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Logan – Update, Waiting Again

Big John with Logan, and Logan wondering what the hell Big John is doing

Update – A Tough Week

When coworkers and neighbors ask “How’s Logan doing?,” my recent reply has been “Great! He is waiting for his blood counts to recover.” And that is true. However, there is a reason that Logan remains in the hospital with Amanda and AJ by his side. He is being treated for leukemia and that is no joke. And while the concern and interest of everyone is so appreciated, I am uncertain whether people really want to know details.

At this point in Round 4 Chemo Logan has no immune system. His red blood and platelet counts are super low and he is supplemented with blood and platelet transfusions as needed. And we can tell when he needs blood when you just look at him and see his eyes. Are they big and bright? And is he lively and playful? If no, blood is needed.

As for platelets, it was super-obvious this week that Logan needed them when he was walking and bumped his mouth against the cooler. Just a little bump resulted in non-stop bleeding from his gums. (Without platelets, coagulation is difficult…) We FaceTimed while he was still bleeding, and Amanda and AJ and nurse were working to help him out. Logan’s red blood count noticeably dropped from that day to the next, and the blood was ordered.

After he receives those transfusions, he is a different little guy. Alert and energetic.

“As Needed”

Previous posts have discussed the need for blood and platelet donations. Nothing has changed – still needed. And while I wrote above that blood and platelets transfusions are ordered “as needed” and as blood counts demand, the staff is ordering them “judiciously” (in the words of a nurse) because of blood product supply concerns. Logan likely should have received a platelet transfusion before the bloodletting episode. So once again, if you can donate, please do so. There is a cancer patient (and their family) praying that you do.

The Picture

I have pictures of a weary-looking Logan with blood-caked lips but I thought maybe that was too much to share. (You are welcome.) But a week or so ago I took a pic of me and Logan with the cover of a book that Aunt Bridget made for Logan while in the hospital. The book has pictures of his parents and grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins to supplement FaceTime calls. He loves it.

Of course, Logan’s cover picture on the book is pre-diagnosis. The story that the picture above in the blog tells is pretty clear. Cancer treatment sucks and has side effects which are evident.

Logan and family are looking forward to his blood counts recovering the next week or two so they can get a much-needed break from the hospital.

Logan – Big John’s Platelets?

Mimi Donna and Logan on FaceTime with Big John

Update

The long and boring process continues of Logan’s blood counts dropping to zero, and then rebuilding themselves. When his red blood counts drop to zero, Logan has no immune system, and his blood cannot deliver the oxygen around the body as it needs. And without platelets, he is prone to bruising and is unable to clot should he bleed. So, Logan stays in the hospital room in as safe an environment as there can be, and those who visit are very careful when out in the world. Logan is happy and playing and sleeping a bit better for Amanda and AJ. In the picture Logan is just waking up from a nap, so he looks a bit drowsy.

Whole Blood & Platelets

Now is the time when Logan and other cancer patients need whole blood transfusions and platelet transfusions. COVID has seriously reduced the ability of donors to provide these life-giving gifts. Also, the blood donation centers are struggling to fully staff the centers. My phlebotomist mentioned that she was supposed to get off earlier in the afternoon but was unable to leave because she was trained on the platelet machine and others were not. So much has supply diminished that Logan needed platelets on Friday, and there were none to give. Thankfully Logan received platelets on Saturday evening.

It is frustrating to me that patients such as Logan cannot receive what they need when they need it. It is up to us, all of us healthy and able to donate, to do so. I know that when I wrote about this in a previous blog post, some readers acted and scheduled a donation. Thank you for that. Writing the obvious, there is only one place that blood and platelet donations originate, and that is from fellow humans.

My Platelets?

I donated platelets on Friday. It is possible that my O+ platelets ended up in Logan’s O+ body. Even more possible when you consider that platelets are only viable for 5 days after donation – they had to go somewhere, soon and nearby. That possibility is just heartwarming to me and makes me grateful to have been a donor for decades. But truth be told, most of my donations have been whole blood. So much easier and quicker to donate. A whole blood donation takes less than 10 minutes while a platelet donation was just under two hours. Yep, two hours.

Now personally motivated, I am scheduled to donate platelets again on January 28 as you may donate every 14 days. This is much more often that the every-56-days for a whole blood donation. So, with a 2-hour donation time every 14 days I know that I am not selling the idea of platelet donation very well. Need motivation? Look at the picture of Logan and Mimi.

Thank you all for your prayers and your support. Both desperately needed and lovingly appreciated.

Logan Update, Chris & Casey

Chris, Casey and Logan at the hospital. (Selfie snagged off Casey’s Facebook page)

Update – Round 4 infusions complete

Logan completed his round 4 chemo infusions yesterday. Thankfully the infusions are over, as this was a particularly difficult round for him. Two chemo drugs were administered and they overlapped for a couple of tough days. One of the drugs was super-nasty for Logan to endure. He is expected to stay in the hospital for about 40 days total for round 4 which means about 33 more days. Donna and I were with Logan yesterday morning when the oncologist visited. He noted that the “long and boring” wait is beginning for Logan’s immune system to bottom out and recover. “And we like long and boring,” the doctor said.

Logan is already seeming his old self, with a smile every now and then. The real Logan has been buried under toxic drugs, and we are grateful to see him reemerging. He is beginning to eat solid food again after several days of not. Logan even rejected a cinnamon roll several days ago. You know a child is ill when they turn their nose up at a cinnamon roll.

Big John’s Visit

My cold symptoms finally disappeared, and so both Donna and I were able to visit with Logan yesterday. Different that Donna’s first visit earlier this week, Logan accepted me from the start upon my return. Again, an indicator that he was just not doing well earlier in the week with the strong chemo drugs.

Donna and I arrived on Saturday morning so Amanda and AJ could leave the hospital. We were able to play and nap with Logan. On Saturday he slept peacefully during his morning nap. Much different than what Donna experienced early in the week when Logan was sleeping fitfully and moaning – literally moaning – during his sleep. So resilient Logan is, as I imagine all the kids with cancer fighting through treatment.

Chris and Casey

Amanda and AJ have been successful in their desire to have a family member with Logan all the time while he is hospitalized. Round 1 was all Amanda and A.J., a difficult and stressful task. Since round 2 began, Logan has seen a team of family members visit, those who are able to quarantine. I have written about my and Donna’s visits, as well as the visits of Amanda’s parents Kim and Mike. We try and be available when the other set of grandparents are not. Other family members in town have work obligations that make quarantining and visiting the hospital impossible. However, Amanda’s brother Chris’ and his wife Casey’s work and home circumstances have allowed them to remain quarantined. Their support has been awe-inspiring.

While the grandparents are happy to visit the hospital during the day, Chris and Casey have taken shifts over Saturday night! Like yesterday arriving early Saturday afternoon to take over from me and Donna and then leaving today on Sunday afternoon. These sleepovers are on top of coming for a few hours an evening or two during the week. What I believe Amanda and AJ most need now is sleep and the downtime that accompanies it. And Chris and Casey providing a 24-hour respite from the hospital is the absolute best gift that can be given. Donna and I are incredibly grateful for these huge gestures of love and time. Thank you, Chris and Casey!

Logan – Chemo Round 4

Update

Logan started Chemo Round 4 this Monday, January 3 and the chemicals quickly impacted him. His typically happy mood is rare these days, and his smiles are infrequent. Logan just doesn’t feel well. He’s tired. And with the treatment, nausea from the chemicals have him vomiting once or twice a day. As I have written in the past, anything that leaves Logan’s body during chemo is chemo-laced. So, chemo poo, chemo pee, and chemo vomit. When Logan vomits, that means cleaning – everything. Logan needs his skin washed. All clothing and bedding need to be washed. AJ and/or Amanda need to shower. And when it happens at night, well, then, that’s a lot of activity as the rest of us sleep.

Mimi & Big John at the hospital

Donna and I have quarantined and tested negative for COVID, so we are clear to help out at the hospital . Kinda. I have been sick with a cold for the past week. The Teladoc virtual doctor yesterday was emphatic that I was to not go near the hospital until my symptoms are gone. A couple of days more, methinks, before I can actually go to work (and mask up) and be able to visit the hospital to hang with Logan.

But Donna returned to the hospital and spent part of yesterday and today there with Logan. With Amanda working (remote while in the hospital room) and AJ up at night, Donna’s visits allow AJ to come to our home, wash chemo-soaked clothing and bedding, and sleep. He needs it. He started a load of laundry today then was down for 3+ hours. When he woke AJ noted that he had been awake since 2am.

I write the above to describe what is happening, to give a sense of what is experienced with chemotherapy treatments. It is substantial, as it is for every person and family with cancer. Yes, Logan is in remission and that is awesome. But going through each chemo round is a struggle. A struggle for Logan, and a struggle for his parents Amanda and A.J. Please pray for them.

Logan Update & Griffin – Choosing

Logan on New Years Day FaceTime with Big John and Mimi

Update

Logan and Amanda and AJ are enjoying a wonderful & long New Year’s week break from the hospital. Discharged last Tuesday, the week is being spent at Amanda’s brother Chris’ and his wife Casey’s home. Round 3 of chemotherapy is complete, and round 4 begins Monday morning. Past the halfway mark on this cancer fighting journey, and the end is in sight! Casey and Chris are wonderful hosts and it is joyful for us to see the love that continues to surround Logan. Amanda’s parents Kim and Mike have been able to visit daily, making it a complete family fun time.

If you have seen any social media pics Logan is now, fully, walking. He was walking a bit – 10 steps or so – during his break between rounds 2 & 3, but now that he has been unleashed again from the 6 foot by 6 foot toddler-containing inflatable pool, Logan is clearly on a mission. Great to see!

Medical issues, of course, are a constant. Early during this week’s hospital break they received word that a blood test showed a too-high level of Logan’s antifungal. Back to the hospital they went, for an unscheduled blood test to validate the concern or deny it. Luckily the drug’s level dropped from the 5-times-higher-then-it-was-supposed-to-be to an acceptable level. The concern? This drug that is supposed to keep Logan from a fungal infection could harm his liver and/or kidneys if at too high a level. Remember this is serious business, and all drugs are poison at too high a level.

Amanda and AJ’s Home Build

Amanda and AJ’s home that is being built in Arlington is a parallel story to this cancer fight. They sold their previous home in Dallas quickly, and their new home is taking about a year to build. Before Logan’s diagnosis Kim and Mike were hosting the temporarily-homeless family in their Bedford home. Now every week AJ and Amanda receive house-build updates as walls go up, electrical is installed and windows enclose the structure. The completion of Logan’s cancer treatment may occur at just about the same time the home is ready. A really, really fresh start would be wonderful, post-chemotherapy in a new home.

Choosing

Griffin taking a glow-stick bath at Mimi & Big John’s home

Donna and I have not seen Logan in person for some time, as we made the decision to unquarantine for the Christmas holidays so we could celebrate with family and friends. I must tell you that this is harder than I thought it would be because we want to see both Logan and Griffin. We do not like choosing.

I know, know, there are many grandparents who because of distance or other reasons cannot see their grandchildren on a regular basis. But both these boys are here, in this town, minutes away. And whether we like it or not each time we choose to quarantine for Logan, Griffin is left out along other family and friends. And when we choose to unquarantine, Logan is left out. I find it agonizing, and yet I believe we are doing a pretty good job of it.

Balance

The Christmas season has been both joyful and unconventional. The Arboretum holiday lights were visited twice. Once with Amanda and AJ and Logan during their earlier break between rounds 2 & 3. And then later with Jeff, Alexis, Bridget, Connor and Griffin. The Dallas Zoo lights were also visited twice. 2021 was just not the year for large family holiday outings. And for us it was about more than the pandemic. Now, we all could not fit in a car together to see the zoo lights in one trip. But Donna and I could sure take grandsons together next year. (All the parents can go have a drink while Mimi and Big go to the zoo lights with the boys. Griffin and Logan have not been able to “be cousins” since treatment began.)

Amanda’s parents Kim and Mike are also balancing things as best they can. Kim helps her elderly parents a great deal, taking them to doctor’s appointments amongst other things. Over the Christmas holidays, Kim and Mike have been visiting with Logan and family. That meant they chose to not be with Kim’s parents. But now Kim and Mike need to unquarantine so that Kim can return to helping her parents.

Kim and Mike’s need to unquarantine prompted Donna and me to begin our quarantine last Tuesday. We both have COVID tests scheduled on Tuesday this week which will allow us to return to seeing Logan and Amanda and AJ. Choreography is needed so that we can all help – and most importantly keep Logan free from infection. I am grateful for Kim and Mike, and to Chris and Casey, for their wonderful support.

Please continue to keep Logan and his parents Amanda and AJ in your prayers as this journey continues. Happy New Year – we intend ours to be!

Logan- Latest Test Results, Hospital Life

Logan napping on Mimi during his 3rd chemo round

Latest Test Results – Remission!

After every round of chemo, Logan is tested to measure his level of cancer cells, if any. Logan had both a lumbar puncture for a spinal fluid test and a bone marrow aspiration to test the marrow. Results are just in after round 2 was completed, and Logan remains in remission with no sign of cancer! This is, again, as good as can be hoped for and is an answer to our/your prayers. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers on behalf of Logan and Amanda and AJ. Each step is another to his return to the non-medical world of being a kid, and we are thrilled.

Still, though, there are five total rounds of chemotherapy that he must endure. Logan just finished – at 3am Monday – his last dose of chemo from the third round. The rest of December will be needed in the hospital for his body to recover from that treatment. Logan’s sense of taste has been affected by this round of chemo, so food has not been all that appetizing to him. This is such a change from just before he went back into the hospital – Logan was an eating machine. Now, blueberries are one of the few foods that Logan will eat. Even mini-nilla wafers get a head shake “no” from Logan. This is shocking given how many nilla wafers he ate over the Thanksgiving weekend. But taste will return, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Diaper Changes

The chemo drugs are nasty. So nasty that while Logan is on chemo, diaper changes require special precautions for the caregivers and Logan. Gloves are used for those changes, and Logan’s bottom and groin area are washed so that any residual chemicals that were expelled do not harm his skin. Then butt paste is used after every change, to coat the skin and provide some protection. Good news is that over the next several days the chemo drugs will work their way out of Logan’s body. And of course, Logan’s diapers are weighed so that the staff can measure his “in’s and out’s.” I’m still getting used to someone wanting to weigh a used diaper…

Therapy

I mentioned this early on, but it bears repeating. Speech, play, and occupational therapy visits happen almost daily with Logan and other babies. Development of the young ones is certainly impacted by the treatments and extended hospital stays. Donna and I were present when speech therapy visited on Saturday, and the assessment and ideas that the speech pathologist had were amazing. Logan has lost a few of the words that he previously spoke, and now all of us caring for him are armed to properly encourage his speech and word development. Logan has the fundamentals – just needs a bit more practice.

Visiting

Amanda and AJ have spent countless hours at the hospital. And extended family who have been quarantined have provided breaks to them. This means that Logan has always had at least one family member – mostly two – with him 24/7 while he has been in the hospital. Simply wonderful. We are all grateful that personal and work circumstances allow this, because this is not the case for some young patients.

One nurse shared with us that some babies are alone for as many as 20 hours per day. The staff does their best to be with them, but the nurses have multiple patients to care for. All sorts of circumstances get in the way of such family visiting for some patients. Think of work demands, siblings who require care, distance from extended family. So we know that we are blessed to be able to spend the time with Logan. Please pray for those babies and families who are struggling with hospital care.

Your kind words, thoughts and prayers are so uplifting and appreciated. Thank you.

Logan – Round 3, Birthday, Mom & Dad

AJ, Logan and Amanda at our Arboretum outing

Back at the hospital for Chemo Round 3

Yesterday morning Amanda and AJ took Logan back into the hospital for his third round of chemo. Round 3 has Logan receiving his chemo twice a day (3am and 3pm) for 5 days. This compares to the 10 days and 8 days for the previous rounds. But – and this is significant – the chemo is about 10 times the strength of what Logan has previously endured. Logan’s little body is being absolutely hammered with poison that will save his life. We have no idea how he will react to this, and I ask for your prayers.

Before Logan received the first chemo dose at 3p yesterday, he was put under anesthesia for a bone marrow biopsy. Results from the biopsy are expected over the next several days, and what we want to hear is that Logan remains in remission. His feeding tube was also reinserted. Despite Logan’s champion eating, he did lose a bit of weight during the hospital holiday. So the feeding tube will provide the calories that he needs. Logan’s visit with us without a feeding tube allowed him the freedom to roam wherever he chose, which was wonderful to see. We also got to be on the front lines as he developed his walking skills. The record during the visit was an unaided 10 steps.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Today is Logan’s first birthday, and he will spend it at the hospital receiving chemotherapy. Writing that sentence welled up my eyes with tears. It is just so unfair that Logan and his fellow pediatric cancer patients are in such battles. And yet when I look at Logan, he has that wry smile, that little smirk that just melts my heart. No, he does not realize the battle that he is in, but he is enduring it with the help of the medical staff and his family.

Logan’s birthday was celebrated early at our home Monday. The theme was Winnie the Pooh. Pictures posted on social media show that theme in the beautiful and delicious cakes made by Aunt Casey, and the big red balloon and custom shirts by Aunt Bridget, and the Tigger, Piglet, Pooh and Eeyore stuffed animals. Quarantined grandparents Mike and Kim and me and Donna, as well as Aunt Casey and Uncle Chris attended. N95-masked guest appearances by Aunt Bridget and Uncle Jeff were a treat. As with most first birthday parties, Logan was mystified with the happenings. And yet it was great to celebrate.

Mom and Dad

This was the second visit by the little family between chemo sessions. The visits are both joyful and more work than you can imagine. After being a part of those 7 days and nights, I must tell you about the love and care and partnership of my son AJ and my daughter-in-law Amanda. They both care for Logan without question, without complaint, and without hesitation. They ask each other for help as needed, and the requests are completed with joy. Watching them work together to care for their son is a model I wish could be bottled and given to others struggling with such responsibilities. I think of caregivers who accept long-term care needs for family members for various reasons, and all of this is a labor of love. We saw it in Amanda and AJ every day and night.

Nights

During the day in addition to playing with Logan, we all focused on feeding and hydrating him. At night because his sleep has been so disrupted by the hospital care, it was a merry-go-round of parents and grandparents taking turns comforting him. That worked for several nights, until Logan started screaming bloody murder during the night. One night around 1:30a, I tried my best to comfort him, but no dice. Then Amanda came out, and she was able to immediately calm him down. Watching her love my grandson the way she did was magical. She handed him back to me to get some water for Logan and – screaming bloody murder. When Amanda took him back – calm. So that night it was Amanda’s job to rock him to sleep.

The next night Logan was awake and AJ was with him. I came out and asked if I could relieve AJ so he could sleep. AJ hopefully said, “We can try…” And so Logan came into my arms and – screaming bloody murder. Handed back to AJ – calm. We were onto something. As babies develop they apparently go through “leaps,” stages of development that are somewhat predictable. We believe that a leap was happening and impacting Logan’s reactions.

Even the next morning Logan was beside himself with me and Donna – until he fully woke up and realized who we were. Then he was his happy little smiling self. That Donna and I could not give Amanda and AJ a little relief those nights was disappointing. However the last night they were with us, Tuesday night, was different. Both Donna and I were able to take turns in the middle of the night and Logan allowed it. That was good for all of us as Amanda and AJ could sleep, and me and Donna could get one more night’s snuggle with Logan.

Amanda and AJ are just wonderful parents. I pray that they continue to have an unending supply of love and strength and patience to care for Logan as partners. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Logan – Discharged; Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2021: Big John, AJ, Chris, Logan, Donna, Amanda & Casey

Middle of the night snuggles

The clock read 2:55a when I heard Logan awake this morning. I passed Amanda in the hallway heading toward the nursery and said, “I got him.” Silently and in the dark, I lifted him up, grabbed a blanket and started rocking him. Logan, sweetly, immediately nestled his head into my neck between my head and shoulder. My thought to myself in the moment was, “this is the absolute best feeling.”

Logan reached up his little hand and gently felt my face. My nose, mouth, chin. AJ and I later agreed that he was checking to see if this was Dad or Big John. It took me three tries of getting him to sleep and putting him back in the crib before he stayed asleep. Before Logan was diagnosed, he was able to go back to sleep during the night unaided. The nighttime medical care in the hospital has unfortunately ruined that ability. But he will learn it again. The good news is that last night Logan slept for 10+ hours, including the 60-minute interlude with me. He needed that sleep, as did Amanda and AJ.

Discharge

Logan’s discharge yesterday from round 2 chemo was a great surprise, as we expected it to happen next week. Blood counts were increasing on Monday. On Tuesday, AJ said that Logan’s numbers were increasing fast, and he may be discharged on Wednesday or Thursday. Yesterday morning – Wednesday – AJ asked me to be ready to swing by the hospital with my truck to pick up stuff – they have lots of stuff – to bring to our house. So, great news that Logan’s little body rebounded strongly after the second round of chemo. Otherwise, they may have been stranded in the hospital over the four-day weekend. Of course, the hospital staff wanted to discharge those they could, and that certainly helped their cause.

Logan was discharged without a feeding tube. This is wonderful for his mobility and simplifies his care for his parents and grandparents. That said, we are uber obsessed with making sure he drinks enough fluids and eats enough. For Logan, eating enough is not an issue. Getting him to drink is another matter, even if it is chocolate milk. We will be hovering with water bottles…

Thanksgiving Weekend

Our holiday weekend changed dramatically with their discharge. Donna and I were prepared to cook steaks on the grill for ourselves today. That was so we would remain quarantined in anticipation of Logan’s presumed arrival next week. Instead, we headed with AJ and Amanda to also-quarantined Chris and Casey’s home for Thanksgiving dinner. Chris is Amanda’s brother and Casey is Chris’ wife. We are stuffing – ha, get it? – our weekend with things to do. A time is booked for the Dallas Zoo Lights, a drive-through experience which is socially-distanced as we will stay in the car. We also booked a first-thing-in-the-morning time slot for the Dallas Arboretum. We will stay away from others there, and it if gets too busy, we will leave.

And on Monday we will celebrate Logan’s 1st birthday early, before he goes back into the hospital. Logan’s birthday is Dec 2, Thursday, and it will be remembered because he will spend it in the hospital receiving chemotherapy round 3. By Monday, Amanda’s Mom Kimberly and Dad Mike will have cleared quarantine and be able to join us.

Lots to be thankful for, as you can see. I again thank you for your prayers and support. Your prayers are heard, and continue to work. Happy Thanksgiving!

Logan – Chemo Round 2

A Halloween visit: Logan, Alexis, Uncle Jeff, Amanda & AJ

My grandson Logan has returned to Children’s Hospital in Dallas for his second round of chemotherapy. Today was his first full day back at the hospital after being admitted yesterday afternoon. Logan’s appointment yesterday morning included checking his blood to make sure that it had recovered enough to start the second round. It had as expected. The long journey continues, with multiple rounds of chemotherapy and multiple months. Yes, Logan’s remission after Round 1 is the best news possible. And now the chemo treatments go on as the medical protocol demands

Respite from the hospital

Logan’s, Amanda’s and AJ’s 5-day visit with me and Donna between chemo rounds 1 & 2 was both wonderful and exhausting for all. It was so good to see them and to do what we could to help. Logan was a joy with his exuberant giggling and free rein of the house.

And Logan’s care was a challenge with his feeding tube. You see, he’s just a baby. Logan neither understands nor really knows that he has a tube threaded through his nose and into his stomach. So inadvertently he can catch the tube while rubbing his nose or face and pull it out. He did it at the hospital, and managed to partially do so while visiting us. (Amanda and Donna pushed the tube back where it belonged.) That tactic of letting babies cry themselves to sleep? Nope, does not work for Logan. Any time he cried at night or waking up from a nap, an adult needed to be there to avoid a tube-pulling episode. Let’s just say sleep was disrupted. But sleep was disrupted no more than what Amanda and AJ experienced by themselves all those days at the hospital. They are awesome.

Visitors

Family visits were welcomed while Logan and Amanda and AJ were with me and Donna. Amanda’s parents Kimberly and Mike, and Amanda’s brother Chris and wife Casey visited inside our home. They have been able to quarantine and were helping at the hospital towards the end of the first round of chemo. Other family members such as our son Jeff and his girlfriend Alexis in the picture above sat and chatted through the front storm door. Our daughter Aunt Bridget did the same, as did Donna’s sister Becky. And Uncle Kevin in Florida was a regular FaceTime call. Everyone was happy to reconnect in whatever safe way was available.

The rhythm of daily chemo returns. I rocked Logan throughout his visit. Each time I thought of the challenge he is facing at such a young age, and his strength, and his joy. His little body is being poisoned again to save him. Your continued prayers are needed and requested.

Logan, a break from the hospital

Mimi, Logan and Amanda – Tuesdays’ evening meds

Logan and Amanda and AJ are at our home for a few days respite from the hospital between chemo rounds. We are thrilled. A whirlwind of activity ensued yesterday evening when I got the call that they were being discharged. I drove down to help extricate them from the hospital room, and it reminded me of picking up kids from college at the end of a term. So much stuff. The current plan is readmission on Monday for round 2 of chemo. But of course that could change as biopsy results come through. The picture above is Amanda giving Logan evening meds through his feeding tube.

Logan had both a bone marrow and a spinal biopsy on Monday and he came through those procedures wonderfully. Final biopsy results are pending to see how the chemo performed, and to make any chemo drug adjustments for the next round. One of the biopsies is sent to Seattle for analysis which causes some delay.

Donna was tasked with administering one of Logan’s meds this morning at 4am. I woke up about 5am and took over rocking him . Around 5:30a both Amanda and Donna woke up and we all had the same thought that Tylenol was needed for his teething. Amanda and Donna went back to sleep, and AJ woke up soon after and started Logan’s morning feed. I learned that AJ was up a couple of times last night as Logan’s oxygen alarmed – but that was worked through. I know that Amanda and AJ got more sleep than they did in the hospital, so that is good. And me and Donna got to rock with Logan. And Logan is free to explore the house, much different that the restrictive 4×6 foot sterilized play area in the hospital. All wins.