Friday, February 3, 2012

Horsing Around in the Fresh Air!

Now that his first round of chemo is done and the worst of his side effects seem to have passed, Spencer's been able to enjoy the opportunity of being unhooked from his IV for a couple hours a day.  Earlier this week when the temps were in the upper 60's, the nurses (one in particular) were eager to get him out to the courtyard to get some fresh air. 

The first day he was a little tentative, but his friend Sean helped him out by chasing him around on his trike and trying to steal his hat. 
 
Sean's good cheer and silliness seemed to give Spence a little boost of energy and fun times were had by all. 
Success! 

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At 72 degrees, the next day (Wednesday) was even more fabulous.   That day Glen, my mom, dad, and sister were visiting with Spence. My sister, H, was the photographer. 
Spence and Grandpa ended up playing some catch together....

And Spencer proved that the leukemia hasn't affected his throwing arm...
Afterward Glen and Spence played a little game of HORSE where they got creative in the tiny courtyard...
Spencer ended up beating Glen soundly....

A fact which he likes to remind Glen of frequently. 


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Today's Update:

--Spencer's friend Sean (mentioned above) had his last chemo today and was heading home for good!  This picture shows their departing high fives!   We'll miss his cute little voice and friendly visits to the room. 

--The doctor mentioned next Thursday as a possible going home day for Spence.  Of course, in the end, it will depend on how his blood counts are going.  Today his ANC is about 28 and we need it to be 250 and trending upward before he goes home. 

--He'll still be quite neutropenic (immune-suppressed) when he goes home, so he still won't be able to go out in public and we'll have to hand sanitize at home like we've been doing at the hospital.  

--Fridays are the day to change the dressing on his central line (IV in his chest).  Today I had to remind the nurses to do it and still they haven't done it at 10:00pm. 

--Cami got a PR in the mile run at the indoor track district meet tonight!

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“Let us never forget to pray. God lives. He is near. He is real. He is not only aware of us but cares for us. He is our Father. He is accessible to all who will seek Him.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley


6 comments:

K said...

I'm glad Spence was able to go outside and get some fresh air. I'm sure he enjoyed that!

Sean is a very cute little guy! I'm so glad he gets to go home! HOORAY!

Deanne said...

Hooray for warm weather in February! Glad Spencer was well enough to enjoy some of it. And way to go Cami!

clarsen said...

I love the pictures of Glen and Spencer playing HORSE. Way to go Cami! Keep up the good work!

annalisa said...

Sean is a cute little boy! I am glad he could play with Spence out in the nice weather.

We're hoping and praying for Spence to go home next week!

Good job Cami on your PR. That is awesome!

Juliet Preston, State AIM Chair said...

Lara,
You've done an amazing job keeping us all up to date. It must warm your heart to see Spencer playing and getting healthier, as it does ours when we see these pictures. OUr family participated in a fast today (4/5) and my son Cosmo who is 10 yrs did his very first fast. He wanted to shave his head as well, but I reminded him that the charter school we go to has a fairly strict dress code and sadly, that would cause problems. But the thought was there. We all love you guys so much! Keep up the good work, Spencer!

Katie said...

Of all the inspiring pictures and posts you have shared, this one put the biggest lump in my throat. Spencer is a hero in our house.

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