Tate surprised us today.  He has essentially been asleep all day and night since Thursday of last week, and that is what I expected today.  But the opposite happened; he was wide awake and in a great mood all day.  He had an appointment this morning to get Erwinia...

It has been a very quiet weekend; it seems Tate needs sleep more than anything else.  I am concerned by how thin he is becoming again, but he is making a conscious effort to eat even though it hurts, and he is drinking a lot.  I know Tate is...

I think all the chemo got to Tate this week.  Wednesday’s and Friday’s appointments were scheduled to last approximately an hour, but Wednesday’s took three and Friday’s took 5.  I am so grateful that when Tate arrives at the clinic needing more than is planned, it is never a...

Tate has had a pretty good week.  He only got chemo on Monday, and it was only one drug, so his strength and energy levels have been increasing, and his overall quality of life is higher.  He has been hanging out with his cat Atticus when the cat is...

Yesterday Tate received the last of the 2nd series of Erwinase injections.  He has one more 6-dose round to complete; I believe it begins next week.  I learned from Greg that the reason this drug is given so frequently is that it does not stay in the body very...

Yesterday my mom, some great friends, and I participated in the Phoenix Children’s Hospital 5K.  My sister registered as a virtual walker and was with us in spirit.  It was a huge event that raised more than $300,000.  I was a little sad at first; seeing so many families...

Today was quiet and lovely and rainy.  Tate was awake much of the day, and he ate three meals even though I am pretty sure he didn’t want any of them.  Without the appetite stimulants, the amount of food he is able to eat is decreasing daily.  His weight...

We are quietly and cautiously celebrating the results of last week’s bone marrow aspiration:  no evidence of cancer cells was detected.  This is a very important milestone!  More than 90% of pediatric Leukemia patients achieve remission after 28 days of treatment; Tate was on day 135 when this latest...

We are new to having a child in a wheelchair.  There were some immediate and obvious challenges to manage, and there were a few that were surprising.  My sister got us a ramp for the front door.  HUGE help!  Greg and I were just throwing some muscle into it...

Tate had the 2nd (of 6) chemotherapy injections this morning followed by an hour of observation.  He is still spent from the procedures and chemo he endured Tuesday, and today did not go well.  He woke up with a headache, the drive to the clinic made him nauseous, and...