February 6-We arrive at the MDU at 0830 for pre-admission blood work and Jacob's counts just make it for a go for the third cycle. We are admitted to 4 North by mid afternoon and his Chemotherapy gets underway.
February 8-By suppertime we are discharged and his treatment goes well ....Jacob has stopped eating but seems to be nausea free at the moment, and we start to pack for our trip home on the 9th. Our hearts were breaking over having to leave Joshua for another week and a half and we can't wait to see him.
February 9-we wake a little tired after administering Jacob's medication around the clock to ensure that he does not start vomiting and we seem to have found a system that works for him (Ondasetron every eight hours and the Gravol every 4 in the middle). We arrive at the airport and Jacob has to wear a mask for the first time as he was Neutropenic on Sunday....to my suprise this goes well and Jacob keeps the mask on without too much complaining...... We arrive at the Sudbury airport and are greeted by Joshua, Grandma and Nonno....we are finally a family again and head home.....
February 10-22 We are monitored at NEO with regular bloodwork and Jacob goes through four neutropenic days, but his hemoglobin and platelets hang in there without transfusions (we learn the the Carboplatin-which he did not receive with the third cycle-is the drug that tends to really hit Jacob hard). We hit another milestone this week with Jacob' s daily injections.....I decide to take on the administration and start to give Jacob his daily needles....(although I will admit I was terrified at first at the thought of giving him a needle ).....this goes extremely well and Jacob stops crying for the injections, and I gain more confidence. We are happy with our decision, and this allows us a little freedom....On February 14 we celebrate Jacob's first birthday with Grandma and Nonno. Jacob wouldn't eat the cake (he will not eat anything sweet since he started Chemo) but his brother helped him out!! Jacob gets an extra special present from his brother......poor Joshua breaks out in the Chicken Pox (which can be life threatening for Jacob) and we rush Jacob to the hospital to get an injection to hopefully prevent him from getting the disease......
February 23-Mike, Nana (my mom) and Joshua get on the road at 9am for their long drive to Ottawa, and Jacob and I remain at the house until Nonno picks us up at 12:30 for our flight at 1:30. Our stay in Ottawa this time will be a month and we are thankfull that we can take Joshua with us. We all arrive safely and get settled into our rooms at the Ronald McDonald House.
February 24-We arrive at the MDU for Jacob's pre-admission blood work and we are informed that because of Jacob's Chicken Pox exposure he will not only have to be in isolation at the hospital but at the Ronald McDonald House as well (Mike and I look at each other and want to cry--you mean you want us to keep a 12 month old confined to one room for 3 weeks). Jacob's counts are good and we are admitted onto 4 North in an isolation room for our 3 day treatment. Jacob stops eating even sooner this time and starts to vomit the next morning while on the Ondasetron and Gravol. We also notice that the skin under his IV dressing is fire engine red and Jacob is given some medicine to stop the itching and burning.
February 26-after an exhausting 3 days of trying to entertain Jacob in an 8x8 room we are discharged.....we are given some cortisone for jacobs port-a-cath site because it is extremely red and inflammed and we learn that he has developed an allergy to the tape used to dress the site.....
