Birthday Extension

A nick name only his sisters can call him :)

The family5 decided to celebrate a week after  chemo day. Jethenro likes his sisters homemade ice cream cake, and since he was in the hospital on his real birthday we waited until the chemo had warn off a week. He has also received a very nice hand made card from his group of friends at church and a gift he knew was coming in the mail post~birthday. It has turned out to be  a special birthday after all.

Clinic Day

Jethenro had his blood labs drawn today.  No need for blood or platelet transfusions. {yes!}  He is producing his own good blood.  Defenses are a little low, but not critically low.  Makes this mom happy.

Friday and Still Waiting

For 24 hours we watched two of these huge bags of liquid drip into my sons veins. After 24 hours, they  give an antidote every 6 hours until this chemo clears through his body. So we all hang out with Jethenro at the hospital as much as possible.  Discharge will be late tonight.
This new hospital does have advantages, but disadvantages also. We will let Jethenro decide which hospital he wants to go to in the future.  He had his blood checked today, because he seemed a little anemic, but the lab results showed that it will probably be next week before he needs another transfusion. We have an appointment for the blood check next week, but no chemo planned until Nov.1. ...when we do this again.

The doc told us that in January Jethenro can go to school in the classroom. So he will be registering for his classes soon.  Fortunately most are on line, but still my mommy heart is reacting to this news as if my child is going off to school for the first time as in kindergarten or 1st grade! Gasp! Gulp!

Its my birthday!

Our day is being spent in a new way...bouncing from the clinic to a new and different hospital.  Twas all in the name of leukemia and chemo needs.  Not really the way we wanted to celebrate a birthday, but as  Jethenro said..."We wouldn't be doing anything special anyway!"  We are surprised to have a familiar nurse~we cheered and embarrassed her.. She happens to work  at both hospitals.

He had a special gift from the staff at the clinic. and they sang happy birthday

Playing a game in the waiting room at the clinic

Being a good sister...reading to the patient...who doesn't appear to be listening

The serenade

Waiting room again

Finally into the hospital room

The familiar nurse we all were happy to see.

A Very Special Day Indeed

Psst, hey you, yeaah, you! Come here! I have a secret to tell you :) Today marks a very special day - Jethenro's17th birthday!! If you are so inclined, post a special birthday message here on the blog, on his facebook page, or send an email to halderfamily5@gmail.com.

Half the family is up already getting ready for our trek to the hospital to start another round of chemo. Jettie will be in the hospital for a longer period of time (2-3 days max hopefully) because we have to wait for his body to clear itself. Please pray that he has no adverse side effects and that he clears quickly.

Blessings to you all!

an early birthday celebration

Blood cells! How creative! The words say: "With the help of God, we will overcome ALL"

A good appetite today...

Making his wish, and praying over it.

Jethenro is scheduled to have a heavy day of chemo on his birthday, so the extended family wanted to get together before he starts the next phase of treatments.  I apologize for the poor quality photos...I just have my phone for pictures right now.
Please pray~ as complications are what we war against when he is in the thick of a phase of chemo.

Calm Trust...

A christian who is growing in grace does not ask, "Why me?"  Because he is a christian, he has a certain serene outlook, a kind of confidence, a spirit of peace, that though it  may be briefly disturbed, carries him through any experience that life throws at him.  Being a christian does not mean that everything will always go just as we would like, if we could choose, but it does mean that we can accept whatever happens with calm trust.
 (Taken from a devotional book.)

Good News-Bad News

Today Jethenro finished the 2nd phase of chemo treatment. He has been feeling much better than last week!  He still has to be very careful with activity, but it is wonderful to have his sense of humor and personality back for a few days.

Next week he is scheduled to begin his next phase of treatment.  This will involve a hospital stay for anywhere from 36-72 hours. To top it off it begins ~on his birthday. The ONC team is willing to postpone it a day, but he decided it wasn't worth it....that we wouldn't be doing much on his birthday this year anyway...might as well celebrate it in the hospital!

Sabbath Rest

Brought Jethenro home yesterday late morning with oral antibiotic. 

Glad to be home for Sabbath.  It is quiet and peaceful.  Watched it rain a few times. That was a welcome sight.

Today...

Jethenro is still in the hospital, but it looks like tomorrow will be D day.  The 'important' Dr. took him off of  the extra hard antibiotic and are just waiting around to see what happens in the next 24 hours.
It appears that the fever came as a result of an infection  in an undetected cut he had on his skin. We are grateful it was nothing more serious then that and it appears that he will heal...
Not only will a virus infection land him in the hospital...so will a cut... when his defenses are too low.
~mom~

Makin' it like Home

The girls  have a box that carries supplies to make our 2nd home more attractive. Here they use window markers to identify the type of patient that is in this room...!

Time Flies Unless...

.We are with Jethenro in the hospital once again.This time it is for more than  platelet or blood transfusions.  He ate breakfast Sabbath morning, and spent the morning with his sisters while Dad and mom went to church. By lunchtime he did not feel like eating, and just drank lots of water and juice the rest of the day. By evening he had a low grade fever that appeared to last throughout the night. Sunday morning the temperature was still low grade, but by noon it was spiking at 101.9.  We waited and checked again around 2.  He still had a fever and minutes later as I was getting my food ready to eat, he mentioned that the smell of my food was making him sick....and it did.  With that the decision was made~the Dr. was called, and into the PICU we would go.  When we arrived at the hospital, they had to put us into the ER which was not what we had planned!  We were a direct admit, however the PICU did not have enough nursing staff to accommodate us. I was not happy, my hubby was not happy about it, but we made it through that muddle and were into the PICU by 5 pm.Whew...home ...
The remainder of the time is being spent in finding out why the fever, while keeping it under control. Looks like we will be here a few days. Will update here if we discover anything.
Jethenro was scheduled to have had his last chemo therapy  today for this phase. Doc B also has stated that the other phases are not as hard.  I pray that he is right.  I ask that you join us in prayer for Jethenro.
~by mom~