Day 2 - May 17

Saturday, May 17

Friday night started with Sam's second chemotherapy treatment. They put it into his IV. It was sort of a watershed moment for us as we watched that red, toxic, life-giving fluid slowly weaving its way through the lines into our son. These chemicals are so toxic that they will burn the skin if they drip. By 9pm he was very, very sick. We spent about 2 hours with a very sick boy. He never complains through any of it. He is so strong and courageous. He talked on the phone to his good friend Landon Uy between getting sick.

Last night we woke up every hour for Sam's Vitals to be checked. At midnight they poked him for some more blood. Then we woke up 'for real' at 4am when they gave him a round of platelets. You have to watch for 15 minutes really carefully for allergic reaction when they give him platelets (these are the clotting agents in the blood). They needed his count to get up past 50 before they could do the operation they have planned for later today. I couldn't get back to sleep after watching him for these 15 minutes, thinking about all the things he and I have done together - sailing, skiing, water skiing, wakeboarding, swimming, building ice rinks, flooding them, clearing snow, driving tractors, playing basketball/volleyball, sitting on my bench and taking stats, holding my hand just walking around - anywhere... etc...

I made sure he was fast asleep and then went for a walk with my laptop trying to find a spot where it could connect to the internet. Then wrote some emails.

I got back to the room about 5am and then sorted out Sam's favorite pictures and sent them to my dad to get developed for a wall board for his room. I was asleep by 6am again and then the blood test lady came to poke him again. At 7 they came to give him more platelets.

At 8:30 we got up and he washed his hair, had a little 'standing bath', brushed teeth and started in for another day. We read together and spent some time in prayer. Debbie and her sister Donna showed up at about 9 with my clean clothes (I only had time to bring some shorts and a hoodie before we left on the air ambulance). Sam watched some TV and we could hear him laughing for the first time in a while. That was a great thing to see him smiling.

We sort of got a few hours of short reprieve and then back at it as we went downstairs to the O.R. for surgery. Dr. Murphy and Baker met sam with their Walt Disney World surgical hats on and explained what they were going to do. 60 minutes later Debbie went down to bring him back up.

Today he was very, very sore with the new permanent line in his chest. It is very sore as they have to weave this through a main vein and lay the catheter a few cm from his heart. Everybody says this is WAY better than having an IV. Sam hasn't thought so yet but he's in a lot of pain from the operation. I'm pretty sure it will be better. His arm was getting pretty black and blue from all the pokes - they won't have to do that anymore. I think he got 8 needles poked into his arm for blood tests so far... it may have been more, its starting to blur.

I taught Sam about the 'assumed close' by explaining to him how I talk to the technicians before they take his blood. I always say something like, "You see Sam, Alan here (I look at his name tag) is going to try to do this without giving you any pain. Slow, careful, and with such finesse that you hardly know he has been here. Actually Alan, Sam and I have been talking about the difference between many of the blood techs and how some people can take blood without any pain at all - even in the 'pull out' stage. Its amazing." So far, you get way better 'pokes' when I give that little routine than when I say nothing.

Sherry and Dave Toninato came by in the afternoon. It was nice to see some PG faces and they were wonderful. Sherry is so upbeat and friendly. The Clown came by at this time and did some special magic tricks for Sam and made us all smile. Dave said he hates clowns... ever since he was a kid and they scared him half to death. That made us laugh almost as much as the clown!

My parents came by as well with all the pictures and Debbie made a huge big picture board with all of Sam's special things on it. The pictures look great. The title is "Sam Conquering A.L.L." and it says Strong Courageous Love Peace Hope on it. It sits across from his bed under the TV and was so heavy with all the pictures we had to 'hang it' with a sling from the nursing station. It looks great.

Debbie's dad came for a late visit after 7pm and by 9pm Sam and I were in bed asleep.
People have been so generous to us both here and from home. We're surrounded by loving people. The emails and the offers for help have been incredible. We're overwhelmed. Thank you.

Tomorrow is another day. Corrie and Ted sent me the following and I love it. I'll read it to Sam in the morning:

“we can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from His love.” (The Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 28)

Our God is there for the long haul.

We’ll keep you all in our prayers and may God give you peace and hope and keep you strong,

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

What a comfort! What a faithful and loving God we have! I get great comfort in the fact that God never takes a nap. (Wilma Sturwold always tells us that in her children’s messages)

Another day tomorrow... day 3 (of 1095)...

One day at a time...

Love,
Ger (Debbie, Sam)