Spica Cast Week Eight

We said goodbye to Auntie Janet this week. She and Alan had fun webcamming with the cousins and making letters, but she had to go home to Vancouver. Alan continues his love affair with the alphabet, constantly asking to draw and often grabbing our hands to help him write the letters. The new interest in crayons and his continuing push to move around on his own has resulted in crushed and smeared colours all over his cast. Not content to roll and climb, he is cruising along the sofa, coffee table or window sill. He is only going a couple of feet at a time, but he has also attempted to stand on his own. Without much success, since the bent configuration of his cast gives him quite a wacky center of balance. Still, it is so cute to watch him pull up and then let one hand go and then the other, waving his arms in front of him trying to get the right balance before he loses it and falls down.

The cast and especially the liner are shredding, and Alan's increased activity hasn't helped either. The fibre class cast is a little frayed in spots, and the gore-tex lining that covers the cotton padding and wraps over the edge is coming off in some areas. We had to do some repairs with some moleskin this week, wrapping it around the edges to keep the liner and cast from getting any worse. We have another week and half before we return to Houston for scans - hopefully the cast will last that long!


Alan enjoying Samoas doubled-fisted


On the webcam with the cousins, talking about letters


Making letters


Wistful - Alan is more than ready to go out

Spica Cast Week Seven

Alan has been very much on the go this week. We made another trip to the Wildlife Ranch, this time with Harold. We got a great close up look at the baby giraffe this time, and Kevin was excited to exclaim "The mommy is kissing the baby!".

After seeing Doc P on Monday, we went to Kevin's school where we joined the Valentine's Day party. Alan had fun eating a cupcake, decorating a frame and grooving along with the big kids dancing while they played Freeze and Go. Alan also rediscovered the plastics cupboard this week. Chaos! but he had fun.

It's Girl Scout Cookie season, and Alan likes the Samoas, just like the rest of the family. That was a little surprising since I thought the texture of the coconut would turn him off, but I guess the chocolate and caramel more than make up for that. He also liked the wispy onion strands from Smash Burger, probably because they are so crispy. We sat out on the patio at Smash Burger, where Alan could read all the big letters on the sign of the shopping center.

Auntie Janet arrived this week to help out. Alan and Auntie Janet have been webcamming with the cousins back in Vancouver while Kevin is at school. She also brought a big box of construction blocks for the boys which Alan has been using to make letters, and we've made big towers with them for Alan to smash. He can move pretty fast when he wants to, and last night we discovered that he has figured out how to get up the stairs. We really have to keep an eye on him now!


Super Daddy carries Alan on his shoulders, cast and all!


Alan and Auntie Janet make letters (video below)


Enjoying a cupcake at the Valentine's Day Party


Alan helps build a tower (video of Alan smashing a tower below)


Alan rummaging through the plastics cupboard

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Video - Making Letters




Video - Alan Smash!




Video - Alan on the move




Video - Alan reads the alphabet




Video - Colouring is serious business




Video - Alan Smash 2!

Office visit 2/14

02/14 11:4
ANC 3694

We have not seen Doc P since the end of November, so when we needed a letter so we could start Alan's registration process for pre-school, we went for an office visit so we could all touch base. The staff at the office had missed seeing him and even though he was stuck in the cast and stroller, he was still at his charming best.

Since today was Valentine's Day, one of his fellow patients gave Alan a Valentine treat - Fun Dip! Alan loved it and was dipping with the stick and his fingers until he was a sticky green mess, and then it was time to crunch the dipping stick! Claire had some treats for Alan from the staff - oh the dilemma! which to eat first?

We were surprised to see that Doc A was gone, planning on returning to the valley where he used to practice. We're sorry we didn't get a chance to say good bye. Doc P was happy to see Alan looking so well. Doc L had been keeping him up to date on Alan's case - the latest news was that the HEM-ONC board was going to meet three weeks ago to discuss his treatment. He had not heard the results of that conference yet, nor had he heard any more about the pathology. We all agreed that it was an academic consideration by now, since everyone was treating Alan's case as a general soft tissue tumor.

Doc P has a tentative chemotherapy post-op treatment plan in mind - two drugs (neither which we have used before, one IV, one oral - oh yes, THAT will be fun...) over a week on an outpatient basis, every four weeks for the next eight months. Which means in all probability Alan will be spending a third birthday in the middle of active cancer treatment. The good news is that Doc P sees no reason why Alan can't proceed with our annual trip to Canada, going to preschool or swim lessons during this treatment. We will hopefully be able to firm these plans when we see Doc L in March.



Fun dip!

Treats from Doc P's office

Spica Cast Week Six

Alan is rolling around the library where we sleep and the family room. It's a good thing that he is moving around on his own because we have otherwise been kept in by the cold weather. Without that bit of freedom he would be even more frustrated. The one exception was our trip to the Wildlife Ranch where Alan got to see real giraffes, zebras and lemurs. It was like Madagascar come to life!

Grandma headed home this week once Harold got home. It was so nice to have her help out and so nice for the boys to have the time to spend with her. Auntie Janet will be coming next week to help out when Harold heads back to work for the last time before we go back to Houston in four weeks. Alan will get an X-Rays, an MRI and a CAT scan and hopefully Doc L will tell us it's time to take the cast off!


Kevin and Alan checking out the giraffes

Spica Cast Week Five

Oh dear, Alan has become mobile. He has figured out how to get off his seats and bed and roll away. It started during an attempted nap when we found him at the doorway from the library, trying to make a break for it. Between rolling and scooting with his hands and free foot, he is managing to move around quite a bit. He seems to be happier though, now that he has a little more control and isn't just stuck wherever we sit him.

The weather was nice enough to walk to nearby school field to shoot off some model rockets this weekend. Alan enjoyed the long walk, and chimed in with a "Whoooooooo!" when one of the rockets took off.

However, the cold weather has kept us in most of this week. We attempted a walk on Tuesday since it was sunny, but the wind was too much and we pretty much turned right around and went back inside. Unfortunately Alan has started exhibiting symptoms of a cold - another reason to keep him home. Sniffles and a cough, though luckily no fever.

Our friend Alex made a side trip from Vancouver while travelling for business, so it's been a busy week for visitors. We went out for dinner on a patio where Kevin could play and Alan could enjoy being outside before the weather got cold.

With Harold going back to work, Grandma is back in town to help out. It has been nice - even though Grandma has been here many times over the last two years, all her time has been with Kevin and there have been some times she hasn't even been able to see Alan. Now she and Alan have been having lots of fun while Kevin is at school!



Alan and Grandma have a cuddle