Birthday Boy

Mr. T here

 

Thank you to all who have extended birthday wishes to our special little man who turned 4 years old today. We have been blown away with the showing of love and support.

 

At 4:23pm Josiah received his first full-fledged chemo treatment. He was asleep as the nurses delivered it through a direct push into the medicine button (being administered by nurse Sherri on the left).  He never knew it happened.



The side effects vary widely in their timing and intensity, but I'm blessed to report that 4 hours later he was in high birthday spirits (picture below) and as we turn out the lights is still exchanging witty banter with the nurses.

As an aside, I've a new appreciation for medical professionals faced with tough tasks that really suck. After nurse Sherri informed me that his chemo meds had arrived on our floor, she explained the protocol for administering the different medications. During the explanation, there was an unmistakable sadness in her eyes. I can only speculate what was behind it, but I think her time as a nurse on this wing of the hospital has allowed her to see first hand the effects of what she was about to put into my son's body. She's been our nurse for at least 2 shifts, giving her 24 hours to get to know one of the most amazing little boys our creator has blessed his creation with. I think if she had a magic nurse wand, she would fix Josiah without making him sick. Without that wand, however, she knows the only way to really heal his body is to temporarily wreck it. I think I'd wear a "Cancer Sucks" button if I had her job too.