A year ago my 10 year old was running touchdowns. Today we're tackling cancer. Can you imagine?
I still find the circumstances stunning, but my guy is doing his thing and we are determined to make this just another series in the playbook of life.
Sully's spirits are unbroken in spite of the many things that most 10 year olds never have to consider: swallowing a handful of pills twice a day, reporting for chemotherapy sessions almost everyday, having to get a needle of some sort everyday whether it be a finger stick or having his medi-port accessed. Then there are the other things like the frequent stomach aches, loss of muscular strength, constipation, lethargy, easy bruising, and the spinal taps and bone marrow biopsies. The chemotherapy kills all of the cells even some of the good ones, so once in a while he needs to get blood transfusions if his levels drop too low. There are also periods where his immune system gets dangerously low and when that happens we quarantine him for a bit. Right now he is fishing his 2nd stage of his chemotherapy plan and getting ready for the 3rd stage which will be more intense and require a couple hospital stays.
We take everyday as a gift while trying to keep things as normal as possible for him, and while trying to manage our own emotions, finances and responsibilities. I sometimes don't know whether I'm coming or going or what the future holds, but I make sure to find something to be happy about on a daily basis and I share that energy with Sully.
The combination of COVID-19 and his cancer diagnosis have made this our most challenging year ever, but the support of our friends and family have helped tremendously.
Sully's last MRD reading was negative which is very promising. All we can do is keep at it, enjoy each day, and pray. I know he'll beat this, and although he can't hit or fully participate in football this fall, you can be sure he'll be suiting up and making some practices with his teammates. In the meantime he's getting some blood on today's visit!
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