Light Bulb Moment!

ok, so i need to add just some more tid bits on my "light bulb moment" through this Max Lucado book i've been reading. It just occured to me that being content and taking one day, one hour, one minute at a time IS ONE IN THE SAME....not needing anything else but to just be who we are in Christ. God is our anchor in every storm we face, and we have everything we need in HIM!! This life has taken a lot from us, but no one can take our salvation and no one can rip away our identity in the One who created us! HOW COOL IS THAT!!! My prayer for me and Colin today is for God to replace discontentment with gratitude....only through this will we really be able to cherish those precious little moments in our life!! Colin was sharing with me what he read this morning in his devotion and it was about being ok with not knowing the "end result" in life. That this one day is all we have, and it's all we know for sure, and being secure in our relationship with Christ IN THIS MOMENT is all that needs to matter, isn't that being content as well?!?! i love how God works to get us on the same page, so cool!
i really love when God gives light bulb moments! i was excited about this, so i just had to share with you as well!
What a cozy rainy day, we're all having tea cuddled in blankets! Have a good day, stay warm and cozy!
luv, Melissa

Busy Being Us..

Day 4 of being at home altogether and we've been having a great time! Minus the weather, the kids sure have been missing their fenced chaos called the backyard....but this time around we'll have more time to spend curled up in front of a movie all in blankets on the couch! Mmmm that sounds good to me! We just recieved word today that our appointment for seeing the Bone Marrow Transplant team is for May 10th. This won't solidify anything, just give us info on what decisions we need to make in the coming months. To transplant or not to transplant....there's the kicker! For now, we're trying really hard to leave that in God's capable hands and just enjoy THIS time we have HERE and NOW!! Today is all we know for sure, and we're determined to make this day count! Colin is active and feeling good....getting stronger, still tires easily and needs to take his time, but he's determined to be productive and useful around the house and with the kids! I'm reading this book by Max Lucado, on Psalm 23 (the verse that we chose to put on our wristbands we had made last time around). This verse is very special to Colin and has been throughout his life, and now more than ever, i am convinced God is teaching us through Psalm 23 yet again....Yesturday i read this statement that really made me think. The chapter was on being content and that often we are trapped in the prison of "want", and there was a question "I will be happy when......?" Naturally i answered in my head, when my husband gets healthy and life is normal and settled again....but Mr. Lucado then asks, if this never comes true, if our dreams never come to fruition, would you still be happy?! Ouch....my lesson is to learn to take this trial, and find the beauty of happiness in spite of it. Being content is a beautiful thing, and i think it's a daily thing, for me anyways....just something to share, a little piece of what we're learning on this journey!
Thank you again for all your prayers, keep us in mind in the coming weeks of BIG decisions that need to be made.
We'll keep you posted, tonite Colin has been craving homemade chicken wings, so that's what we're having! i'll let you know how they turned out....good thing his mom is here with plenty of chicken wings under her belt. i'm sure it'll be great just to be together in the kitchen having fun making them....the joy is in the journey! lol
Luv, Melissa

YEAY for HOME!!

You'll never guess what happened yesturday around 2pm!!!! COLIN CAME HOME!!!!! He was a whole day earlier this time, so we've had a great time already since he's been home! He's feeling great and he was walking 5km a day in the hospital so his body would flush faster and it worked! PRAISE GOD!!! We also got the long awaited call today from the Doc's on UNIT 57 that Colin's bone marrow biopsy came back ALL CLEAR OF ANY CANCER!!! We have so much to be thankful for, we are so very blessed! So this marks another glorious 10 day stretch of being home altogether!!! I pray it goes slow, so we can fully enjoy every second of it! It was hard on both Colin and i this time, we are just both tired, being separated...having to go through this process again. BUT we will take it one day at a time, some better than others, but God will sustain us through this, just like he did the last time around!
I will keep you posted on our time at home...thanks for your prayers on the bone marrow biopsy tests....God answered! THANK YOU!

Luv, Melissa

The waiting game

Hi everyone, Colin here from Foothills. Things are going pretty good here, just playing the waiting game a little bit now or so it seems. Yesterday I had my chemo and also another spinal chemo where they took some samples again to check for anything out of the ordinary, but everything came back clear from my spine. They also did another bone marrow biopsy because when I came back to the hospital I was neutrapenic, no white blood cells, just to make sure the cancer has not crept back into my bone marrow. We don't have that result back yet, so we are praying that it comes back clear. This is where the waiting game comes in again. We won't find out the results until Monday, however, talking to the doctor this afternoon he seemed to think it would be clear but we need to keep praying until we have the actual results. My feeling is the test will be clear of any cancer because not even 2 weeks ago they did a bone marrow biopsy and it was clear. One of the side effects of the chemo is a drop in cell counts and we learned from the last round of treatments that chemo drops the cell counts and it takes some time for them to recover.

I am eating almost normally now, I am drinking a bit with meals but I am drinking a ton of water during the days trying my best to flush the chemo level down so I can go home as soon as possible. So far today I have walked about 3 kms and I am going to go for another walk before bed to help flush that level down.

Thanks to everyone who is praying for us during this time and if I could ask for people to pray specifically for the bone marrow results to be clear of any cancer once again that would be much appreciated. Also that my white blood cells would rebound by themselves during this time between treatments.

Melissa and the boys are doing good at home too. I talk to Melissa everyday and it makes me just want to be there with them because I am more mobile now almost to full capacity, I just need to work on my strength. It was nice enough the other day they were able to set up the pool in the backyard and swim a little bit. Hopefully I can get home Sunday, thats my goal. We'll keep you posted!

Colin

Goodbyes are NEVER easy...

Awe, these goodbyes are certainly not getting any easier, that's for sure. There's peace in knowing that Corban and Keegan don't have to be put through any upheaval again! At least for these chemo rounds. I (Melissa) will be at home with the kids and Colin and his mom will be headed to Calgary here in the next hour. The time went way too fast....i felt like we were all just adjusting and then now he's gotta go back again....at least it's not for that long this time! Colin's not looking forward to leaving, but he knows the sooner he gets it all over with, the sooner he can get back home! Pray that the high dose chemo will be flushed quickly from his system, so he can get home. This whole sitaution is getting really exhausting...Colin and i had a good cry this morning, wishing for those days when we were normal again, just wanting for us all to be home in our own beds altogether each night! Aside from the next 6 weeks or so, is all that we know for sure....this "chemo schedule". Four to five days up for treatment and back home for a week and a bit. The Doc's are all still split down the middle on what to do with a transplant and aside from Colin's siblings having a 25% chance to be a 100% match, we've been told that the donor bank is our next best option. I had mentioned before that i would check into what people can do to help. Well the doc's said that someone from our support system being a donor match is 1 in a million, BUT Unit 57 and Tom Baker Cancer Center is the biggest consumer of blood products in Western Canada! If you call 1-800-2DONATE, you can find a blood bank in your area to donate hemoglobin (red blood cells) or platlets or sign up to be in the bone marrow donor bank for others who are searching for a donor match like Colin might have to be. Colin is among the patients who use these blood products and we want you to know that if you feel inclined to help, this is a very practical way to do so!
Like i was saying before, we are still very uncertain about the bone marrow transplant and the whole process. We do know it is VERY lengthy, the actual transplant, itself can take up to 3 months from start to finish....and Colin would be required to live in Calgary for 3-6 months after his transplant, because of the risks of rejection and infections. Please pray with us for clarity and certainty on this issue. That God would guide the Doc's to help us make the best decision possible to keep Colin around for a very long time!
Anyhoo, sorry we didn't update a whole lot while we were at home this time, we had a lot of times having breakfast, lunch and supper out in the backyard, along with going for walks and watching the kids play outside! It was incredible to be at home altogether! I guess no news, blog-speaking, is good news....i guess we didn't want to bore you all with how simple we are living these days! I should go, have to spend some more family time before Colin leaves!
i'll make sure Colin keeps updating from the hospital, and i'll keep ya posted on the homefront!
Blessings, Melissa and Colin

At home update

Another great morning has come and gone here at the Burritt residence. I am starting to feel productive around the house instead just being a dead weight. I know I am still recovering but not being able to help out with small stuff kinda sucks. I am able to help Melissa and mom more with getting stuff for the boys and for myself instead of having to ask for everything. I even arranged for an oil change in the car.

We went and dropped it off this morning as family then went out to the mall for a walk around just to get moving. It feels nice to get out of cooped up hospital rooms and get fresh air. I know the mall isn't exactly fresh air but its not being stuck in a hospital. Everyday as I move more of my stiffness is going away from being stuck in bed for over 2 weeks without getting up. I thought I was really being able to move when I left the hospital Monday but I was sure stiff. When we left Calgary and Melissa was driving it seemed like everything around me was moving so fast. It took a while to adjust to 'real world' speed again.

I head back next Wednesday afternoon for the 2nd chemo treatment and I think it will be a lot smoother as I will be in a better physical state with some strength and endurance. I get about 2 hours of chemo on the Thurday and for the next few days I am saturated with hydration to flush the remainng chemo from my system. If all goes well my chemo levels will be low enough to leave the Sunday or Monday again. Then home for another week and half! It still sucks having to go through chemo once again but I know each trip is only going to be about 5 days away from home. Hopefully this makes it a little on the boys this time too.

Melissa is going to stay home this next trip to be with the boys and maintain their routine for some sort of consistency in their little lives. So mom is going to drive me to Calgary and stay with me during the next treatments. We are so thankful for both my parents and Melissa's parents for all they have done for us during this process.

As we continue to explore this journey God has us on, please continue to pray for healing in my body and this is last of the Burkitts Lyphoma we will ever see. Also for our family to stay tight and for the boys as it is hard for us to be seperated so much.

We love all of you and thank you for your continued prayers and supports.

Colin

So Good....

WE'RE HOME!!!!!! we've been home for 3 glorious hours and we're just trying to get back settled in. The kids are sleeping and we are just sitting having a cup of tea and a snack! Colin has been in a fog..it's been SO long since we were outside with him..life was so fast paced for him outside today...he was shaky walking out to the car, but he made it and we had a good drive home! The kids were SO wound up tonite, but we all had SO much fun! After bathes and bed, Colin and i are wiped out and tired and ready to have a great sleep in our OWN bed! So nice! i should go, sorry i don't have more to say right now...i will write more tomorrow to let you know how everything is going! All i can say is that "IT'S SO GOOD TO BE HOME!"

Blessings, Melissa and Colin

HOMEWARD BOUND!!!

So we owe each one who has prayed for us to get home today a HUGE THANK YOU!!!! We just talked to the Doc and he said "get outta here"!!! We're just waiting for Colin to be unhooked from his IV tower, and to get all his pass medications, and we should be on the road!!!! oh man, we both just started to cry....i can't wait to be home with the kids today!!!!! YEAYAYEAYEYA!!! Treatment is back here again on April 21st...but until then we have sweet heavenly home to enjoy! Believe me when i say that we will be soaking in every glorious minute of it....it's been a month away from home already for Colin, this is the best medicine he can get!!!!!
WE ARE GOING HOME!!!
I'll be in touch when we home and settled!
Thank You JEsus!!!! Thank you for your prayers!!!!!

luv, Melissa and Colin

Pray Hard

Hi everyone, Colin here. I am really starting to feel better these days and am finding it easier to eat with every meal. I am drinking less to get food down so I don't fill up on liquids so much. My strength is slowly returning and I am able to do a lot more on my own again.

Anyways I just wanted to write a little bit myself to let you know whats going on. We are waiting for my chemo levels in my body to drop below a certain number so we can go home until my next treatment. We were hoping this morning the counts would have been good enough to go, but I was 0.11 and I need to be below 0.02. I am still hooked up to hydration and drinking water all day to flush my system, but we need everyone's prayers to get my levels down below the 0.02 line for tomorrow or else I cannot go home until they are down, which means sitting here doing nothing when I could be at home with the boys. Please pray hard for the chemo level to be well below the 0.02 marker tomorrow morning.

Thank you for all your continuing prayers and I hope God is blessing you for all the prayers you are putting up for us. Be blessed


Colin

Coming Home Soon!!!

Great News today! Monday morning i get to bring Colin home for about a week and a half!!!!! We are SO excited for him to have some time at home, then he comes up only for about 4 days or so, and then he gets to go back home for another week or 2!!! He'll do this for four times of chemo treatment and then we are still not sure about the transplant. I guess they only have 3 cases of little kids with reoccuring Burkitt's Lymphoma who have underwent a second donor transplant, so they are kind of lost on what to do with Colin, since he's the only one with this outcome whom they've treated with Burkitt's as an adult. Leave it to him to be the rare one..heehee:) We are praying and trusting God will lead on what the best thing will be to do!
He is doing great though, again today, he's had not one side effect from the chemo and they just finished another spinal chemo so he's sleeping nicely!
I am in awe at how much food he is eating, but he's determined to get healthy and back on his feet strong again, so i just have to smile and be so proud at his sheer determination! That's my Colin!
We are just itching to get home to our boys, it's been so hard on Colin to be away for so long, it's not easy to be apart, so we are so thankful for this much needed time to be together as a family again!
i'll let you know how tomorrow goes!

luv, Melissa

We're on the UPswing!!!

Today has been a GREAT day! Colin has been in the best mood, his spirits are awesome and he's feeling strong and ready to fight this to get back to 100% again. He had his first chemo today, finished around lunch time and he has had no side effects to speak of! Praise the Lord!!!! He hasn't had a nap today so he's just showering now and getting ready to have a good night's sleep tonite! Now we wait for more spinal chemo and for his hydration IV to flush all of the high levels of chemo out of his system. We've been told it takes a few days and then he'll be able to get out and come home to Medicine Hat for a week or two!!!! Praise God!! yeay!
Today is also a great day because our very dear friends had a little baby boy last night in Medicine Hat....Our hearts are with you, Chad, Jessie, Micah and baby Isaiah!!! We love you guys, Congradulations!
God is SO good!!!!
I'm off to brave the freak spring snow that has fallen over Calgary....i hope it's as pretty to drive in as it looks like from inside! I have my doubts!
We haven't spoken with our Doc's today, so i have questions and we have some information that we'll be getting tomorrow, and i'll make sure i keep you all posted on what the next few days are going to look like.

Melissa

Onward We Go!

Greetings from Calgary once again! IT'S SO hard to leave the kids but so good to actually give Colin the hugest hug of relief from our great news yesturday! Well they sure have stepped up the speed now, as to how to go forward and treat his existing Lymphoma. This morning, Colin had an "picc line" put into his arm (on the inside of his bicep). Starting tomorrow, he will start high dose chemo. It's only for 2 hours tomorrow morning, but it's SO concetrated that they have to flush him with fluids for days after to make sure it doesn't stay for prolonged periods of time in his system. After this, if all goes well and he continues to eat and drink and build strength, we could possibly take him home to Medicine Hat at the beginning of this next week!!!!! WOWOW, how amazing would that be!!
Coming back here today and reconnecting with Colin again has made us SO excited to share with each other how GOD is teaching us both together and separately through this. We both are determined to find ways to Praise God, and things to be thankful for. God's timing is perfect and HIS promise is that He will carry us and give us what we need. We are realizing how precious, yet again, our little family unit is and how much we just need to be together......this time, we are both feeling the need to be patient with recovery and not just taking time for Colin to recover, but also for our family to recover from the trama of the last months. WAIT A SECOND.....we just need to get through treatment first, then we'll ask God to guide us through our future..heehee, i tend to get ahead of myself!
Colin is just being hooked up to his hydration in prep for chemo tomorrow morning. Pray for the side effects to be minimal and for him to flush quickly so we can get home for at least a few days!
I know there have been lots of questions regarding getting tested to be a donor match for Colin.....we are going to talk to our Doc tomorrow in detail about all of this, and i'll make sure i post information on how you can help, if you feel you would like to help out in this area. It blows us away that there would be people asking to help in this area.....just shows how much our support system goes above and beyond....we have the most amazing people in our lives....we are SO blessed!
Good Night,
luv, Melissa and Colin, too, he's here reading what i'm typing, too;)

IT'S ANOTHER MIRACLE....

YEAY! WE JUST GOT WORD THAT COLIN'S LUNGS ARE NOT INVOLVED WITH CANCER! We are SO thrilled with this news! We have been waiting in limbo with how to go forward and now this is just the best news! Colin will still undergo high dose chemo to treat his brain his brain and spinal cord but this will not take nearly as long as our last journey!!!! Colin will also be able to be out on pass a lot more with this chemo.....PRAISE THE LORD!!!! Thank you all for praying....i will be back up in Calgary tomorrow and the Doc's will give us the plan for treatment! i'll make sure i post as we know more! I guess his lungs do have an infection in them which now the Doc's can treat specifically, so please continue to pray for improvement with his voice and breathing and eating more solid foods without choking!!!!
YEAYEYAYEAYEY! WE ARE BOTH JUST BURSTING!!!! WOWOWOWO GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!! THANK YOU LORD FOR ONLY GIVING US WHAT WE CAN HANDLE!!!! Thank You for hearing the prayers of so many!!!!
We love you all and thank you for your unending support~ blessings on you!

Luv, Melissa

Today is a HAPPY Day!!!!

well, this is the first i think i've sat down since i've been at home....haha, well not really, just seems like it. I really wanted to share the great news that Colin called me about this morning....His cancer counts in his spinal fluid are ZERO!!!! already, we have our first ZERO count.....PRAISE GOD....HOPE is indeed ours...this doesn't mean he is cancer free, but we are on the right track. The disease is still in his spinal cord and his brain, and we have until hopefully tomorrow when we hear if is lungs are involved. BUT for today we will be glad for some good news! God has answered our prayers that the Burkitts is responding a second time to treatment! Such a relief!!!!
Colin is slowly but surely showing signs of improvement. He ate an Easter meal of ham and scalloped potatoes last nite and he did say the Easter Bunny was up on Unit 57, so he has some sort of chocolate as well! His voice is still gone, and we're hoping whatever the cause we will find out tomorrow so they can treat it specifically!
I will be going back up to Calgary on Wednesday morning sometime, and Colin's mom is coming here to switch off with me to have the kids stay at home, settled and in their routine! We are so thankful that this transition will be as smooth as we can make it for the kids, so please pray they take it well and are ok with Grandma Burritt being here with them, i have peace that everything will go just fine!
i will make sure to be in touch as soon as we get word with results tomorrow, and what the future will look like for us, at least in the coming weeks and months....i just can't wait to have it all figured out FULLY and have a definite plan for how to proceed!
It was great to be in Church on Sunday, it was like God was speaking straight to me, and the love and hugs and support from so many, just makes us SO thankful for a HUGE extended family that we apart of! Some great friends invited us for Easter Dinner yesturday and we SO appreciated the distraction and comfort of good friends. It's been so good to see familiar faces, i think Colin is really just missing the comfort of home and being together as a family...please pray that he can get home so we can be together really soon. I'm sure just a short time together will make a world of difference for him!!
As for today, we are rejoicing in some good news, the first good news in a long time, it seems. Don't get me wrong, we have committed to finding ways to Praise God each day, and to see those little Blessings in spite of what we are going through. Thank you God for strength each day, and for the little things that make us smile. Oh to see a smile light up Colin's face.....i miss him so much since i've been home....i can't wait to see his smile! The kids keep me smiling, i've taken lots of pictures for Colin to see them, i know it's not the same, but this is what we have to do right now. God help the time to go by quickly until we get to be together again!
Blessings on each of you! Thank you for praying!
luv, Melissa

Happy Easter 2

HI Everyone this is Colin. I thought it would be easy to write a simple note to say hi but now I am finding this is hard. First of all, thank you for all your prayers and support again as we battle cancer one more time. I thought I was done but the Lord as other plans for me and I will submit to HIM! Don't get me wrong, I believe I am going to beat this once again with GOD's healing hands, but I never thought I would be in this place so soon if ever again.

I am slowly eating more and more each day, but it is an up hill battle. I was never pushed to eat or drink in Medicine Hat or even more out of my bed. I love the 'family' of nurses, doctors and PCA's up here. Its sad to to be back but they care for people like none other.

Great news today was my cancer cell counts in my spinal fluid was down to 2.2 from over 600! The docs were pretty amazed as am I because I figured it would take longer to drop. Let's just pray my lungs don't have any Lymphoma in them and I can back on my feet at home in the very near future.

I better head to bed because tomorrow is a another spinal chemo day and sometimes I don't sleep so well the night after. We love you all and thanks again for your continued prayers.

HE IS RISEN!

Colin

Happy Easter!

Good Friday.....wow, Thank You Jesus for giving Yourself as the Ultimate Sacrifice for us to be pure and clean. Jesus went through the most horific of suffering, and God was there, carrying Him through. HE KNOWS THIS SUFFERING, HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH!!! Such peace and comfort come from knowing that, and resting in that knowledge! Praise You Jesus! THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEATH, SO THAT WE HAVE LIFE ETERNALLY!!!!
Today has been busy for Colin. His Broncoscopy went good this morning, nothing out of the ordinary for the procedure, my dad spent the morning up here, and when i came up he ate a bag of mini eggs and a fruit bar!!!! YEAY! HE'S EATING SOLIDS!!!!! yup, he's slowly getting his strength back! They also just finished his second spinal chemo injection....all went well and he's sedated and sleeping comfortably right now! Not too much more to report, just waiting until Wednesday now until the results from his lungs are back!
i asked the Doc what Colin's cancer counts were in his spine coming in for this time around and they were over 600! THIS IS WORSE!! Last time we came in, in August 2009....his counts in his spine were only 100, so we're up against more cancer to kill for the second time, so please keep praying for another miracle!
I took Corban for a drive, just the two of us yesturday and we talked about Daddy having more cancer, and having to get more chemo medicine to help take it away, and we both committed to praying for Daddy everyday so that ultimately God will heal him again from his cancer! He's slowly processing, everyday he asks something else, but he's not too forth coming with how he feels, we'll just take it one day at a time. One thing he was clear about, was how he loves his Daddy and wishes we could just be the four of us home for Easter....He's so sad he can't have Daddy at home with us.
My heart hurts for what he must be going through....i'm committed to doing everything i can to get him through this, and i pray God protects him from any scars that may occur~ Only God has the power to get us through, that's the promise i'm clinging too!
My mom and dad and me and the kids are headed back to Medicine Hat tomorrow, and i'm getting Colin's mom from the airport tomorrow morning, she'll spend the next few days with him, i think it'll help her process a little more as well!
It's SO difficult for me to leave, but so nescessary for me to be with our boys.....i hate that i can't do both jobs at the same time, and it's overwhelming to be away from each of them.....i feel so torn. Please pray for this transition again, for the balance and that this separation from each other will be short lived, i pray this time around, that we can be on passes more and hopefully be able to spend time at home altogether.....we still don't know what the road ahead will look like, but i'm hopeful!
i will be in touch as soon as i know anything more!
HAPPY EASTER! Hope each of you have a great long weekend with family and friends!
HUGS to each of you reading!

luv, Melissa

Here's the Deal So Far

ok, here's what today brought us.....The MRI results showed that Colin has a reoccurance of Burkitt's Lymphoma in his spinal fluid as well as around his brain and the base of his spinal cord. NOT GOOD. The Bone Marrow Biopsy came back NEGATIVE for any Burkitt's!!!!!!PRAISE GOD!!!!! BUT the CT scan showed there was something in his lungs that they need to look into. So, first thing tomorrow Colin will go and get a broncoscopy....a scope that goes down and gets cell samples and tissue samples of the stuff in his lungs.....because of the long weekend....we don't see full results come back until tuesday or wednesday of next week. So this all depends on how they proceed from here. We do know that they will continue to do spinal chemo every few days until we see two results come back negative of the cancer cells, then we focus on the Bone Marrow Donors and Transplant.

Wow, i'm thankful but still so sad, for my husband to have to be suffering. It's just so hard to see him in this place again. Colin is just wanted ALL the info, so he can just wrap his head around it and get going. He's tired, trying to eat what he can without choking and trying to go longer in between Morphine dosages for the pain.....but we've been told that chemo can help relieve that, so we wait.

In all of this, and still with the unknown, we walk in FULL TRUST that God is carrying us and that HE will bring us through! Thank you to our friends who keep bathing us in God's truth, we are hanging on every word!
God is good, ALL the time, and HIS TIMING IS PERFECT....we are processing, and feeling a lot more this time around, the shock of the first time around has unfortunately not followed us, so there is more raw emotion with the family, Colin has his own way, and i promise that he will just take time, but he is a fighter and one thing i know for sure, is that he doesn't EVER in any situation QUIT!!!! We will walk out the other side of this, and "this too shall pass", but i know for a fact that God will teach us all the way! Painful but good!

I will be as up to date as possible as we know more, i'm hoping Saturday that we can get something initial from the Broncoscopy, so i'll be in touch!

Thank you for your prayers! God is SO real and right here with us!

Luv, Melissa

oh boy...how much longer?

Hi! I have to apologize....i'm sure with my not updating yesturday you all are going just as crazy as we are here! No news, and i just didn't know what else to say, so i've waited and to be honest, we are still waiting but now with an end in sight. The Doc's should be in shortly to give us the full extent of what we're dealing with and do some more spinal chemo as well!
Colin has been up a little more walking around and trying to drink thick liquids like shakes and stuff. His throat is getting better, slowly but surely, but he still does choke on a lot. It'll get better, it just takes time. His weight is WAY down.....not as bad as last time, but this not eating solid foods isn't helping at all. We need his weight to start coming up again, his physical strength is what will help his body fight and weight is a big part of that!
Otherwise, we wait.....we'll find out today what stage the cancer is in, and what parts of his body are being affected, then, how they plan to treat and for how long the treatment will last. What we do know for sure, is that a Donor Bone Marrow Transplant will be inevitable. BUT the cancer needs to be responsive to the chemo and only time will tell us that. SO please pray for the chemo to work, even though it's the second time around and the odds are against us a little more than last time. We're just big balls of nerves right now.
i'll write when we get more.....after we've had a chance to process.
The kids are here now with mom and dad, so it's been great to see and play with them. colin hasn't seen them yet, but we're hoping soon he'll have the strength to get downstairs to see them before they go back home!

ok, talk soon!
Melissa