A New Day, April 6th, 2012

So, our night was good. So far, no side effects from his treatment. He slept pretty well. Towards the end of the night and beginning of morning he was using bathroom every hour it seemed. This is due probably to drinking large amounts of liquid and also receiving iv fluids around the clock. All that liquid has to go somewhere!

So, today we are waiting on staging and making sure all of his levels are looking good.

For all those living in the PHX area and would like to come and visit...over the next couple of days, please text or call before you come. Chemo does an amazing job killing the cancer cells, but while doing that, it also kills some good cells as well. Due to this, his immune system is going to be very compromised and it is going to be huge to make sure that we do our best to keep most infection out of his room. Can we keep everything out? Of course not, but if you have a cold, sniffles, anything like that at all, you will not be allowed to come in Caleb's room. If you would like to come and chat with Tera and myself, we would love to meet you in the lobby and chat and pray with those who desire. We welcome any and all of that, but at this point we really need to make sure Caleb is well and does not come in contact with anything that could harm him.

Also, he needs a lot of rest. So, we are giving him the right to say who he wants to see and when he might want to see them. He loves visitors, so I am doubting he will turn people away, but he will ultimately have the last say. So, please understand our hearts and intention. Once again, please text or call if you are thinking about coming up to hospital. It will just help and make everything work out the best on all fronts.

We are expecting a great day! I am going to go home at some point and spend time with Cully. I have not seen him since Tuesday afternoon. He is well taken care of, but I need to see my boy!

As you pray today, pray for Caleb. Always pray for his health, he needs that for sure. But this morning, he has a glazed look over his face. When I ask, he says things are fine, but I know his mind is going a million miles an hour. I cannot imagine what he is thinking and the potential grieving process he is experiencing. There are so many things that will not be a part of his life over the next few months that he loves. He has been told that he will not return to school this year. This is huge. He loves going to school and especially loves his friends. He will not be home for Easter. This is another big one. He was really looking forward to being home. It sounds like Easter is a celebration around here and that there will be plenty of things going on. But, he will not be with his brother which is the other huge, huge thing. This is a huge thing for our family as well. So, just pray for his mind over the next couple of days. He is dealing with new tubes in the nose, in his chest, and who knows where else. He is dealing with people coming in all the time asking questions and wanting to look at his body. So, it is a lot for an 8 year old boy.

Thanks again for all of your prayers. God is big and he is in room 7122 this morning at PHX Children's Hospital!

Grace and Peace!