Still Swimming {day 10}

Yesterday and today were the holiday of Shavuot. Although we didn't observe in the most traditional manner, that's the reason there wasn't a post yesterday. We'll try to condense two active days into this one post!

So things have been going very well here in our little nest in Wisconsin.
I was able to get out in the beautiful weather for a run...

 I went to my favorite local crunchy-granola food co-op....

 And I spent a lot of time providing food and other entertainment for Mr. Sam.

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MOM! This blog is not about YOU! This blog is about ME, Sam!

What? Sam!? You can't just steal the keyboard away from me. Don't you think that people want to hear what I am doing in the hospital? They hear about you all the time. What about me? Maybe it's time to write a blog post about MY fun.
Mom. Please. Stop telling about you and tell them about me.
Sam...why don't you tell them!?
Fine. I will. I have had a great two days. I feel pretty good. I am only sick to my stomach a little.
I am reading a chapter book -- How To Train Your Dragon. All by myself. 
Um, maybe a little help from me?
Mom. Stay out of it.

 I like to eat mac and cheese and watch TV. I also like to eat chicken nuggets. I have made mom go out a few times to get them. See that big dog I'm sitting on? My friend Johnny brought it for me. It is big and fuzzy.

 Oh, there's Johnny. We had a lot of fun hanging out together.

I made a new friend and we got to do school together today. Can you tell which one is me? 
(He's the one on the left.)
Mom! Don't give away all the answers. 
We hung out most of the day today and played! I taught him to play Stack the States.
I did 24 laps too. I did 14 with Zeyde. Bubbie worked on her knitting.

 Then Karen came to visit. She read me books. She brings GREAT books.

 My favorite part of each day is when I am unhooked from my pole and we can go downstairs and even go outside. We ate in the cafeteria. I like their tomato slices.

 We looked at bugs. I like them. Mom worries that I should wash my hands a lot.
I don't even want to think what the oncologists would say if they saw this picture.

Things are good. I like getting mail. I like reading books. I like annoying my mom.
I learned how to send emails to Dad and Grandma and I used my toes to type. I have good toes. 

Anything else you want to say, Sam?
No. I'm good. I'm going back to my movie now.
Thanks, Sammy :-)

 Medically, Sam is doing quite well. The doctors are pleased with his response to the chemo so far. They reminded me today that minimal side effects do not in any way mean that the chemo is not doing its job. Every "healthy" day is good -- every opportunity to gain or maintain strength. Sam is eating quite well, which may have something to do with the steroid that is a part of this protocol. While I'm not complaining....I spend a lot of time preparing and/or acquiring food! Either way, it's far better than the alternatives.

And so we just keep swimming along here in our little sea of Cancerland. It was quite lovely to watch Sam spend most of the day with the other little boy and have so much social time! It makes the hours fly by when there's a friend on hand. It was pretty surreal to have two poles and two bald kids...but the other mom and I also enjoyed spending time together. (You will all find it not hard to believe that I taught her how to use Facebook. And you might laugh at that also!) There are silver linings to everything, and to know that other families "get" what we are going through in the most deep and personal way...our lives would never intersect in any other way, but here we are, all connected forever by the beast that is childhood disease.

And so we rest....tomorrow is another day.