Wednesday, April 13, 2011

NEW TREATMENT IN MIND

Welcome back!

A few weeks have passed since Luis's surgery and he's fully recovered. But since my last blog, a few great things have also happened that I want to share with you guys. First, we had the opportunity to enjoy spring break with the kids- then, Luis finally started chemo back up again (with a new treatment in mind). He hasn't had any chemo since January. And finally, we've had an interesting blessing happen to us in the house.

A couple of weeks ago we went for his follow up and got some blood work done. We thought that he'll be getting his chemo therapy right after, but Dr. Neelum comes into the room with the results and says, "your liver enzymes are too high and I'm not giving you treatment today." This issue has come up before so we weren't really surprised. She told us to come back the following Monday for a ct scan- (ofcourse by now, she's thinking the worst). We come back, got the ct scan done and waited for her call with the results. While all this is happening, the kids are on spring break and Luis really wants to spend some time with them somewhere special. So although we're not sure what's the deal with his results, on Tuesday morning we head out to Chicago.

At this point, I can either allow my MIND to choose to worry and entertain negative thoughts as to what might come- or I can choose positive thoughts (like I have) and continue to believe that all is well. I choose to BELIEVE the good.

We first took them to see Diary of a wimpy kid 2 (a great family movie by the way- very funny and entertaining!)



And while we're in the theater, we get a phone call from the nurse saying that Dr. Neelum wants to talk to both of us in her office, Thursday morning.
At this point, all we want to do is have fun with the kids. So after the show, we continue with our plan and check in at the Chicago's Essex Inn.

AN AGGRESIVE TREATMENT

After we get back from Chicago, we go to see the doc- she comes in the room and says, "The ct scan shows that your liver is clean so I don't know why your liver enzymes are soo high." She goes on saying, "I want to give you a more aggresive treatment because your young and I think you can handle it." She also said something about this drug being proven to be very effective with great results for Pacreatic patients. Luis will still get the same five hour chemo therapy pumped through his port every other Friday- but now after his done with that, he will go home with two extra chemo drugs (also on a machine) that pumps slowly through his port for an additional forty six hours. Then we go back to the treatment center on Sunday and get the pump taken off. Since my last blog, his done one of these aggresive treatments, has gained ten pounds and is doing very well.

Rewind back to Thursday morning, (the day before he starts his new treatment) our family dog, (Buddy) ends up missing.
The kids began searching for him, while I call the animal shelter and then the police station. We even went door to door asking neighbors if they've seen him- nothing. I think Luis and my daughter (Lulu) took it the hardest. She cried herself to sleep while he was gone. It was hard on her because Buddy also slept with her every night. We told her not to worry that buddy is in someones house being well taken care of. While many of our family and friends thought he was a gonner- (especially because he's a Yorkshire Terrier.) I personally BELIEVED that there's good people out there that will find it in their hearts to return him. So I made some flyers and the whole family got involved putting them up in the neighborhood stores- and also giving it to people as they walked by.

To make the story short, two days later I get a phone call from a lady who says that she has Buddy. She said if I wouldn't of put up a flyer with the information I had on there, she would've kept him. I had no money to reward anyone who would've found him. So all I had to work with was a nice honest message that said, he's a wonderful dog and is dearly missed. And that he's also a cancer patients companion. It turned out that she's a five year cancer survivor. She mentioned that she knows what it was like to have someone by her side while she was going through chemo therapy.

All in all, we were excited and joyful for Buddy's return- and all I can say to her was, God bless you and thank you for your incredible act of kindness. I also felt extremly blessed that God has given us a second chance with Buddy.

until next time.................................start to believe- it's the greatest step you will ever take. Believeing contains no DOUBT- it's absolute FAITH.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU FAIL?

All of us at one time or another encountered some type of failure in life. Sometimes the things we set out to achieve, may take more than o...