...and Wednesday and Thursday

Jace reeeeally loves his nurses. He hangs on their every word. Often he reminds me at home, “But, Linda said we should…” or “Leslie did it this way…” or “Becky thinks…” So it won’t surprise you that the ladies at Teton Oncology made MY day when they all agreed that we should MOST definitely wrap Jace in bubble wrap if he is going to play baseball! Linda (and Brenda and Christy) even brought some in the room while Jace was receiving chemo, and teased him by telling him he had to be covered from head to toe. He just giggled and rolled his eyes though. I could see that he was NOT convinced at all—as his eyes silently said, “You really don’t know my dad, do you?” I think somewhere in the conversation Matt or Jace suggested we ask Dr. Hancock, and as if by magic the Doc himself appeared in the room. Darn! That’s all I needed was a rational, practical, man’s opinion. I guess Jace doesn’t have to wear bubble wrap after all.

So we made it through a tough chemo week, and enjoyed seeing a few friends at the office as well. Last night Jace proudly announced, “After chemo tomorrow, I get the WHOLE weekend off!”

Enduring Monday and Tuesday

At the hospital:

During Chemotherapy:

(Hayden providing entertainment...

We sure love that goofy brother, don't we Jace?)

Seventh-Inning Stretch

You are familiar with the term, “Seventh-Inning Stretch,” right? As I’ve watched Jace this week and looked ahead for the final “innings” to arrive, “a good stretch” is the best way I know to describe what his week has been like. After enduring an uncomfortable and  tense competition of good cells overtaking bad cells, we are all stretching this week-- regrouping, and waiting to watch the victory unfold. We are officially in Cycle 5 (of 6), and we are very excited to finish it and start Maintenance.

Monday, February 22, Jace will go to the hospital again. He will receive a Lumbar Puncture, and then he will go to the office to receive a series of new meds. After Monday he will return every day for the rest of the week for chemo. The same thing will proceed the next week.

Luckily for us, Jace loves his team. His nurses, Dr. Hancock, and the staff at Teton Oncology are the highlight of his week, and he looks forward to seeing them. Jace has also made a new friend with cancer, Mark Steiner. Last night Mark and Jenny solidified Jace’s favorite MLB team to the Red Sox by bringing him a new hat and shirt. Not only are we grateful for new friends, but we are grateful Jace has someone else who really understands what he is feeling. (Thanks for the photo, Jenny!)

We signed Jace up to play baseball, though Matt and I are fighting about appropriate protective gear. I’m thinking Jace should constantly wear catcher’s equipment. You know, the whole enchilada…covering him from head to toe. Matt is saying we can just get some padded Under Armor for his chest (covering his port), and unfortunately for me, Jace is siding with his dad on this one. Apparently he doesn’t want to be the only boy in the field looking like an armadillo…and Matt assures Jace they WILL win this fight. Man! (literally) I hate being outnumbered.

Friday

Jace just sat on the couch and went through the Valentines from his class. One by one he pulled them from the giant, decorated envelope and read every word. I had to take a picture, because his smile revealed how happy this made him. As he read the sweet messages from his friends I thought about that great concept, synergy. Each Valentine was important to him, and even the generic messages on them were written just for him. Jace has also been receiving sweet Secret Valentines from someone, and treats from the neighbors last night cemented the idea that we are really LOVED this Valentine’s Day.

After having a few meltdowns Wednesday about “hating being sick” and “wishing he was somebody else,” he awoke Thursday a different kid. He felt great. His fever was gone, and he was happy. Now it’s Friday, and although we’ve been cautioned to stay home (low numbers), he is much better than my last post. All I can say is Thank Goodness It’s Friday! Did you all say an extra prayer for us?

Since Saturday

This is how Jace has felt since Saturday. His lower back hurts, his legs are weak, and he doesn't have much strength. He was on steroids all of last week, so we aren't sure if they are masking an infection, but since he's off them now, time will tell. Luckily he didn't have any chemo Monday. Matt carried him INTO and OUT of the doctor's office, and we've been mostly holding him since.

The upside is that Jace has been able to spend a lot of time reading and being read to.  I haven't explained Jace's school situation, so maybe today is a good day to do this. As you might remember, Jace hasn't been in school since September 4.  This means he went to about two weeks of first grade.  As our luck would have it, my Aunt Rai retired from teaching Elementary School in the Spring of 09.  Her expertise and willingness to tutor both Jace and I have made it possible for us to home-school him, and his current IRI revealed he is right on track. I am shocked that he has been able to learn how to fluently read while undergoing a battle for his life, but just like with everything else our little Iron Man is fighting the good fight. Early in her visits, Aunt Rai challenged Jace to try to read 100 books.  She made a cute chart and brought stickers to mark the count. Last night he finished his FIFTH chart. That's 500 books we have read to him or he has read to us.  We are grateful for friends and neighbors who are loaning us books, and we look forward to seeing how many books he can read by the end of the school year.

So, with the bad days come the good. This morning I was reading on the couch when Jace awoke. He walked gingerly out of the bedroom, took my hand, and lead me back to bed. I held him for another hour, caressing his legs and arms and telling him he will feel better soon.  I believe it too.  Again and again he has continued to bounce back after difficult days, and today will be no exception. He's eating spaghetti right now (his latest craving), and when I finish typing we are going to play Uno. Five months down.  We can do it.

The Invincible Iron Man

As I looked at Jace during his chemo treatment yesterday, I noticed the logo on the T-shirt he wore said, "The Invincible Iron Man." In so many ways, Jace's nickname fits.

Saturday, Jace wanted to go in to Hayden’s baseball practice (Yes, in Idaho we practice baseball in the gym until April). As he longingly looked at the batting cage, the coaches talked him into trying his hand at bat. I stood in the shadows afraid and nervous, but watched as Matt and Corey helped him find a helmet. I knew his arms and legs were weak, and his energy was short lived, so I hoped he wasn’t disappointed with his own ability…but I wished for the best.

Would you believe, our little Iron Man started CRANKING the ball? Hit after hit, we watched him connect, and we listened to the beautiful sound of a baseball hitting a big barrel. As I tried to hide my tears, Hayden asked “Why are you crying? Are you scared he is going to get hurt or something?”

I didn’t know how to explain my emotions—which after a few days thought I’d say were the culmination of many fears, hopes, and worries assuaged with the ringing of the bat and ball. Awww, the healing power of baseball. I’ve always known it was my favorite sport. To Hayden I replied, “I’m just happy.”

As Jace finished, he trotted back to us across the gym. Although he looked more like a young colt horse, running for the first time, the smile across his face was priceless. “Did you see that?!” he beamed.

Yes, Jace. We saw you prove once again that, where there is a will, there IS a way… and it was beautiful.