OT: Re: [CNMLChat] Our Son in Hospital - Leukemia

[Guest guest]

First, let me say thank you so very, very, VERY much to everyone who

has responded to my last post with prayers and messages of

encouragement and support. It means more to me than you can ever

know. I will reply to each one when I can and I am saving every

single one. You have no idea what it means to me sitting in the

hospital to know that so many prayers and even Masses are being

offered on my son's behalf. Thank you!!

For now just a quick update - has been feeling well but the

diagnosis is definitely leukemia. He has Acute Lymphoblastic

Leukemia (ALL), B-cell type, which, praise the Lord, is the most

common and curable type. It actually has a very high cure rate, for

which we are grateful. (It is sobering to realize that there are

parents in our hospital who wish their child had been diagnosed with

this instead of something much worse, so please keep those in prayer

also!) We are very grateful.

They will be doing more testing in the coming days to further

classify his type of leukemia and these results will determine the

SECOND phase of his treatment. So far he has few risk factors so

that also improves his prognosis.

For now, he is starting chemotherapy today. Sometime after 8 a.m.,

he will have surgery to have a central venous line (to receive the

chemo and also fluids, etc. ) inserted into his chest. This will

eliminate many needle sticks from his treatment. At the same time he

will have a spinal tap and they will inject the first chemo drug into

his spinal fluid. He will have another med by IV weekly and a one-

time injection toward the end of the week. He also has some things

to take by mouth. Apparently, this particular leukemia responds best

to a hard-hitting (and pretty tough ) treatment in the first 29

days. He will then continue to receive treatment for another 2 - 3

years.

This is all new to me. I've learned a lot.

I will be updating more, but that's what's going on. Today, I could

really use prayers for his chemo to 1) work and 2) not be too hard on

him. Also for his blood pressure to go down - he is struggling with

a somewhat elevated blood pressure. This is his first chemo and it

is hard for us to realize that our happy, healthy toddler needs to

have such strong drugs injected in him to save his life. His

brothers and dad and I are all doing well but it is hard to grasp our

new reality. The social worker told us that our life would never

be " back to normal " but there would be a " new normal " - one of

looking out for 's possible exposure to infections, and lots

of doctor visits, incorporated into a new, still-important family

routine. My husband and I agreed that there was nothing wrong with

the OLD normal . But we are adjusting.

I have to say that God has poured out love and mercy upon our

family. While it is terribly shocking and depressing and difficult,

we have been overwhelmed by the support - everyone from the doctors

and nurses and hospital housekeeping staff to our extended family (

who have taken over the care of our older sons and come to support us

in the hospital) and friends (who have brought meals and toys and

blankets, cleaned my house, called and e-mailed, prayed)...I can see

God's hand upon us through all of these loved ones who are stepping

up to help us.

We expect he will be hospitalized for the rest of this week and then

will have outpatient treatment.

I do not have e-mail access at the hospital and I am staying there

most of the time. I will update and blog again when I can and will

reply to all e-mails eventually. Thank you so, so much for all the

prayers and support and please keep the prayers coming. It will be a

long road, but we can truly feel the Lord's presence and the support

of His people far and near as we walk along.

Pam

[Guest guest]

The prayers of the whole Maes family are with you, Pam and your whole family, especially .  God loves you immensely! First, let me say thank you so very, very, VERY much to everyone who has responded to my last post with prayers and messages of encouragement and support. It means more to me than you can ever know. I will reply to each one when I can and I am saving every single one. You have no idea what it means to me sitting in the hospital to know that so many prayers and even Masses are being offered on my son's behalf. Thank you!! For now just a quick update - has been feeling well but the diagnosis is definitely leukemia. He has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), B-cell type, which, praise the Lord, is the most common and curable type. It actually has a very high cure rate, for which we are grateful. (It is sobering to realize that there are parents in our hospital who wish their child had been diagnosed with this instead of something much worse, so please keep those in prayer also!) We are very grateful. They will be doing more testing in the coming days to further classify his type of leukemia and these results will determine the SECOND phase of his treatment. So far he has few risk factors so that also improves his prognosis. For now, he is starting chemotherapy today. Sometime after 8 a.m., he will have surgery to have a central venous line (to receive the chemo and also fluids, etc. ) inserted into his chest. This will eliminate many needle sticks from his treatment. At the same time he will have a spinal tap and they will inject the first chemo drug into his spinal fluid. He will have another med by IV weekly and a one- time injection toward the end of the week. He also has some things to take by mouth. Apparently, this particular leukemia responds best to a hard-hitting (and pretty tough ) treatment in the first 29 days. He will then continue to receive treatment for another 2 - 3 years. This is all new to me. I've learned a lot. I will be updating more, but that's what's going on. Today, I could really use prayers for his chemo to 1) work and 2) not be too hard on him. Also for his blood pressure to go down - he is struggling with a somewhat elevated blood pressure. This is his first chemo and it is hard for us to realize that our happy, healthy toddler needs to have such strong drugs injected in him to save his life. His brothers and dad and I are all doing well but it is hard to grasp our new reality. The social worker told us that our life would never be "back to normal" but there would be a "new normal" - one of looking out for 's possible exposure to infections, and lots of doctor visits, incorporated into a new, still-important family routine. My husband and I agreed that there was nothing wrong with the OLD normal . But we are adjusting. I have to say that God has poured out love and mercy upon our family. While it is terribly shocking and depressing and difficult, we have been overwhelmed by the support - everyone from the doctors and nurses and hospital housekeeping staff to our extended family ( who have taken over the care of our older sons and come to support us in the hospital) and friends (who have brought meals and toys and blankets, cleaned my house, called and e-mailed, prayed)...I can see God's hand upon us through all of these loved ones who are stepping up to help us. We expect he will be hospitalized for the rest of this week and then will have outpatient treatment. I do not have e-mail access at the hospital and I am staying there most of the time. I will update and blog again when I can and will reply to all e-mails eventually. Thank you so, so much for all the prayers and support and please keep the prayers coming. It will be a long road, but we can truly feel the Lord's presence and the support of His people far and near as we walk along. Pam