Monday, September 29

We are all doing well here at home in Prince George. Last week Sam had his blood work done and it was good enough to resume treatment here in Prince George. We go to the Prince George Hospital paediatric ward. There are 2 sections on the ward, one wing for the inpatients and another for the day clinics patients, which is where Sam goes. We are given a lovely private room each time Sam needs blood taken or treatment. Last Thursday, we met his paediatrician and he conducted a thorough examination. After that, Christine, his chemo nurse accessed his VAD and gave him his methotrexate and vincristine. A social worker and child life specialist came by our room to meet with us and quickly helped us with some things. Sam's Auntie LaDonna, who runs the adult Cancer Clinic, came by for a visit and introduced us to one of her nurses that will help when needed. They have been so very welcoming, friendly, and have an action plan for any emergencies that may arise. In all the inpatient rooms there is a bed for a parent to stay with their child over night. The whole ward is in the new wing of the hospital and is very nice. We feel very well cared for and are so thankful for their ability to care for Sam here at home!

During this phase of treatment, Sam receives increasing doses of Methotrexate as long as his blood counts show that he can tolerate it. Each week the dose goes up by 50mg and the symptoms get progressively worse. Methotrexate kills all the fastest growing cells in the body so hair cells, mouth cells, and the lining of his intestine are all affected by the increasing doses.

Also, the nausea gets worse as well. We haven't experienced the nausea for quite a while but it definitely affects Sam more and more as the drugs build up in his system. He is a real trooper though, and nothing really slows him down from going to school, playing outside and doing as many things as he has energy to do. He's doing well in school and although it is hard to keep up, he is finding the time to get all his work done.

We get weekly doses and then on October 16th Debbie and Sam will travel back to Children's Hospital in Vancouver for another lumbar puncture spinal injection. They will also test his heart to see if any of these drugs have damaged the heart muscle.

All our kids are enjoying the volleyball season and are busy with thier practices, games and weekend tournaments. We've even had a few family games in our backyard lately. The weather this month has been fairly warm and sunny. Today was fantastic!

We continue to move forward with the help of so many people. God shows his faithfulness to us each week in new ways. Thank you for your continued prayers and support for our family.

Ger and Debbie