Plan for Friday

Today we traveled to Strong (on clear roads this time thank God!) at 10:30. We decided to get there early so that we could have lunch with Brady in the cafeteria. He seemed to love his french fries with ketchup...could there be a cuter boy? Our first stop was to meet with the nurse practitioner from neurology. We had expected to have his stitches removed...guess what? They are dissolvable!!!! Praise God he didn't have to sit and have them all removed!!! He was still miserable while she checked out his surgery site, but we dodged a bullet there. We then headed down for day 2 of his MIBG scan. He didn't need to be injected again today, the solution is still in his body from yesterday. Even though there was no pain involved, for Brady this was one of the most difficult things so far. He has to be strapped to a board using this vest type thing that confines his legs and body. They scan his body in segments for about 5 minutes at a time in a machine similar to an MRI tube. The total scan time is was about 20-25 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. At times we had to hold his head still or his arms down. He just screamed the whole time and cried out for me. We also found out that we do have to go back tomorrow for a 3rd scan..ugghh...Matt is going to go to work tomorrow. My friend Lynn will be coming with me and mom will be home with the kids.

We just received a call back from our oncologist. The plan has changed a little bit for Monday. We will go on Monday and Brady will have surgery to place his Broviac catheter, have a bone scan, and have an echocardiogram. After his surgery we will be admitted, but chemo will not start until Tuesday afternoon. From there it will be 3-5 days in the hospital as chemo is administered.

Many people are asking us how the rest of the family is holding up. There is no doubt that they are being well-cared for! Our parents are amazing and love and care for Eli, Cara, and Allie just as we would... Eli spends his days "beezzering" as we call it. He is a happy wanderer who loves to just go from place to place, never spending a whole lot of time doing one thing. He is a sweet sensitive boy who I know misses his care-free days playing with Brady. Cara spends her days caring for her baby-doll. Despite her loud, assertive personality, Cara has a strong nurturing spirit, and she really senses that I have been upset lately. Allie is God's daily reminder to us that His love is always with us. She is a perfect baby in every way...Matt and I just love each of them so very much.