Almost half way through

06/08/10-0445
ANC 4800

06/09/10-0435
ANC 5500

We'll be starting treatment 3 of 5 for this round of chemo in about an hour. So far, Alan has been dealing with the VIE treatment fairly well. He's had the shakes and been a little wobbly the morning after, but is better after some breakfast and a nap. Yes, I said breakfast. The first morning, he ate half a pancake and this morning he had a third of a large banana in addition to his regular water and chocolate Pediasure.

The nurse had been asking if Alan has had any nausea or vomiting since that usually starts presenting later during the treatment, but his appetite has been surprisingly good. She mentioned that with younger children, the nausea sometimes presents as irritability. He has certainly been irritable today as well as clingy. A little anti-anxiety med (or "happy juice" as Daddy likes to call it) eased him into a nice restorative nap.

Doc A came to check on him yesterday afternoon and had a chance to feel the tumor while Alan was lying down for the first time in a week or so. Harold had been paranoid that the tumor was not shrinking, though Doc A swore that it was smaller. It had definitely shrunk because originally it extended higher than his belly button and now it was lower. However, yesterday Doc A said it looked like the tumor was recovering from the first round of chemotherapy and growing back in width. Now, it still shrunk initially - this is the tumor growing *back*, so we're not completely panicked yet. We're hoping to see more shrinking after this second round and the docs have not said anything about stepping up the time table yet.

In the mean time, Alan has been handling the stay in the hospital with fairly good spirits. He's enjoying toy time in the crib and going for walks around the unit. Yesterday he had another go at the foot pedals for the nurses' sink.


Alan having a snack