Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Leaky Bubble

I like being in that bubble I talked about...but spending seven-and-a-half hours at the hospital on Tuesday led to some leaks in the bubble.

Sam was a trooper. And a trouper.
I actually looked up the meanings of these words because I couldn't decide which spelling was correct. And I decided that he was both.

The OED gives these definitions of the colloquial uses:
trooper: A brave or stalwart person.
trouper: A reliable, uncomplaining person; a staunch supporter or colleague.
MOM! Stop taking my picture!
He was brave and stalwart, and he didn't complain very much....in fact, he tried to convince them to do his lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspirate while he was AWAKE. I know this was due to a little bit of anxiety about the waking up from anesthesia. But he was totally serious and spoke to the nurse practitioner calmly and frankly, adorably. He was charming and friendly. He had a few moments afterwards, as the nausea kicked in, when he was...um...less charming. But we'll go with it.

But the real leaks in the bubble came with the bone marrow biopsy results.

It isn't bad but it isn't so good either.

He's still not in remission, and he's still not ready for transplant. So they're going to add one more kind of chemo into this cocktail (daunorubicin but in a format to protect his heart, for those keeping score at home) and then...keep trying.

It's not the news we were hoping for. But they continue to feel that we're on the right track.

So we continue in our outpatient bubble. We spent two very long days in clinic getting chemo and now there's a little chemo-respite until Tuesday. (Even though we have a clinic checkup on Friday.)

Thank you for your calls and emails and texts and messages and posts. They all mean so much to us, and help us to know that we are not alone....we keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other. Leaks and all....

9 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you didn't get the results you were looking for. (These are not the droids you're looking for...) I hope this next cocktail ingredient takes you where you need to go. Thinking good transplant thoughts for Sam...

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  2. Well the delay for good news will certainly make it more exciting when it happens, right?! Sending love and hugs, and prayers for a complete recovery.
    Love,
    The Kalmans

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  3. So sorry the news isn't better. We continue to hold you in our thoughts. Tonight our children convinced the folks at the Northbrook Lego store to allow a VERY PRECIOUS set of free building materials to come home with them for Sam. The folks at the store got so into it they even copied the directions and sent a poster! We're sending you all of our positive energy!

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  4. Sending prayers and positive thoughts. Sam is in every day's prayers for healing. He's a trouper no matter how you spell it and in whatever language. So are you, his parents.

    Love,
    Fran Kapp

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  5. In my book you are ALL troopers, troupers and true-pers, but Sam is #1. <3

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  6. Holding y'all in prayer with much love.

    Also, I always wonder whether it's trooper or trouper, and wasn't sure what the difference was, so -- thank you for teaching me something today!

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  7. Sending prayers and positive thoughts to the entire Sommer Family. Your strength is to be admired!

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  8. refuah shleimah
    I'll be back to my t'hillim routine after Shiva

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  9. Well, darn it. The news could be better and I don't mind saying so. AML SUCKS and I'm sorry it hasn't taken the hint from all of these toxic chemical cocktails and gone away. Yet. Hanging on to the possibilities in 'yet'.

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