Saturday, July 31, 2010

July 31, 2010

Saturday-GREAT news today. I got an email from our dr. She got the MRI results from NYU. Here is what she had to say.

Dr. Kaistha would like you to call her for an appointment with her this week as she will then be on vacation for two weeks. She feels Cody has a healing abscess and that that there is no connection between the inside of the gut to the skin (ie fistula). She thinks we are seeing a tract from where the abscess was to the skin. The ileum and colon look good, without inflammation. This is good news. I hope he is having a good day.

Tell Cody, we are trying very hard, I know there are set-backs that are very hard, but he is moving forward, even if its hard for him to see.

Trudy


Soooo happy about this!!

Cody woke up nice and early and we spent the day with his family, cousins and uncle and dad. They all came to the lacrosse game with us and we met Sue and Emily our neighbors there too. It was a good day. And then to get this news later in the day...so happy. I felt in my heart that this was not GVHD and that it is from the breakdown. Anyway, he is moving forward and that is all that matters. I am guessing there will be some medicine changes this week and his immune system will be on its way to recovering. Thank God....


July 31, 2010

Friday- Home at last again and hoping it stays that way..it has to.
Cody was up early after a pretty good night. We were both so exhausted. Dr. is sure that his levels will come down and that we can be safe at home. Cody got a foot massage and met the meditation guy and that really helped him to relax. I hope he remembers "his special place". This guy was really good too.
We left the city around 3 but hit the summer traffic. We got home at around 4;30 and just relaxed most of the night. We watched some crazy shows. Drs called and said to stop the antibiotics altogether. The 'bad' one was discontinued in Urgent Care. We are still waiting for MRI results and hopefully will know where we stand with that next week and where we need to go or what we need to do.
Let's hope for a quiet weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather....oxoxox

Thursday, July 29, 2010

July 29, 2010

Thursday-Tough night. We got up to the room at 1:30 which meant I got to sleep at 2:30. Not much. I got up early and there were lots of numbers being tossed around. They did a 6 hour creatinine level and it was still high. There are 3 thoughts here. The kidneys are not functioning because of the high vanco level (antibiotic) or that the high kidneys are not working properly and he was not getting rid of the vanco or that the agent from the MRI may have contributed. Could be all three too. Today I am worried about the urine output and creatinine because that is an indication of kidney function. It has not decreased but it is very slowly coming back. The dr is confident this will all fall back into place and I surely hope so. I was not prepared for this to be a cause or a result of us coming in for that low grade fever but am glad we did. I held off on giving him his vanco last night before we got here. They started it here but quickly stopped it when they saw the levels. I cannot imagine what would have happened had I given it to him before we left.
So today was quiet. He took a long shower and there is a tub here so he kinda just sat stretched out and let the water run on him. He enjoyed that. He then took a nap and I stepped out for lunch and it was hot and muggy. It poured just as I got back up to the room.
Not sure what the plan is since the 6 hr creatinine test was no what they had hoped. We are doing a 24 hr one which will end at 3 pm tomorrow. Maybe home depending on how his levels are and how he feels. He was pretty nauseous tonight with the other antibiotic and had a headache. He is finally settled down and hoping for a good night with no surprises. Lots of extra prayers are appreciated...thanks and good night.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

July 28, 2010

Wednesday-Not a good day...we travelled into NYU and ended up waiting 2 hours for the MRI. They had wanted Cody to drink a concoction but with all the nausea he was having this morning, there was no way that was happening. So they did the best they could with the MRI.
The nausea passed after a few meds and he was good. We were on our way home and decided to stop at Victor's because I was dying for pizza. Cody sat with me and then he ended up having an accident. Rather than have him walk and be even more embarrassed, I got the wheelchair out of the car and he just sat in it and I wheeled him out. Not mess in Victor's. I got him home and cleaned him up. He is still having that 99-100 fever. We relaxed at home, well sorta and then his fever did go up to 100.5. I made the call and we drove back to Sloan. Cody was very upset and said he was sorry for making me deal with all this. We got here and they did lots of bloodwork. The news is not good for right now. His kidneys are functioning at half of the capacity right now. The antibiotic level is too high and it was stopped. They are giving him lots of fluids to flush out the toxins. He said the kidneys will bounce back so let's hope. This is all so upsetting and we have really had enough. We need a huge jump right now. Keep the prayers coming. We love you all and thanks for ALWAYS stepping in.
OXOX

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

July 27, 2010

Tuesday- I really cannot believe July is coming to an end.
Last night Casey called! It is always good to hear from him.
We were up early and off to Sloan. The first thing we talked about was his nausea the past few days. We decided to cut back on one of the meds and it has helped so far. His counts were 'beautiful' as quoted by Dr. Prokop. His platelets are 214, 000 which is def in the normal range. We came home and there was a package at the door for me!! That was nice...Thanks for the books, Margo!! Nice surprise.
We got our dogs back and Cody sat out back and watched them play and got some giggles out of it. We ran a few errands and his dad came and saw some good friends there, Amy and Derek. Nice to see you both, always. Cody felt much better this afternoon and ate some popcorn but that is about it for today. But it was something. We watched more of that comedian, Jeff Dunhan that he likes. Quiet afternoon and early bed.

Monday, July 26, 2010

July 26, 2010

Monday-Well, today started out great..I ran to do a few errands and got home just before noon and for the first time in over a year, Cody woke up by himself and got out of bed and was in his TV room playing video games when I returned like 20 minutes later. I was so surprised. So happy. I thought he was feeling pretty good but he kinda started to not feel so good later. He was nauseous at one point while we were waiting for his grandparents. Then they got here and he was ok but during dinner he did not eat and had to leave the table. He was nauseous again and just had to go to the bathroom. We took a ride down by the beach and he was very quiet in the car. He was 99 tonight but said he was just tired but did not feel himself. We go in tomorrow and I am anxious to hear what they say. I hate him feeling this way. Tonight he did talk about food and thinks he know what he wants to eat. He says he might want a hot dog. :)
He had a good visit with his grandparents and hopefully he will have a good night.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

july 25, 2010

Sunday-Cody had a pretty good night. It took me until around 11:30 to get to sleep. There was a lot to do here and to unpack. He is still dealing with his anxiety over this tough week and he called out to me in his sleep. I run in and he is sleeping. I did a lot this morning, getting pills for the week ready, opening mail, unpacking and made a few phone calls. Then I finally got myself showered and got him up and ready to get out. We ran a few errands, in and out of the car. We went to the Five Guys burger place, his choice but once there he did not want to eat. We ran into the mall and he walked a bit. He got a new video game and we were on our way back home when it got really dark. We made it to the car just as the first drops were falling. We got back on 110 and were heading home when Cody needed to vomit. I pulled over and caught it and then the skies opened up. We were sitting in the car after he felt better and watched the storm. It looked like it was actually too dangerous to drive. We drove home when it sorta let up. He felt better and so I went to the store to get a few things. Cody called me while I was there and wanted burger stuff but did not want one when I got home. He ate a salad and some popcorn. All stayed down. We watched a few shows on TV and had a fun evening. He went to bed and is a little warm, 99. Hoping this stays and does not spike. He is nervous and the tears came with hugs too. This week was really tough and was a setback for him mentally. I feel really bad about this. I have to get him back up somehow and I will.
Hope everyone was ok with the storm here on Long Island....

Saturday, July 24, 2010

July 24, 2010

Saturday-Today started out good and ended good but was rough in between.
The drs came in nice and early and their goal was to get us home. They gave Cody the once over and all things checked out.
Cody tried to reach to put his shirt on and then right after that, he had chest pains or so we thought. He let me know he was in pain so I called the team back in. His lungs sounded clear but he bought himself a chest xray. I kept saying I thought it was muscular and that he was not up all that much. Those beds are supposed to be good, they inflate and circulate so that you do not get bed sores. So much for leaving in the morning. We got for the xray at 1:30. Not long after that, we hear the xray is clear so it must be muscular. But unfortunately, upon further examination, it looked like his new picc line was not in the proper position. I got a bit annoyed because we would not even know this if Cody did not say his chest hurts. But the bottom line was that it was noted so something had to be done. Surgery was busy and reviewed the xrays. The passed them on to Integrated Radiology, they are the ones that placed it. They decided it needed to be positioned correctly. We just got through a dressing change that was bloody and painful and now Cody was in tears again. It sounded a lot worse than I knew it would be but you cannot tell Cody that. We gave him a valium to help him relax a little. We watched some comedians on ITunes and waited. Finally around 6pm the IR guy came and had to unwrap it again and just pull it out a centimeter and a half. Thank god it was not all that painful and Cody was fine. He perked up and was pretty chatty on the ride home. We went straight to Subway and he ate a little. We came home and he went to bed. As I was kissing him goodnight, he apologized for all that he put me through this week. So unfair right now. It was a tough week, yes but we got through it and will get this infection out of here. The MRI was canceled for tomorrow because of the contrast it needs and we have to call Monday morning to reschedule.
What a week and so good to be home! Thanks again to all those that stepped in. Moira, thank God for you...Xena does not know how lucky she has it! Thank you...oxoxoxox

Friday, July 23, 2010

July 23, 2010

Friday-Well thank good this crazy week is over. It did not start out too well. I do not understand what the big deal was with this procedure and not to have anesthesia. So it started out back and forth and got Cody all upset again. He could not eat or drink all day either. We watched some comedians on the computer, he got a foot massage from integrated medicine and I have the guy (we love you Rocco) come back for some breathing techniques. We have Julie our NP to thank for making sure this procedure was with anesthesia. She called tonight to see how he did. (we love our Julie!) Cody talked to her and started to get emotional too.
We left for the procedure around 2:30 and they did not take him in until 4:30. I saw him around 6:30. He did well. He is mellow tonight and just so relieved. This was such a panic for him.
Tonight the picc line is sore and bleeding a little. He is worried. He ate a salad and some popcorn. His butt seemed to be hurting him again tonight so we gave him more pain med.
He is resting..we were told we could go home tonight but it would have been late so we are staying until tomorrow. All is good. Looking forward to getting home. Night all.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

july 22, 2010

Thursday- A really tough day and my heart hurts more. It was decided that they could not do the picc line with anesthesia. Cody made sure to say he was not doing unless he has anesthesia. After an long discussion again with the NP he was determined and said he is not doing. Our doctor said she cannot force him. We tired everything saying too that this trip to see his brother could be in jeopardy. He blew that out saying we were threatening him. So emotional and upset. So I told him fine, the drs said he could wait and that they did not want to force him. I really felt he would come around. So I told him i needed to go home to get more clothes since we were staying and that blew him out of the water again. He was so pissed and said ok..get the drs, I will do it. He was so upset again and told me he was scared. I felt awful. I calmed him down and we let it go for awhile. The drs came in and he was calm and he told them he would do it. Dr. Small assured him he could get as much pain meds as he needed.The rest of the day was quiet and waiting. It turns out he did not get it today but will tomorrow and there is a possibility there could be anesthesia. We went down to the cafeteria for lunch and sat in the lobby for awhile. He seemed to perk up a little. He ate popcorn and drank a little. I know he is worried and upset and scared. I know he had a bad experience last time. I know it will be painful but we have to get through this. He has come so far. He is so strong and wants to get better. I pray every night and will continue to do so and this will all be behind us soon. Sunday after the MRI we can get some answers to his painful fistulas and go from there. His back pain seems to be more manageable with the pain patch. So we just have to get past these few more things and hope nothing new arises. Thanks for all your support, wishes, thoughts and prayers...love you all.
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july 21, 2010

Wednesday-Well, we woke up at 6 am with Cody getting stuck again. It ended up being 3x before they could get blood. This is the last culture that we need to be negative before we make a plan.
So he decided we were staying up. Then the discussions started about the picc line. He was melting. He really felt bad. Breaks my heart. We had our NP come in and talk to him but he was not doing the line. Next came the child life specialist. She is kinda like an advocate for the kids and also explains procedures and helps kids work through anxiety. He opened up to her about how it hurts when they move the needle around once it is in. She was really great with him.
He settled down after an exhausting day and had a pretty good night of sleep.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

July 20, 2010

Tuesday-Rough night...after line was pulled, he had several sticks to try to find a vein for IV. Then he had a huge bathroom accident. Quieted down around 2am.
Today was full of emotions for Cody..he was really feeling sorry for himself and upset about everything. I felt so bad for him. He would get angry and then the tears would come.
A bacteria did grow from the line so we have to identify it in order to treat it. YUCK! He ate a salad today and some popcorn. His dad showed up later and we watched a movie.
Long exhausting day and hoping tomorrow is better...

Monday, July 19, 2010

July 19, 2010

Monday-started out with Cody vomiting and diarrhea and a high fever of almost 104. I decided to call an ambulance and was told to take him to nearest hospital which was Plainview. We got there to get his stabilized and was there till around 1:30. Antibiotics were started and we were transported by ambulance to Sloan. I had to ride in ambulance and left my car. We got here to Sloan and antibiotics continued. Cody's meds were held so not having his antidepressant kicked in and he was a mess most of the day. His fever spiked again, pretty high which is 103.4 so his temp line had to be pulled at the bedside. It is not painful but feels so uncomfortable. This brought more tears. Then we had to fish around for veins to start 2 lines in his hands, more tears. He had a reaction to the magnesium he needed in his IV, more tears and very scary and painful. So now we have to settle down until 12 when they have to draw labs and he has to be poked again. I feel so bad for him. Uncle Jim (Cody's uncle) came and is arranging to get my car here tomorrow for me. Hoping for a better night and that Cody feels better tomorrow...

Sunday, July 18, 2010

July 18, 2010

Sunday-Well another special family had a tragedy. The cop that killed himself that was in the news was a former student's dad. The mom has helped us at our fundraisers and is very sweet, with 2 sons in the military too. So I went to the wake and Cody was all tucked in bed and was here for about an hour. It all worked out.
We had a good day other than that. We went to lunch again and he tried a burger. We went to the mall at the candy store so he could get more sugar free goodies. It was a hot one so best to just stay inside.
Special prayers out to the Tria family through this difficult time.

July 17, 2010

Saturday-Today we did not do much. It was pretty hot and we stayed cool. We went out for lunch and then took a little drive. Cody decided he wanted new sneakers and I think they actually help him walk better. He does not ask for much so I was happy to get them for him.
He ate a little bit again this evening and had a good day.

Friday, July 16, 2010

July 16, 2010

Friday-It was hard for me not to go to Dina's funeral. I could not leave Cody alone and it was best if I stayed here. I do run errands but am close by and back if he needs me. Unfortunately, I got a call from a friend that another parent from the school passed. I know the family well and it was self inflicted so even more disturbing and painful. This family has 4 kids and two sons in the military. I pray for their strength to get through this difficult time.
We went to a movie today and Cody ate popcorn there. He did not eat much else but a small salad when we got home. I am trying to keep him hydrated and getting him to eat more.
Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

July 15, 2010

Thursday-Quiet day here and I think the pain patch is working. He slept better and so did I.
We slept back downstairs as the drs do not want him on the stairs. We hung around most of the day and Cody was bored. We took a ride down to the beach in Huntington and just sat in the car by the water. It was nice. Cody got Subway on the way home. I needed a day like this.

July 14, 2010

Wednesday- we had a long day at Sloan. When we got in, I asked to speak to neurology. He did a thorough exam and determined that it was not nerve damage, thank goodness. We decided that Cody should try a pain patch which offers round the clock pain med.
We spent a long day there and Cody got IV pentamadine and IVIG. We got home just in time for me to go the wake for Dina McGowan. There were so many people there and the kids looked so strong and so amazing. There were photos of Dina and the family all around the room. It was heartbreaking. I lost it at one point but got through it, thanks for my good friends, Mary and Corinne. I will be praying hard for this family.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

July 13, 2010

Today Cody slept till 2 pm! He had a rough morning of pain so I let him sleep. He got up and hung out with his dad and we all went to the movies. He is in pain from his back and his butt issue. I have to talk to the drs about his back pain. I think he needs to see neurology. He is totally using me as support and cannot stand straight without holding on to something.
After the movie we went to eat at Friday's again and then home for shower and meds. It was his first night without IV fluids so anxious to see how that goes. Hopefully get some answers tomorrow.
Nicole talked to Casey and she said he seems ok. Someone he was out there with fell asleep and caused him to miss something so apparently that is why he failed. He is confident he will fly through it next time. This puts him at an Aug 27th graduation which will make Cody in a better place to travel. Hope so!

Monday, July 12, 2010

July 12, 2010

Monday-First I need everyone to say a prayer for the McGowan family. I had Tyler many years ago in kindergarten and his mom who became a good friend, passed away this evening. She battled cancer for 8 or so years and we passed and visited each other at Sloan a few times. That family is so strong but this is very sad. God has another special angel. We will miss you, Dina.

Last night was rough. Cody's back went again and I decided that if Casey does pass, we cannot do this flight. He cannot walk unassisted and it would just be too cramped for him. So on the way in today, I texted Nicole to tell her we were driving there for graduation and she said Casey did not pass. So upsetting and now he has to go thru the 'swamp' phase again in the heat of the summer in FL. Looks like it puts him back to late August graduation.
We went to NYU this morning and met with gastro. We saw all of our drs and nurses at NYU and it has been awhile. We miss them there. There is a plan for Cody and it starts with more bloodwork and stool studies. Then we will look internally again.
We head back to Sloan on Wednesday and will discuss more then. Dr. Small has been handling this and she is doing a great job and is very compassionate too. It helps.
Tomorrow is a rest day. Pray for the McGowan's

Sunday, July 11, 2010

July 11,2010

Sunday-Today we hung out and waited to watch the soccer game. Cody actually had a bet with my dad and my brother and lost both of them. He ate Subway and a few snacks today. All was going well until his back started spasming. It is so hard to watch him in pain and breaks my heart. All I keep thinking is how is he going to get on a plane if this all works out for Thursday? I would rather drive at this point. He does not understand and all he wants to do is see Casey. I do too. It is really hard on me. We got all things worked out for tomorrow and we are going to NYU. We will see our leukemia dr that we have not seen in a long time, since before transplant. And we will go see the pediatric gastro dr. I am not sure what she will say but we will go from there. And we will see if we are going and then we will wait for Tuesday's call from Casey. I hope it all works out. So stressful and a tough start to the week already. I keep wondering how I am supposed to go back to work too...stress.

July 10, 2010

Saturday- The rain came down! Cody's dad and uncle were here today and we went to Dave and Buster's to watch the soccer game. It was nice to get Cody out for a little while. He nibbled on the food there but really did not eat. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. He was in a little pain but he was out. We hung out here at home and Cody wanted to watch Monsters, Inc so we went to get that. It was a good day.

Friday, July 9, 2010

July 9, 2010

Well, I got 4 hours of sleep last night. Had to stop his feeds at midnight and then start IV so not rest for me. We were up at 5 and in the city by 7. He had the procedure and they looked around and were not happy with what they saw. There are a few more of these fistulas there and we are not sure what the source is, could be GVHD, Chrohn's disease or irritable bowel disease or something else. Now they want us to get to the GI specialist appt that I canceled this week which kinda made me upset. So we are going on Monday morning there. Not sure if anything will be done or what needs to be done but Sloan talked about the bowel rest with the bag, the colostomy. Hopefully that is not happening and if it needs to we can still get to GA. Cody slept most of the day and I got a nap in also. About to head up to bed now and hopefully have a good weekend, event free. Please say an extra prayer for a friend/teacher/former parent of a student. She is not well and her immediate future is not looking good. Thanks and good night.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

July 8, 2010

Thursday-So this morning I was up early and I met with the person, Nancy, from Friends Of Karen. This is another foundation that helped me early on with my mortgage and with my car payment. They also helped with my electric bill and pay for my parking and tolls and mileage into the city. It was a huge help. They have their annual event on Aug 3rd which is where they get a lot of donations. It is in the city and at a rooftop place. They want me to speak at the event. So today we met and chatted and we are bringing my neighbors and good friends, Craig, Sue and Emily. My brother Roy or sister in law Veronica may fly up for the event too.
Then as she was here I checked my email and it sounds as if the drs all approved our flight! Now the girl is trying to find the pilots. I have a lot to do to prepare and to make this happen. It will not be a piece of cake but we will do it.
We are going for this procedure tomorrow morning where the dr is basically looking at Cody's anus and looking at the fistula. You cannot touch it there without pain so it is best to do it this way. They are going to try to see if there is inflammation inside as we are trying to cut down and off of some of the meds so that more healing can take place. We have to be there at 7 a.m. and that means we are up at 5 and on the road at 6. Well, I will be anyway. Should be an interesting morning but at least Cody does not have to wait all day and not eat or drink.
So let's hope it all looks good down there and nothing stops us from going.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

July 7, 2010

Wednesday-So I was up early and went online to start planning this trip. Somehow I was re directed and decided to check out private jets. I even went through the army resources and called Casey's recruiting office. I sent several emails and made a few phone calls and spoke to a nice person at Angel Flight. Well, it looks like we have a plane to take us! I am working out the details and trying hard to make this happen. We have to get medical clearance and work this out. It is not a big plane, no bathroom but stops every 2 hours. It will take longer to get there as they do not fly as fast. So I started the process with the drs and am keeping my fingers crossed that this will happen. I will fill you in later...keep your fingers crossed!

July 6, 2010

Tuesday-We headed into the city around 1 today. Cody tried Chipolte but was happier with his sub. We had a quick ride in until we hit the bridge. We were then re-routed and it took us a while. Once there, Cody got set up in the IV waiting room and was just standing because they chairs were too hard for his butt and his back went. He cried and I had to hold him up even while he was sitting. I popped a valium in his mouth and we waited for it to work then got the bloodwork. We waited for a wheel chair and decided to take a desk chair on wheels to get him to the drs office. Once there, Dr. Kernan was upset to see him in so much pain. We talked about what to give him and came up with dilaudid. He was injected in his line and worked rather quickly. We are taking that home with us and we need to keep the pain under control. Then they attempted to use freezing spray on his bottom to check the fistula but that did not work. He cried out in pain, yet again. It was discussed that we cancel our specialist appt with GI and we will put him out on Friday and they will take a better look. We went to see the orthopedist and we discussed his compression fractures. He needs more Vit D so have to do some injections at some point. He has some nasal spray to start with so hopefully that will work well. We are decreasing the steroids and this too shall work. The idea of looking inside is to make sure there is no inflammation and we can cut down more on the meds.
It was agreed we could go on Wednesday to see Casey. Trying to work out details and I need a passenger. Any takers?

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

July 5 2010

Monday and sooooo hot. I did sit out early and read for a little while. This seems to be my time for now. Cody slept till around 12 today. He got up and chilled. I ran around today and got a deep fryer hoping I can make the onion rings he wants. He ended up eating later today but did well, VERY well with drinking. I am anxious to see how he did when we go in tomorrow.
Quiet here and that's the way I like it!

Monday, July 5, 2010

July 4, 2010

Sunday-Happy 4th. And it is a hot one.
I have been sitting out back while Cody sleeps, trying to get some color. The heat feels good, for a minute. Cody gets up around 12-1 and we try to get something to eat. Then today we went to see Toy Story 3. Cute movie. I realize how much Cody still needs me when he sits there in the theater and puts his head on my shoulder because he gets tired. His body is working so hard and his immune system is working overtime. He needs his sleep and since it is often interrupted I let him go till around 12-1. We have a busy week ahead with drs appts in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday. Don't have to get up early which will be nice but still have to head in.
We did not see any fireworks but thanks to Dayle, we had some sparklers. Always thinking of us.

July 3, 2010

Saturday-What a lazy day! We hung around most of the day then took a ride later and went to eat at TGIF's. This is Cody's question each morning "Where are we going to eat?" He eats a bit too. He wanted pasta and meat sauce so I made that later but that did not hit the spot so that was trash. But he did eat a chicken wing. We are allowed to eat out at decent places and we just tell them that we need things well done and out ASAP.
Quiet day for us but a good one.

Friday, July 2, 2010

July 2, 2010

Friday-Well thank goodness we did not hit traffic heading in to the city today and out. I really thought we would have with it being a holiday weekend.
We saw a dr on the team and got a little info. She said we cannot decrease the immunosuppressant meds until we know this fistula is not a result of inflammation in that area and is not a result of GVHD. Not sure when that is going to happen but maybe next week. She still thinks we can go to GA. Let's hope so. I emailed our dr at NYU and asked him to please get us in to see the gastro he recommends and he did. We see him on Wednesday. He said it was best to see a GI specialist and not one that is dealing with just cancer. I have said all along that Cody does not have cancer there so we need a specialist. Tuesday we see the orthopedist at Sloan and then Wednesday the gastro.
Cody feels good and we got some new pain med, morphine, and it will not knock him out as the codeine does. He is worried about becoming addicted but I assured him that I would see that that does not happen.
We went to eat and he ate popcorn tonight and he is trying to drink more too. He took a little nap today in 'my' chair. He sleeps in 'my' bed and now has taken over my chair. We sat outside for a little while too. He likes that.
I rented a transport chair for him. It is like wheelchair but lighter and will help him if he cannot walk or we need to go long distances. He had a bit of an accident so I think I have him convinced to wear depends or something so he does not have one while he is out and waiting for a bathroom or one is too far away. He is really being strong about all this and it has to be humiliating. I feel so bad sometimes but he is strong for sure.
We are really hoping we can go to see Casey. Sue and Emily next door solved my dog problem and said they would take care of both of them. Emily likes to play with them and that is a big help. I used my resources and emailed a few people that might be able to put us in touch with someone with a corporate jet. We would be able to fly that way. That would be amazing!
Well, have a great weekend and we will catch up tomorrow. We have no plans which is a good thing.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

July 1, 2010


Thursday-Happy July. Today was an ok day. I got up nice and early and went and got my car checked out to make sure it is all in tip top running condition, just in case we do get to make this trip to GA. Nicole came over to say goodbye as she and her parents were driving back today. We went to lunch and Cody was able to get out. We got back and it was so nice out, I brought the lawn chair out front and Cody said outside for about 2 hours, in the shade of course. Emily the little girl next door came out, Cody was working on his new puzzle cube and we just hung out. He looked nice and relaxed. We came in and relaxed for a bit and I ran a few errands. He ate a little more and took a shower and went to bed around 7:30. He was in a bit of pain so he needed pain medicine. Hopefully the night will be ok.
I checked into a few things today and one was getting a 'companion' to come here while I go back to work. It sounds like it is a good deal. It is not a nurse but someone here. As it is now, he cannot walk unassisted (his back) and needs help on and off the toilet. He needs someone here so we are working on that.