Today’s appointment went smoothly and quickly despite how much was packed into it.  Tate had a 7am check-in time, and he was the only patient in the procedure wing of the clinic.  It was very calm; I don’t remember another time when he was the only patient. Not long...

Tate’s numbers are (barely) high enough to resume treatment this week.  Early tomorrow morning he is scheduled for a lumbar puncture, a bone marrow aspiration, intrathecal chemotherapy, two types of IV chemotherapy, and the three chemotherapy shots. The results of the bone marrow aspiration are very important.  Huge.  The...

Not having chemotherapy for a week has proven beneficial for Tate already.  Today Tate was able to walk from his bedroom to the bathroom and back instead of using the wheelchair.  He walked!  I was overjoyed.  Tate has not been able to walk for more than two months.  It...

Blood tests at Monday’s appointment revealed Tate’s counts are too low to resume treatment this week.  Somehow he took a little dip, and his doctor said taking a week off to build up is a good thing.  I think Tate needs the break; he has been sleeping so much...

Yesterday Tate received his last 3 shots to complete the first series of Erwinase.  (There are three series of six doses total.)  The nurses worked swiftly, cheerfully, and competently, trying to make it as tolerable as possible, but it still took a lot out of him.  He slept most...

Today’s appointment was pretty quick compared to most.  They got Tate into a room right away and gave him his chemo shots a few minutes later.  He has to stay at the clinic for an hour after the injections in case of adverse reactions.  So far he has been...

Today Tate received the chemo consisting of three injections given at the same time, as he will again Wednesday and Friday.  He said it hurts the same every time.  The blood test revealed his counts are too low to undergo a lumbar puncture tomorrow morning, so that has been...

Temptation bested me.  Without a doubt.  Categorically. After his leukemia diagnosis, but before his hands stopped working, I walked into Tate’s room and found him sitting at his desk writing.  He seemed fine, and I left him to it.  Eventually we moved his desk into the garage to make...

There are no pictures from today’s appointment.  Tate was visibly distressed while we were discussing upcoming treatments with his doctor.  The amount of intense chemotherapy still to come is substantial, and Tate was devastated.  I left my camera turned off out of respect for Tate’s feelings and because some...

We are typically 100% on top of scheduling.  At least Greg is.  He schedules every appointment with every doctor, the physical and occupational therapists, and anyone else Tate comes into contact with, and he makes sure we sure we arrive on time.  I find myself incapable of this; I...