updated it much at all anyways as 'm sure you've noticed.haha A few of you have sweetly requested that I share more on my blog in the future however, and since we've gotten more used to talking about it, and as of yesterday we finally have working internet at the new house(!), I'm happy to say that I see no issues in my keeping up regular updates of every kind including about Martin. So if that all sounds good or bad to you for any reason please let me know. :)
Well in-between our first trip to the Mexico Hospital in May and today, our sweet little Evelyn joined our family, we celebrated a few holidays, a birthday, moved house, started our oldest in Kindergarten, had some of the hardest days and some of the longest nights, but we've been grateful for every distraction as you can imagine, and overall we've made many happy memories and are excited and nervous to be back full circle for another round:)
Thanks so much for reading today,
