In the Trenches

There isn't too much to report. All of us are trudging along...enjoying days that are better than others and surviving those that aren't. A dear friend (who is going through her own ridiculously difficult ordeal) calls this "being in the trenches." We aren't in the hospital; there isn't any emergent situation. We are just living our new reality, a reality that involves a lot of hard, less-than-glamorous work.

Parrish's body is hard at work fighting the cancer, battling side effects of the treatment and just getting through the day. It is painful to watch how much it takes out of him just to function. And, those around Parrish are fighting in a different way. We are working to provide Parrish love, support and nourishment. We are researching the healthiest foods and the best remedies for side effects. We are working to be his medical advocates. We are trying to anticipate and plan for future needs. At the same time, we are desperate to give the boys all the love, attention and childhood fun that they need. Oh, and we are also trying to get to all the mundane tasks like laundry and cleaning toilets. Being in the trenches--for all of us--is at times excruciatingly exhausting.

But, there are also bright spots. For the first time in six weeks, Parrish sat in the den with the boys and watched while Ivey and Campbell played "construction site" (a typical pastime in our house). These days, just the chaos of two little ones sends Parrish to our room to rest. But, he joined in the fun as Ivey instructed everyone on how to build, what to build and where to build it (some things never change). I can't tell you what this small act did for the boys...and for Parrish. The boys loved having their Daddy by their sides, and Parrish loved engaging with his two favorite fellas. And, while I watched on from the kitchen, I had a glimpse of normalcy. I think it was therapeutic for all of us.

The good news from the trenches this week is that for the time being, Parrish seems to have escaped a blood transfusion . Thanks to the Neulasta shot, his blood levels went up. (You will recall that Parrish gets a shot the day after his chemotherapy is complete. This Neulasta shot is a growth factor that helps his body produce white blood cells.) A patient typically sees a "Neulasta boost" 10-14 days after the shot. The goal is to manage the low blood counts, sometimes through transfusion, until the Neulasta effect kicks in. Thankfully, based on Monday's blood work, it looks like Neulasta did the trick. It is a pretty awful shot with some really painful side effects, but even Parrish was singing Neulasta's praises on Monday. He had more blood work this morning, and he will go for more next week. If everything stays stable, he should be on track for his second round of chemotherapy on March 20th. 

Until then, we are working on keeping Parrish rested, hydrated and well fed. As the pictures below show, Parrish isn't the only one enjoying my "super smoothies." 

Little does he know that he is drinking wheat grass, chia seeds and kale!

Campbell does wear clothes--really cute ones, I promise--I just can't seem to capture it.

Thanks to all of you for being in the trenches right along with us. We feel your love, support and prayers more than you will ever know.*

Much love,

Molly

*As an aside, I am incredibly behind on all of my thank you notes (and for those of you who know me, you know I am a real stickler for timely thank yous!). Please know that I am so thankful for every ounce of kindness and generosity right now and that my inability to get thank you notes written is one of the many things keeping me up at night! Hang tight, though...proper thank yous are headed your way.