Meant to get this blog entry up yesterday, but got tied up with all kinds of things going on. Health-wise Evan is doing well, with only two more clinic sessions to go. His counts were all a bit elevated, but Evan has a little cold at the moment and he's gained quite a bit of weight since his last dosage calibration. For now the doctors agreed to leave his quantities the same. Other than that, nothing major to report other than the typical bumps and bruises.
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| Nolan went with Evan and Cristy for this appointment |
A couple of weeks ago Evan and Nolan started day camp at Aurora. If it wasn't for the commute for Cristy I'm sure she'd love the peace and quiet, but as it stands she typically stays in that area because of the unexpected traffic conditions in Atlanta. The boys are really enjoying themselves, even more than last year. There always seems to be some sort of an event or themed celebration planned and there is no shortage of activities to wear the kids out. Very grateful that many kids with cancer and their siblings get to take part in charities like this.
This coming weekend we drop Evan off for a week at Camp Sunshine. He hasn't been old enough in the past, but the counselors have talked to us about it during previous Family Camps and I know he's excited. It will be interesting to see how he'll respond to his first week away from the family. Getting homesick is to be expected, but I really hope he enjoys the moment and doesn't think too much about home. We're supposed to write letters for him to read and I plan on keeping things light. Maybe I'll mention how the house devolves into chaos when he's not around to hold us together.
As the title suggests, June 17th, 2016 was the beginning of this journey for us. I hesitate to call it a nightmare because we have absolutely grown stronger from it; however, early on I easily would have classified it as that. It's a mixture of emotions as I think back through the good and the bad from the last three years. In the weeks leading up to our diagnosis the signs were so clear, but Cristy and I had no clue of course. I'll never forget those first 72 hours in the hospital and how much despair I felt. I'm so thankful for the CHoA staff and their guidance, encouragement and empathy early on. Family and friends also helped quickly pull us out of that early tailspin. I know the medical team deals with this on a daily basis, but those first few days have got to be hard on everyone involved, families and staff.
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| Aunt Ru with the boys |
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| Cristy and Evan both photo-bombed me! |
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| Spending some time at Monster Mini-golf |
The boys have grown as well. When I ask Evan about certain milestones from the hospital he can rarely recall them. On one hand I'm glad he doesn't remember much, but on the other I do want him to feel gratitude for the countless people who have helped us along the way. Nolan was too young to remember much. He's generally just happy participating in whatever activity we're doing and loves his brother very much, despite the fact that they argue multiple times per day. Cristy and I realize that the fear of a relapse will always be with us, but this experience has taught us how to take it on the chin and keep looking towards tomorrow.
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| Father's Day with the kids |
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| Father's Day celebration with my dad |
